YEAR: 2009

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

DATE: 04th

STATE: Arizona

COUNTY: Apache County

LOCATION DETAILS: At Wheatfields Lake camping ground.

NEAREST TOWN: Wheatfields

NEAREST ROAD: Navajo Route 12

OBSERVED: We were camping out with a couple of my cousins along with their kids on 4th of July weekend at Wheatfields Lake, east side of the lake. We got there on Friday evening which is July 3rd. we decided to camp there since there were alots of campers at the main campground which is located on the west side of the lake right off the highway. At 4:00am Saturday morning, my little boy woke and I started to tend to him. At 4:15am, my girlfriend and I were up sitting inside the tent feeding my little boy when we heard a loud low sounding roar coming near the west side campground. Immediately, some of the campers' dogs started to bark like crazy. I asked my girlfriend "did you hear that?" she replied "yes, what is it? It sounds scary". I told her that its something huge with a good set of lungs. We heard it about 5-6 times. Duration of the calls would last like 10 seconds long. About 5 minutes later, the call ceased. But we could still hear the dogs barking away. Then at 4:45am, we heard one more call from the same location. Afterwards, my girlfriend and my little boy went back to sleep while I stayed awake all morning. The next morning, I asked my cousins if they heard the calls and they said they didn't.

ALSO NOTICED: Dogs started barking right after the incident.

OTHER WITNESSES: My girfriend.

OTHER STORIES: Not at this location but at another place, about 10-12 miles south the lake.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Early in the morning. Weather was clear.

ENVIRONMENT: Pine forest.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator TF Zamiski:

I spoke with this witness by phone on 8/13/09. I can add a few details from our conversation:

This witness had another vocalization incident in 2003 about 12 miles south, see report #12214 "Possible vocalizations near Sawmill, AZ".

Wheatfields Lake is around 7,500 feet in elevation sitting in a forested area on the west side of the Chuska Mountains.

Their camp was on the east side where the lake is about a half mile wide. The source of the vocalizations was perhaps another quarter mile west of the lake, total distance around 3/4 mile west of their camp.

The witness listened to the recordings on this website and stated that the the 1994 Ohio Howl was quite similar to what he heard that morning.

About BFRO Investigator TF Zamiski:

Tim is semi retired. He attended the 2006 Arizona Expedition and the 2006 Wisconsin Expedition. Tim helped organize the 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 Arizona Expeditions and the 2011 New Mexico expedition. Active Investigator since 2005.

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