YEAR: 1978

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: June

STATE: California

COUNTY: Nevada County

NEAREST TOWN: Grass Valley

NEAREST ROAD: McCourtney Rd. near Hwy 49

OBSERVED: One night in 1978, my 4 yr. old daughter and I, along with my boyfriend and his family were standing around a huge bon fire we had built. They lived on a ranch out in the country. It was dark about 9:00 at night and the stars were out bright. We were roasting marshmellows and having a good time. Suddenly, we heard a sound none of us heard before, it came from the bottom of the small canyon nearby the ranch. It was a very loud screech, howl, yelling burst of noise. It filled the whole canyon up and down the creek bed with its hollaring screech. We all began to ask "What is that sound"? What could be making a sound like that? We knew it was the sound of an animal but what kind, we couldn't tell. We were frightend! As we listened we realized that he was getting closer, we could hear the bushes crush under him as he pushed his way through them. We could tell by the sound that he was very huge and coming fast. We all dropped what we were doing and ran into the house. To my shame, when I got into the house I realized that my daughter was left behind. I ran back outside to get her. She was still standing there in the same spot, I picked her up and brought her into the house. She told me that she saw him (the creature). She said that he was very big and very hairy. She said that he walked up to her looked at her and then walked away. She still remembers seeing him that night, I just asked her about a month ago. I guess it will be a night we both will never forget!

OTHER WITNESSES: There were 10 witnesses, children and adults.
we were roasting marshmellows around a very bright bon fire.

OTHER STORIES: My brother told me of a time when he was staying in a little camper trailer in these same peoples back yard of this ranch. He heard a noise outside of something that was very big. He could hear it breathing. He opened the door of the trailer and this creature was right there at the door. It was pitch black outside my brother said therefore; he did not see him, but that he could tell he was about 2 or 3 feet away from him. He said this creature was breathing on him, he was so close. He also said that his breathing was deep and he could tell that his lungs were very large. He made an almost snarl sound when he inhaled.

ENVIRONMENT: It was a part of the country where there is a lot of oak trees and very few pine trees if any at all. The holling came from the creek bottom.

Follow-up investigation report:

I talked with the witness by phone and the following details can be added to the report:
--Witness corrected original report by stating that after she headed back outside to get her daughter, her daughter was running toward the house (and her mom), rather than just standing where she was left.
--Time laspe between family getting inside the house to when mother headed back out to get her daughter was about 30 seconds to one minute. House was located about 30 yards from the bon fire. There was a barbed wire fence between the two places. Her daughter had already gone through the fence toward the house when she found her.
--Daughter never had any nightmares related to the event, and doesn't relate any fear when she talks about it now.
--Family had no clue what had made the screams, and only associated the events with Bigfoot after the daughter told them what she had seen.
--Scream described as being exactly like the ones she has heard in recent years from television specials on Bigfoot.
--Witness is familar with owl sounds, and described an owl screech as a whisper compared to what they heard that night.

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