YEAR: 1989

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

STATE: Arizona

COUNTY: Apache County

LOCATION DETAILS: exact location is unknown; spotted owl survey records from that time may indicate otherwise.

NEAREST TOWN: Tsaile, AZ

NEAREST ROAD: Tsaile Creek Road

OBSERVED: One summer morning of the year 1989, myself and a forestry technician were just finishing up a routine spotted owl survey in the northern part of the Chuska Mountain range. After calling for owls at a call point, just before sunrise, we began to walk back to the vehicle when we heard a loud, deep yell/roar from down below our position. The habitat was a mixed conifer stand within a deep dark canyon.

Since there are sheep camps throughout the Chuska Mtn. range, it did cross our mind that perhaps someone (a human) was yelling but the distinct factor that myself and the technician had agreed upon was that the yell was very deep and long (lasted approx. 5 seconds). After the vocalization, the echo itself retained the deepness of the sound as it travelled through the canyon below us. This was definately not a human that had the lung capacity to make such a sound.

After researching it a bit more recently, about sasquatch sightings, audio clips etc., my theory is the animal, whatever it was, may have been responding to our sounds, since we were calling with the imitated vocalization of the the Mexican Spotted Owl. I've listened to several audio clips of recorded sasquatch vocalizations and can see where one may have mistaken us for another creature of its kind.

ALSO NOTICED: The vocalization was deep and prolonged; the yell was in accordance with a being with a large lung capacity as well as vocal strength. The yell was not human.

Another thing was, I vagually remember looking at the map after the incident to see if there were sheep camps or residences at the bottom of the canyon and according to the map, there were none identified or located in or around that particular area.

OTHER WITNESSES: One other witness was there; a forest technician.

OTHER STORIES: I've heard sheepherders of the summer camps within the Chuska mountain range, tell me, when I used to work as a Wildlife Technician, to be careful in those areas because they've seen an ape-like creature with reddish hair.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: This incident occurred around 5:00 a.m. The lighting conditions were very minimal; I could barely make out the outlines of the trees on the opposite slope of the canyon we heard the vocalization in. The weather was clear skies, calm with no wind.

ENVIRONMENT: Mixed Conifer Forest lining both slopes of a deep, dark canyon below us.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator TF Zamiski:

I spoke to the witness for about 20 minutes on Monday 1/30/06. He is an outdoorsman and hunter, familiar with animal calls like elk and obviously owls. Based on his experience he felt this sound was created by a large animal, a bigger sound than a human could make and unlike anything he has ever heard.

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.

• Explanation of the report classification system
• Submit a report for the sightings database
• Please send any comments or inquiries to ContactUs@BFRO.net