Geographical Index > United States > Washington > Spokane County > Report # 66003
(Class B)
Submitted by witness on Wednesday, September 2, 2020.
Howls heard near Spokane River
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YEAR: 2020
SEASON: Summer MONTH: September DATE: 02 STATE: Washington COUNTY: Spokane County LOCATION DETAILS: Sound/howl seemed like it was a couple blocks away, perhaps closer to 7 Mile Road and near the Spokane River. NEAREST TOWN: Nine Mile Falls, WA NEAREST ROAD: 291 OBSERVED: Heard:
at approx 2:15am my labrador retriever started barking at something outside. This is not unusual as we live on a closed golf course which is adjacent to Riverside State Park and we often have varying types of nature near our home. After letting the dog out to relieve himself I returned to bed. Outside temp was approx 55-60 degrees and we had the bedroom windows open. Our bedroom faces the closed golf course.
What I heard next was a loud howl.
At first I thought it was a police car or ambulance traveling on highway 291 that had turned on its siren, but then the sound simply went from soft to loud to suddenly stopping. So, it was not a siren. I listened intently to try to figure out what was going on and about 2 minutes later I heard a similar but more faint "siren" sound.
This was not a coyote or a wolf, nor was it the sound of a neighbor's dog. The sound was different and as I said, it sounded like a siren with only one whooooooo.
I noted the time (2:20am). It sounded like it could have been a few blocks away (I thought around 7 Mile Road).
I have been checking local websites and facebook groups to see if anyone else heard it, but so far nothing. I can't be the only one to have heard this. Perhaps a person was making the noise as part of Big Foot hunting??
The other thing I'd like to report is that we feed birds and squirrels in our yard. Approx 6weeks prior we had our squirrel feeder torn off the tree at night. We heard a crash outside and couldn't identify anything that particular night but the following morning we discovered the feeder's lid which is crewed into the top on a heavy hinge, was ripped off. We jokingly said maybe we should look for Big Foot prints or hair in the area.
Anyway, the howl was definitely something not of the ordinary.
Thank you. ALSO NOTICED: Perhaps of note is that the golf course had recently been mowed for fire safety. The course closed Sept 2018 and no maintenance was performed since. Weeds had been very high with LOTS of deer (and moose) traveling around and through the course. Course was mowed at the request of homeowners due to fire concerns, so there was a significant change to the 90-acres that was the golf course. OTHER WITNESSES: I was home alone, so no other witnesses. OTHER STORIES: Some locals have said that there were sightings near the river in more slightly remote areas than my immediate neighborhood. I believe in 2018 there was a sighting in neighboring Stevens County. TIME AND CONDITIONS: 2:20am ENVIRONMENT: We live in a forested with the Spokane River only a 1/4 mile away.
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Jeff Sidebottom:
I interviewed the witness by phone on Sept. 6, 2020. She is a professional business woman who has worked in the Employee Benefit Consulting environment for more than 25 years. She most recently held the title of Vice President, Director of Global Benefits for a very large (global) Insurance Brokerage Firm. She and her husband had lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2018 her husband (an Air Force Veteran and career Civilian Federal employee) became eligible for retirement. They seized the moment, took advantage of his retirement opportunity and relocated to the Spokane area. She states "We are avid campers (tent) and try to get away as often as we can. While living in CA we camped all over the state, often in the Tahoe region or Yosemite, but also in the Redwoods north and along the coast. Since we moved to Spokane (July 2018) we have camped at Palouse Falls State Park (WA), Hells Canyon State Park (ID), Farragut State Park (ID), and Whitefish Lake State Park (MT), not to mention Mt Rushmore, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone NP last summer. In short, we are outside in nature quite a bit."
Encounter:
It was on September 2nd, 2020 around 2:15 to 2:30am and it was clear out and fairly well lit with a full moon. The temperature was around 55 to 60 degrees F. She had let her dog out and heard what she initially thought was a police siren winding up but it got louder and louder then wound down and stopped. She said she then heard what sounded like another one much farther off. Possibly a reply. She has been around coyote, etc. and said this was definitely not a coyote or dog. She said she did notice a strong skunk type odor but it was worse and more "trashy" smelling.
Additional:
The witness feeds various animals around her property. Squirrels, birds, etc. and puts out old apples for deer. She has a heavy wooden feeder screwed into a tree with a heavy lid on hinges and a plexiglass front. She is 5'9 tall and has to be on her toes and arms fully extended upwards to open it and fill it. There is a hole about 2 inch diameter in the side so squirrels can get to the feed as well. Something tried to pull it off of the tree and ripped the lid completely off of it. No claw marks or tooth marks from chewing/gnawing so probably not a bear although bear have been seen by a neighbor on his 20 acre property about 3 miles north. A neighbor said that others have had sightings of "something" over recent years. The local hardware store has Sasquatch pictures and a statue.
The area around her is surrounded by forests and canyons, rivers, streams, and she is 9 miles northwest of downtown Spokane. Lake Pend Oreille is about 25 miles to her northeast. Colville National Forest is about 15 miles to her north and Kootenai National Forest looks to be about 20 miles northeast.
Summary:
I believe she is a credible witness and gave a compelling report. I found other reports in the BFRO database as recent as winter 2017. (see Report 56332). This report in particular is only 21 miles northeast of her location. There was also a media article (see BFRO Media Article 237) which was written from information found in a letter written in April 1840 by the Reverend Elkanah Walker, a Protestant missionary to the Spokane Indians. I plan to make a trip up to one of the surrounding national forests to camp and explore.
About BFRO Investigator Jeff Sidebottom:
25 years as a Journeyman Tool & Die Maker/Machinist. Went back to school, earned Associates Degree in Computer Electronics Engineering, then Bachelor's Degree in Information Systems Security. Worked in the Telecommunications field for more than a decade. Currently manages a company phone system serving 43 sites in 2 states.
Originally from Kentucky. Grew up hunting and hiking. Spent much time in the woods and forests. Moved to Washington state in 2013. Loves the Pacific Northwest. Firm believer in Bigfoot since childhood. Has FLIR thermal imager and nightvision scope.
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