Report # 78851(Class B) Submitted by witness Eric Butcher on Monday, July 7, 2025."Ohio howls" heard by campers in Kern Canyon 15 miles north of Isabella Lake(Show Printer-friendly Version)
OBSERVED: My wife and I were camping in the Sequoia National Forest at Fairview Campground next to the Kern River for the Fourth of July weekend. It was just her and I and our two dogs. We had wanted to get away from the noise of the fireworks in the city [Bakersfield] for the dogs' sake.
With it being a busy holiday weekend, the campground was at full occupancy, but was fairly quiet except for some laughter in some of the campsites around. We were just sitting outside the RV with our dogs. We were talking.
In the distance, we started hearing long, moaning howls echoing down the valley seemingly from the mountainous ridges surrounding us. There would be a long howl, then silence for a few minutes. My wife heard the sounds first. She thought it was a train. I pointed out that there were no trains anywhere near where we were. We heard these vocalizations at least 5 times, if not more.
I began teasing her that it was Bigfoot! In the back of my mind, I knew it sounded exactly what I had heard in recorded vocalizations, that were in media and online. She thought that stuff was crazy, so I passed it off as a joke.
On Sunday we were packed up and heading home. We stopped at the general store (McNally's) next door to the campground to pick up a cold soda. I was wearing one of my t-shirts depicting a grey alien and bigfoot sitting around a campfire. The shopkeeper struck up a conversation with me saying that he liked my shirt.
After a few minutes of small talk, he shared that several campers from the campground next door had come in with stories of hearing a Bigfoot the other night (I had not told my story at that time.) He said that he hadn't heard it because he said "when the sun goes down, I go down."
I told my wife what had been told to me upon returning to the RV. She is, by nature, very skeptical, but exclaimed, "I can't believe I heard a Bigfoot!" Once we returned home to civilization, I did some research online. I was listening to some recorded vocalizations, and in the middle of one of them, my wife exclaimed, "Oh my God! That's exactly what we heard!"
I don't know exactly what it was [it was the "Ohio Howl"], but feel it definitely warrants further investigation in the area. I am aware there is a history of sightings and vocalizations around there.
ALSO NOTICED: I was joking with my wife about it being Bigfoot vocalizations, teasing her a little, but after speaking with the general store shopkeeper on the way home on Sunday, and after listening to some vocalizations recorded on BFRO site and thinking about it all weekend, I am convinced that is what we heard.
OTHER WITNESSES: Myself and my wife, for sure. The shopkeeper at the nearby general store at McNally's told me others had told him a similar story of hearing Bigfoot on Friday night.
OTHER STORIES: Yes, but details are sparse.
TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was shortly after dark, approximately 10:30pm. There was a 3/4 waxing moon bright in the sky. Clear night, no cloud cover.
ENVIRONMENT: Developed National Forest campground. Campground was at full occupancy. Next to the Upper Kern River. High desert valley, situated between mountainous ridges.
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Matthew Moneymaker:
Here is the Ohio Howl recording. This is a big male sasquatch. People have been hearing this type of vocalization occassionally for thousands of years in North America but usually had no idea what was making the sound. It was, in fact, a giant ape.
For more information and comments on this report, including input from local people, and access to these witnesses, please go to the Facebook Group for BFRO. You will find the post mentioning this report. The witnesses will identify themselves in the comment section.
About BFRO Investigator Matthew Moneymaker:
Matthew Moneymaker is originally from the Los Feliz District of Los Angeles, California.
- Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).
- Juris Doctorate (Law degree) from University of Akron School of Law
- Founder of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization,1995.
- Writer and co-producer of the Discovery Channel documentary "Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science", 2001.
- Co-producer of the TV Series "Mysterious Encounters" for the Outdoor Life Network (OLN Channel), 2002.
- Producer of the "2003 International Bigfoot Symposium" (Willow Creek Symposium) DVD set, 2004.
- Co-host of "Finding Bigfoot" on Animal Planet Channel, 2010 - 2017.
- Current Director of the BFRO
- Available for private bigfoot expeditions and conferences. To inquire please email ContactUS@BFRO.net
