An open record of things people cannot explain

Mason County, Washington · 2004-11-16 · from the BFRO archive

Screaming or howling in Mason County, Washington

actually there is several parts to my report so bare with me.First my background. I am a Mason County resident that has lived here in Shelton for most of my life.My father was a State Fire Warden since the late 1950's up until his retirement in 1978,and my Mother was a floral greens harvester for about 50 years.Consiquently I know this area better than most residents as I also run a business that requires me to be in the woods a lot.I was employed by the USFS from 1970 to 1983 in Fire Management. My first encounter with what I believe to be a Sasquatch was in October,1984.I was living in Oregon at the time and had came home to visit my folks who resided on the Cloqullam road about 3 miles west of Shelton.One evening as I was sleeping on their couch I heard a screaming noise off in the distance(I am estimating a 1/4 mile)that I can only describe as a cross between a donkey braying,a high pitched scream and a growling noise at the end.What amazed me most was the duration of this howling as it lasted about 15 seconds.About 5 minutes later it howled again, this time much closer to the house and repeats itself twice.I can still recall my parents watchdogs scratching at the door to get in.As the noise got closer I could hear a more distant but unquestionably return answer to the screaming. The thing finally got to within a couple hundred yards of the house and the noise was like an air raid siren.I have never heard any animal as loud as this.It screamed a couple of more times and then it headed back the way it came continuing to scream at intervals until it was a very distant noise and either was out of my range of hearing or had quit.The next morning I asked my parents if they had heard the noise from the previous night.They answered yes and told me that they had been hearing it for years. I did a little checking around the area and found an elderly couple who with a little urging told me of there encounter about a year before that.The couple lived about a mile from my parents place and were in the habit of taking an evening walk up a pipeline which runs betwwen their place and my parents.One evening'as they put it,something tall,large,and hairy walked from the brush across in front of them into the timber on the other side of the pipeline.It walked on two legs,and was not in a hurry but took long strides and crossed the pipeline in about 5 strides.They said it was about 50 yards in front of them and had a very bad odor. Other people in the area attested to hearing the noises.As a prologue to this about 3 weeks later my parent's dog came up missing and I found him on the pipeline.His neck was broken and he was severly torn up.I don't know if this had any thing to do with the noise but I have always wondered. My other encounter was in early fall of 1996.I was out with my dog checking on some leases I had with Simpson Timber Company.After my business was finished I stopped at an area I knew I could find some mushrooms to take home.This is in an area near the Satsop River and betwwen the Cloqullam road and the Matlock-Brady road.It was late afternoon around 5:30 pm and I only had about an hour of light left. My dog and I hiked a short way in from the road and I was down on my hands and knees cutting mushrooms when my dog came over to me and tried to get as close as he could.I was mad at him because he was stepping on the mushrooms.I recall getting a whiff of very putrid smelling air.The smell was overpowering almost like something had died with an overtone of rotting garbage.I stood up to see where the smell was comming from and turned to my right and in doing so saw a large hairy creature standing in a fern patch about 200 feet away.We both made eye contact about the same time and I was so startled for a few seconds I had to rationlize what I was seeing. It stood a good 3 to 4 feet above the ferns and was very dark(although it was late, and this could have made it seem darker in color)It turned its head to look back and then turned its torso and arms and as it did I could see long hair on its arms.It proceeded to walk quickly away.I proceeded to walk out and come home.I didn't tell anyone for a couple of days as I kept going over it in my head to ensure myself that this it what I actually saw and I am positive of the events. I have since then found tracks in the same area which is only about 8 miles as the crow flys from my parents house.

What stood out: screaming or howlinggrowlingsomething walking upright

 

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This account was written by a member of the public and published in the BFRO archive. We reproduce it with thanks and remove anything on request. Location shown is approximate.