BFRO #43823: Lifelong hunter and fisherman has possible vocalization experiences near Packwood

📍 Location

📝 Description

I am reporting two vocalization experiences from the past. Both occurred within a mile of each other yet were decades apart. Having read the report from a hunter near a lake outside of Packwood I wanted to submit this as his encounter and mine are very similar and may be the same creature.The first encounter was in the mid 70's. The location was Chambers Lake SE of Packwood and close to The Goat Rocks Wilderness. It was early spring with the access road to the lake buried in heavy snow. We had walked in approximately 3 miles leaving my dads car at the creek. There were no human tracks leading into the area. Only the weather worn tracks of what looked like a forestry snowcat. We fished for brook trout from the logs near the camping area. We had caught several when we heard the sound of shifting rock on the slope across the lake from our location. As the slope was buried in several feet of snow it had to be something large to displace the rocks.Maybe ten minutes later something let out a horrible screaming howl from the tree line that borders the lake directly below the slope. It was incredibly loud and forceful. It scared both my dad and I. It then sounded like it was tearing up the brush and limbs. So my dad said we needed to leave.My father was a judge and not easily intimidated but he was visibly frightened. He grabbed our rods and took out his pistol. He said 'come on' and started walking without even reeling in the lines. We hiked up the snow covered access road and down the logging road. My dad kept looking back behind us as we could still here the thrashing sounds until we were 1/2 mile away. We finally got to the car and leftThe second encounter was in 1998. It occurred approximately 1 mile from the lake. My friend and I had just arrived to hunt elk in the area between Chambers and Walupt Lake. It was November.We were truck camping on a gravel site that overlooks the valley. It is on the same ridgeline that leads to the slope behind Chambers Lake. It was evening and we were sitting beside a fire discussing the next days hunt.Suddenly there was that same horrific screaming howl coming from the treeline approximately 100 yards from our truck. The creature was very loud and was moving closer as it vocalized. We could hear what sounded like logs or limbs being thrown in our direction. We quickly got into the truck and spent the night in the cab. We did not here further vocalizations but also didn't go out to listen either.Let me note that I am a lifelong hunter with extensive knowledge of animal behavior and identification. I am also a well educated naturalist that could identify most every Cascade animal by sound. This was not a bear, cougar, elk, porcupine, wolf, coyote or bobcat. I would doubt it was a human as it was obvious that we were hunters and the distance was within east range for either of us. This was the exact same noise I heard with my father two decades earlier and within a mile of the first encounter. In subsequent years I have hiked the game trails along that ridgeline and they connect between both locations with well worn paths. In fact the truck was parked across the path as it transects the gravel site.It appears as if this is a creature that lives in that area and doesn't want people infringing on its territory / food supplies (we were fishing and hunting during these events).I spoke with the BFRO investigator a couple years back as he investigated a neighbors sighting near Eatonville. But felt I should submit this report in the event that others may have run into this creature near Chambers Lake. By its behavior I would be surprised if these were singular events.

🔍 Circumstances

My father during the first encounterMy hunting partner during the second encounter

🌤️ Weather Conditions

EveningClear and cold (35 degrees)

ℹ️ Additional Details

EveningClear and cold (35 degrees)

🔗 Sources (1)

👥 Community Contributions

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