BFRO #29700: Salmon surveyor has unusual experience near confluence of Fall River and Boss Creek

📍 Location

📝 Description

It was a friday, April 20th 2001. I was doing salmon Habitat surveys for the Dept of Fish and Wildlife. My partner and I had gone up to do our Steelhead index in Fall river. He had dropped me off on the 7000 bridge to walk my 1/2 mile section while he drove to mid point and walked lower section where Boss creek comes in. I finished my section of the stream and drove down the 7083 to where the road ends to pick him up. It was probably around 11 or 11:30. I got out of the truck to pour myself some coffee when i heard this loud scream. i heard it twice and it sounded almost like my partner was calling my name. Con...nie!!! I listened and then I heard this strange animal cry. it sort of made a Mraaa...Mraaa...Mraaaa.. sound. I could tell it was coming from down in the stream area. I thought possibly a bear cub or bobcat? It was definitely in distress. then I could hear the sound of rocks smashing onto the gravel bar as if someone was picking up big boulders and smashing the rocks. i thought my partner might have found some large agates and that is why he was calling me. (we love to rock hunt this area) but again I heard the animal cry..Mraa Mraaa.. and more rocks being smashed. I started to walk to our trail (about 30 feet away) to see if I could see my partner or what was making the noise when i could hear the brush crashing and some mumbling noise. i thought "who the heck is Tom talking to?? Is someone down there killing animals? did he have an encounter with something? someone? and is he fending it off? with rocks?" But the mumbling just sounded like they were having a conversation. I walked to the edge of the brush where the trail leads down to stream, I couldn't see anything (pretty brushy) and It was raining. I had a horrible cold/sore throat and didn't feel like walking down the trail and upstream to meet him (which is what I usually do to look for rocks) not to mention I was feeling a bit uneasy. Something kept telling me to NOT go. I was even afraid to holler his name. I had no idea what was going on in the stream and who or what was there. I started back to the truck and heard the brush behind me crashing. I turned thinking it was Tom..and.. no one. each time i started back to the truck (only about 30 feet away) the brush would crash again. still not Tom. i just jumped inside the truck and waited. He was now running a bit later then normal and i had no idea what i would do. no radio and cell phone service to call for help if he didn't show or was hurt. It seemed like about 15 to 20 minutes went by when i saw him coming up a different trail (off to my right, not the left where he should be) (from he mouth of boss) I got out to ask him what the heck he had been doing down there and he informed me that when he got to our trail to get out of the stream, there on the gravel bar was a freshly killed deer, steam rising from it and blood coming off it, and the brush was splattered with blood maybe as high as 8 to 10 feet. But the worst part was, the upper torso (stomach to head) was gone...it was ripped in half and there was a bloody trail going straight up our trail, practically in front of our truck and across ridge to boss creek. I sort of wanted to go down and look at the animal (with him) but my partner wanted nothing to do with it. We got out of the area in a hurry in case whatever came back to get the rest. He said he had never heard any sounds. Just came upon the dead animal. AND did NOT even look for foot prints of any kind. He just wanted to get past it quick.I cannot believe whatever was there nearly walked in front of me with that upper carcass and I did not see it. my husband and i planned to go back the next day to see if there was anything left but it rained and rained so hard for the next few days that we never got back. It was over 2 weeks before we could go back to survey that area again. I refused to walk that section. in fact, I didn't want to walk any of it. My partner did. there was nothing on that gravel bar (no bones, no hair, nothing). when I finally did walk that area, i came across a large pile of scat on that same gravel bar. HUGE.. not sure what it was. I left ASAP.I sent in a report to Fish and Wildlife. we did get radios for our vehicles after that.

🔍 Circumstances

one other person. He walked the stream and came upon the dead deer, i was waiting and heard all the noise.

🌤️ Weather Conditions

around 11 to 11:30 am. It was raining (steady but not hard)a little windy. It's a pretty forested area running along 2 rivers. Fall River and Boss Creek

ℹ️ Additional Details

around 11 to 11:30 am. It was raining (steady but not hard)a little windy. It's a pretty forested area running along 2 rivers. Fall River and Boss Creek

🔗 Sources (1)

👥 Community Contributions

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