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Geographical Index > United States > West Virginia > Fayette County > Report # 439
 
Report # 439  (Class B)
Submitted by witness Rodney B. on Wednesday, October 11, 2000.
Charateristic vocalizations heard by residents at night in Fall and Winter, near Minden

YEAR: 1998-1999

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

DATE: Fall and Winter months

STATE: West Virginia

COUNTY: Fayette County

LOCATION DETAILS: It is very easy to find,once in the near by city of Oak Hill Rt 17 is right of Highway 19 on Main St Oak Hill,then procede approximately two miles down Rt 17 to Rock Lick

NEAREST TOWN: Minden, Oak Hill

NEAREST ROAD: Rt 17 primary paved road that runs threw Minden and Rock Lick

OBSERVED: I live in a very rural area in Fayette County West Virginia,the small community of Rock Lick

as i was surfing your website i was excited to find actual sound recordings taken in the bordering state of Ohio, listening to them i was immediately surprised that the Howl from the recordings was very familiar,

many nights if your lucky and its quiet you can step out and hear this very unusual howl,

it has been heard by my mother and I,on several accastions, we always wondered what the sound was,but dismissed it as just something weird,but just days ago when my mother and I listened to the recordings we both agreed the howl was what we heard,

every time we hear the howl,its at night usually fall or winter,and after 10:00 or 11:00 at night,and the hollow we live in is very quiet,never have i seen a creature or have i ever found tracks matching the ones on your website,but i have had friends who have seen strange things that meet your descriptions,but since they are third party i cannot confirm them,

my mother and i will definetly be more watchful of sounds or strange things this fall and winter,

the sound we heard was alot fainter than the recording but it echoed threw the hollow from about a mile or two away,if you knew the local terrain there are several directions it could come from, and thousands of undeveloped acres of woods,but it sends chills up your back when you hear it,because it is so unidentifiable.

OTHER WITNESSES: 2 witnesses,we were either setting on the porch,returning home at night from the store, or just out in the yard,none of us drink alcohol or do mind altering drugs or anything,just quiet country folks

OTHER STORIES: Yes its kinda spooky how local stories match the stories of the people on your website,i know many people who have encountered a large hairy ape like creature,and or big foot like creature,one account is of my friend was camping in a small shack built for hunting,him and his friends,3 in all,all sober none using drugs,as they returned to the shack on an old strip mine road,a large hairy creature about 7-8ft tall started to cross the road in front of them,they didnt have flashlights on,he said it looked at them screamed in a high pitch scream that sounded like a screaming woman,then swiftly ran into the woods,and they heard the screams several times while in the woods,but that was the only sighting,this incident happened only about a mile from my location in the woods,and it was in the late 80's early 90's,it is to be noted that since this encounter the area that the sighting took place in has been reclaimed by the government and is now returning to nature,but is still undeveloped,it used to be an abandoned strip mine now its been reclaimed and is a large sloping field surrounded by woods,if your not familar with strip mine reclamation,then try to find a local miners association and have them explain.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: At night never in the day very Dark and quiet,and the weather was usually cold,some times so cold it was snowing.

ENVIRONMENT: Appalachian Mountains,dense forrest rural area,a creek runs threw Rock Lick,Arbuckle Creek,the nearest River is The New River which is just about 2 miles walking distance threw the woods,Rock Lick sets in a very rural valley,surrounded by mountain ridges on both sides,the nearest landmark and or bridge is The New River Gorge Bridge.