Fayette County WV, November 1996​

In November of 1996, my uncle and I were rifle hunting during antler deer season in Fayette County WV, near Gauley Bridge in an area known as Cotton Hill close to a spot called Abbots bottom. This area is close to where the Gauley and New river's meet and connect with the Kanawha river. We had setup camp and hunted that morning neither of us saw much of anything which was unusual because a week prior the area was really promising due to the amount of sign and game trails. Now I have hunted these hill's in and around this area from the age of 7yrs old. I am 44 now, my uncle is also a experienced hunter and around 9:00pm we were sitting around the camp fire discussing where we may go try our luck the next morning and all of a sudden a loud and guttural growl/ howl that lasted about 4 to 5 seconds and it was unlike either of us had ever heard. It seemed to be at least 500 yards or so up on the ridge from our camp it could have been further because I know sound will travel further at night. We never saw what made this noise but we know it wasn't anything that is known to be recorded and documented in these woods. What ever it was it left us alone and the next morning we left the area and found new grounds to hunt.


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