We spent about an hour crossing the flats to the thick bush on the northern side and were walking to each water trap looking for tracks. I even showed Gerry what was left of the possible prints Sebastian and I looked at two weeks before, although by this time there was not much left of them. I had just taken a still photo of Gerry at one of these water traps with my digital camera and was changing disks when all of sudden we heard “The Sound” coming from the south end of the flats near the trailer park. I looked over that way and then back at Gerry who was looking at me and I think I said something like, “That’s it!”

Off we went in a quick walk scanning the shoreline trying to see what we thought was going to be a history making sighting of a sasquatch in broad daylight emitting this hair raising call! The volume was astounding; we heard it twice more as we crossed the flats back toward where we actually came out. Then we saw it! A large lone coyote about 40 yards out on the flats, just standing there looking away from us. Of course my first thought was “What is the coyote looking at? Perhaps the sasquatch has it frozen to the spot in fear.” I actually started scanning the shoreline hoping to see what was making the sounds.

Gerry was using my binoculars and doing the same thing when the coyote again made the noise. I think at this point I said something like “You’ve got to kidding me!” Gerry said, “It’s coming from the damn coyote!” We were stopped in our tracks by the let down. The animal’s mid section seemed almost to squeeze as though unseen hands were squeezing a bag and then re-inflate as the sound was emitted. The animal was looking skyward as it let out another cry. We just stood there and watched as it again started to make the sound, but it stopped when a second coyote bounded out of the bush running towards the first in what seemed like a happy reunion. Both animals then started making familiar noises that those who live near coyote habitat have heard a thousand times before. Both animals started to run along the shoreline by the trailer park in what seemed like play, and we watched them until they were out of sight near Morris Valley Road, which was the main road.

We then continued on our way back to the trucks talking about what we had just witnessed. We knew that this was important because not only did we see what really was responsible for the Chehalis sounds, we knew that we probably had an explanation for all the similar recordings dating back to the Puyallup recordings of 1970. Upon our return to the trucks, we telephoned Ken and informed him of our findings. We were all in agreement that it would be irresponsible to sit on this and not report what we now knew to be fact. We also knew it would cause a lot of controversy with other researchers for whom such recordings were the main focus of their own investigations with the use of call blasting. However facts are facts and both Gerry and Ken agreed when I said, “As researchers you have to report the unpopular as well as the popular, failure to do so makes you an advocate rather than a true researcher.”

So, that is what we did that resulted in a year’s worth of questions about why we didn’t video the coyote making the call, or why should we believe you guys, and so on in criticism of what did and didn’t happen that day. It has now been one year since Gerry and I witnessed a coyote making the Chehalis sounds. I myself have been back to the flats trying to get video of a coyote making the cry, but so far I have been unsuccessful.

Now I do understand that this discovery only explains the particular sounds that came to be known as the Chehalis sounds and similar recordings going back 35 years or so. It certainly does not explain the other reported animal cries, which have yet to be identified, many of which have also been reported in this area. In addition, this does not explain the long and rich history of reported sightings in this area or the footprints that have been found. It does give credence to a number of researchers who helped during the six-week follow up. Ken Kristin, Gerry Matthews, Zoli, John Kirk, John Green, Sebastian Wang and myself spent many hours stomping around and sitting out in rainy weather with recording devices and other equipment.

We were all disappointed that this incredible call seems to be a rarely heard location call used by coyotes. Investigations in this area will continue. If we achieved anything with this investigation, it’s the fact that at least one elderly couple can now sleep at night and no longer have to be afraid.