Resident describes possible vocalizations near Robertsville witnessed in Franklin County, Missouri

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I was living with my daughter and son-in-law while my new home was being built. They live just down the road from me. A friend of mine had asked me to drive her to Montana at that time, so we left and I was gone for at least a week. When I returned, it was around 11:00 at night somewhere around the first part of October 2000. I parked my truck down next to the barn area and walked up towards the house. Off to my immediate right I heard this hair raising guttural growl. My mind was racing...was this one of my nephews bull cows, or was it a deer, but none of those fit anything like that sound. I thought my feet would never get me to the door of the house. This sound was done once again. I finally went in and told my family what I had heard. My son-in-law insisted that it must have been a bear. I have hunted all of my life and know all of the animal sounds, including a bear. The next morning I called the Conservation office, and they put a gentleman on the phone and I related to him what ...