The Ozark Howler — The Devil Cat of the Mountains — Paranormal History

What Is the Ozark Howler?

The Ozark Howler — also known as the Devil Cat, Ozark Howler Cat, or He Who Smells the Wind — is a large, black cat-like creature reported in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Missouri. It is described as being about the size of a bear, with shaggy black fur, curved horns on its head, and a howl that sounds like a deep, guttural scream — a sound so terrifying that those who hear it describe it as the voice of a demon. The creature has been reported for decades, seen by dozens of independent witnesses, and captured — albeit poorly — on trail cameras. Yet no one has ever captured it, and no scientific explanation has been able to fully account for what people are seeing.

The Ozark Howler occupies a unique position in American cryptid lore. Unlike Bigfoot, which is a global phenomenon, or the Mothman, which is tied to a specific historical event, the Ozark Howler is a regional mystery — a creature that belongs to the Ozark Mountains and the people who live there. The Howler is not merely a tourist attraction or a media sensation — it is a part of the landscape, a creature that the people of the Ozarks have learned to live with, even if they cannot explain it.

History and Legend

Indigenous Origins

The Ozark Howler legend has roots in Native American folklore, particularly the traditions of the Osage, Quapaw, and Cherokee peoples who inhabited the Ozark region before European settlement. The Osage, in particular, had a rich tradition of animal spirits and forest guardians, and some researchers believe the Ozark Howler may have originated as a spirit animal — a supernatural being that guarded the forest and punished those who trespassed.

The Osage word for the creature has been lost to history, but oral traditions describe a large, dark animal that lived in the deep forest and emitted a terrible scream. The creature was not merely an animal — it was a guardian spirit, a being that embodied the wildness and danger of the Ozark wilderness. Encountering the creature was considered a bad omen, and the Osage would perform specific rituals to appease it if they believed they had disturbed its territory.

Early European Settler Accounts

The first European settlers in the Ozark region encountered the Howler legend almost immediately. As early as the early 1800s, settlers reported seeing a large, black animal in the mountains that did not match any known species. The creature was described as larger than a cougar, with horns or horn-like protrusions on its head, and a howl that could be heard for miles.

In 1840, a settler in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas wrote in his journal about a creature he called the “devil cat” — a large, black, horned animal that had been seen near his homestead. The settler described the creature as “about the size of a yearling calf” with “horns like a goat” and a “scream that froze the blood.” He noted that the creature was not afraid of humans and seemed to regard them with “cold intelligence.”

Throughout the 19th century, reports of the Ozark Howler continued to surface. The creature was typically seen near rivers and streams, in deep forest, and on mountain ridges. Witnesses consistently described it as a large, black, horned cat with a terrifying howl. The creature was rarely aggressive — it was more likely to be seen watching humans from a distance than attacking them.

The 20th Century Revival

The Ozark Howler legend experienced a revival in the 1990s and 2000s, when a new generation of witnesses reported seeing the creature. The renewed interest was driven by several factors:

Trail cameras — affordable, motion-activated trail cameras allowed hikers and hunters to monitor remote areas, and several captured images of a large, dark creature moving through the forest
Internet sharing — social media and online forums allowed witnesses to share their stories widely, reaching audiences far beyond the Ozark region
Cryptid tourism — the Ozark Howler became a popular subject for paranormal investigation groups and cryptid hunters, who organized expeditions to the Ozark Mountains

The most significant modern sighting occurred in 2003, when a hunter in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri reported seeing a large, black creature with horns standing on a ridge at dawn. The hunter described the creature as “about the size of a bear” with “shaggy fur” and “two horns curving back from its head.” The creature howled — a sound the hunter described as “the worst thing I have ever heard” — before turning and disappearing into the forest.

In 2015, a hiker in the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas captured a short video of what appeared to be a large, dark figure moving through the trees. The video was approximately 12 seconds long and showed the figure from behind. The footage was widely shared on social media and analyzed by several cryptid research groups, who concluded that the figure was consistent with the Howler description but acknowledged that definitive identification was impossible.

Sightings and Evidence

The 1990s Sightings

The modern Ozark Howler phenomenon began in the 1990s, when a series of sightings in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Missouri brought the creature to public attention:

1996 — A couple camping near the Buffalo National River in Arkansas reported hearing a deep, guttural howl at night. They described the sound as “like a lion, but deeper and more terrifying.” They did not see the creature but reported finding unusual tracks near their campsite — large, cat-like prints with claw marks.
1998 — A hunter in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri reported seeing a large, black animal crossing a road at dawn. The animal was described as “about the size of a large dog, but with a longer body and a different shape.” The hunter noted that the animal had “something on its head” that he could not clearly identify.
1999 — A group of hikers near Mammoth Spring, Arkansas, reported hearing a terrible scream while hiking at night. The sound was described as “not human, not animal — something else.” The hikers fled the area and reported the encounter to local authorities, who found no evidence of the creature.

The 2000s and 2010s

The 2000s and 2010s produced numerous additional sightings:

2003 — The Mark Twain National Forest hunter sighting described above
2006 — A trail camera in the Ozark National Forest captured an image of a large, dark creature moving through the underbrush. The image was blurry but appeared to show a cat-like animal with a unusual head shape that could be interpreted as horns
2010 — A family driving along Route 14 in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas reported seeing a large, black animal on the side of the road. The creature was described as “about the size of a bear” with “shaggy fur” and “horns.” The family’s dashboard camera captured a brief, blurry image of the creature
2015 — The hiker video described above
2017 — A group of campers near Norfork Lake in Arkansas reported hearing a deep, resonant howl at night, followed by the sound of large animals running through the forest. The campers did not see the creature but described the experience as “the most terrifying thing” they had ever encountered

Physical Evidence

Physical evidence for the Ozark Howler includes:

Trail camera images — several trail cameras have captured images of a large, dark creature in the Ozark Mountains, though none are clear enough for definitive identification
Tracks — large, cat-like tracks with claw marks have been found in multiple locations throughout the Ozarks
Hair samples — several tufts of dark hair have been collected from trees and rocks in areas where the creature has been reported, though laboratory analysis has been inconclusive
Audio recordings — recordings of unusual howls and screams have been captured in the Ozark Mountains, though none have been definitively attributed to the creature
Livestock predation — farmers in the Ozarks have reported livestock kills that they attribute to the Howler, though cougars and other known predators are also common in the region

The Creature’s Consistency

What makes the Ozark Howler case compelling is the consistency of descriptions across decades and independent witnesses:

Size — consistently described as larger than a cougar, approximately the size of a bear (4-5 feet long, 2-3 feet tall at the shoulder)
Color — black or very dark brown
Horns — curved horns or horn-like protrusions on the head
Fur — shaggy, long fur, sometimes described as a mane
Howl — a deep, guttural scream that can be heard for miles
Behavior — typically seen at dawn or dusk, near rivers and streams, and in deep forest

Scientific Analysis

The Ozark Howler presents a significant challenge because its described features — particularly the horns — do not match any known North American animal:

A black cougar. The most commonly proposed explanation is that the Ozark Howler is a black cougar (Puma concolor) — a melanistic variant of the North American cougar. Black cougars have been reported in the Ozarks, and they would match the creature’s size, color, and behavior. However, cougars do not have horns, and the horned description is one of the most consistently reported features of the Howler.

A large bobcat or lynx. Some researchers have suggested the Howler might be an unusually large bobcat or Canada lynx. However, both species are significantly smaller than the creature described by witnesses, and neither has horns.

A feral hog. Large feral hogs are common in the Ozarks and can grow to considerable sizes. However, feral hogs do not resemble cats and do not have horns, making this explanation difficult to sustain.

A surviving Ice Age predator. Some cryptozoologists have proposed that the Ozark Howler might be a surviving population of American lion (Panthera atrox), a massive cat that went extinct approximately 11,000 years ago. The American lion was significantly larger than modern cougars and could potentially explain the creature’s size. However, the American lion did not have horns, and its survival to the present day would require a breeding population that has evaded detection for millennia.

A cultural myth. The Ozark Howler may be a regional legend that has become self-reinforcing — each new sighting is interpreted through the lens of the existing narrative, and ambiguous stimuli (unusual sounds, shadows, or animals) are attributed to the creature. The Howler’s consistent description may reflect the power of cultural transmission rather than independent observation.

The Ozark Mountains are a vast, rugged landscape — over 50,000 square miles of forest, rivers, and mountains spanning Arkansas and Missouri. The region supports black bears, mountain lions, and a wide variety of wildlife. The possibility of an undiscovered large predator in such a landscape cannot be entirely ruled out, but the lack of definitive evidence remains a significant obstacle.

What Do You Think?

The Ozark Howler has been reported for decades, seen by dozens of independent witnesses, and captured — albeit poorly — on trail cameras. The sightings are consistent: a large, black, horned cat with a terrifying howl that roams the Ozark Mountains. No one has captured it, and no scientific explanation has been able to fully account for what people are seeing.

The Howler is not a global phenomenon like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster — it is a regional mystery, a creature that belongs to the Ozark Mountains and the people who live there. Whether it is a real animal, a surviving Ice Age predator, or a regional legend that has taken on a life of its own, the Ozark Howler remains one of the most intriguing and underappreciated cryptids in American folklore.

The mountains are old. The forests are deep. And something, some say, still howls in the Ozarks.

Summary

The Ozark Howler (also known as the Devil Cat) is a large, black, horned cat-like creature reported in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas and Missouri
It is described as bear-sized, with shaggy black fur, curved horns, and a deep, guttural howl that can be heard for miles
The legend has roots in Native American folklore and has been reported by European settlers since the early 1800s
Modern sightings have produced trail camera images, tracks, hair samples, and audio recordings — but no definitive evidence
Proposed explanations include black cougars, large bobcats, surviving Ice Age predators, and regional legend
Bottom line: The Ozark Howler is one of the most mysterious and consistent cryptids in the American South — a creature that has been seen by dozens of independent witnesses over decades but remains completely unidentified