Class B First-hand BFRO #26713

Possible approach to homes at night near the Des Moines River outside Saylorville

March 1980 about 2 or 3 a.m. Saylorville, Polk County, Iowa 5 witnesses

Account

The witness was awakened at night by distressed dogs and heard a heavy, bipedal-sounding walker moving in dry reeds behind the house. Two large neighbor dogs repeatedly charged into the dark toward the sound and yelped as if struck, retreating to the porch light. The disturbance lasted about an hour and was also watched by family and neighbors. Days later the witness found reeds smashed flat along the fenceline and a large mashed area, but no identifiable footprints.

Summary drafted by AI from the source report and checked by code before I publish it. The witness's own words remain with the publisher — read the original report .

What was reported

Every kind of observation in the account. Select one to find other encounters with it.

Sounds

Described appearance

In the source's own words, field by field. Hover a field's marker to see where it was read.

Gait src
walked like a man

Facts & provenance

Each value names where it came from.

Date
March 1980
Stated BFRO report #26713 · BFRO report, labelled fields: Year, Month
Time of day
about 2 or 3 a.m.
Stated BFRO report #26713 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Place
Saylorville, Polk County, Iowa
Stated BFRO report #26713 · BFRO report, labelled fields: State, County, Nearest Town, Location Details, Nearest Road
Map point
41.6808, -93.6270 (± 15 km)
Geocoded BFRO report #26713 · gazetteer:place · read with 50% confidence
Census 2023 Gazetteer centroid of Saylorville CDP (GEOID 1970995), matched from nearest town 'Saylorville'
Account type
First-hand
Stated BFRO report #26713 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witnesses
5
Derived BFRO report #26713 · BFRO report, “Other Witnesses” section · read with 85% confidence
Figures reported
1
Derived BFRO report #26713 · BFRO report, “Observed” section · read with 60% confidence
Witness was
sleeping at home, awakened and watching from house
Stated BFRO report #26713 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness's word for it
whatever it was
Stated BFRO report #26713 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Source classification
Class B
Stated BFRO report #26713 · BFRO classification label

Evidence & investigation

What the source says was found or done. Claimed evidence is listed as claimed; the Anomadex has not examined it.

Investigated by
Steve Moon (BFRO)
Other

reeds smashed down along most of fenceline seen days later

Measurements: most of the length of the fenceline

BFRO report, “Observed” section
Other

large mashed-down area on swamp side of fence

Measurements: about an 8 by 8 or 10 by 10 foot area

BFRO report, “Follow-Up” section
Follow-up

An investigator spoke by phone with the witness twice and later interviewed the mother.

BFRO report, “Follow-Up” section

Source timeline

Every record this entry is built from, earliest known first. Records are versioned and never edited in place.

  1. Published 2009-10-06 Retrieved 2026-09-25 Version 1 Hash 6ea46c37b8a7
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization

The report refers to

  • “November 1979 sighting at Adel”
    Not in the Anomadex yet
  • “five or six sightings in the Spring of 1980”
    Not in the Anomadex yet