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97 encounters
17 August 2023 Iowa #5affa7d3-f57d-453f-b37a-8d2aa07c05da

Whoop in Iowa (2023)

The guest and a friend arrived at dusk to camp in a remote state forest and set up tents and a fire. They heard a very loud whoop from the tree line, followed by six knocks in pairs and movement breaking branches in a ravine. After a quiet period they heard close vocalizations including a whoop, rapid chatter and a deep yowl, then saw a dark crouched outline lunge into the forest, after which they abandoned camp and drove home.

WhoopWood knockFootstepsChatterVocalization +1
15 June 2017 Protivin, Chickasaw County, Iowa Class B #57939

Possible knocks heard in a neighborhood near Protivin

The witness and a companion were on an early morning walk near their home when they heard two loud knocks a few seconds apart. They stopped and could not identify the source of the sounds. The witness noted long familiarity with the local woods from hunting and found the sound unfamiliar.

Wood knock
14 May 2015 Iowa Falls, Hardin County, Iowa Class B #48686

Possible midnight road crossing near Iowa Falls

The witness was driving home from work at nearly midnight when something jumped onto the road at the top of a hill. It looked toward the vehicle for a second or two, showing big red eyes, then quickly crossed to the woods on the other side. The witness described it as gigantic and black, and said its speed and the height of its eyes made him think it was a Bigfoot.

Road crossingEyeshinePartial sighting
2015–2016 Dubuque, Dubuque County, Iowa Class A #51678

Multiple sightings on family property near Cascade

The witness was bow hunting from a tree stand when a large hairy human-like figure approached and sat beneath the stand. The witness stayed quiet instead of shooting. After a time the figure got up and trotted away.

Full-body sighting
August 2013 Fraser, Boone County, Iowa Class B #41845

Group of campers has strange encounters over three nights near Fraser

A group camping near a river spent three late nights walking north of their campsite to look for Sasquatch. They claim loud tree knocks, howls, grunts, heavy bipedal movement and red glowing eyes, plus a shadowy figure that rose from about five feet to about eight feet tall. They also claim a glow stick left on a gravel road was later found moved to the base of a hollow tree.

Wood knockFootstepsEyeshineHowlVocalization +3
August 2013 Otterville, Buchanan County, Iowa Class B #57358

Possible howl heard while fishing at night near Otterville

The witness and companions were cat fishing late at night on a riverbank when they heard a loud deep howl or scream lasting several seconds. Shortly afterward a pack of coyotes began yelping and barking nearby, then all wildlife sounds went silent. The group did not recognize what made the initial sound.

HowlScream
23 July 2013 Ogden, Boone County, Iowa Class B #41700

Motorist observes a dark shaggy figure running on the road in daylight near Ogden

The witness was driving west on a paved rural road after collecting a child from camp when a dark upright figure was spotted walking on the gravel shoulder well ahead. As the vehicle closed the distance, the figure looked toward the vehicle, ran along the shoulder, cut across into the opposite lane while moving uphill, then turned off onto a tractor access and vanished into a cornfield and woods about 100 yards away. The witness's son in the vehicle also saw the figure, while the daughter did not, and the witness described it as dark and shaggy with a fast, unusual motion that left doubt about whether it was human.

Full-body sightingRoad crossing
July 2013 Auburn, Sac County, Iowa Class B #48388

Strange, large animal seen at night on a rural road near Auburn

Late on a summer night the witness was riding in a car with three companions on gravel roads near Auburn, Iowa. A very large black-haired animal crossed the road in front of the car in the headlights, clearing the road in one to two steps. The witness described an arched back, odd strides, rear-bent legs and a vaguely dog-like face, and estimated it was taller than the vehicle and larger than a horse.

Full-body sightingRoad crossing
June 2013 Sidney, Fremont County, Iowa Class B #56106

Family finds strange prints on a trail in Waubonsie State Park

A family of two adults and four children were walking on a trail while camping when they noticed a line of very large footprints. The prints were described as deeply impressed into soil in a straight heel-to-toe line with a long stride. No photos, formal measurements, or casts were made because they were unsure how to handle the situation.

Tracks
4 February 2013 Spirit Lake, Dickinson County, Iowa Class B #39831

Photographer spooked off Big Spirit Lake before he gets his photo

Before dawn the witness walked from a parking lot toward the frozen lake to photograph the sunrise. He heard three deliberate wood-on-wood knocks to the north, followed immediately by a bottle-on-metal clattering sound from a closer area to the south. He saw no people or animals, took no photograph, and left the area quickly feeling compelled to leave.

Wood knockUnidentified sound
November 2012 Boone, Boone County, Iowa Class A #44429

Truck driver watches a Bigfoot chase Deer across US-30 west of Boone

A semi-truck driver traveling east on Highway 30 through the Des Moines River valley at twilight saw three deer run across the road ahead, followed about 75 yards behind by a tall hairy biped apparently chasing them. The biped crossed the highway ditch and lane in a few long strides. As the truck reached the crossing point, the creature stood at the edge of the tree line about 75 feet off the road watching the truck pass and turning to watch the deer.

Full-body sightingRoad crossing
October 2012 Bondurant, Jasper County, Iowa Class B #37336

Unexplained activity around a farm near Bondurant

The witness walked to a tree stand before dawn and heard whistles, footsteps, and a grunt while smelling a foul odor. The witness then saw two upright hairy figures, one about 4 feet tall and one about 6-7 feet tall, and one threw an object toward the stand. The witness yelled, climbed down, fled to an open corn field, and called a companion for a ride.

Full-body sightingWhistleGrowlOdorFootsteps +1
21 September 2012 Graf, Dubuque County, Iowa Class B #36514

Father and son are approached by three large bipeds while fishing at dusk west of Asbury

A father and son were night fishing from buckets on a creek bank facing a rocky, wooded bluff. They watched three large bipedal silhouettes approach through trees across the creek, with the first stopping close and squatting to observe them. After a smaller, more distant figure gave piercing screams and a closer figure answered with a guttural grunt, the figures started moving toward each other and the witnesses left for their truck.

SilhouetteScreamGrowlFootsteps
July 2012 Perry, Dallas County, Iowa Class B #44111

Boy has possible nighttime encounter near family campfire close to Raccoon River

The witness was camping with family when the group heard knocking and branch-breaking sounds for about an hour. He walked about 10 yards from the fire to investigate and saw a small dark shape dash past, then noticed a tall bipedal figure staring at him from about nine feet away for about 10 seconds before it turned and walked away silently. He ran back to the cabin and stayed inside for the night.

Full-body sightingPartial sightingEyeshineWood knockUnidentified sound
August 2011 Sageville, Dubuque County, Iowa Class A #30530

Late afternoon sighting of a road crossing on Hwy 52 north of Dubuque

The witness was driving home from work in the late afternoon when a dark hairy figure crossed the highway and leapt over a guard cable into thick brush. As passing the spot, the witness saw its shoulder and raised arm, noting a tall muscular build and cone-shaped head. The witness turned back to search but the figure was gone, and no tracks were found on a return visit the next day.

Road crossingPartial sighting
Winter 2011 Humboldt, Humboldt County, Iowa Class B #33490

Large log tossed into Des Moines River as woman watches eagles from bridge at Frank Gotch State Park

The witness stopped on a park bridge after work and felt uneasy and watched from the wooded riverbank. A large log crashed into the river nearby and was seen floating, followed by a low huffing sound, though no creature was seen. The witness inferred the log had been thrown from the forest floor and left quickly feeling scared and shaken.

Object throwingVocalization
24 October 2010 Cresco, Winneshiek County, Iowa Class B #28427

Hunter experiences eerie silence, foul odor and possible wood knocking in the Cardinal Marsh Wildlife Management Area

The witness was deer hunting from a tree stand when a strong foul odor drifted from upwind and appeared to move past him, from the river bottom behind him toward the ridge top, without any source being seen. Roughly an hour later he heard paired thudding sounds like logs or a log hitting a tree, which repeated again after about another hour from the same location. The woods around his stand were unusually quiet, while his companion farther upstream reported normal wildlife activity.

OdorWood knock
16 June 2010 Ollie, Keokuk County, Iowa Class B #27895

Possible early morning sighting and strange occurrences at a residence near Ollie

Late at night the witness was at home when dogs began barking loudly. The witness looked out a living room window and saw a large dark figure running down the gravel driveway away from the house. The figure appeared as a solid dark shadow larger than a person, visible under a security light. A companion also believed they saw what was pointed out.

Silhouette
Spring 2010 North Liberty, Johnson County, Iowa Class B #35883

Possible encounter while volunteering at Macbride Raptor Project outside North Liberty

Two volunteers were feeding birds at a raptor center late at night when they heard something large moving in the woods beyond the cages. They followed sounds of heavy footsteps and snapping twigs along a walkway for about 30 minutes as it moved toward a reservoir inlet. Both reported seeing large red eyes during the pursuit but did not describe seeing a body.

EyeshineFootstepsMovement only
13 November 2009 Cresco, Winneshiek County, Iowa Class B #26922

Coon hunters shadowed for 20 minutes at night in Cardinal Marsh public hunting area

Three people with a dog were hunting raccoons at night along a deer trail when they noticed something following them. They used a spotlight to watch a large dark standing figure about 50 yards away with reddish eyes on multiple occasions over 15-20 minutes while hearing strange grunting. The dog stayed close and shook, and the group returned to the truck and left because they were scared.

SilhouetteEyeshineGrowlFootstepsAnimal behaviour