YEAR: 2009

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: November

DATE: 13

STATE: Iowa

COUNTY: Winneshiek County

LOCATION DETAILS: It happened at Cardinal Marsh public hunting area

NEAREST TOWN: Cresco Iowa

OBSERVED: At around 11:00 we started raccoon hunting at a public area known as Cardinal Marsh. We had a hunting dog, my girlfriend’s dad, her, and me. We were walking on a deer trail on the corner of an alfalfa surrounded by thick woods. We were hunting for a while when we started hearing something fallowing us and we figured it was maybe just a deer walking threw the woods but it continued to fallow us. Then we say a large black mass about 50 yards to the right of us about 6-10 feet in height so we shined it with the spot light for about 2 minutes and saw a large black mass standing there with reddish eyes staring back at us. After we saw that we just continued on our way fallowing the dog and then started hearing a strange grunting noise that we never heard before. As we walked the grunting noise fallowed us and we heard that thing fallowing us also. This continued for a good 15-20 minutes and it sounded like it couldn’t have been more then 100 yards away. After walking for a good 15-20 minutes we stopped to listen to the grunting and the dog came to us and started shaking next to us. We shined the light around us and saw the eyes 50 yards away from us again and the large animal just stood there for a good 10 minutes then shined the light around us and saw the reddish eyes again about 50 yards from us and the large black mass it stood there for a good 2-3 minutes while we shined it then we decided to go back to the truck. On our way back we could see the large black mass still about 50 yards away but it stopped grunting and just fallowed us so we loaded the dog in the truck and left because we were so scared

ALSO NOTICED: yes found evidence of possible bigfoot in area

OTHER WITNESSES: yes my girlfriend and her dad

OTHER STORIES: tracks found around area during winter

TIME AND CONDITIONS: at night with slight wind

ENVIRONMENT: wooded with slight hills

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Steve Moon:

I interviewed Kaleb at length during an overnight investigation at another location in northeast Iowa. I find Kaleb to be very credible. His description of a tall bulky dark figure with eyes that shown red at the end of his party's lights was recounted several times. The figure was observed more than once by the party of hunters, and seems to have followed them during the entire time that they were at this location. Kaleb emphatically stated that the red eyes were unlike anything that he has ever seen before, and the grunting was unlike anything he has ever heard.

Kaleb had observed foot prints in the area on an earlier occasion, which were very far apart. These were in grass, and no details were observed.

Kaleb's encounter occurred in an upland position that is adjacent to Cardinal Marsh Wildlife Management Area. The management area encompasses 1,171 acres in northeast Iowa, and includes a portion of the Turkey River and a 145 acre marsh. The Turkey River is a clear cold stream that originates a few miles to the west, and is fed by numerous springs. The environment of the management area is diverse, with boggy soils, rocky bluffs and well drained sandy uplands. Old growth forests are present, as well as extensive stands of oak and walnut which are under management to provide habitat for wildlife, maintain the natural beauty of the area and control erosion. Other species common to the area include hickory, maple, cherry, elm, ash and cedar in the uplands, and maple, cottonwood, ash, hackberry and willow in the floodplain. Conifers have been introduced for wildlife habitat.

About BFRO Investigator Steve Moon:

A native of southeast Iowa, Steve has long been a cave explorer and outdoor adventurer. He became involved in bigfoot research in 2008. Steve organized BFRO IOWA Public Expeditions in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016, and is currently organizing a 2017 IOWA expedition. Steve is an artist, photographer, farmer, anthropologist and professional researcher. His primary research areas are the river basins of the Mississippi River and its tributaries, and all of eastern Iowa.

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