YEAR: 1989

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

DATE: 07/04/89

STATE: Iowa

COUNTY: Scott County

LOCATION DETAILS: This was on a piece of private property that ran along the Wapsipinicon River,appx 600yards from a gravel road

NEAREST TOWN: Eldridge

NEAREST ROAD: Hwy 61

OBSERVED: My girlfriend and i were camping on the Wapsipinicon river near Hwy 61,we were having a great time and decided to turn in,after about 15 minutes,out of nowhere came an incredible primal scream,the loudest thing i've ever heard,i was raised in the remote woods of the State of Maine,i've heard everything there is to hear in the woods,wolves killing deer,bears that were shot,rabid animals ect ect,iv'e heard cattle being slaughtered,wounded moose,honestly pretty much everything.As i kid i often went camping by myself for several days in the wilderness,i was too young to be scared and all i ever had was a single shot .22 rifle,i am not a stanger to the wilds,this is what im trying to stress,i was a little Jeramiah Johnson,lol,or so i thought.This scream was like nothing i've ever heard,but in Iowa?I do not tell any about this,only my ex knows the reality of the situation{we are still friends and she will verify}.It was so close to us i could judge the height that the animal was,between 7-9 feet of the ground,it was so loud it literally went "right through us"I was so frightened that i would not leave the tent.Im not writing this because i want attention, on the contrary.About 6 months after this happened my girlfriend and i were watching a show on bigfoot,the primal scream that was played{from a recording in Oregon} on the show literally made the hairs stand up on our necks,imagine that scream at less than 20 yards from you in the middle of the night and you can try to begin the magnitude of this event.I now feel very fortunate to have been this close and had such an encounter,i have been back in this area many times but never seen tracks or heard anything,but i walk a little slower and a whole lot more alert.I am a experienced Turkey,Deer,Bear and small game hunter{i dont hunt anymore} i just want to stress my expertese in the woods,what we heard was as real as it gets.

ALSO NOTICED: None

OTHER WITNESSES: One, my ex, we were in the tent kissing{sorry but gotta be honest}

OTHER STORIES: I had heard that in the late 70"s their had been sightings closeby, but i didnt even live there then.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About 11:00 P.M.

ENVIRONMENT: Small tributary of the river,about 100 yards south of the main river,swamp like,many oaks ajoining cornfields

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Adam Newman:

I interviewed the witness at length about his experience. The witness was very interested and eager to share with me what had happened. The witness was camping with his girlfriend on a piece of private property along the Wapsipinicon river. The property was owned by a farmer who normally didn’t allow access to the land. The witness had worked with the farmer on several occasions, and to his knowledge was the only one who had gained access to the property. Human intrusion in this area was very minimal, and overnight camping was a very unusual occurrence.

The witness stated that it was a normal camping trip. They did not notice or hear anything unusual through the course of the evening. It was approximately 15 minutes after they had decided to enter the tent that the scream was heard.

The witness was very vivid in his recollection, and described in detail what he and his girlfriend had heard. He was very adamant that this creature was no more than 20-30 yards from their tent. He compared the volume of the scream to that of a 250 watt stereo. He stated that, in his opinion, no human would be capable of producing a vocalization of that volume and depth. He reiterated that it was so close that he was able to tell that the scream was coming from at least 6 feet off the ground. The scream lasted about 3-4 seconds. It started at a low pitch and became higher in pitch as the scream continued. He did his best to duplicate the scream for me over the phone, and seemed to do a pretty good replication of what he was describing. The witness stated that he and his girlfriend were shaken and very scared by what they heard, and were definitely intimidated.

Some months later, he and his girlfriend were watching a television program during which a recording of a purported sasquatch scream was played. Hearing the sound made the hair stand up on the back of his neck.

The witness returned to the area a few times after the event had occurred for turkey hunting, and said that he approached the area with a new respect. Nothing out of the ordinary happened again.

I find the witness to be credible. He shared stories of growing up in Maine as an avid outdoorsman. He now lives in Florida, and still continues to spend a lot of time in the outdoors. His knowledge of wildlife is impressive.

About BFRO Investigator Adam Newman:

Born and raised in Southeast Iowa, I began hunting, fishing, and camping at a very early age. Being outdoors and in a wild environment brings many challenges, and much enjoyment. The creatures that inhabit these places have been a source of fascination for me, and I consider interacting with them to be my passion.

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