Geographical Index > United States > Iowa > Johnson County > Report # 35883
(Class B)
Submitted by witness on Saturday, June 23, 2012.
Possible encounter while volunteering at Macbride Raptor Project outside North Liberty
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YEAR: 2010
SEASON: Spring DATE: sunday STATE: Iowa COUNTY: Johnson County NEAREST TOWN: North Liberty NEAREST ROAD: IA County Rd. F28 OBSERVED: Me and my friend were feeding the owls at Lake Macbride about midnight. We were near the cage that have the turkey vulture in when he keep hearing something big move in the woods. We tried to figure out what it was but we couldn't. OTHER WITNESSES: 1
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Steve Moon:
I spoke with witness on the phone. He returned my call. He was obviously very excited about his encounter, even though it had taken place two years ago.
Two friends were volunteering at the raptor center. They were feeding birds at around 1 am. It was jacket weather, cold and calm. The reason for their late visit was that one of them worked until midnight. The birds needed to be fed, and that was the only time that they could get out there. There was moonlight shining through a slight overcast. They had noticed that it was freakishly quiet just before hearing something large moving around in the woods on the other side of the bird cages from their position. It sounded like something really big was taking heavy footsteps. They began to pursue it, staying on a walkway as it moved through the woods. They could hear twigs snapping. They would hear heavy footsteps and then quiet. The two pursued it for what seemed like about 30 minutes. It headed south toward an inlet of the Coralville Reservoir, zigzagging as it went. The animal sounded as though it was taking long strides. Both of them saw two large red eyes, first two and then one.
Photo looking toward the raptor sanctuary cages from the walkway to the inlet:
The walkway the two volunteers followed as they were in pursuit toward the inlet of the reservoir:
An arch found directly behind the raptor sanctuary cages. It appears to be pinned under a log that has been on the ground for a long time:
Macbride Nature Recreation Area contains about 480 acres located on a forested peninsula in the Coralville Reservoir, adjacent to Lake Macbride State Park.
The Raptor Center is a center for the rehabilitation of injured raptors, but also maintains a bird watching blind that is stocked with bird food which attracts deer and other animals as well as birds, particularly during winter months. This incident occurred in early spring.
Macbride Nature Recreation Area is composed of old clearings and woodlands with a gently rounded upland that is deeply cut by ravines. There is approximately three miles of Coralville Reservoir shoreline in the nature area.
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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