YEAR: 2013

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

STATE: Iowa

COUNTY: Buchanan County

LOCATION DETAILS: From Independence take 150 North out of town, turn left on D16/Otterville Blvd, continue through the village of Otterville, continue on Otterville blvd it will turn into gravel road, continue on gravel road until you reach the bridge that passes over the Wapsipinicon River and you have arrived at the location we were at. This a very wooded area with very few houses.

NEAREST TOWN: Otterville

NEAREST ROAD: Fairbank-Amish Blvd D16 and Otterville Blvd

OBSERVED: Me and a couple friends have heard one in Iowa while out late at night cat fishing a few years ago! At first we thought it was just a coyote howling but, it was a real deep howl, like the Ohio call, but a few seconds later a pack of coyotes started yelping and barking and after that everything went silent, like something scared everything away!

ALSO NOTICED: Before the incident you could here other small wildlife. After we heard the howl there were a pack of coyotes in the area that went wild and started yelping and making noise and then everything went quiet.

OTHER WITNESSES: About 3-4. We were all Cat Fishing.

OTHER STORIES: Yes, I heard of someone fishing in the same area that was left alone by his friends to get more bait when he heard some splashing on the far riverbank and he seen a very large dark shape washing something in the water.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Around midnight. Im not for sure what year it was but I tried to come as close as possible.

ENVIRONMENT: River bank with wooded area. State access area.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator TK Bell:

In addition to the report. Witness was late night cat fishing with several buddies on a sandbank under the bridge at the access of the road of D16. They went to this same spot on an almost weekly basis to fish and would catch big cat fish. This night it was a nice, cool about 70s summer night with a full moon. As they were there fishing they all of a sudden heard this loud guttural human scream that lasted for five seconds. Then a pack of coyotes sounded off howling and yelping after the scream. Sounded like they were within a mile away from their fishing spot. The witness and buddies all asked one another what was that? And no one had a clue. Witness has went to college with study in wildlife and nature. Knows the sounds of wolves and coyotes and the scream that set the coyotes off had not been heard other than in the studies as the 1994 Ohio Moaning Howl. Each time they have been to this favorite spot to fish they had experienced sometimes feeling as they were being watched as they were fishing and other times like everything was normal. One time in the wooded area could see a tree with some branches that were intertwined making a teepee structure shape. This area is all wooded and fields with few homes along the gravel roads. I find the witness to be creditable.

About BFRO Investigator TK Bell:

Iowa native. Attended many BFRO public and private expeditions since 2016. Have helped at many of the expeditions and led night ops.

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