Geographical Index > United States > Washington > Yakima County > Report # 25999
(Class B)
Submitted by witness No on Wednesday, May 20, 2009.
Hunter reports hearing loud wood knocking NW of Tieton
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YEAR: 2008
SEASON: Fall MONTH: October DATE: 5 th STATE: Washington COUNTY: Yakima County LOCATION DETAILS: Between the old burn and nasty flats along the creek drainage. NEAREST TOWN: 22 Miles NW of Tieton, WA NEAREST ROAD: NFD 1020 Rd. OBSERVED: A knocking noise sounded like a limb was being being used to hit a tree this noise was late at night after midnight it woke me up was like 10 to 15 knocks and then was quiet for what seemed like 20 mins and the knocking started again. This went on just like the first time the knocking was even in its rythem and happened three more times that night. ALSO NOTICED: yeah we had been in elk the three days prior to that night then the animals moved out of the area we had been seeing them in OTHER WITNESSES: all sleeping brother said it was the cows in the area moving through but it wasnt cows OTHER STORIES: nope TIME AND CONDITIONS: Clear skies, cool and in the upper thirties. ENVIRONMENT: dense timber and brush recently logged in the area
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Soren Walsh:
I spoke with the witness and he added the following information. The witness was hunting the 2008 Muzzle loader season and had been in the area 4 days prior to opening day on October 5th. His group had harvested a forked horn buck on October 3rd and seen many other bucks, elk and cattle in the area. His group was able to harvest a spike bull on the season opener.
Early morning of October 6th around midnight the witness was awakened by the sound of loud wood knocks coming from the ridge across from camp. The witness stated the knocking had a distinct pattern and lasted for an hour with a twenty minute pause between three different knocking episodes. The witness said is sounded like someone was beating a Louisville Slugger bat against a tree.
The witness woke his brother in the cot next to him as the second set of knocks started. His brother listened for a moment and sleepy stated it was strange, sounded like cows but went back to sleep immediately. After the third set of knocks ended the witness was able to fall back asleep.
That morning the group went out early to find the elk as they still had tags to fill. What struck them as very odd was there were no animals in the immediate area. They could not find any deer, elk or cattle. The witness spoke to another group of hunters that morning camped 2 miles away. They reported that they had all kinds of deer, elk and cattle in their area on opening day and now they can't find a single animal. The witness did not share his wood knocking experience with the other group of hunters.
About BFRO Investigator Soren Walsh:
Soren is a avid outdoorsman and has spent many years in the field hunting and fishing throughout the Northwest. He had his first encounter in 2008 while attending the Cascade Expedition. Soren also attended the 2009 Cascade and Olympic Expeditions.
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