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21 Responses to “Skunk River & Other Iowa Hominoids”

1. Eagle61 responds: March 9th, 2009 at 5:41 am

   Boy, did this bring back memories! Living not too far from these areas, each Fall my Dad and I (along with others) often hunted not too far from Bode, Ottosen, and Renwick during ‘coon season. Of course in 1978, we had all heard the stories going around about what was being seen.

   Like usual that season we planned to go North and hunt near these areas again, especially along the area where the two forks of the Des Moines River converge. Then we would head up one or the other fork as the season and nights passed.

   We joked around about the Bigfoot sightings, and teased my younger cousin to scare him, and also his dad (my uncle) since he was usually feeling pretty good by the time we hit the woods (NO GUNS FOR HIM!! SERIOUSLY!!).

   But we all knew what we always saw in the woods – the usual animals of the woods and the usual farm animals. We knew the sounds, the trees, the wind, the dogs, and then…

   First the dogs began to come back in and were very uneasy. We had trouble getting them to go back out from us, and each time they would come right back to us as we moved through the woods. Finally we stopped, and tried to get them out.

   Then we heard the cries or yells or screams of something none of us had heard before. It was LOUD, it was STRANGE, and it was NOT any animal or bird we knew.

   And we know screech owls, great horned owls, bobcats, a rabbit being killed/injured, dogs, cats, cows, horses, nighthawks, killdeer, skunks being killed (had a dog with us who loved to do that – he hated them so much), and more.

   We were at a loss, and as the screaming continued on and on, the hunting mood did soon end. The screaming didn’t end until we moved away from the area, about 10 minutes later. We had to pack up the dogs entirely and leave for another set of woods as they were so upset.

   Very strange situation.

2. mystery_man responds: March 9th, 2009 at 7:46 am

   Oh wow, this is excellent. I wasn’t aware there was such a rich history of hominid sightings in Iowa. This came up in a timely fashion.

   These reports are interesting in that the descriptions vary so much. A 3 and a half feet tall report, 4 to 5 foot tall reports, 7 to 8 foot tall reports, three toes, six toes. What exactly is going on here? Very interesting. The size differences I can see being caused by several different factors, but the discrepancy in the number of toes is weird. No known primates in the wild have three toes or six toes, and yet we have both of these reported in Iowa. It seems to me that there is a good possibility these were caused by overlaid tracks or tracks that slid in mud to give the impression of different toe counts.

   I couldn’t help but notice that there are two separate reports of the creatures sporting what is described as a “topknot.” Not only is that a feature that I found unique, but that two different eyewitnesses would report that same odd feature within one year of each other is curious. What are the odds that two separate people would fabricate a detail like that (unless one read the report by the other)? A topknot of all things? It gives me the impression that perhaps the same individual creature was spotted in both cases.

   Interesting info here.

3. loyalfromlondon responds: March 9th, 2009 at 9:19 am

   I lived in Eastern Iowa for several years in the 00s and its not hard to imagine a Bigfoot at least passing through from time to time.

   I’d agree that Iowa isn’t the ideal location for these creatures but there is enough woodland, food, and most important water to create a waypoint for Missouri and Arkansas travel.

   I’d imagine Bigfoot are a lot like humans. Some just like to wander.

4. raisinsofwrath responds: March 9th, 2009 at 11:08 am

   I’ve heard of 3 toe and 5 toe but never 6? Although the difference in toe number could be genetic or an anomaly cause by inbreeding, etc…

   Also, I was alarmed at the number of reports where they claim to have shot the animal. I’d definitely steer clear of people that shoot at unidentified animals.

5. Storfot responds: March 9th, 2009 at 12:33 pm

   I am not sure how powerful a .45 handgun is but I assume it is very powerful (my knowledge here is strictly based on Dirty Harry, ha ha). But what animal would stand up after being shot in the chest by such a powerful weapon? An elephant?
   Could it be that the person holding the gun got so frightened/surprised that he simply could not hold the gun steady enough to aim well?

   Correct me if I am wrong but aren’t there quite a few stories of people shooting at bigfoot? The word immortal comes to mind:)

6. cliffhanger042002 responds: March 9th, 2009 at 1:14 pm

   I had to look “topknot” up as I had never heard the term. From the definitions I found and the photos I saw, that is a very strange report. I agree that the 6-toe report does stand out as most reports detail 3 toes, but like others said, that is easily explained by overlap of prints. There are certainly more reports there than what I knew about, it is very interesting.

   Storfot – A .45 cal at a distance of 45 feet is fairly powerful. The .45 cal S&W round has been compared to a “slow moving train” though, lol. I own a .40 cal handgun myself and prefer it over a .45, the slugs for the .45 are just too big and heavy for a flat trajectory. But nevertheless, even if I was 6′-6″ tall and weighed 350 lbs, I wouldn’t want to get hit anywhere with a .45 from any distance, much less 45 feet. While not the most effective round in my opinion, I would think it would get the job done and penetrate deep enough to hit the vital organs. But it does make you wonder if he even hit it since it ran away. I wouldn’t expect a Bigfoot to run away if I hit it 3 times in the torso with my .40 cal (not saying I would shoot Bigfoot either), I would expect it to drop. So, strange indeed.

   There definitely seems to be something to that particular area of sightings. There are quite a bit of inconsistencies, but that doesn’t really detract anything though, some could be simply due to the fact that the witness didn’t get a great look at what they were seeing (poor visibility conditions, etc.). And we already had a pretty good idea that Bigfoot wasn’t just one creature but a breeding pop and comes in different shapes and sizes.

7. coelacanth1938 responds: March 9th, 2009 at 3:30 pm

   As a former massage therapist, I have seen plenty of sixth toes in my short career. I have even seen twelve tiny, but functionable toes on the feet of an elderly woman who identified herself as a Jackson White. The sixth toe might be evidence of a severe population bottleneck effect in action. Whether or not the creature is a Bigfoot or a giant Pleistocene relic raccoon (a new pet theory of mine) or something else yet to be determined.

8. Storfot responds: March 9th, 2009 at 6:43 pm

   cliffhanger042002:

   Thanks for the info. I think that we (Europeans) are less experienced in the world of guns. 🙂 In this case for the bad.

   It seems that the .45 would stop most large animals so my guess is that the guy who fired it at a bigfoot didn’t hit it.

   About the toes, I think a good test would be to walk and run barefoot for a while and see how the tracks come out (on different surfaces).

   The most interesting incident (imo) is the one that walk between buildings on mainstreet. Was it looking for food in the garbage dumpsters or a bar:)

9. springheeledjack responds: March 9th, 2009 at 9:16 pm

   That was interesting. I am in the SouthEast end of Iowa and while the reports seem to range more central and south it made me think of something.

   Back in the 60’s or early 70’s (and I will have to check this with my relatives) there were stories of a “Birdman” in my area. There was a Dinglebarry Quarry (don’t laugh) between Iowa City and Solon, and for a span of time people were having sightings of an erect, hairy creature in the area. They called it the Birdman because of the screeching sounds it made.

   While there is not a lot of dense forest areas in Iowa, there are plenty of smaller forested areas where a man sized creature might be able to lose itself in, away from the scrutiny of people if it wanted…and especially if it did the bulk of its traveling at night.

   And while I do not believe the sightings represent a creature that is native to Iowa, or currently living here, I would be willing to say that it is possible that a BF could range into the state from time to time for whatever reasons.

   Now I am excited enough to get into the BF game around here. Thanks Loren!

10. Oz responds: March 9th, 2009 at 10:49 pm

    I have (limited – I carried one on my hip when I was in the Army) experience with a .45. And my experience tells me that it’s mighty easy to miss a man-sized target with a .45 at 50 (or 45) feet, especially if it’s a snap shot. And if you miss on the first shot, you’ll probably miss with the second and third, what with the noise and recoil.

    I do wonder who wanders around with a .45 in Iowa. It’s not exactly a hunting weapon. And in any case, you don’t go shooting non-game animals unless they are attacking you.

11. Eagle61 responds: March 9th, 2009 at 10:57 pm

    Springheeledjack: Interesting to read about the Dinglebarry Quarry.

    I grew up in North Central/Northwest Iowa, but my husband and I moved to Mount Vernon, IA upon our marriage (just North of the Solon/Iowa City area). We spent much time in the area fishing, hiking, bird watching, nature, etc. I have heard of the quarry, but not the Birdman stories.

    Iowa does have plenty of areas for many creatures to live and move through (if not able to live there all the time). River and creeks/streams provide plenty of cover in many areas.

    Areas we would hunt were often very fertile farmland abutted by rivers with woods so thick we sometimes couldn’t even walk through the underbrush. Northeast Iowa has plenty of timberland…

    We moved back to our home town, and the Des Moines River in this area, along with the Boone and Raccoon Rivers and smaller streams, are heavily wooded amongst the surrounding farms. There are also thousands of acres of state preserves and wildlife areas that are almost all timber with some restored prairie or open land.

    Good information, everyone!

12. Eagle61 responds: March 9th, 2009 at 11:29 pm

    Oz is right. No one I know is wandering around doing any legal hunting with a .45 here.

    Also, having had to train for using weapons in my job, Oz is right about it being a lot easier to miss than to hit if you are not in training with the weapon(s) you are using. And you need to be at least calm enough/rational enough to use your training to take the shot(s) the correct way. Or you WILL miss.

    And you better know what you are shooting at, and WHY.

13. cliffhanger042002 responds: March 10th, 2009 at 10:54 am

    Oz and Eagle – I agree that nobody would be hunting with a .45, but just to add this in there – When I go deer hunting with my son, I obviously carry a high-powered hunting rifle, but I also have my .40 cal handgun situated in my “inside the pants” holster. I carry it not for hunting, but personal defense for potential close encounters with coyotes, wild boar, wild dogs, bobcats, copperheads, rattlers, or anything else that could potentially attack us in the woods. Both our rifles have scopes, so it wouldn’t be feasible to defend yourself with a scoped rifle in close quarters. So having said that, I can understand why a hunter would be equipped with a .45. And I know quite a few folks that do this too. It doesn’t say he was hunting though, but I suspect even if he wasn’t hunting maybe he just liked to exercise his right to bear arms. I do, I have that holster that fits inside my pants that allows me to conceal my weapon quite well, I carry it quite a bit and nobody is aware that I have a hand-cannon under my belt. I have a permit to carry the weapon, and alot of friends and family do as well. So I know quite a few folks, including myself, that walk around every day armed with a concealed weapon, legally.

    But I do agree that at 45 feet, you would have to be well-practiced with a handgun and have nerves of steel to pop 3 rounds into a Bigfoot. I do also wonder if the guy thought he was about to be attacked, obviously he felt in some danger and that would affect one’s aim.

    I remember a documentary on Bigfoot that I watched. I’m not sure if i was on MQ or not, but this Bigfoot “hunter” had several reports of a Bigfoot frequenting dumpsters behind a strip mall that sat adjacent to a forest. He set a trap and staked it out. He baited one of the dumpsters and then hid and sat waiting on the other side of another dumpster. He had dozed off, lol, then he awoke to some noises. When he rose he saw the Bigfoot at the baited dumpster and it looked right at him. He was quite scared and drew his handgun (9mm – .45 cal range) and fired several shots (he was maybe 10 yards away, tops, so 30′). Anyway, when the creature fled he went to check for a blood trail, but there was none to be found. I don’t know how competent this guy was with his handgun, makes you wonder if he was a bad shot or simply too scared to think straight. When I first started hunting I missed the first few deer I came across, due to what my uncle calls “Buck Fever”, that is when you get over-excited and your nerves get the best of you. I know for a fact that does happen, there was nothing wrong with the rifle, it was the shooter that was the problem, lol. A little later though, after I understood that being calm would help me bag my first deer, I was more successful.

14. coelacanth1938 responds: March 10th, 2009 at 12:43 pm

    What would stun a Bigfoot?

15. cliffhanger042002 responds: March 10th, 2009 at 3:32 pm

    Coelacanth – Is this perhaps a loaded question, LOL, or are we about to get a punchline here?

16. springheeledjack responds: March 10th, 2009 at 10:47 pm

    Eagle 61, I’m still asking around for more info on the Birdman, and I’ll post here once I get some e-mails back.

    I hunted this area and the Solon area extensively as a teen, and as I have said, there aren’t the huge forests, but definitely there are plenty of wild areas to hole up in during the daylight hours, and plenty of fields and non-urban areas to pass through even during daylight hours and avoid detection…except for maybe the 40 or so listed on the BFRO site. AND I am willing to bet there are plenty of more sightings that no one has ever bothered to report–my brother had a 3 am encounter with something that ran across in front of his semi down around the Fairfield area just a few years back. And he never reported it…don’t think he knew where to if he wanted to at the time. But it shook him up.

17. coelacanth1938 responds: March 11th, 2009 at 12:41 pm

    cliffhanger042002 – Naw, this isn’t a loaded question. Over the years, I’ve heard guys talk about what they think would drop a bigfoot, but nobody has ever talked about trying to subdue one.

18. cliffhanger042002 responds: March 11th, 2009 at 3:05 pm

    coelacanth1938 – Ok, I see. I just wanted to make sure that you were really serious about discussing this and not about to deliver a punchline before I got into a discussion, lol. Since it was just a simple question with no further elaboration or information, I thought maybe you were about to tell a joke.

    But as for serious discussion, that’s a good question. I guess it somewhat depends on what camp/category you fall into regarding Bigfoot: Pongid, Hominid, Paranormal, or Psychic? As far as paranormal or psychic Bigfoot, he might not be subject to the same physical laws as we are, so guns are possibly ineffective.

    But I fall in the pongid/hominid camp, and I think that any large caliber handgun (9mm, .40 cal, .45 cal, 44 mag, .357 mag) would do the job if the shot was well placed and at a close enough range. And certainly any large bore hunting rifle would do the trick as well. The largest game I have killed is deer, and I hunt with a .270, and my 9yr old son shoots a .243 single shot youth model. I have had shots on deer that dropped them immediately, very well-placed shots, and then I have had shots on deer that weren’t perfect but seemed to be in the vitals area, and the deer was never found. I have even followed blood trails full of bubbles (so I know it was hit in the lungs) and still didn’t find the deer.

    I’ve heard a police officer talk about shooting an average sized man in the chest with a 9mm and the person kept coming at him, and having to unload the clip in the man’s chest before he finally dropped just a few feet away from him with a knife in his hand. I can’t verify the story of course, but I was inclined to believe the person at the time. So if an average size man in an altered mental state can accomplish that, who knows what kind of punishment a creature as big, muscular, animalistic as a Bigfoot could take, and possibly live through. Depending on muscle mass and bone density/thickness, who knows for sure if a handgun could actually even do the trick. However based on all the size reports, I can’t imagine Bigfoot taking an accurate hit with a hunting rifle and surviving.

    And it should be noted that I do not condone the shooting of Bigfoot, lol, seriously though.

19. cliffhanger042002 responds: March 11th, 2009 at 4:33 pm

    As far as just “stunning” Bigfoot, I can’t really think of too many options. First a person would have to make some assumptions about the anatomy and physiology of the animal, and if you deduce that it is somewhat similar to a human, you could modify weapons that stun humans to account for the additional size/strength of a Bigfoot.

    The police and military are currently using quite a wide variety of non-lethal weapons these days. My personal favorite that I saw on the show Futureweapons is the “12 gauge Shotgun Stun Gun“. It employs a 12 gauge shotgun and then they took the principles behind the “slug” and actually made a “stun slug” or so to speak. It is really wicked too, they tested it on some really huge, like special forces military guys weighing close to 300 lbs and he dropped like a sack of potatoes. But the round in flight is amazing as well. It flies almost like an arrow, or more like a missile, and it is very accurate, and because of the amount of powder that you can fit into a 12 gauge, it is effective at much farther ranges than what previous models of stun guns have been capable of.

    I would think that could stun a Bigfoot.

20. springheeledjack responds: March 11th, 2009 at 10:59 pm

    Okay, I talked with my aunt who used to live here back in the early 70’s. She said she thought it was about 1971 that she and a friend were out at Dinglebarry Quarry hiking. She said they found footprints in the ground that looked foot like though were about two or three sizes bigger than human. She said they heard something tromping through the bushes and headed for the car. When she looked back there was a large dark shape coming out of the brush and she thought it stood very tall like 7 foot or better.

    As for the noises and name, there were rumors and stories from other people who would hear something calling in that area, and that it sounded like a bird but not a bird, or something like that.

    And talking with my mother who is also from this area, she told me that around the early to mid 70’s there were multiple sightings of some large hairy thing walking on two legs seen on a Sand Road which is the south side of Iowa City (Dinglebarry Quarry is past the north side of Iowa City). She said there was at least one account of it crossing the Sand Road in front of passerbys.

    I will try to figure out some way to ask questions and see if I can get any first hand accounts. Got any advice on that from Loren or anyone?

21. weary1 responds: September 1st, 2010 at 9:43 am

    I wish I would of known of the sightings in and around Dingleberry Quarry when I lived in eastern Iowa.

    I’ve read this page off and on over the last few years to see any new comments. And thought this time I’d add a few of my own.

    For those of you that don’t think hand guns can be used in any legal hunts in Iowa. Maybe you should pick up a copy or read via the IDNR website the current hunting regulations for the state of Iowa Hand guns are currently legal in the taking of deer.

    Unfortunately there are some people that think it is ok to shoot these beings, god help you if you shoot one with others around.

    I suppose unless your not out traveling, camping, hiking, hunting, or even boating our rivers and lakes you don’t realize how much wilderness area this state has.

    How much land does a single or family unit of Sasquatch need to survive?

    Currently there is 43,917 acres of state forests, 171,054 plus acres of county parks. Not all but a lot of this land is adjoining lakes, rivers and streams not included is the total acreage in State Parks, or private lands adjacent to the waterways of Iowa.

    In 2008 13.2 million acres of corn was planted in this state. From mid to late July a lot of it is already 8 feet or higher. It would make great cover for not only habitat but also traveling.

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