A Warren County, Iowa resident is walking his dog along a steep-banked creek when he hears tree-whacking sounds. He answers back knocking his walking stick on a tree. He gets a response.
I received the following account:
"I was walking in a steep creek with my dog looking for arrowheads. This was in south-central Iowa (Warren County). This is the type of creek where the banks are so tall and steep it is difficult to get in and out of, and once you are in there your vision is limited on the sides because you cannot see over the banks. It's some pretty remote country and privately owned.
After walking for a while I hear what sounds like someone chopping a tree down with an axe (tree knocking sounds). I remember thinking clearly that it made zero sense because where the sounds were coming from was in a very isolated and deep part of the woods and there was no reason for anyone to be back there chopping down a tree. If someone needed wood thousands of other trees were more accessible and no one used axes anymore. This is hardwood country, chainsaws are the norm.
I ignored it and kept walking down the creek bed. Then after a few minutes, I heard it again. Still didn't think much of it but I took my walking stick and whacked it against a tree 5 times in response to the tree knocks I heard coming from up the hillside. Mostly just to mess with whoever was up there.
It wasn't long before there were another 5 tree knocks in response to me, but this time much closer. I started to get a little nervous but wasn't going to let my imagination get the best of me. I have watched too many Bigfoot shows and know they are said to do tree knocks as a form of communication. I kept going but was much more alert and had this eerie feeling starting to sink in like I was being watched.
Out of nowhere my dog, who normally stays pretty close to me, put his nose into the air and then took off in a mad dash in the general direction the knocks had been coming from. He scrambled up the bank like a mountain goat and was gone, chasing whatever was up there. Not sure how long, maybe 10-15 seconds my dog (who isn't afraid of much) came tearing back down the bank with his tail tucked between his legs and up and out the other side of the creek in an attempt to put as much distance between himself and whatever he encountered. That was all it took for me. I clawed my way out of the creek in the same direction my dog was retreating and probably set a new land speed record for the 400-meter forest dash.
I never did see anything, but I didn't turn around either. I didn't want to see or waste time looking behind me once I was out of the creek and on level ground. Still makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up to think about it." - F
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