Very intriguing!

I see several possibilities here:

1. You're pulling our leg and should find better ways to use your time.
2. You favourite show was the X Files and you really miss Moulder and Scully.
2. You've read too many Stephen King novels and have an overactive imagination.
3. Those mushrooms you had for supper were NOT Agaricus campestris (field mushrooms).
4. You slept the whole night on the sofa and had a very vivid dream.
5. You are sincere, but were so spooked that your mind filled in details that weren't actually there.
6. You have given an accurate account of a very strange experience and should definitely try to get evidence to maintain your credibility.

Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I have to say that there is a lot you didn't tell us. What was its face like? It's ears? Did its eyes face front like a cat or to the sides? When it ran away, did it trot like a horse, bound like a deer, jump like a kangaroo or what?

Any exotic animal farms near you? A circus gone through the area lately? I remember reading an old story from the backwoods of Ontario a hundred years ago or so... Some kids sent to bring home the cows came screaming back to the house, babbling about a "monster" in the river. Turned out it was an alligator that had escaped from a travelling animal show. No one believed them at first either.

just a bit of advice, quit smoking the corn!

CI

if possible give a clearer discription, like it's face like Maggie suggested. If it wasn't white in color, I would almost say it was a ground hog, or woodchuck (same animal just called differently in different regions) I have one around here that on its hind legs is huge, approx 3 1/2 feet but they are usually brown in color, not white.
But definitely try to remember some more details, or something.

{{gwi:42129}}
It was visitors!

Are you sure you didn't fall asleep watching the X-Files?

LOL, how big was it?

Ahhhhh Haahhhhaaaa you are killing me with laughter!!!

This is actually not as impossible as it sounds. Sounds like one of those white tigers, a snow leopard, or a white wolf? I know it sounds strange to some, but we have had exotic animals let go in our woods. We are on the edge of "civilization" to some idiots, and they think "Oh, woods! A perfect place to let my_________go!" Usually people who get exotics have no clue what they are in for, then realizing how illegal having that animal is, they just wanna dump it off and be done. There are thousands of exotics that are undocumented and kept as "pets".
We have seen tropical birds, iguanas and on a few occasions I swear I saw a monkey, and once a veeeeery large cat that I strongly suspect was some kind of a tiger mix or something. We even have coyotes that I'm not so sure are coyotes. Scary, but true. Keep an eye out, dont let the kids out alone, and watch livestock closely. Also, be prepared to defend yourself just in case, you never know. And if you see it again, please call someone.

Been following this thread with much interest since last night. Hope we haven't scared Dave off with our scepticism and laughter. There ARE strange things out there -- and while they may have rational explanations, at first sight tend to provoke disbelief. We're all so afraid of being the butt of someone's joke.

Dave, If you are still with us please post some more details. Could it have been, for instance, a large white dog like a GP? A pale phase bear? Did it make any sounds while it stood there?

As I said before, I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, but it certainly would help if you posted a follow-up and provided more detail.

In our area, I thought I saw a lion, that's right a lion in the woods one day, and wouldn't let the kids go out and play. My husband thought I was crazy, but I insisted, a couple of days later we found out a guy six miles away turned his lion loose so he could "hunt for food for a couple of days" while the guy was on vacation, that way the lion would not go hungry. Needless to say the guy went to jail because the lion did attack a person, and he was charged with endangering the public, with a wild animal.
I agree, it could very well be something weird like an animal, but a better description would help, and yes it does sound like a wild imagination dream too.

Dave,
Let us know what it is! I'm very curious to find out!

Granted, i didn't want to post this in the first place, i knew i would be mocked a fair bit, it happens everytime i tell somebody about my experience.

As for a description, it wasnt a prairie dog, i know that for sure, it wasnt a lion/tiger or whatever someone else said. It didn't look like anything ive seen before. It had a like, a dogs face, but the snout wasn't so protruded it had very dark eyes, and i think, no real whiskers, didn't see any anyway. And, it's front paws didn't really look usable, like i don't know how to describe it as anything else, like dinosaur 'arms'. Also i must have been standing down-wind to it, because, there was this disgusting dank smell of dead things, like dead hogs that have been lying for a few days before the rendering truck would pick them up for disposal.. mock away.

My wife did check for a passing circus, because that was an excellent idea made by one of you guys. Sadly not though, so that doesn't explain it. I don't do drugs, i'm just a hard working guy who likes a couple of beers now and again to relax.

Thanks for the one or two that listened. I don't really care what you people think, i know what i saw. Anyway, i'll keep an eye on this forum, it's certainly interesting, and i always enjoy reading other people explpanations.

Thank you, Dave.

Strange things happen, and everyone will call you crazy...UNTIL it happens to them! (Then its OUR turn to call THEM crazy, lol). Anyway, it kinda sounds like a kangaroo maybe> Or something little known. Good luck in finding out, I'll see what I can find to match the discription as well.

Dave, i would go look for tracks of some sort. if you know the general location you were at, and the direction the critter went, you should be able to find some tracks. if you do, then i would have someone take pic's of the tracks and try to focus in on what it was, or could be. i've seen some strange critters in our parts, that looked like nothing i had ever seen before, and then we found tracks and generally it turned out to be something "usual" for our area as far as the type of critter, but it was some wild breeding issue that it looked like it did. other thing i would do is go back to that area around the same time (and sit in my truck WITH a loaded gun) and wait and see if it comes around again. sounds interesting, wish i was there to check itout with ya. good luck, let us know if you come up with anything.

Were you the one drunk???????

I have seen a few things in my life that I never shared because I thought no one would believe me. Kudos for speaking up. I recomend a tranquilizer gun and a camera next time.

Hey,
Maybe try getting a pic of it if you see it again! Then send it to us, we'd love to see it!

It sounds like a kangaroo to me too. Where do you live???

Dave, seems you are far from the only one to see strange things in Iowa. Out of curiosity I did a Google search for "strange animal sightings Iowa". Lots of "Bigfoot" sightings. Now most report Bigfoot as about seven feet tall with black hair/fur... but then I came across this:

"According to one web site, Bigfoot came out of the woods the same 1978-1979 winter at the Pella Bridge near Harvey, gazed at a 10-year-old boy, and then retreated back into the woods.
In 2000, a duck hunter and his son spotted Bigfoot three miles south of Pella. He was tall, had white fur and ran very quickly."

Now, I don't know where in Iowa you are located and my knowledge of your state is pretty sketchy... but perhaps what you saw was a youngster of the species. The foul odour you mentioned is typical of Bigfoot encounters.

Just thought you might be interested.

~ Maggie... who has an open mind, too much curiosity, a vivid imagination and a strong sceptical streak.

I think if this beast was 4 feet tall up on it's hind legs maybe it was a dog.A white one.Could have been left to fend for it's own if it was defective. Also I thought of my goats ,up on hind legs? I have some cashmere goats that are whitw and fluffy and maybe it was stretching to reach for a nibble of corn.Also a thought around this area there have been reports of white deer.Could it have been anything like that? What did it look like when it ran away?
Ann.

This is getting me anxious to hear what it is!
Do any of you believe in bigfoot? I've always said that I don't but what do ya'll think?

Ann, I am inclined to agree with you that it is some kind of animal standing on its hind legs. Dog, goat, deer are all good possibilities. Albinos can occur in any species of mammal, so it is not limited to animals that are usually white. The foul odour could be from a billy goat or from a dog that has rolled in carrion or something equally obnoxious.

The clincher for me would be knowing how the creature moved as it ran away. On two legs or four? Running, trotting, leaping, jumping or what? Unfortunately, Dave has not provided us with the details we have asked for, at least not so far.

Genny, it is not a case of "believing" or "not believing" in creatures such as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Sightings of strange things have come down through history from the beginning of recorded time. Most are explainable. Some are not, at least so far. I am sceptical and analytical about these things, but I like to remain open-minded as well. As Shakespeare put it in Hamlet: "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

Ok, a small update.

I wasn't drunk, so i don't appreciate the comment, i know it's difficult for people to take me seriously, but if you're just going to post something ridiculous, please dont post at all.

I did go look for prints, but sadly there was nothing. The field is just big clumps of dirt, most of the time i dont even leave prints when im wearing my boots.

Some more info, i'm sorry i'm being really vague, but it's hard when people mock me all the time. When it ran away, (since i was transfixed by it) i noticed it quite a bit, it ran very low to the ground and it's front legs didn't touch the ground at all. It didn't hop/skip/jump, it was like a blur to be honest, it was just so fast. Between the time of it starting to run and dissapearing, it must have been about 20 meters and it was over in about 5 seconds, unbeleivable yes, but it's all unbeleivable to some people.

Thank you for your support and information, i'm thinking i could draw a picture of the thing, i know i wouldnt do it justice, but i'll try if you wish.

i got curuios about this
so i did a search on google
and to date there have been 35 reported encounters
with bigfoot .
while it is true that one of the most famous sighting was a hoax ,which i beleive took place in Oregon ?? lets not forget that there are some sightings that cant be discounted as phony .
i think Dave deserves a little credit that he had the courage to say something .
never having seen a bigfoot face to face i think i might have felt the same as Dave did .
Zeke

OK. I'm not saying this to poke fun but, could someone have been playing tricks on you? You did say you were "expecting a prank of some sort".

And I don't know, but this could be the silliest suggestion yet. Maybe it was a giant Jack Rabbit. Do you have them that far north? They do get around pretty well on there hind legs and with the ears, it could make it look taller than you think.

Just my two cents. Hope you find out what it was.

If you have a way of scetching it and scanning it to post here it might help. It does sound like a rabbit if it was on the hind legs, again hope you figure it out, let us know.

Dave, thanks for having the courage to post more details. I know it is difficult to face open ridicule... but since you had the guts to share your strange experience in the first place, please continue. I am wondering how far away the creature was when you first saw it.

If I am understanding you correctly, the creature ran on its hind legs, but "close to the ground." Does this mean that it ran sort of bent forward, with its arms held close to its chest? It did not hop or jump like a kangaroo but rather ran, very fast, in a relatively smooth manner?

If you can draw a couple of sketches, it would be very helpful. I would like to see one just as you saw it standing there in the moonlight... The moon was very close to full Saturday night, wasn't it? It must have given you a good opportunity to observe details. When you sketch it, try to include as much detail of the shape of head, facial features, ears etc. as well as its general shape and stance and position of limbs.

I would also like to see a sketch of it as it ran - mostly to get a better idea of the way it moved. You can tell a lot from even a simple line drawing.

Don't worry about your drawing abilities... The important thing is that you get down what you saw, however roughly... because a picture is worth a thousand words.

Growernut,

On the topic of strange sightings. DH and I saw a mountain lion around Loup City NE one afternoon after leaving the lake. We went down to NE game and parks commision to repeat what we saw and see if what we thought was a mountain lion. They told us that there weren't any mountain lions in NE. Well that was 8 years ago and since then many have been sighted and some killed, even in Omaha NE.

Stacie

James just for my edifaction, is amonia normally applyed in the wee A M hours? I have walked up on 'fawns' hunting and they disappear by the time I gain my composure :) In a moonlit field and a animal I didn't recognise, my language would have been limited too../

what about a baboon...they are that tall and quite easily stand on their back legs, also light coloured and have a snout like a dog....any escapees from zoos etc

girlsingarden,
i'm in northeast nebraska and although i have never seen a mountain lion around here, i have heard of some that have. i heard the reports in omaha and have heard many reports from western part of the state. so far all my critters are ok so hoping they dont come this way.
growernut

on a related note, Dave, good job on keeping posting information. i think alot of folks are not sure sometimes what gets posted and some are poking fun so please excuse them and keep poking. i know sometimes i've seen things that i wish i were drunk as it would be easier to explain. did this animal make any sounds when it ran or was it quiet

I wonder your age and location? I went to school with a Dave Mathews. The town where we went to school was really odd for strange things back then. I haven't heard anything lately, (I'm 50 miles away now) but back in high school there were tales of cattle mutilations, and even one found hanging way too high up in a tree by it's horns. I used to take the horse out and camp in a tent, but these stories would make your hair curl. One boy I remember said he didn't go out to the barn lot at night without a shotgun. This was not a boy that I knew for pranks.
Actully near me now, last year a horse was found dead, no apparent reason for the death, but it's "boy parts" had been removed. Another mystery.
Some never get solved.... I hope you don't drive yourself crazy with this, but it would sure be interesting if you happened to see it again. Of course you won't have the camera ready! I would keep my kid inside at night :0)

Not to be critical or insinuating, but after reading this thread and pondering for a while, one of us (being a Addictions Counselor), noticed a few details you may wish to consider:

1) You mentioned that you were spraying anhydrous ammonia. This chemical is used in the production of methamphetamines. We did a little research and could not find evidence to support the notion that inhalation of this chemical causes hallucinations, but it can not be ruled out, either. (One of the biggest side effects of processed meth is indeed auditory and visual hallucinations).

2. You mentioned also that it was near four in the morning, and that you fell asleep on the couch immediately after the incident, so fatigue could have easily have factored in.

This does not explain your sighting, nor do we mean to invalidate or debate your experience. Just some thoughts worthy of consideration.

One important thing to consider, for all of you who store and use anhydrous ammonia:
Because it is a vital and highly sought after substance for the production of meth, those who want it will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. Please take extra precautions to keep it safe. Devices to keep receptacles locked are available.

i also am intrigued. there are probably many things living in this world that no one has ever seen. dave, whats the update?

ps:i probably would have used the F word too, lol

Could it have been an escaped Wallabee? They're small kangaroos. With dog-like faces and little curled arms. Light in color.

It would have hopped away, though, not run. And the large tail would have been noticeable.

Sounds like a raccoon to me. Let's review:
- dog-like head with fine shout
- small paws held close to the body when standing upright
- is able to stand upright
- travels in a low-to-the-ground scurry
- white fur. (IIRC 'coons have white bellies, could be albino, early morning and fatigue could also have thrown off perception)
That all says raccoon to me. The other white amimal could be an opossum, but 4 ft is pretty big and they qualify as a "hideous animal".

It's a boring answer, but far more likely than the midget albino bigfoot.

Jason, certainly a possibility... but Dave said when it ran its front feet did not touch the ground at all. He also said it did not hop/skip/jump. To me this argues bipedal movement... if his observation is accurate.

I'm still waiting to see those sketches, Dave!

I think you saw a black bear, and black bears may be blond or cinnamon instead of black. Many also have white on their chest, and there is at least one known albino. Even a black coat, being shiny, would throw some white reflection in the moonlight.

Your description is typical of a young bear, which is much smaller than a mature adult. June is the start of the mating season, so young bears are on the move now, being chased out of the territories of breeding adults and looking to establish a territory of their own in a new area. One might be moving into your area.

Black bears are active at dusk and dawn. They can run at 30 mph, as you saw. They do stand up with their front legs bent at the elbow and paws dangling down as you saw, and the muzzle would not look very long except at the right angle in good light -- not likely at 4 in the morning!

There have been several confirmed black bear sightings in Iowa in recent years after a long absence. Check with your DNR to see if one has been reported in your area lately, but don't be surprised if they scoff, as bears aren't exactly common in Iowa.

Bears love corn and can do a lot of damage to a cornfield. They will travel 20 miles to find food, so yours will be back if he thinks there's a buffet in your cornfields, bird feeders, or household garbage cans. They also eat carrion, and I wonder if the foul odor you noticed was from carrion that attracted the bear in the first place, rather than body odor from the bear itself.

As far as what to do now, it might be well to learn the precautions you should take around bears unless you find out definitely that the creature you saw was something else.

Here is a link to -- Black bear info from the Iowa DNR

Here is a link to -- Useful info from PA about black bears -- Especially, what to do if you meet a bear.

-- BC --

Then again, there was that kangaroo that was hopping around in Wisconsin in January '05... you never know.

Dave, I think what you are describing could be a chupacabra, if you google it you will find lots of information on it and even some pictures.

Also check out www.coasttocoastam.com, you will find a whole world of people that will be quite interested in your experience.

-Sheila

Here is a link that might be useful: cupacarbra link

Sheila, one of those was shot within a few miles of our home by one of my son's schoolmates. My son made up a name for it so we've been calling it a deercatdogkangaroorat thing.

Cool name you made up there Rosey!

It seems as if Dave isn't talking to us anymore-- I see he hasn't been here talking any. I really wanted to see what it was!?!?

Hey, here is a pic of a white kanga...maybe possibly someone had one as an exotic pet...see what you think?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chi-liu/787076998/

theres the link

Here is a link that might be useful: white kanga

The white kanga, looks like me after a heavy meal!

The topic at hand is just silly. I'm thinking Dave is pulling our leg.

I think it was a velociraptor (speedy thief) out stealing the anhydrous ammonia.

There's my two cents

Here is a link that might be useful: velociraptor

Just after World War One, my great grandfather saw an elephant going through his Petersburg, Iowa cornfield. His family and friends of course all asked him if the elephant was pink. But later it was found out that an elephant had escaped from a circus held in nearby New Vienna.

My mother tells me the elephant was captured among the cows on a farm owned by Emil Kruse, 2 miles outside Petersburg.

So interesting things can be found in Iowa cornfields. But DaveMathews was probably jerking all of our chains.

I'd say that just about anything is possible, far fetched or not. Dave may be some jerk that was trying to take folks for a little ride (how many of you have taken you city cousins Snipe Hunting when they came to visit?) or someone that actually saw something that could endanger someone else because every time he tried to report it he got jeered. Guess we'll never know. I haven't seen Bigfoot or Elvis (since he died) but have seen panther, wolves, and bears where it was sworn that they couldn't be. North of where I live now is where a lot of the old Hansel and Grettal, Rip van Winkel, and witch stories originated. Walk through some of that area (even in daylight).

Take Care,

Dave

A guy here just got a picture on his game trail camera of a bigfoot,( yeti, or sasquatch). Its been in the magazines and papers. The thing looks to me like a skinny, short haired bear, Thats what the game comission says it appears to be too. But I never saw a bear that thin even with the hide off. he did contact the Bigfoot search group and they think its a bigfoot??

Could it have been a large bird, such as a crane, out of it's normal range? These guys are big, pretty spooky looking (especially in poor light), and they will frequently allow people to get extremely close without fleeing. I've been spooked a few times by Sandhills and Florida cranes (like a tall Blue Heron, only snow white), and I was expecting them.
A Sandhill crane is the most likely candidate for the "Mothman" sightings in West Virginia in the late 1960's.