It Grinned At Me from the Trees — Iowa Sasquatch Encount

0:00 You're listening to Bigflat Society, and I'm Jeremiah Byron. In this show, we go beyond the campfire stories to bring you first hand encounters from people who say they've seen something impossible. From backwoods trails and remote mountain haulers to quiet farms and crowded highways. The stories come from everywhere, and each one leaves us with more questions than answers. These are the voices of the people who've lived it. To settle in, because today you'll hear another account that just might change the way you see the woods forever. So stay with us, right Big for Society. You've got the privilege of talking to Jesse today. Jesse is a hunter and a four street contractor from down in Van Buren County in Iowa, down the southeast section of the state.

0:45 I've actually been on Jesse's show, which is called a Beast of Burden, so I'll definitely have that linked. You can check that out as I don't do a ton of interviews, but it was fun chatting with him on his podcast as well. But welcome to this show show, Jesse. How are you doing today? I'm doing great. Thanks so much for having me. Absolutely, you know I'm excited to have you on the show. Finally. Your area really has an interesting history to it. There's a lot that's happened over the years. And I actually haven't told you this yet, but I did have an individual, an older gentleman, come on TikTok recently to share some classic encounters that happened in lacy Kiyosakua State Park down there in Van Buren. That'll be coming out eventually, but yeah, I mean, I would love to hear you know, if you would, I wouldn't mind sharing what you've experienced. You've had some really interesting things happen over over the years down there in Van Baren County.

1:48 Yeah, thank you. Yeah, it's been kind of a wild ride. I'll just start from the beginning, if that's okay, and kind. Of go to our recent a mess. So I'll be honest. When we first moved down to Van Buren, I was kind of a big foot nut, I mean everything. When I was, you know, twelve thirteen, I was just looking for it because I just want to have that experience real bad. You know, you watch all the shows. I'll be honest. We just discussed the students to be total straightforward. Some of my earlier experiences. I kind of kind of go like, well, did I really see something? But at the same time, it stuck with me for so long, I'm like, did I You know, It's one. Of those things like did I experience that? It was in my head? But why is it stuck with me if I can't brush it off? So I'll share a couple of those earlier moments.

2:33 You know. I was taking a dog for a walk on our family farm in the back and it was I think springtime, and some of our deciduous trees, like a shingle, looak and ironwood, hang on to their leaves, and I bring that just for a pattern's sake. And I was walking back and I see this outline and it was really neat because the color mat but also contrasted against these trees hang on through their leaves. And what I saw was like this pretty good sized thing that looked like cousin it And it had a blend of color too, Like I could see from the knees up it was black and then kind of a lighter brown color. Then the cuffs around its wrist were like a blondish color and the head was more blondish, but I had this interesting color, you know, tritone of colors, but it stoock out like it looked like someone standing there against these trees.

3:22 And it really shocked me. And I'm like, thirteen, I just run. Now, it's very possible that I my mind wanted to see it. I was just kicking my dog for a walk. I remember running back to the house and I recall, along here, we have a bunch of cedar trees. Now they're you know, twenty feet tall. They've grown up so much the past, you know, fifteen years twenty. I recall seeing this, you know, that coca nut conical shaped head bobbing along the tree tops. And I went inside and nothing happened. And again, you know, been a drone, a rush and going, man, I think I ate that up. But I'm like, I remember that's so distinctly, you know. So that was a really profound moments. And I over the years while I was you know, typing up my sightings and sending him to you just for safe keeping, hoestly, and I was like, man, that really stuck with me. I thought I'd bringing up another moment. This happened about I don't know, summertime. The next accounter. I was alone a lot my parents, you know, my my my dad worked out of state, my mom worked in town. I was homeschooled, so get your schoolwork done, you go do chores and mow of the yard, stuff like that. And it's a hot summer day, it's like July.

4:26 I'm out there on the yard and I look over and I recall seeing like this ape shape looking face, like a silhouette, looking at me underneath the branches of the oak tree on the west sidebor yard, and it startled me. Insaw it. I'm like, what was that. I'm looking out the window and the shape is gone. Now, it's very likely it could have been the light of the sun shining on the leaves, but I remember looking at that eight this human looking face just at me with this little grin on its face, like I'm watching you, And you're like what I remember looking back, and you know, I've kept an eye on that tree line for years. I never had that light reflection before my yard hit the back of my hand, and uh man, it was just a really weird thing.

5:13 And I just it was like you're being watched. Now. One memory that I'm trying to go chronologically here I was like sixteen or seventeen later on again, I'm home alone. My parents were past state work, and I was mature, you know, can handle myself, make my own food, you know, tend to myself. And this memory just makes me like, oh, it was like August or July. I was I'm sleeping and in the middle of the night, I just hear this long, loud, lying sounding wolf howl and it was so loud it woke me up with a startle. I'm just laying in bed and it was just like.

5:58 And it went off for ten twelve seconds, and I was just laying there going, what was that? And I've heard a lot of kyout howels. I've been out west, I've heard wolf howels. Yeah, I've watched Dasher Geographic and I'm like, I've heard Lyne roars and You're like, Okay, that's that's nothing I've ever familiar with. I remember drabbing my little crook at twenty two and I went outside and my dog sleeping outside of summertime. He shed like a fiend. He's laying his craig going what's that? Dad? And I just shoot around the air just to deter anything. But let's be honest anything that big probably wouldn't care. So I went back inside sleep. So that was my earlier experiences. I do recall hearing some weird sounds, like I've heard the woman's scream could have been a mountain lioner, bobcat.

6:43 I've heard what sound like someone young for help. That was really late in the evening and like, you know, seven o'clock on October on November night, you know, I thought, well, someone follow their bowstand and I rented get my dad. He goes, I don't hear anything, you're making it up, and I was just it just sounds like this really mocking help. So so that was weird experiences. Let's fast forward to twenty twenty. I really didn't. I really got out of the Bigfoot thing. I lost interest in it. I just accepted it's either alive or it's not, and I'm content with that. I lived my life, and and of course I came across more First Nation based podcasts like Zeno Hunters on YouTube, and then I've been listening to your buddies with the Don't Whistle a Night podcast.

7:26 Fantastic stuff, but things of that nature. Just understand that's out of curiosity. Well, what do the first people say about this being? And I was more interested in listening to them because they just knew and so I have slight interest, but not like the interest of going out looking for I just was interested in the stories. And I remember being on my farm. It was twenty twenty and I had this beautiful sunflower plot out for dove hunting, and I get off the off of work. I want to run down there, take some pictures, just hang out and enjoy the beauty of in August evening. And at the time, my neighborhood racial hounds and they're just going nuts, barking and barking, and then this sound came from the east and it shut everything up. It sounded like a fake bark, but very big, and it was like this boom boom boom, like it was mocking them. And everything went quiet. The hounds shut up, the birds went quiet, their crookds went cry, and I was like, it's time for me to go home. So later on, I want to say, early twenty twenty one, I heard a weird noise from the woods I live outside. While I live in another county not too far away from my home, and I live kind of a busy highway, but there's a lot of timber across the road. You know, to the west, open farm country across the roads gets more urban and some houses in timber. It did large shot of timber, and I was taking my dog out and it was, you know, ten o'clock a night.

8:57 It was kind of. Early thaw, and it was January thaw. You know, snow's melting is like fifty degrees a night, one of those random warm falls we get in January. And I'm it's really quiet. It's January evening, and. So I'm listening. I did this sounds like radio chatter coming from the woods. It was just like this, and I'm like. What is that? And I kind of thought about it. In my local mechanic and a buddy of mine live across the roads time. They never had the radios on my mechanic next door, he's got insulated pole bar. You know, you only hear the music when you go in.

9:39 And my buddy, I mean, he's been there for at least a year and he never plays radio. And I'm like, did he use radio on? But it sounded just coming from the woods. So I just kind of left it at that ship, you know, washed my hands. That one took my dog when inside. So I believe my next experience, how would you describe it? Was like third person experience. So I started. I actually took a break from. My career just wasn't going very far, got a normal job, and then I had a lot of opportunities that brought me back into it, back in the forestry work, and I got my first timber jobs in a long time, not too far away from lockers, I would say between where I live at now, in that Cockridge area. I was going to this job and I had my truck and trailer and fo wheeler, and this red Chevy pick up was following me down the road to my timber I'm working on, and I'm like, what's this guy need?

10:30 So I get to the gates and I get out, and this gentleman hops office truck. He goes, are you trapping? And I used to trap? I told him aped a long time because I'm here to do some timberwork. Is oh, you're working in there? I said yeah, and he goes, oh that timber's spooky. What do you mean? And he goes, I got chased out of there? I go really, and. He goes, do you believe in demons, and I've had demonic accounters several times in my life and I'm like, well, yeah, I goes, I don't I was a demon. Maybe it's big Foot, and I'm like, I guess, never know. And you know, I did not brush this gentleman off. A good friend of mine used to have the podcast Mark and the Ghost to Meet podcast is current one and as partner at the time. She was from North Carolina and this she always said this and stuck with me and it just a new level of respect for our elders.

11:19 So where she lived in in North Carolina, she a waitress at a cafe and she said it was very common to hear the guys at the table planning their fishing trip up the creek and some old timer come over, go now boways, be careful. I saw a big for the other day getting drink of water. You all be careful, And they just said, okay, sir, thanks for the heads up. They just treated as like just like seeing a deer, and they're always respectful about it. And so I just shook this man and said, well, sir, I pushed the heads up, and he goes, oh, you bet I had otherbody get chased out of here, and I in that timer when it got dark, this sensation came over me, like it's time for you to leave now, and I just remember that feeling. I'm like, Okay, it's time for me to go.

12:00 And I recall one time in this timber, I'm doing the thing called hack of squirt. It's that you take a hatchet and a bottle of chemical and this timber is really overstocked with alum and ironwood and you're just hacking these trees without having to drop them down, setting it back to let you know, the sunlight come in, forest regeneration come about orbs and baby oaks and stuff like that, and you know, so you're whacking a hatch against a tree. So I making folk folk folk sounds. So I'm whacking these trees. I hear folk way off now. Where I'm at, you know, Ma Sabi's dial is populated, there's areas. There's not a lot of houses, but you know, three five hous is pretty normal between homes and sometimes more in between. So where I'm at, I'm like a mile back in from the road to this timber. There is no houses nearby, and I'm like, I heard one whack with a hammer, and that's why my thinking, like someone working on something. I never heard another knock, but I thought it was weird that here I am hacking.

12:59 I hear the folk, and I thought, huh, now, let's see it. Trankeet my math, my time dates straight, I believe. Let's jump to the fall of twenty twenty three. I'm at my farm and I'm doing a thing called basil bark spray for an invasive job I'm doing for my farm. And basil bark spraying you're mixing diesel with a chemical triclopier but mainly focus on multiplower rows and honeysuckle and vasive species. So it's a nice October day. It's partly cloudy, it's warm. I'm in a T shirt, beautiful tumber and I'm just working away and my neighbors dogs different neighbor closer, his three dogs are just going nuts or barking and barking to hear me walk around the leaves. And then I hear this long, drawn out whistle and again everything the dogs were it was like.

14:00 And it went on for like a. Good three five eight seconds, and I was like, oh man, I'm very stubborn. I'm like, I'm leaving. I got to get this job done. So that was just so profound how everything went quiet. And I asked my buddy later, like a year later, I'm like, we're hanging tree stands. I go, I told him the story. He goes, I don't tell you. I don't know. That's why I thought he was doing something. And it came from the inside of my timber, like south central part of my timmer if you're looking on that map, assentship. But anyway, so then. A week or two later, it's like November, We've had a front come through. It's kind of partly cloudy, and it's kind of snow and it's trying to rain. It's that beautiful amient light. This is the thing that really stopped me in my tracks.

14:44 Marian Basil bark splam on his little ridge. All these black locust trees are at. It's really thick, and I'm spraying, and I have this tree in the corner of my eye, and what I thought was a vine moves and what appears to be a hairy long arm with five fingers unravel itself around the tree and it hides behind the tree. I stop in my tracks, and I'm like staring at this tree after at the corner of I saw this, and I'm staring this tree for a good two minutes, and there's no way I just saw what I thought I saw. I remember walking over that tree. I looked around all sides, nothing was there. And I will never forget that movement.

15:26 And that really stuck with me for a long time. And so far nothing like that but that hairy arm. I will tell you this much, you are not alone in the woods in Danier County. That's I will leave that there. So now it gets funny. After you and I talked on my podcast, I interviewed Shoo, things really got ramped up. And I don't quite know why, because I think I told you the night after we did our. Interview, a dog outside two clock. Roughly this is January, I believe, maybe late December, I don't quite remember. But this lightning bolt comes out of nowhere into the timbers. Wow, and just this random didn't even storm. This is really quick thing, and I'm like, what does that mean? You know, it was just like what does that mean? So then things start happening. I remember going on my farm in Januinay for our late muzzle otter season and didn't see it.

16:23 Deer. I gotta take, you know, take a rye. I take a lot to other ride and I'm looking at my neighbors. Timber was driving by, so what's going on. It's it's getting late, it's you know, I'm out, you know, pass the shooting light and I see that in the timbers like this, I believe a silvery looking light, blue silver light. I'm like, oh, some mu's got down the tree stamp. Well, then I'm going around the corner. I see another silver light and I see amber light. That's all. There's a lot of people in there, and by what's struck me? There's no vehicles And I know neighbors. I don't know these tooker people. But I've been down this area long enough. When people hunt there, there's. Always a vehicle parked on the road or parked in the hayfield. And just like, I know, if there's no one there, And I thought, so, either people are hunting or the name of the visa the orbs that folks are talking about.

17:08 That's like, I'll make a note of that. So then we get to spring in early winter and whatnot. Oh, I will say, I didn't get this person's permission, but I did reach out to a person that you've had on your show. They've been very helpful to me. So if you're listening, thank you for your help. But I did reach out to this person after you and I talked, and I explained to this person. I said, hey, it sounds like you have connections with these forest people as they describe them as. And I say, you know, I'm in this habitat work. I'm really into a restoring native habitat Oak Savannah. But I have to use a lot of chemical. Does that bother them? I'm just curious what you know about that. And this person replies back and they go, oh, and I'm not bragging, okay, I'm taking what this person shared with me. They said, oh, they like you. Oh my, they like you a lot. And I'm like, excuse me. They said, they don't like the chemical, but they understand why you're doing it because it's such a big help all those plants. That's their medicine. They they're lacking in that, and they really appreciate it. I'm sitting there looking at my phone rading their message. Just the idea of being watched like the other ones, and you have the idea back in your mind like am I alone out here? And then you know you're it sounds like you're fulfilling a purpose, you know, and more than just conservation. I mean, I'm a passionate conservationist. I mean I brag about this, you know, San County Almanac from Alban Leopold says next to my bedstand like my bible, you know, I mean, I take it very seriously as part of my life. But then knowing that is there something else out there that is reaping the benefits? And

18:38 I hope there is. I think it's wonderful, But so, you know, and that's in back of my mind. And I do listen to your podcasts a lot while I'm out in the timber, and uh, I'm very aware. Is it a possibility your podcasts, you know, or just this stuff in general influencing my experiences. Something pops up that's non big for related and you're like, oh, okay, so anyway. I'm trying to keep my story straight where it happened. Next, let's mention the feathers. So as you're working in the timber, there's a verious tools, chainsaws, patchets, and I would, you know, park met fo wheeler and I'd go in and occasionally chainsaw get stuck or banget, a new bar gets tinged or whatever. And there'd be so many times I'd be walking back to the foiler three or four times and also has a feather land there or sticking out of the ground, and I'm like, a hawk must have flew by.

19:34 Well, then it kept happening like it's And I've been in the woods a long time. I mean, you know, ever since I moved down to Van Buren, since a teenager, I'd be out there, hunting, imagination, just going for walks. I can't tell you how many times I found a hawk feather. It's not always common, but it was. I found like three or four my whole twenty years being down here. But then I started finding more more and be one of those things. I remember, you know, one day my chainsaw broke down to my wife, what's going on? Coliner? And I'm pacing back and forth as I know, I'm like I am right now, and I ever seeing a feather. I turn around, turn around again it's gone. So it's like boom it's here, bump, boom, it's gone. We're likeck's going on?

20:19 And the one day you and I talked about this, my other friend talked this. The long day. I'm trying to wrap up the timber project and I'm just try and get this sucker done, and back and forth, back and forth five or six times on his deer trail, and there's a feather sticking out of the ground. And it wasn't there just no more than two three minutes ago. And I get down and I grab this feather and I look at the stem, but the feather comes out of the birds, you know wing. There's dirt on it, meaning that it was placed in there. I feel this super surge of positive energy overwhelmed me, and I feel like this hand on my shoulder, very very briefly is a very faint hand. I've been touched my ghost, okay, and it's very it's a weird sensation. It kind of felt like that that there's something there, but there's nothing here I can see.

21:07 And you're like, going on right now? So and you know at this. Same place, you know, I recall seeing stuff like the how can I have to describe this? You've mentioned about the predator look, you know from the Predator movie that wavy vibration. I've seen that, but shorter. So i'd be driving forward all of a sudden there's like this little three or four foot tall wavy thing go right in front of me, and I'm like, well, was that a little guy or is that a spirit not a little person. I don't know, you know, but I'd be very. Distinct trying to think there's anything else to mention before I move on from this area. I thought there was one more thing that's kind of oh yeah, this one was kind of crazy. So I listened so with Doctor Love.

21:50 I believe recently she was on Flash of Beauty and I haven't listened to that one yet, and she, you know, left some really cool pearls of wisdom and one of them was you should pray for him, and I'm like, well why not. So I'm at this job I'm about to again, and I say, look, Lord be with our force people, friends, given lots of blessings in love and Jeremi, I hear this, I hear this call come out of behind me. It's like and I'm like, just stop and I'm just listening, and I'm like that either was a really pissed off squirrel a big. Raccoon or something else. But I've you know, it's ten o'clock in the morning, and like most you know, like raccoons, they're done for the day, they're hunkered down, they're still cold out, they're not quite moving. And the squirrels, I mean sure, but you know, usually it's like a couple of little barks, not this long deep chatter. And me it sounded big, and I'm like, well, here we go. And another time, this timber. I remember, I'm hearing voices, and I don't hear voices, by the way, but it's not like people talking.

22:51 And I know on this farm, I am in the middle of nowhere again and there's nobody around laying heard with let me know they're coming. I wouldn't have been there they're hunting or whatever, and maybe say hi. But it was just like people talking very lowly, and I'm like, oh, this is kind of interesting. I'd have gone gifting at a couple of these spots in my place and not has really taken them, except maybe raccoons and stuff. I don't do. I don't go through the notions of hanging stuff in trees. I just leave where I feel I should at. But I've been. To some spots where I try to hide them that raccoons, I'll get to them. I've gone back a look a few days later, it's still there. And I was texting my friend and they're like, yeah, you know, the Alpha or Plannel leader. If they don't trust you yet, or don't like you, or they don't know you, they will not allow their members to take these gifts. I'm like, oh, that's interesting. That's that's good to know. So I was just kind of thought, I thought it was interesting. Okay, I think that's kind of after this area. So I'm going to tree planning at Lockridge and it was springtime is always busy, and you know, I was kind of doing these old daily short prayers and uh.

24:02 You know, it feels kind of funny because I don't even know these guys. I mean, the experience I've had so far, I've just I've just accepted there's something out there and I won't be on their good side, and just out of like I would like to connect with the being at some point and just to verify like I'm not losing my mind here. So but I got slocked on praying for these guys. May be a short thirty second hole, you know, fifteen thirty second prayer. And I'm out there working and I'm pounding, you know, playing these trees and the tubes up, and then i remember coming across this strip of rabbit fur. There's no blood, there's nothing there. It's just this strip of a rabbit fur laying there, and I'm like, whoa, that's interesting. And i remember going back to get something that rabbitfer was gone. And then another day I'm back there and I'm in Amish country. Just so you know, I'm again down a dirt road. The neighbors are all homage folks. They got chickens. This means something. So I'm we're back. And it's a small partial, it's very tiny.

25:04 So I'm if you're in the back end of this little timber part with two hundred yards away from this Homish person's house, and uh, I one of my steaks, my timber steak, my tree plane steaks. There's a chicken feather on the steak, the cyberglass rod. And I'm texting my friend going what do you think about this? And this person says, well, they want their prayers back. They take prayers for it seriously. And you should you know. It's just a reminder. We're still cute. Okay. So I remember going back up and gets some more steaks. I thought I'll send my prayer real quest, so I said my little prayer. I'm looking off and I hear some really big run and I look really really quick, and what will appeared to be this.

25:45 Big brown blob and it's running fast. And it wasn't a deer because I have this little piece of timber. There is no deer. I mean, it's open, it's not great. I don't find any deer beds, and this took their spot. I mean two or three acres. It's a very very small partial. And I'm like, okay, I remember a message you and you're like when you're finding tracks, and I was, I didn't think to look. But also everything's so much grass and leaves. I mean, it's really hard to find a track. So I just I think they'll show me when they're ready, and you kind of agree to that or your call. So then it came to the ugly part. This is my least favorite part of a tree planing fans ironic, but you gotta do it. You got to spray around the baby trees.

26:27 With the tubes up, of course, so you can step back the competition so they get the roots going. Now, luckily I only had to spray where the brome on the edge was the inner timber stuff I could leave alone, thank god. But I had to really take out the more competitive plant community tree as a chance, because those roots underneath do matter. And so I was just saying, oh, lout, guys, I'm so sorry. If you're here, I'm so sorry. I hate this. I don't want to spraying this stuff, you know. And as I'm so sorry, you know, and I mean it's from my own conscious because I feel guilty about it too, but it's. Part of the job we do sometimes. And I'm getting near back where I found that chicken feather app and I come across this poke weed plant and this is where I get kind of uncomfortable, because this is where I started feeling these sensations. They're not voices, They're like a feeling, and it's really strong. And so I'm looking at these poke weed and I hear like this grumpy old man voice in my head, you can kill those. We don't like it, and it keeps saying, and I eventually strayed the poke weed and it stopped and I was like, well, that was kind of weird.

27:32 I remember thinking about my actions. I'm driving home and I'm down these roads. I always think about what did the land look like before the sellers came here, and that's always been in the back of my mind. I think any conservations in mind is backed their head. And I heard this grumpy old bill said well, i'll show you, and I started going to a trance as I'm driving. No no, no, no, no, no, no, no no no. We're not doing this right now. I don't know it's going out and stop. And I came out of it because I'm like going down this curve, steep hill and a curve like no, no, no, no, no, we're not playing. I don't know what's going on. You got stop. And I messaged my friend like, hey, are you familiar with pop weed? And this person says, WHOA, yeah, that's like their weed. And I've said, I don't think we're talking at the same thing. So I send this person picture and they go, oh no, no, no, no, they don't like that stuff. They can't ask us garbage for that, okay, And that's the same weed they're referring to if people what I'm talking about. It's just a purplish stockish plant.

28:22 It's a wonderful early successful plant, bird plant. And I had to produces berries. I like leaving them alone for the birds. Anyway, they don't like him apparently, So okay, I think we're done at Lockridge. I was the most profound things there. Now we're back on my farm again. No, this is it gets interesting. So I kind of forgot, but I don't I tell you about the mole story on our on our last conversations, you know, I. Was note, I'm following along with your map that you sent me, and I was thinking, I was like, I can't remember the mole things. So I don't know if we actually talked about that. It was. It's really brief. So again, I'm in my timber. I'm attacking this black species is very invasive and I'm hacking it.

29:07 And it started to rain and I better wrap this up. I come across this little stream in my place and I've known about it, but things have changed from the management so much my farm. You can actually access the stream and it's really pretty little spot. You have these two big white oaks overlooking the creek edge. And it's just like, you know, two three steps you're across it, you know, and those is really pretty And I'm sitting there and I need to head home. I turn around and again I just walk down this thing. I'm walking back up now. Keep this is mid and May. There's a point there's a dead mole land there this time of you're in May. What's having its letters? Podcasts, kyotes and foxes. They really heavily on moles, fawns, gophers, mice further young. No kyoke or any other predator would leave them more so like that left behind. And I say this picture to my friend. I said, hey, again one of those things. I'm walking by nothing there walking back here it is and this person has special abilities, as they as they say, and this person says, apparently one.

30:17 Was munching on it, didn't like it, spit it out, and. I'm like, oh god, it's like maybe you know, but I'm ALSTI like, should I have missed it? But again it's one of those things like I was just walking by it. I didn't see it, and justiness right here it's firstly dead. It was just a weird thing. So later on I'll make a week or two later, I thought, okay, I'm gonna go gifting, and I was, now, look, I'm I treat this pretty seriously. I look at these guys are really real. I'm in their territory. I'm gonna be respectful. So I'll leave my phone, my hatchet, my bottle, her beside, my gloves, all on a pilot, and my little prayer gifting spot and again, and you know these sensations the best Swagon describe it.

30:59 How comes over. It feels like this. A chaz and with energy open up in your chest and it just expands over you. And this feminine voice comes over and says, we really appreciate your hojuh a conscientiousness. We appreciate you so conscientious about this, but you don't have to go such extremes. We would really prefer it if you gifted at the oak trees you found. And I'm struggling because I'm thinking, like, am I really hearing this right now? This is all in my head And it was such a strong sensation. I'm like, I'm gonna trust instincts and just go with it. So I pull my stuff back on because I got to go back to this spot where I need to start hacking at and I leave a little I think it's a garlic.

31:45 It doesn't buntle garlic and this root system like I was instructed to. And I go across the stream and again I hear this crumpy man voice coming over in my head again, and I'm hackney these black looks, and he goes, what are you doing that for? So I'm trying I chill these trees and I'm just talking aloud. So I can you know burn back playing community? Well you don't have. To use that. I go, well, how would you do it? And he goes your hand the tree and tell you don't belong here. Just imagine that tree going back to the ground. Now I humored my intuition, or wherever the voice was. I went back a few months Later's a little black locust sapling. It did not work, but it was a cool idea. That's interesting. And so now this corner of my farm, I have three or four acres of falling cedar trees.

32:29 Cut them down to open up the early successional for the playing communities again, you know, brooding birds and all that good stuff. And uh, I'm getting deeper in these cedar piles. As many black load as I can for I how to go home. And I started hearing what sounds like pig grunts. And keep in mind, there is a hog anfinement across the road from my farm, but I'm like four. Hundred yards away. I can only hear these hogs as if they're feeding them, and they're squeoling like mad right next to the confinement, like across my fence or something. Sounds like this. And it was so weird because every time I hit a tree, I heard this, and I'm.

33:13 Like, okay, let's go on out here. You know this is my farm. I know this place back in my head. I've never had a sign before. And that's when the woes get kind of quiet, and I'm like okay. And then this is the part I just sound like a complete nut job, but bear with me. In my mind's eye, I kind of picture you read, big black big foot stand around me and I'm like, okay, I don't hear anything. I saw mean washed really heavily. And his other voice comes over. It says, you've gone too far. You see that deer trail over there, take it, Take it back to the logging lane and go back the way you came. You're too close. I'm like, you know, it's all good. I'm just gonna my head out. It's time to go home. And so I follow these instructions.

33:54 But when I get down this deer trail i'm trying to leave, this other angry voice comes over and it sounds like who's got the boys? And who's got the boys? And okay, I'm getting out of here again. You know, I'm the kind of guy like, am I really experiencing this right now? Like is this really happening right now? Is this in my head? And I'm very acceptable maybe I did. And so I fall down this logging lane and I get to this bent elm tree and I sent you a picture of the other day. They're like, oh, think of this. And I want to point out, as a foreshoe contractor, is very common for trees to bend themselves trying to find sunlight. So if you have a heavy, heavy canopy and that little tree is not getting sunlight, it will go in weird shapes to get to the sunlight. Like I sent you a video yesterday of a tree doing just that. It was being oppressed by bigger, mature trees. Now, this tree, when you have sunlight for a grow straight and again this is one of this grumpy old man voice comes in my head and I'm.

34:56 Like, okay, i gotta get out of here. I'm losing it. And said like, you gotta look, it's too close. We got some families back here. You can come back. You were talking out loud, but maybe burning this, which is great, but you gotta leave. You can't come back till September. That less, we'll be out of here. We're like, okay, I'm gonna go home. I'm lay now. This is a lot. And that was a profound mind speaking Paul. That happened to me. And it was just a weird thing. And I'm very content saying either it did happen or didn't happen. It was just a very strong sensations. And I took keat so A month or so goes by, and I'm working at a neighbor's place doing the brush management.

35:37 It's like late June, pretty warm, it's buggy a lot, it's a lot of growth. It's difficult to walk through. And I'm walking along Honey subtle and I'm along the train tracks and I'm I'm not too far away from the road, but I'm a good you know, five hundred six hundred yards away from the road, so you can close enough you can still hear traffic go by. And I'm listening to the meat Eater, so not even here podcast. My mind's I have a big flo at the moment, and I haven't looked over, and I see this teepee constructure on their side of the railroad tracks, and I'm just like, you've got the kidding. There's no way, that's why I think it is. And so I put my back packs burg down, I hop the fence. You know, I don't care railroad. I'm gonna check it out. And uh.

36:18 I go walking over and it just looks like one of these structures you guys talk about. And I see a healthy tree and what looks like a bunch of little trees with no root systems. They look like they've been you know, killed a part or whatever at the bottom, and they're all leaning against this tree. There's like three, four or five of these things, and I'm like, OK, I look. Over right to this structure and what looks like I don't know how you want to describe, Jeremiah, but it they look parallel ground. Again. Very likely they could have grown like that dude, the depressure of the lack of sunlight. But they're all like laying flat down and they kind of create this canopy. And all these Maull barriers are dropping on the ground and you see all the animals sign like accoons, deer.

36:59 It looks like a lot a lot of disturbance. I mean, like someone's been wrestling down there and tearing stuff up. And I'm like, wow, So I you know, I said, look, guys, I'm gonna take some pictures. I'm gonna get out of here. This is really unique and blessing to see this, and I'm just going to leave to be. So I took some picture of. Seven to you, and then I get back to work and I'm just very kind of at a loss of words, like is. This what I think? It is? On a railroad and it's summer, it's all and no one goes back there. And I'm like, well, sure, you know, but even rare you can't see the railroad. It's down an embankment, you know. So I started walking and I just happened to look down and I see this little five toe track and I get down. I sent you the picture. You could barely see the toes. There's a really wet summer. You know, we haven't had a lot of rain for a couple of years, and I think all the moisture is showing these tracks more dryer than nothing. Vist really And I get down and I measures, you know, a little bigger than my hand, which.

37:57 I don't know my hands. I just I don't know. And then I take a picture that I go back to work and again I've got a bigger track, which is, you know, I don't know my footprints eleven twelve inches and this thing is by sixteen eighteen inches long, you find toes I left to stick there to kind of show we're an into that. And I'm just like, I don't know what's going on? And am I wanting to see this? Or is this already? Is this really what's going on? And I remember the next day, I was just hanging out kids or watching the movie. I'm just sipping some afternoon coffee, and this thought occurred to me. All my best clients had been super patient, eager for me to get in there, dagging me to get in there.

38:42 They're just good quality people. But at the same time I find interesting in all these clients are very eager to get their timber managed and easy to work with, quick to pay, always a big plus. And I thought, what if these guys are. Tapping into the subconscious mind acting the certain lane own may not just me other cots as well, to have a passion of this stuff, to manipulate the habitat, to make it not just for them, but better for a wildlife, because you think about it, the more wildlife they have, that means there's more food source than eats, and the middst of the plants. That's huge. And I don't know, I just really struck me as very bizarre and like, what a interesting thought. And things have slowed down quite a bit. I found a couple more tracks. One was on the same pharmost right on a number one. I was at this lady's timber. It was gorgeous. It was a what a timber, A healthy timber looks like no one basis it's perfect. And I just meant this the first time. I'm walking in figniture stand and I look down and there's another track right there, and again super patient, not eager to get done.

39:51 She's just like, whenever you get here's great. I'm okay, and I'm back at the timber now I have those experiences with the I just got back there, and Jeremiah will tell you this timbers gorgeous. It's an honor to be there. But it is deathly silent. I hear crickets. There's not a single bird in this timber stand. I've never been a timber that is so silent. It's odd. But it's calmly soothing in the same time. So that's that's been the experiences thus far. And that's all I gotta say. It's incredible to hear the whole story together because you have been We've been chatting for quite a while and you always send updates and stuff. But to hear it all together, it's really interesting how it has progressed over the last few years. And it's man and to know that you know it's happening in Van Buren County, which if you look at the whole picture with Van Buren, there's I mean, I've gotten reports going back easy eighty years if you look at the whole picture. So because there is there's a gentleman I talked to off record who he said his grandparents lived in Dowds area. They would tell him about something called what they would call the Yehudies, which were a giant type thing that we're seeing around the nineteen forties.

41:22 And Dowds give me goosebumps. And my farm's not terribly far away from downs. Right because I'm looking at like the on X but also like, yeah, everything together and it's like, oh my goodness, because his stuff is there, Dowds is there. But then you've got Lacey Kiyosakua is like right in the middle of the county and that's where all the dog benn are seen. And that's where this guy in the late eighties had some crazy class as that I talked to a few few days ago. And then you've got Schamec which Shamech is crazy too. That's kind of down the corner. But my yep, Van baren Is is just a wild place.

42:05 When it comes to Bigfoot, you kind of mentioned you were driving and they were like, well, we'll show you, and then you started to like have this phase out thing. So yeah, have they shown you things or was that the first time you've experienced something like that. So since you asked, I will be honest, this is where I'm going to be. I'm not sure how to share this because if anyone's listening to like this guy's I was a freaking rocker, I don't want to know my phone only might want me around for a novelty. I don't know this guy talks to big Foot, so I think I've had one talk to me regularly, and again it's a very pleasant conversation. It happens two or three times the past year. I don't feel like I should say it's name. It's mentioned its name, and I don't want to say it because I I just don't feel like I should. But I was home in the evening and I was thinking about this and this one I've talked to two or three times since the second time, probably is this a good time to show you what it looked like?

43:16 And I'm like please. And you know, I've gone to some deep meditations, Jeremiah, Like, I meditate almost every other day, and I can get really really deep, like so deep it feels like you're swimming down to the abyss and you have to swim back up to come back out of it. It takes me a couple of minutes to come out of my meditations. So when this happens, it feels like a meditative deep meditation. I closed my eyes and I immediately saw myself on these planes. But you know, back in the day, we had oak savannah and imagine the savannahs of Africa, but instead of boboetry, you have oak trees. And there are remnants across most of Iowa the Midwest, and you'll see the gigantic oak trees, these gigantic canopies.

44:01 It was opened. Back in the day, it was all prairie and shrubs, and that's been historically documented. In this vision, I'm seeing everything. I'm seeing bison, I'm seeing elk, I'm seeing white tailed deer, and it's just a beautiful, you know, painting. Enough of prairie plants and these shrubs, these big tooth aspen trees, and there's prairie willows scattered around, and you're like, wow, you see the first nation people migrating across the landscape. And then they start showing me the settlers coming and what they showed. I've always had a hunch about this. I don't know there's any scientific evidence back this up, but they showed these oak trees talk to each other and it's like a communication, like the big network, and the network is kind of through my celium. That's scientifically proven, but the tree part I'm not really sure about. But these trees keeck to each other and it's like this gigantic living network, living ecosystem, but it's all interwoven together.

44:58 And when the settler started to plow off the prairie, they disturbed that connection. And that's why some timber stands are just really disturbed. Either they weren't timber and it grew up into timbery, really nasty timber. And some areas where. It's just over stocked, they are just not being taken and things not being managed properly. There's no animals like bison and elk disturbing these there's no fire. Which was really critical back in the day. But also the energy is all tied up and that really that really spoke to me because it was kind of a hunch and I don't know that's true about the trees communicating with each other, but it was just it felt like a movie.

45:41 You know. It's just like I'm seeing these you. Know, sweaty pioneers get the prairie plowed up, but you see disturbances that happen underneath, and you're like wow, So that was. That was a profound moment for me, and I don't I haven't even shared that my wife. I told her a couple of things. I told her all these stories, but this one, I was kind of like, I don't know, Oh, she's gonna go for that one. You know it's aug meditation, but I don't know. That is that is very intense and I appreciate you sharing that because I know in this subject there's things that happened. That's one of them where it's it takes a lot to share things like that in a public forum and it's appreciated for sure.

46:26 Absolutely asked, I'll tell you right right exactly. Have you have you talked to other individuals that do similar work to what you do and are they having other weird you. Know, I. Have one very good friend of mine. I like to talk to him. He doesn't do the contract work. He's more of a consultant. And I text him out of just pure throw a dart at the tree and I said, have you had weird experiences in the woods and have you kat Lane open up to you. He simply said yes, And I said, we have a free moment, let's sit down at a campfire. And you can share no judgment.

47:08 I want to hear it all my other fellow contractors, I don't think. I have never asked. Them, and I know them pretty well. They're all really hard working people, but they're very folks and what they do, I things could be happening. They don't realize it, and they might have seen some weird stuff and they just press on like I have. That's wild. What did that feel like? When that person was like, yes, how did that? How did that affect you? He's pretty scientific minded and he said that. I was like, oh wow, you know, and this he's a great guy, good friend of mine for years, and just like we got to sit down and talk about this whenever you're ready, you know.

47:52 But yeah, I just felt like confirmation, you know. And I'll be honest with really sparked the interest again, was our friend Connie. I mean, I don't know Connie, but when you had her on, I mean I listened to those episodes. I'm like, the heck is going on? You know? And I would like to ask more people questions, but that's simp I've seen some posts that people trying to ask about Big Van van Buren and they're shut down immediately, you know, So it's it'd be nice to meet more folks that are sound mine. Yeah, I think there's something going on, we just don't. I think this culture ineast Iowa is very protective, and I don't blame them, because it's funny. When you go to Appalachia, those folks talk about like it's seeing a deer run by, but then over here it's like it doesn't exist.

48:39 I want to talk about it, I'm gonna block it out. And that's unfortunate. It is, and you run into that lot where you try to ask in certain areas and you just shut down. But sometimes you know it just you hear back a few weeks later. I mean, that's what happens to me when I try to go into certain small town Facebook groups or whatever. But you know, something I was just wondering or just noticing on the map. I've never noticed that weird thing that the Des Moines River does in the center of the county. It is, it doesn't even make sense why it would, Like, it's this crazy curve and Kiyosakuwa is in the middle of it, and then you've got the state park that's just so strange.

49:23 Dude. It is interesting cause I remember, you know, going I was branding the area. You know, my friends would take me to the fireworks down there Kissockw's and that's an awesome thing to. Do in fourth of July. And I always going to come. Man, the river looks at going backwards and go yeah, it's a big curve, dude, And I go, oh, yeah, you know you used to you know, going downstream and it looks like it's going to opposite direction. Absolutely. And you hear from or at least I hear from a lot of researchers that if you're wanting to find a bigfoot area, look for crazy curves in the river. Oh that's interesting. I know that. Yeah, I've heard that a lot from from people. And so it's I don't think it's really a coincidence that lacy Kiyosakwa State Park is right there at that wild and crazy curve. I don't know, man, It's just it's very very strange.

50:17 Well, you're why do you think that curve? You thing that has energy and mad it is get it kind of drives them up. I mean, what's your thoughts. I don't know. I've been I've been trying to you know, think through it for I mean for a few years now, and I just I just have no idea. It's usually like if there's a curve there and then there's a lot of like there's a wooded area, but man, I don't know what is Uh? Are there a lot of what's the geology like down there? Do you know anything about that? Well? I mean we have several lime quarries, so I would say a lot of our minerals and are limestone. I mean we have the largest you know, blind quarry I think in the state, which just bouts, you know, and listening to Connie's episode, it sounds like there's been encounters in those Corey caves, which is wild. Yeah, I think in the interview we did ane of you looked at it, but people should go check it out. If you look up the magnetic anomalies map of Iowa, which I'm not quite sure how that works, but shows like magnetics because Errio has its own you know, frequencies and stuff like that.

51:25 It's kind of really dark purple through most southeast Iowa. It shows up there's a big anomaly of innetics, not coursing. I'm not sure how it works. I guess, but it was definitely anomally for most South style, which I thought was really unique. That is such a good idea. I have never thought to even look at a map like that and oh my goodness, yeah you're right. Yeah, wow, dude, that really makes you think, doesn't it. Have you run into other people in your county that are also in to either of the this bigfoot subject or dog man and are actively researching in the county.

52:07 No, I don't know anybody. The only guy I met was a gentleman who tracked me down, who claimed, uh, man, now I have there's something I didn't notice. Have you seen the sasquatch silhouettes. That people make, like you know, the yes, laser cutter guys make. You know, quite a few people have those, and they're cool. My wife all out if I get shot at problem. But I kind of wonder if that's a sign that perhaps they believe or had an account and not just the high way of saying yeah, I may have seen one. That's just a theory. I'm not sure that's true, but it's interesting thoughts. No, I think there's there's definitely something to that. It's so weird that the area is so active and there's no one else unless they're just being quiet about it.

52:58 Why, I think there's a lot of people. I mean, dude, I mean, listen to Connie's story. Just sounds like, don't talk about it, don't say anything, you know, and you know, look man, I mean it's rural Iowa. I mean people, you know. Peers are everything, your tribe is everything, you know, and if the peer group doesn't agree, they're going to tell you. You know, So it's I don't know. I would really like to have a conversation somebody. I would love to talk to someone from the miss Squawkie settlement up in I think it's Tama County. Oh yeah, and just ask, you know, what's your guys's oral history, you know, I like to learn. I've looked on theline. I can't find much just on the forest people, but I they do talk about four spirits. But I would like to talk to one and just like just share on all all yours, no judgment. I just want to hear your side.

53:48 Yeah, that would be super interesting. Have you ever considered looking into their powow that they do. I don't even know if those are open to the public or how that works. I don't know if they are. I would love to go to one, but I. Haven't looked at It's a good idea to try, because they're they're the ones that are going to have the definite information about the that history of of really the entire area. So I think, right, that's a great ada. Right Yeah, well, I mean I I think you know, they weren't comfortable talking on your show. I mean, people's like, uh, don't listen on my podcast. I'd be a great outlet just talk about all history stuff. You know, they're more comfortable that way. But no, I mean, I know one gentleman who is I believe I think he said he was the squawky descent. I don't want to sit down with him. He's our are one of our local towns.

54:36 But you know, he just want to be respectful, you know, and just don't want to go up to something. But hey, you know that's just not that's not that's not cool. So I just h yeah, it would be nice to meet somebody that has all history and jesse. You're having interactions as you work. Usually yea, sometimes people will get to the point where they're like, Okay, I want to actively go out and try to go to an area and see if I can have things happen or are you comfortable with sticking to how you're doing things worth you know, if it does happen when I'm working in these certain areas, then that's what's meant to be. I'm pretty comfortable just see what happens. I mean, I'm in there, I'm in their home and I'm trying to improve it. It's kind of weird because you feel like a contractor that's you know, hey, I'm going to improve your house. Well I'm even to do it anyway. I have a zen practice and the tate and you know, I I'm told I have the heart of a child, and that's not supposed to be a derogatory thing.

55:34 It's just I'm very open curiosity. I'm open to things, and I you know, I get excited seeing baby oak trees a door got on the stuff man, and I get excited and playing news forgotten species that are native to our area, like I got this little grill that big tooth aspen and see aspen trees back to native range is really exciting to me. And I get more excited seeing a woodcock do it to dance and I do a big white tailed deer. You know, that's just my heart. And I think sometimes I go in expecting an experience, and I know that's not that's not a healthy way to go about it. It's more I like to experience something else because the egos like, oh another story. But deep down it's like I have always been the outcast because I'm not the typical hunter. I look at balance. I look at conservation.

56:22 That's my number one goal. I don't care about the big white tail bucks. I mean, now it'd be cool to harvest one, but I'm more interested in balance. So I shoot more does in my area, and I enjoyed the meat. And I'm more eager about seeing moore quail and turkey and other animals too. I get excited seeing different kind of moths. I mean, I'm a dork, you know, but. I I have. A love for the land. I think they'll connect when they think the time is right. And so I will just continue my work and just focus on the conservation work. And I'll be honest with you. If one ever showed itself to me, I don't know what I would do. I've prepared myself. Because Connie claims she's seen hundreds of them, and I'm like, that's think about and I just you know, I don't know, you know, she I don't know. I'm taking a work for it, but you know, it's like, what would I do?

57:11 This nine foot tall hairy dude shows up out of nowhere, and I'm like, oh man, you know, my biggest fear is how I will react. I've heard a lot of stories in your podcast, man, and betrayal seems like a really big thing and. Which is for anybody. And the idea of like I just do a. Fight or flight mode it makes my heart knowing I would wait their heart. You know, And that's the thing. I would like to meet one and just connect. But also listening to the Sierra Sounds and some of your stories on your show, it's like, oh man, these guys are different, you know, and I don't know it would be It'd be quite the side for sure. But and I'm prepared for that because you just never know. I mean, I don't know about these men. I don't know, I don't know. I have never many one is such a vague topic. When there's so much more and more information on these forced people, so many more stories, it's kind of like, is it our dimensional being that pops in out occasionally? You know?

58:17 Anyway, No, and answer your question. I think I just, folks, what I'm doing to stay at the focus task of hand and just see where the cards fall. Absolutely, And I think that you are a human that is so focused on pretty much, I mean pretty much is saving the earth, the nature of the earth. I mean that's that's what you do as a conservationist, which is really cool. And I think that probably you know, plays plays to your favor as well. I think there's a lot of merit and people opening up and talking about this subject in this area, and. You know it is I mean you have to be like, what's that one bigfoot show? But you know it's a squatch.

59:05 You don't have to go out looking for this guy. You know, I don't know what you're talking about, but oh I can guess. Okay, yeah I get it. Sure, Yeah, yeah that show no One back fifty years ago. You know, you know what we don't We don't have to go looking for we can just you know, there's people in this area that are like I needed to tell my chest. We can have a campfire and you know, have a meal and just just share, you know. I mean I'm open to that, you know, and just get it off the chest. I think that'd be really healthy. So I think that's I mean that I've heard of actually other people doing that in other states around around the US. It's a great, great way for people. It's really therapy for people to just be able to have someone listen and not you know, make fun of them.

59:48 But Jesse, I was I want to say, you know, thank you so much for coming on. I'm glad we were finally able to have this conversation and and it'll be interesting to see you know as your journey for is you know, what happens next in Van Barrien County. But I wanted to make sure that you were able to share everything that you had come to the show to share today. No, I'm very content and Jeremah, I really appreciate it. I was very blown away. You want to talk to me. I really sent you my stories and if anything happens to me and my. Wife's like, what the heck is it? I don't know this. She's going to the computer that somebody has it, and you know, I mean I'm out in the woods. I mean I could get you know, stole away by big Foot, or tree falls on me or you know, falls through the wheel, what whatever. Man, It's just like somebody has the stories and I'll keep adding to them hopefully.

1:00:39 But yeah, I'm just. Really gratefully you took the time to interview me today. Thank you very much. Absolutely, And you know, just to address that, you know, we have we have it back and forth because we have talked before. So you know that's why I may maybe laughing a little bit, that's just because we're having a good time. But in all seriousness, you know, these are very serious things. And you know, if people are experiencing things like this, you know, they are welcome to reach out. If they need someone to talk to you, they can always send me an email. But you know, Jesse has been a privileged talking to you. I do have one or two things to say off the air, but just thank you for coming on the show. Man, Thank you very much.

1:01:22 Thank you for listening to this episode of the Bigfoot Society podcast. Every encounter we share reminds us that the world is bigger and stranger than we think, and that the truth is often hiding just beyond the tree line. If you enjoyed this episode, Please be sure to subscribe to the channel on YouTube hit the bell so you don't miss the next episode, and share this with a friend who's into mysteries, monsters, or the unexplained. And if you're listening to us on Spotify or Apple Podcast, please follow the show there and leave us a five star positive review because all that helps more people discover the show. And remember, if you or someone you know has had a big Foot sighting, please I'd love to hear from you, so so email me at Bigfoot Society at gmail dot com and let's start the conversation. If you haven't gotten a chance yet, check out our membership community over at www dot Bigfoot Society podcast dot com and that's where you can hear tomorrow's episode today early in ad free and members only episodes every week. Also, it's a place to connect with other people that are into the Bigfoot subject as much as you are. Thanks again for following along with the Bigfoot Society until next time, keep your eyes open, trust your gut, and never stop asking what else might be out there? And see you in the woods.