The location is in Missouri and on 10-11-2015 at approximately 10 pm I was driving around and thought I would stargaze at the old conservation fire tower on 21 highway near the old 21 drive-in.
I parked my truck by the picnic table. I turned off my truck and got out looking at the stars. It was just a moment and I noticed a whooping call it sounded like a monkey at the zoo. I listened for a good 20 minutes the call was the same a whoop whoop then a pause for a short time then another whoop whoop. It sounded like it was coming from the heavily wooded valley below me.
Many witnesses like this witness describes the sound they hear similar to this recording
Brian Woods did a follow up interview with the witness and states: “The witness states that from east of the tower, estimated 150-200 yards away, he heard a strong, high pitched “whoop….whoop” sound. He mentioned during the call more than once that he was sure it was an animal sound that he had never heard before, except for maybe a primate at a zoo. He also said that he got the impression that the animal was “young sounding” due to it’s vocal qualities being very smooth and almost youthful in nature.
The sounds repeated in an identical pattern, with a long pause in between, several times. This went on for twenty minutes. The witness determined that the animal was gradually moving from one side of the valley to the other, but not necessarily farther away. Each set of “whoops” came from a slightly different location, but still maintaining at the distance of around 150 yards. After listening intently for a while, the witness returned to his vehicle, where he spent several more minutes before leaving.
The witness has asked that his occupation not be included in the report, but it apparently affords him significant time during overnight hours in this area, and he feels quite familiar with more run of the mill animal sounds. This, mixed with his lifelong hunting and outdoor experiences, leads him to be confident that the sounds he heard where unlike any others he had ever experienced.”
Trent M
That sound sample sounds like an owl to me.
Amy G
Hi Wes. New member here. My husband and I really enjoy your show! He came across this article I thought you’d find interesting:
Chimpanzees in West Africa are throwing rocks at trees, and why they’re doing it remains a mystery, Discovery reports. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology say this chimp behavior has never before been documented and that it may shed some light on the species’ cultural customs—and even those of early humans.
The scientists involved in the study published in Scientific Reports note that with camera traps, they found four chimp populations that “habitually bang and throw rocks against trees, or toss them into tree cavities,” amassing the rocks in “conspicuous” piles.
The chimps are seen on camera picking up stones, then lobbing them at the trees while letting out a “long-distance pant hoot vocalization.” It’s been mostly males observed engaging in this behavior (and only in West Africa), though there have been some females and juvenile chimps that have also taken part.
And while chimps are known to use various tools for foraging—a press release notes they’ll wield sticks to get bugs or honey, or stone or wooden hammers to smash open nuts—that doesn’t seem to be the case here.
“As the stone accumulation behavior does not seem to be linked to either the abundance of stones or the availability of suitable trees in an area, it is likely that it has some cultural elements,” study co-author Christophe Boesch says.
Another co-author, Laura Kehoe, lists some possibilities for the Conversation: The loud behavior could be a (mostly) male display of some sort, or the rocks could be used as a “signpost” to mark paths or territories.
Or, Kehoe notes, they may be part of a “sacred” ritual. “Indigenous West African people have stone collections at ‘sacred’ trees and such man-made stone collections are commonly observed across the world and look eerily similar to what we have discovered here,” she writes.
Here is the link: http://www.foxnews.com/science/2016/03/02/this-chimp-behavior-is-baffling-scientists.html
Could this be the answer to ‘Rock Stacking’ that I’ve heard about? Hmmmm. Food for thought… Have a great day Wes! 🙂 Amy
JOHN E
Thank you Amy …very interesting ….and I know of a bigger guy that does something like that Also …ha Welcome Aboard Wess and his ship of believers …This is one Great site…