Video taken by Sioux Lookout hunter gains viral traction

Jesse Bonello - Staff Writer

Sioux Lookout resident Gino Meekis captured a video of a howling noise while he was grouse hunting approximately 45 kilometres northeast of Sioux Lookout along the Vermillion River on Oct. 3.
Since then, the video has received over 1.5 million views on YouTube and has been featured on news outlets across the country.
Meekis, who is an experienced hunter, said the noise was unlike anything he’s heard before.
“I was amazed at first because it’s something I’ve never heard before, so I was just amazed. I felt fortunate to be there to hear it… I couldn’t tell how far away it was. Maybe it was a kilometre or less away,” said Meekis.
“My wife was scared right away, so I started to worry too once I saw her worrying,” he added.
Meekis, who was hunting alongside his wife and grandson, said the noise lasted for around five minutes, with just over two minutes captured on video.
He said the noise has yet to be identified by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) and biologists.
“The reporters I’ve been talking to have been asking the MNRF and biologists that they work with. They can’t identify it either. All they say is it’s a large animal, but they can’t tell what it is,” he said.
Meekis said he’s been blown away by the amount of interest and views the video has generated.
“I was amazed on how fast it blew up. I didn't know it would go viral. I only recorded it because I didn't know what it was, and I wanted to post it to ask my friends and family to see what they think it is. I guess I caught something that intrigued everybody,” he said.
The video can be viewed on Meekis’ YouTube channel by searching Stargell Blackstar. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stISzPngwh4&feature=emb_title)