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32 encounters
23 October 2013 Keensburg, Wabash County, Illinois Class A #43148

Hiker has close daylight sighting in Beall Woods State Park

The witness was walking a dog on a trail at Beall Woods State Park when the dog stopped and stared into a large ravine. The witness watched an entity at the bottom for about thirty seconds before it moved and turned toward them, then took two steps forward as the witness backed away. After the dog barked forcefully the entity stepped back, and the witness left while hearing it climb out of the ravine and move through the woods.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
14 May 2012 Sesser, Franklin County, Illinois Class A #35427

Family has daylight sighting while fishing on Rend Lake

The witness was fishing from a boat with companions near an inlet when they heard a commotion on the bank behind brush. Two of them then saw a tall, muscular, reddish-brown haired biped running quickly away from the shore. They remained on the water while debating whether it could have been a deer or bear. An investigator later spoke with the couple by phone and recorded additional details about size, hair, and distance.

Full-body sightingUnidentified sound
12 May 2012 Oquawka, Henderson County, Illinois Class A #43619

Motorist has twilight sighting south of Oquawka

The witness was driving in a truck and stopped upon seeing a large hairy figure standing in a shallow creek. After shutting off the truck to watch, the witness heard a loud deep roar from across the creek but saw nothing there. When looking back, the figure had disappeared.

Partial sightingVocalization
1 October 2011 Edwardsville, Madison County, Illinois Class A #39268

Homeowner has nighttime sighting near Edwardsville

Around 1 a.m. at home, the witness heard a throat-clearing sound and looked out a hallway window toward the yard. Using night vision, the witness watched a large human-like figure standing about 40 yards away between the woods and a shed, staring up into the trees. The figure was gone by the time the witness tried to have another household member see it.

Full-body sightingVocalization
18 July 2011 Marseilles, La Salle County, Illinois Class A #30003

Late night encounter by a motorcyclist outside of Marseilles

The witness was riding a motorcycle home from night work at about 1 a.m. when making a turn beside a cornfield. A large dark figure was seen standing at the field edge a short distance away. It leaned forward and gave an extremely loud high-pitched scream-like call heard again moments later, and the witness accelerated away without looking back.

Full-body sightingScream
15 April 2011 Equality, Hardin County, Illinois Class A #29165

Possible observations using thermal imager southeast of Equality

The witness was with two companions walking a forest trail back to camp near midnight while using a thermal monocular and making howls and whoops. After hearing four return howls, the witness saw a bright heat signature through the thermal that peeked from behind a tree, disappearing and reappearing on alternating sides for about a minute. A companion also viewed it through the thermal and reacted with surprise. When the companions moved closer, the source grew smaller, moved through thick vegetation from right to left, and disappeared, with the witness discerning only what looked like a head.

Partial sightingHowl
17 October 2010 Canton, Fulton County, Illinois Class A #28568

Nighttime sighting near a dumpster by a bicyclist in Canton

A bicyclist riding home late at night heard a noise by a dumpster behind a shed and saw a short stocky dark bipedal figure. The figure turned and walked into thin woods toward a cornfield, and the rider fled home to tell a companion. The companion checked the site minutes later but found only a trapped raccoon in the dumpster.

Full-body sightingUnidentified sound
5 September 2010 Metroplis, Massac County, Illinois Class A #37972

Nighttime observation involving a pond on a farm near Metropolis

On Labor Day weekend 2010 at a family farm, the witness and companions shone a high-powered spotlight on a creature standing chest-deep in a pond about 30-40 yards away. They watched it move, pick objects from the water and chew on them until the light died. Immediately after, they heard a splash, movement through woods, and repeated series of booms followed by loud bellowing that seemed to answer from another part of the property.

Partial sightingVocalizationWood knockFootsteps
October 2009 Beecher, Will County, Illinois Class A #42140

Hiker has daylight sighting in Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve

The witness was walking alone on trails at the preserve in the afternoon and heard a twig snap followed by two gorilla-like grunts near a loop trail. The witness then followed a path through tall grass toward the treeline. About 40 feet away, a brown slender entity about six feet tall was seen running silently inside the trees, grabbing a small tree while moving fast and slightly stooped. The witness walked back to the main trail without running and found only their spouse waiting.

Full-body sightingVocalizationUnidentified sound
22 January 2009 Herod, Saline County, Illinois Class A #25362

Night time sighting by two witnesses at trailhead in Shawnee National Forest

The witness and her father were walking back to the trailhead parking area at night when the father noticed eyeshine in the trees to the side of the trail about 30-40 feet away. With headlamps on, they both observed shining eyes and the outline of a rounded head that turned to look at them before they turned their lights off. The figure then walked away downhill with heavy deliberate bipedal steps, paused, and remained nearby while the witness spoke softly before they left quietly. After returning home they photographed smudge marks on their vehicle that had not been noticed earlier.

EyeshinePartial sightingSilhouetteFootsteps
19 September 2008 Mount Vernon, Washington County, Illinois Class A #24766

On-going activity experienced by a family east of St. Louis

The witness and a relative were wood-knocking in the backyard at night. After the witness knocked five times, they heard a high-pitched chatter from one direction and a grumbling sound from another direction for about a minute. Additional knocking produced no further response that evening.

ChatterGrowl
25 August 2008 Edwardsville, Madison County, Illinois Class A #36571

Dusk sighting in a backyard near Edwardsville

At dusk the witness heard a weed-eater-like whirling sound from the woods behind the backyard and walked back to investigate. He saw a dark figure sitting with its back to him that stood up, gathered something to its chest, and quickly left into the woods. He described the figure as female, about six feet tall, about 30 yards away.

Full-body sightingVocalizationAnimal behaviour
16 November 2007 Detroit, Pike County, Illinois Class A #24354

Hunter has sighting from his deer stand near Detroit

The witness was deer hunting from a tree stand in the early morning when loud footsteps were heard in a nearby pasture. Standing to look, the witness saw a large hairy figure about twenty yards away walking quickly with a long stride. The figure was estimated at 6 to 7 feet tall, dark rusty brown, with broad muscular shoulders, long arms and no apparent neck, and it never looked toward the witness.

FootstepsFull-body sighting
27 October 2007 Carlyle, Clinton County, Illinois Class A #24997

Hiker has nighttime sighting near Carlyle

Late at night the witness walked up a slight incline from a riverbank through timber and heard a loud scream from the east. The witness then watched an animal drop from a tree about six to eight feet up, land on its hind legs, take a few upright steps, then move to all fours and run quickly into the treeline. The witness fled toward the highway. The animal was described as large, muscular and fur-covered, tan or light brown in the moonlight.

Full-body sightingScream
16 October 2006 Sorento, Bond County, Illinois Class A #23395

Deer hunters have close sighting along Dry Fork Creek

The witness was hunting with two young companions and entered the woods to track a wounded deer. They heard pounding on a tree, thrashing and shaking of vegetation, and screaming/squealing sounds, and encountered a very foul rotting-meat odor that was strong near the truck. A young companion reportedly saw a black, hairy, muscular animal about six feet tall descend from a tree and shake brush, though the face could not be seen.

Wood knockPartial sightingScreamOdor
22 July 2006 Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois Class A #28484

Vocalizations and a sighting with a spotlight near Murrayville

In 2007 the witness led an armed group with spotlights to an area where relatives had heard screams. He shone a light across a field and saw a large dark hairy figure with outstretched arms run away in a split second. The group pursued into trees hearing walking and branches breaking but found nothing.

Full-body sightingTree breakFootsteps
26 October 2003 Pearl City, Stephenson County, Illinois Class A #15347

Deer hunter has early morning sighting from tree stand near Pearl City

The witness climbed into a tree stand before dawn to bow hunt. While it was still dark, something breathed heavily beneath the stand for about 10 minutes then walked away to the southeast. Shortly after sunrise in light fog, the witness saw a large human-like figure about 100 yards away walking east at a fast pace. After climbing down, the witness followed its footprints eastward.

Full-body sightingUnidentified soundFootstepsTracks
15 November 2000 Webster, Hancock County, Illinois Class A #3521

Deer hunter sees large hairy black creature that "plays peekaboo" near Webster

The witness was walking around timber at dusk during deer season and came upon a tall, black, hairy figure shaking a tree. The witness stopped to watch and spoke to it, then walked to an open field and shot at deer. After the shot, the figure was heard running away through the timber.

Partial sightingFootsteps
22 October 1994 Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois Class A #19910

Nighttime sighting by property owner near Kishwaukee River.

Late at night at the witness's home near dense woods, the witness was getting into a car when a noise prompted turning on the headlamps. A tall figure was seen peeking from behind a tree about 30 feet away and held eye contact for several seconds. The figure then turned and ran for several hundred feet, clearing a 5-6 foot fence without breaking stride despite fog.

Full-body sightingPartial sightingUnidentified sound
1994–1995 Bunker Hill, Macoupin County, Illinois Class A #23418

Camper has nighttime sighting outside of Bunker Hill

Late at night on July 4th while camping behind a relative's house, the witness left the campsite with a flashlight to use the bathroom. About a minute down the trail, a large dark-furred biped crossed the trail about 20 feet away, paused to look at the witness after the witness gasped, then walked away. The witness dropped the flashlight, ran back to camp panicked, and later declined to sleep outside.

Full-body sightingGrowlUnidentified soundAnimal behaviour