Search results

113 encounters
10 March 2013 Beach Park, Lake County, Illinois Class B #40314

Homeowner finds possible footprints near Beach Park

The witness was in the process of buying a vacant house and found a line of large barefoot-like impressions in snow and mud along the side of the garage toward the backyard. The prints showed toes, deep toe depression and a short stride close to the building, and were photographed with the witness's shoe for scale. The witness reported seeing only incoming tracks and requested review of the photos, noting doubt about a hoax due to the secluded location.

Tracks
1 March 2013 Makanda Or Cobden, Jackson County, Illinois Class B #40120

Possible vocalizations and rock throwing east of Makanda

On a night trip in early March 2013, the witness and three companions stopped in the woods around 2:30 a.m. after hearing a loud moaning sound. The witness shone a light downhill and saw a head with two closely spaced eyes about 40 feet away and 5 to 6 feet off the ground. The eyes stared for about 45 seconds before sidestepping behind a tree, and a quick search found nothing and no tracks.

VocalizationPartial sightingEyeshine
March 2013 Palos Park, Cook County, Illinois Class B #47521

Possible early morning sighting in Palos Park

Just before sunrise in March 2013, the witness was on the side of the road and saw a tall black figure in the rear-view mirror pass behind the vehicle and cross the road in three strides. The witness first thought it was a person out walking, but later noted the walking trail was ahead while the area behind was a guardrail and steep drop-off that was very difficult to walk.

Full-body sightingRoad crossing
16 January 2013 Around 7:30 Am, Clark County, Illinois Class B #39084

Semi truck driver on I-70 observes a large ape-like creature in a field near Marshall

The witness was driving east on I-70 in Clark County, Illinois, in the morning when he saw a large black animal squatted in an agricultural field about 200-300 yards away with its back turned. The animal then moved toward the adjacent woods while stooped over on two feet with a crouched, squat-walking motion. The witness first thought of a bear but said the form looked ape-like and he had no other explanation.

Partial sighting
3 December 2012 Litchfield, Montgomery County, Illinois Class B #38337

Possible nighttime sighting from a home by a young woman near Lake Lou Yaeger

The witness, staying at a house for a short time, was looking out a window in the early morning and saw a tall figure by the clothesline pole. The figure was described as about a foot taller than the 7-foot-8-inch pole, brown on top with gray speckled lower areas, moving hunched over and scratching its back, with a strong skunk and manure-like odor. After watching for several minutes, the witness saw it take two steps into the nearby woods.

Full-body sightingOdor
2 December 2012 Decatur, Macon County, Illinois Class B #37988

Late night observation by a home owner near Lake Decatur

The witness was smoking on the front porch at night when rustling was heard nearby. A dark massive upright figure stood up about 30 yards away, looked both ways, then ran across the street into a wooded area. Later that night the witness noted a musty odor and heard a deep scream-howl sound on and off.

Full-body sightingRoad crossingEyeshineOdorScream +2
10 November 2012 Carlinville, Macoupin County, Illinois Class B #38524

Homeowner has possible sightings east of Carlinville

The witness got up early to use the restroom and looked out the back door toward the field at sunrise. From about 200 yards away, the witness saw a large dark figure cross the field from one treeline to another. The figure was described as much larger than an adult human and moving gracefully.

Full-body sighting
9 November 2012 Marsallies, La Salle County, Illinois Class B #38032

Bow hunter sees an animal resembling a gorilla near Marseilles

The witness was bow-hunting from an elevated stand in river bottomland in the morning. A tall, dark-brown, gorilla-like animal about 40 yards away walked through a thicket from south to north, reportedly heading from dense pines toward the river. The witness watched it for about 20 seconds as it kept moving without vocalizing.

Full-body sighting
10 October 2012 Utica, La Salle County, Illinois Class B #40476

Possible activity experienced by a family near Utica

Two people were sitting around a campfire in their yard at night when they heard coyotes howling. The coyote howls were then joined by a much lower, deeper and louder howl. The witnesses considered a wolf as a possible source but were frightened and returned to the house without seeing anything.

Howl
4 October 2012 Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois Class B #39098

Possible sighting near University of Illinois Springfield soccer fields

While driving home from school in the afternoon, the witness noticed a tall, brown, hair-covered human-shaped figure standing at the tree line beside soccer fields. The figure was still and was gone when the witness glanced away and back. An investigator later summarized the description as a massive 8-foot-tall animal with very long flowing hair seen from about 150 feet away.

Full-body sighting
June 2012 Shipman, Macoupin County, Illinois Class B #37758

Ongoing activity described at a home near Shipman

In May/June 2012 around 10:30 p.m. the witness and a relative heard a loud guttural vocalization outside the home. They went to the porch and watched a large dark furry animal low to the ground run on all fours past a neighboring home, triggering motion lights. Coyotes vocalized shortly afterward, and another relative later said the sound had awakened them.

VocalizationFull-body sighting
June 2012 Edinburg, Christian County, Illinois Class B #39990

Possible sighting and rock throwing on a farm east of Edinburg

Late in the evening the witness was sitting by an outdoor fire near a pasture when she noticed a head-and-shoulders outline above tall weeds to her side and heard a slight noise from that direction. She then saw a small limestone rock rolling nearby, which alarmed her because no natural cause was apparent, and she went inside. The next morning she found sticks, corn stalks and dirt clods in the driveway but nothing explaining the shape.

Partial sightingUnidentified soundRock throwing
29 May 2012 Orland Park, Cook County, Illinois Class B #35593

Possible nighttime sighting by motorists along border of Orland Grove Forest Preserve

The witness was driving home late at night with a relative when they noticed a tall dark ape-like figure standing on the shoulder beside a wooded area. They slowed but did not stop, then turned around to look again and the figure was gone. The next day the witness reported the sighting to local police.

Full-body sighting
April 2012 Shipman, Macoupin County, Illinois Class B #41043

Possible nighttime sighting and ongoing activity on a farm east of Shipman

Around 3 a.m. the witness was sitting on the house steps smoking while home alone. Hearing dogs bark, she saw a tall black mass peeking and leaning out from behind a shed about 50 yards away, making out head, shoulder and knee. She ran inside to get a gun, and when she came back out the figure was gone.

Partial sighting
23 January 2012 Albany, Whiteside County, Illinois Class B #33264

Photos taken of possible footprints found on rural property near Albany

The witness and spouse found two distinct sets of human-like bare footprints in snow near their home on a clear mid-morning. One set measured about 10 inches long and the other about 12 inches long, with clearly visible toes. Photos were taken and the spouse followed the prints for several hundred yards.

Tracks
January 2012 Paris, Edgar County, Illinois Class B #33911

Possible ongoing activity described and knocks recorded at a rural home near Paris

The witness was walking in woods near home and sat on a fallen tree when a strange grunting sound was heard to the left. The witness was frightened and called for a parent to come meet in the woods. No creature was seen.

Growl
8 December 2011 Greenville, Bond County, Illinois Class B #31419

Possible nighttime sighting and vocalizations in a backyard near Old Ripley

The witness was in bed late at night when barking dogs prompted them to go outside. They saw a dog run under the porch and something retreat into the woods. After shouting and tossing a small stone into the trees, the witness heard a shriek/howl and the stone was thrown back to land at their feet. The witness ran inside, then returned with a flashlight to find twisted vegetation and snapped branches and noted a foul smell.

Partial sightingScreamHowlRock throwingObject throwing +3
7 September 2011 Midlothian, Cook County, Illinois Class B #30601

Possible vocalization and footprint found near Bachelors Grove Cemetery

The witness and a companion visited Bachelor's Grove in the afternoon to check structures described in a prior report. They observed hand-made tree pyramids, an X, and an arch, heard a siren-like sound and faint mumbling voices, and saw no unknown animals. After the companion left, the witness found a large old footprint with visible toes and additional faint impressions forming a long-stride trackway.

TracksStructure or nestUnidentified soundVocalization
14 August 2011 Peoria County, Illinois Class B #30510

Possible footprint found near Peoria

The witness was walking along a creek bed in heavily wooded terrain when they found a very large footprint with five distinct toes. After photographing it with makeshift scale items, they heard movement and a large branch being twisted on the hillside and left the woods. An investigator later visited the site with the witness and summarized the track as a 17-inch-long left-foot impression.

TracksMovement onlyTwist
2 August 2011 Olive Branch, Alexander County, Illinois Class B #40474

Hunter finds a possible footprint near Olive Branch

The witness arrived at a hunting area well before dawn and waited in the car, noticing a chill and a faint skunky musky odor. After sunrise he walked to a pond and then east along a fire access road, where he found a single very fresh footprint with visible toes in the dust of a turkey scratch. He photographed the track beside his boot, but wind erased the dust detail by the next day.

TracksOdor