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316 encounters
1 January 1980 Decatur, Macon County, Illinois Class A #37522

Homeowner recalls night time sighting in NW Decatur

Late at night the witness stood at an upstairs window watching barking dogs when a very large fur-covered figure crossed the backyard clearing. The figure paused, turned and looked up at the witness for nearly a minute before continuing downhill, ducking under tree branches and disappearing from view as the dogs fell silent. At daylight the dogs were unharmed and no physical traces were found on the frozen ground.

Full-body sighting
1980–1999 Ottawa, La Salle County, Illinois Class A #36667

Memory told of encounters on a farm near Ottawa

The witness was walking back to the house on a relative's farm at night after feeding dogs when a tall, hairy, foul-smelling being stood in the path near the driveway. The witness froze as the being bent down and stared directly. A relative opened the door and reacted, after which the being looked up and walked away.

Full-body sightingOdor
17 August 1979 West Frankfort, Franklin County, Illinois Class A #11273

Youth has sighting along abandoned railroad line on edge of West Frankfort

On a summer evening in the late 1970s, the witness rode a bicycle onto an abandoned railroad-bed trail near woods. Behind dumped washers and dryers the witness saw a hair-covered figure that stood upright, grunted, and shook a sapling. The witness fled east, looked back to see the figure on the trail, then watched it walk back into the treeline.

Partial sightingEyeshineVocalizationAnimal behaviour
June 1979 Seneca, Grundy County, Illinois Class A #12140

Two teenagers have sighting east of Seneca

In the summer of 1979 the witness and a companion had pulled off the road east of Seneca when they heard a loud shrieking growl. A large human-like animal approached their vehicle in bounding steps. The witness shouted for the companion to get in, locked the doors, and fled at high speed, remaining frightened and avoiding that road afterward.

Full-body sightingScreamGrowl
21 October 1978 Edwardsville, Madison County, Illinois Class A #28516

Memory told of a daytime sighting near Edwardsville

The witness was driving on a dirt road behind a church in fall 1978 when he saw a large dark figure bent over a puddle. He drove to within about ten yards, got out with the car door between them, and watched it stand upright. He fired a shotgun to either side of it without effect, after which it shrugged and bounded into nearby woods in long leaps.

Full-body sighting
April 1978 Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois Class B #23760

Memory told of possible vocalizations and rocks thrown at Lake Kinkaid

In 1978 two people were fishing from a boat on a lake at dusk and stopped in a cove. They heard grunting and saw trees shaking violently on a brushy cliff, but saw no animal. Two large rocks were thrown from shore toward the boat, landing very close, prompting them to leave.

VocalizationRock throwingMovement only
April 1978 Gorham, Jackson County, Illinois Class A #41916

Memory told of daylight sighting while mushroom hunting along Happy Hollow Road near Gorham

While mushroom hunting with a child near a creek, the witness noticed movement behind a tree across the creek and then saw part of a dark hair-covered entity, including knee, shoulder and face. The entity moved behind the tree out of view, and the witness left immediately with the child. She later returned with a firearm and found footprints where the entity had stood.

Partial sightingTracks
Summer 1978 Pawnee, Sangamon County, Illinois Class B #28370

Memory told of a possible encounter and footprint found along Horse Creek north of Pawnee

Two companions walking along a wooded driveway in the afternoon heard unidentified tapping sounds and entered the woods to investigate. They found freshly matted grass and a human-like bare footprint with five toes in dried mud. Shortly after, the companion shouted to run as loud timber-breaking crashes and movement occurred in dense undergrowth behind him. The reporter did not see the source, but the companion reportedly saw something about seven feet tall, after which both fled to the driveway.

Unidentified soundTracksTree breakMovement onlyPartial sighting
Summer 1978 Granite City, Madison County, Illinois Class A #41786

Memory told of daylight sighting along railroad tracks near Granite City

Five children playing behind the family property during a get-together noticed something moving along the railroad tracks behind the yard. When they looked, it stopped, turned, and looked back at them from about 60 yards away before they ran back to the house in fright. They described it as a huge, tall, dark, muscular figure about seven and a half feet tall.

Full-body sightingAnimal behaviour
Spring 1978 Carlinville, Macoupin County, Illinois Class B #2901

Couple in car terrified by loud howl/scream near Carlinville

In spring 1978 the witness and a companion were parked in a car off a rural road in creek-bottom woods when a foul odor filled the area. They then heard nearby low grunts that erupted into an extremely loud, shrill scream that seemed to shake the car. Panicked, the witness drove away immediately and avoided the area afterward.

ScreamVocalizationOdor
December 1977 Marion, Williamson County, Illinois Class B #15895

Possible vocalization heard in Marion, Illinois

During a holiday visit in heavy snow, the witness was awakened around 2 a.m. by a very loud, prolonged scream from outside the bedroom window. The witness stayed frozen listening, then found other household members awake, and was told it was probably a cat under the house. The next morning new snow covered the area, and later checks found no sign of cats, leading the witness to note its similarity to recorded alleged vocalizations.

ScreamGrowlHowl
October 1977 Pontiac, Livingston County, Illinois Class B #36702

Memory told of a possible sighting at dawn by a hunter in his tree stand southeast of Pontiac

The witness arrived before sunrise on opening day to bow-hunt from a tree stand at the edge of a bean field. While in the stand the witness heard loud bipedal footsteps moving through dense saplings and then saw a tall hair-covered figure standing about 20 yards away. The two stared at each other for several minutes before the figure walked away, after which the witness fled to a companion's vehicle and did not return.

Partial sightingFootsteps
September 1977 Granite City, Madison County, Illinois Class B #39852

Memory told of a possible sighting while parked in a car near Granite City

While a dating couple sat talking in a parked car near woods and lakes, the woman saw a large dark figure standing behind the car about 10 to 15 feet away. She reacted with sudden shock and told her companion what she had seen. The figure moved away and had disappeared by the time both occupants looked back, so only the woman directly saw it.

Full-body sighting
September 1977 Plumfield, Franklin County, Illinois Class A #42945

Memory told of a daylight sighting along railroad tracks east of Plumfield

Two friends rode dirt bikes along railroad tracks to a creek under a trestle. They heard a noise and saw a large dark-haired creature on a nearby hill squatting and rubbing its back against a tree. Frightened, they left quickly on their bikes.

Full-body sighting
1976–1977 Rochester, Sangamon County, Illinois Class A #28545

Man tells of the strange occurrences and his sighting as a teenager near Buckhart

Four people drove to a hilltop clearing at night and parked with the engine off to listen. After hearing twigs crunching as something circled their position, those in the back seat noticed a figure behind the vehicle. The witnesses in front then glimpsed a tall dark bipedal figure with red reflected eyes ducking behind a tree, prompting them to start the vehicle and leave immediately.

Partial sightingEyeshineFootsteps
October 1975 Gorham, Jackson County, Illinois Class B #40842

Memory told of a possible sighting along Happy Hollow Road near Gorham

The witness was riding in a vehicle with three relatives on a wooded road after sundown. As the vehicle came around a curve, the headlights illuminated a creature standing on a creek bank by a wooden bridge. The creature looked toward the vehicle, its eyes caught in the headlights, then turned and walked away.

Full-body sightingEyeshine
October 1975 Rantoul, Champaign County, Illinois Class A #41318

Memory told of roadside sighting at night south of Rantoul

An investigator summarized a phone interview about an evening encounter involving two witnesses in a vehicle. A dark brown, hairy animal described as 7 feet tall and beefy was seen about 30 feet away in the headlights near a drainage ditch in harvested farmland. The animal reportedly came out of the ditch on all fours, then stood on two legs and walked away.

Full-body sighting
Fall 1975 Pinckneyville, Perry County, Illinois Class B #18584

Possible vocalization heard near Pyramid State Park

The witness was outside at a relative's rural farm at night when a loud, hair-raising vocalization was heard from across a lake. The witness ran to a shed where two relatives were working but had not heard the sound. Horses nearby became agitated and later avoided the area where the sound originated until daylight.

Scream
Winter 1975 Vandalia, Fayette County, Illinois Class A #2805

Early morning sighting of creature looking at "something" in the snow in Vandalia

The witness looked out a bedroom window early in the morning to check the snow and saw a large dark creature close to the window bent down in the snow. The creature looked up at the witness, stood up slowly, and took a step toward the window. The frightened witness ran to another room and hid until a parent arrived.

Full-body sighting
23 July 1974 Midlothian, Cook County, Illinois Class B #45041

Man recalls possibly seeing a bigfoot playing peek-a-boo in headlights while parked west of Midlothian

The witness was parked in a car with two companions at a forest reserve pull-off on a summer evening when a large furry hand appeared gripping a tree. Moments later a large furry head peeked around the tree and quickly withdrew without approaching. The group left the area immediately and rarely spoke of the incident afterward.

Partial sighting