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146 encounters
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
March 2011 Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois Class A #36306

Motorist has daytime sighting near railroad tracks west of Murphysboro

The witness was traveling along a road around 11 a.m. in clear, cool conditions and reported seeing a tall, thin, hair-covered figure standing off to the side of nearby railroad tracks. The witness described the figure as very tall but reported no facial details. An investigator later met the witness and visited the location, recording estimates of about seven feet tall, slender build, black hair, about 200 pounds, and about 250 feet observation distance.

Full-body sighting
February 2011 Godfrey, Madison County, Illinois Class B #41487

Property owner describes possible sighting and activity near Godfrey

The witness was driving into his home lane from the paved highway when he saw an animal walking up a ridge through the woods about 80 yards away. He watched it for about 15 seconds until it went out of sight over the ridge. He described it as 7 to 8 feet tall, huge, and dark brown in coloring.

Full-body sighting
February 2011 Seneca, La Salle County, Illinois Class A #28940

Motorist has night-time sighting near bridge just south of Seneca

The witness was driving home around 3 a.m. and stopped at an intersection near a bridge. From about 50 yards away in bright headlights, the witness watched a large humanoid run across an open field to the east. Another motorist also stopped, asked about a bear running by, made a joking reference and drove off.

Full-body sightingEyeshine
December 2010 Richview, Washington County, Illinois Class B #38295

Homeowner describes possible activity near Richview

At night the witness used a high-powered spotlight from an ATV at the edge of woods on the property to illuminate an upright figure about 40 yards away. The animal was described as about eight feet tall, very wide and very dark-haired, with the face not visible. After being lit, it walked further back into the timber out of sight.

Full-body sighting
18 November 2010 Rushville, Schuyler County, Illinois Class B #33040

Possible sighting by a deer hunter west of Rushville

The witness was deer hunting in a valley at dawn when a loud scream was heard nearby. The yell was loud enough to startle turkeys roosting overhead. Looking toward the sound, the witness saw a tall black animal about 70 yards away that then disappeared.

Full-body sightingScream
19 October 2010 Mount Carmel, Wabash County, Illinois Class A #37856

Close encounter at night by a motorist near Mt.Carmel

The witness reported driving at night and coming within about 20 feet of a very tall upright figure standing in the roadway. The figure reportedly shielded its eyes from the headlights, made eye contact and snarled to show large teeth, then left into a thicket after about a minute. The witness also reported a musk-like odor and missing fingers on one of the figure's hands.

Full-body sightingOdor
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
August 2010 Matteson, Cook County, Illinois Class B #39851

Motorists have possible nighttime sighting in Green Belt Forest Preserve

A couple driving through a forest preserve at night with high beams on saw a large figure standing by a tree. They reported its head and shoulders turned to follow the car as they passed. They drove toward a nearby police station but decided not to report it, then later revisited the site in daylight.

Full-body sighting
18 December 2009 Hamel, Madison County, Illinois Class B #27042

Possible daylight sighting by motorist on Illinois Route 4 outside Hamel

The witness was driving north on Illinois Route 4 through a wooded area when they spotted a large upright figure about 50 feet from the roadway for a second or two. The figure was described as very tall, thick and broad with orangish fur. The witness did not stop due to lack of safe parking, and a later site visit found no footprints or other evidence.

Full-body sighting
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
6 August 2009 Orient, Franklin County, Illinois Class B #36567

Possible nighttime sighting while driving in Orient

The witness was driving home at night with a companion in the front seat and two children in the back seat. A tall creature with long chestnut hair jogged across the road in front of the car in the headlights and went into the woods. The witness and the front-seat companion watched it together, then drove on to try to find it again but could not.

Full-body sightingRoad crossing
27 June 2009 Farmer City, De Witt County, Illinois Class A #28110

Night fisherman has sighting at Clinton Lake boat docks

The witness was fishing alone late at night at a lake boat launch and felt watched amid unusual silence. After leaving and returning with vehicle lights, the witness saw a tall hair-covered figure with yellow eyes standing in trees about 20 yards away. The figure ran rapidly through the trees without pumping its arms, and the witness left quickly.

Full-body sightingEyeshine
June 2009 Seneca, Grundy County, Illinois Class A #28936

Daytime sighting by a motorist east of Seneca

In summer 2009, the witness was driving along a road bordered by woods in the late afternoon. A tall dark creature crossed the road ahead into an old tree farm entrance in three steps at a casual pace. The witness stopped at the entrance but the animal was gone, leaving a strong musky animal odor.

Road crossingFull-body sightingOdor
8 April 2009 Godfrey, Madison County, Illinois Class A #25809

Resident has recent daylight sighting while retrieving cattle near Godfrey

The witness was walking through heavily wooded hills looking for a relative's escaped cows on a clear sunny morning. After stopping to rest, the witness looked east and saw a large, shaggy, man-like figure covered in long black hair moving north and breaking tree limbs as it walked. The figure continued up and over a hill without looking toward the witness.

Full-body sighting
Fall 2009 Bonnie, Jefferson County, Illinois Class B #35206

Possible nighttime sighting by a homeowner near Bonnie

Late at night in fall 2010, the witness was at home when barking dogs prompted an investigation and a large dark figure was seen crossing the pasture toward the barn. The witness got a firearm, stepped outside, fired a warning shot and then multiple shots as the figure ran through wire fencing and disappeared into corn behind the house while a dog chased. The shots did not appear to slow it.

Full-body sighting
2009 Chicago, Illinois #1c382fe9-201d-418b-bd13-7c87ccc363f8

Paranormal encounter near Chicago, Illinois (2009)

The witness was asked to check a woman's claim of a demon in her attic bedroom. During a daytime visit with a friend and a photographer, the woman duplicated his drawing exactly, an invisible barrier blocked him from entering the attic, the air turned cold, her eyes turned solid white, and he fled. Returning about ten days later, the house was gone and replaced by a gravel lot, and a neighbor said it had been torn down four years earlier.

Full-body sightingAnimal behaviourProperty disturbance
28 September 2008 Taylorville, Christian County, Illinois Class A #28703

Motorist has daylight sighting southwest of Taylorville

A woman driving in the afternoon reported a very large hairy creature emerging from a ditch beside the highway. It crossed the road in front of her car, stepped over a guardrail easily, and walked into nearby timber. The animal was described as tall and powerfully built, walking at a normal pace without acknowledging the vehicle.

Full-body sightingRoad crossing
September 2008 Algonquin, McHenry County, Illinois Class A #32400

Jogger has daylight sighting on Prairie Trail near Algonquin

The witness was jogging north on a prairie trail in daylight when they saw a large furry figure walking ahead with its back to them. As they approached, the figure looked larger and hair-covered, then went around a bend near a stream and retention pond. The witness continued ahead but found no one on the trail, and on the return looked into a dark opening by a fence near the water before leaving.

Full-body sighting