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265 encounters
Winter 1957 East Peoria, Tazewell County, Illinois Class A #55706

Memory told of daytime encounter near Farmdale Park

As a child hunting in snowy woods along a creek, the witness came over a hill and watched a tall black hairy figure moving around a stick hut in a blackberry patch and picking berries. After the figure noticed the witness, it left very quickly. The witness then reported a multi-hour gap with no memory of leaving before arriving home.

Full-body sighting
24 August 1953 Lawrenceville, Lawrence County, Illinois Class B #49182

Memory told of a possible childhood encounter at Georgefield Barracks

The witness was staying at home with her older sister while her parents were out. After hearing movement outside and seeing a large head at the window, she opened the front door, turned on the porch light, and came face to face with a tall hair-covered figure. Her middle sister arrived and ran toward the figure, which then left and quickly disappeared. The sisters did not discuss the incident at the time and only recalled it decades later.

Partial sightingMovement only
Spring 1945 Eldorado, White County, Illinois Class A #49954

Memory told of encounter at a remote cabin at Sandy Run

The main witness was sleeping in the front room of a remote lakeside cabin with a relative when she awoke at night to the porch screen door opening and footsteps. She watched a large, red-haired, bipedal figure pass three front windows and pause at the door to peer inside, bending down to look in. Frightened, she fled to sleep with her grandparents and did not speak of the incident for years.

Partial sightingFootstepsDoor or window contact
1919–1920 Evanston, Illinois #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/YScIFc6KhOX9bnVSe-Zq_N8HMM1bxaBDF02R-yZwEzE

Sasquatch sighting near Evanston, Illinois (1919)

A newspaper article described a place called Devil's Hole in lonely woods where a thick-bodied, long-armed hairy half-beast called the Gorilla Moron was said to haunt. It was claimed to have attacked dozens of women within a year, leaving many unconscious. The specific attack on two student nurses detailed in the same article was stated by the reteller to have been by human muggers, separate from the hairy-figure reports.

Partial sightingAnimal behaviourHistorical account
BFRO YEAR: 1980-81 Rock Falls, Whiteside County, Illinois Class A #10037

Youth has daylight sighting in corn field near Rock Falls

The witness was in a garage when the dog barked frantically and then hid in its doghouse. The witness then heard heavy running like a galloping horse and felt vibrations, and saw a large bulky humanoid with reddish-brown hair running through a cornfield. The figure glanced briefly, pushed through the corn with swinging arms, attempted to jump an irrigation ditch but fell short, then disappeared into brush.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
BFRO YEAR: 84 to 86 Atwood, Piatt County, Illinois Class B #47469

Memory told of possible vocalizations and footprints found near Atwood

On a winter evening around 10 p.m., the witness opened the door to let a dog out and heard an immense scream-howl from just north of the house. The sound felt like a physical impact and frightened the dog so it would not go outside. The witness's mother also heard the vocalization from inside the house.

HowlScream
BFRO YEAR: 1992-3 Panama, Montgomery County, Illinois Class A #10197

Two squirrel hunters have sighting near Shoal Creek

Two people driving to find a squirrel hunting area saw an animal in a field that first looked like a deer. The animal moved quickly away, then stood and moved on two legs with long arms swinging before walking into distant woods. The witnesses were speechless at the time and later concluded it must have been a bigfoot.

Full-body sighting
BFRO YEAR: 1989? Hagaman, Macoupin County, Illinois Class A #43348

Memory told of sighting at night along SR 108 near Hagaman

The witness was driving west on a highway late at night after closing work when she saw a tall dark creature standing beside the road near a bridge. As her car drew even with it, the creature turned toward the car and reached out with its right hand. Frightened, she accelerated and drove away.

Full-body sighting
BFRO YEAR: 1988-89 IDOC Lake A-41 On The Map, Jackson County, Illinois Class A #44003

Close encounter while fishing remembered near Giant City State Park

The witness was fishing alone at a small wooded lake in the afternoon when brush breaking, snapping trees, and splashing rocks drew attention. The witness turned to see a large muscular creature standing nearby that emitted a loud high-pitched scream. The witness froze, the creature quickly retreated into the woods, and the witness fled down the trail to the vehicle.

Partial sightingScreamRock throwingTree break
BFRO YEAR: 2000(?) Ste. Marie, Jasper County, Illinois Class B #10879

Mushroom hunters find series of large footprints near Ste. Marie

The witness and a companion were mushroom hunting when they found about ten barefoot-like prints crossing a muddy stretch of a mostly dry creek. The prints appeared to enter from water on one side and exit into water on the other, heading east toward a nearby river. The witness felt no barefoot person should have been in that remote bottoms area and no photos were taken before rain.

Tracks
lately Illinois #0d307f11-eaea-4d24-9499-39a3c38f8be4

Property disturbance in Illinois

In Illinois the witness reports being tugged on his shirt or jacket on multiple occasions, feeling like a small child pulling to get attention. He initially dismissed it as his children, but has recently paid more attention as it recurred.

Property disturbance
after we confirmed that we would have this interview Illinois #0d307f11-eaea-4d24-9499-39a3c38f8be4

Paranormal encounter in Illinois

While waiting at a Walmart pharmacy window and glancing at his wallet, the witness felt breathing over his shoulder and saw in the partition's reflection a very tall figure dressed in black like an old preacher. When he turned around, no one was there. He searched nearby aisles but found the area empty.

Partial sighting
about a month or two months ago Atkinson, Illinois #0d307f11-eaea-4d24-9499-39a3c38f8be4

Property disturbance near Atkinson, Illinois

While lying in bed, the witness felt the blankets pulled as his young daughter commonly does and lifted up to respond, but no one was there. He then heard fast movement through the bedroom door and checked his daughters' room to find them deeply asleep. The experience kept him up checking on his family.

Property disturbanceMovement only
Date unknown Illinois #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/emxwtZ2Fw-5pmgp2LbbBKp6yQuE0M6VuF9UCVxWFsX0

Sasquatch sighting in Illinois

While driving at dusk toward a creek, the witness saw a hairy biped standing on a rock outcropping. While fumbling for a phone he heard a loud screech from the side, looked away, and the figure was gone.

Full-body sightingScream
Date unknown Illinois #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/emxwtZ2Fw-5pmgp2LbbBKp6yQuE0M6VuF9UCVxWFsX0

Animal behaviour in Illinois

While coon hunting at night, the witness's dogs abruptly stopped treeing and ran back growling toward a draw. The witness shined a light, saw nothing, and left.

Animal behaviourUnidentified sound
Date unknown Illinois #http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bigfoothotspot/2015/02/24/show-notes-with-shannon-author-and-investigator-linda-godfrey

Sasquatch sighting in Illinois

A witness had a close encounter about 30 feet from a creature that had swum across a river to approach. The witness clearly saw its hands with black blunt nails and one ear exposed where water had parted the hair. The ear looked human-like but slightly larger and pointed on top.

Full-body sighting
when I was 12 years old Illinois #http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bigfoothotspot/2013/12/23/sc-ep8-bigfoot-research-101-with-john-green

Footsteps in Illinois

A woman recalls being 12 in southern Illinois and picking berries with her mother up toward a bluff and into deep woods. As they walked she repeatedly heard crunching steps following them, which her mother dismissed as rabbits and urged her to keep going without looking back. The host notes the mother's behavior suggests she may have known more than she said.

Footsteps
about three weeks after the first incident, at night Illinois #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/yzwiKTmVr4WtxWd-fPZvIeK-aXNJlf55ro11duS_woA

Rock throwing in Illinois

A few weeks later the brothers returned to the lake for night fishing. After they threw rocks and sticks across a cove and then stopped, a large rock flew out of the dark treeline on the far side and landed near them in the water. They saw nothing that threw it.

Rock throwing
when I was around 13 Illinois #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/yzwiKTmVr4WtxWd-fPZvIeK-aXNJlf55ro11duS_woA

Vocalization in Illinois

The witness and his younger brother were walking trails behind a lake in summer. After the brother stopped to rest, the witness continued ahead, heard a branch snap and a deep chest grunt, and fled. Both ran back to the main road.

VocalizationUnidentified sound
recently Mount Sterling, Illinois #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/YScIFc6KhOX9bnVSe-Zq_N8HMM1bxaBDF02R-yZwEzE

Sasquatch sighting near Mount Sterling, Illinois

A press account told of a wild man living in a cave or deserted mine who raided farms for calves and sheep despite a cash reward. A hunter entered the cave alone with a knife and fought hand-to-hand for an hour, reporting a towering, long-haired, savage-faced creature with thin bony hands. The hunter escaped crawled out at midnight exhausted after being knocked unconscious.

Full-body sightingAnimal behaviourHistorical account