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366 encounters
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
24 September 2009 Kappa, Woodford County, Illinois Class B #26874

Possible footprints found near Mackinaw River

The witness was building a house near the Mackinaw River and searching the disturbed mud for arrowheads. Beginning in late September, they noticed bare footprints in the mud larger than their own size 13 foot, including during cold weather. The follow-up clarified a total of three prints estimated at about 14 inches long and 6 inches wide without actual measurement, with photos too unclear to publish. The witness doubted anyone would walk barefoot in cold mud at a construction site.

Tracks
15 September 2009 Norris, Fulton County, Illinois Class B #28713

Hikers find possible footprints by a cornfield north of Norris

The witness and a companion were hiking when the companion found large footprints in mud beside a field. They described three deep prints with visible toes that were larger than a boot and spaced wider than a human step, appearing to go into the field and then back into the woods. An investigator later recorded measurements of fifteen inches long by six inches wide.

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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
July 2009 Colchester, McDonough County, Illinois Class B #40995

Possible sighting of animal playing peek-a-boo at Argyle Lake State Park

Two companions hiking back toward their car noticed the woods go silent and heard something moving in brush alongside them and crossing behind them, along with a musky skunk-like odor. Near the last bend the reporter glanced back and saw a wide, dark-brown figure squatting beside a low dead tree about 100 yards away. They kept walking, then ran to the car and drove off and rarely spoke of it afterward.

Partial sightingFootstepsOdor
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
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
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
27 December 2008 Canton, Fulton County, Illinois Class B #28569

Wood knock and possible nighttime sighting east of Canton Lake

The witness was walking at night from a camper toward town when a loud fall-like noise occurred ahead in the road. A shadowy fur-covered biped stood up about 30 feet away and walked calmly across the road before disappearing into vegetation. The witness continued past the spot believing the creature stayed hidden nearby without further interaction.

Road crossingSilhouettePartial sightingWood knockUnidentified sound
26 November 2008 Metropolis, Massac County, Illinois Class B #25924

Possible encounter and vocalizations heard by bowhunter near Metropolis

The witness was bow hunting and was packing his truck to leave about an hour after dark with his flashlight off. A small noise from his tree stand startled something behind the truck that ran away down a hill on two legs making loud crashing noise. From the bottom of the hill and while moving away across a road and fence, the animal vocalized about a dozen times, stopping about every 50 yards to turn and scream toward the witness.

ScreamFootsteps
8 November 2008 Girard, Macoupin County, Illinois Class A #25273

Possible sighting, wood knocks and vocalizations west of Girard

The witness described living at a wooded property for about a year with repeated nighttime disturbances. On one occasion in heavy fog the witness saw a large dark bipedal shape, later estimated at about seven feet tall and very muscular. The sighting occurred amid other reported howls, tree knocks, and signs of activity around the house and woods.

Silhouette
21 October 2008 Elizabethtown Or Iron Furnace, Hardin County, Illinois Class B #24975

Family experiences large rocks being thrown and hear an unknown scream outside the Shawnee National Forest

The witness and two relatives were setting up a telescope near a group campfire when rocks landed near them on three occasions while movement was heard in dense dark woods with nothing seen. Those at the fire denied throwing anything. Hours later a loud high-pitched scream was heard that the witness did not recognize, and a next-day search found no clear footprints due to heavy leaf cover.

Rock throwingScreamMovement only
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
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
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
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
22 July 2008 Sauk Village, Cook County, Illinois Class B #42150

Possible footprint and handprint found in Plum Creek Play Meadow - Forest Preserve

The witness reports finding a single large footprint along a forest trail in a small forest preserve and photographing it in daylight in July 2008. The print was estimated at 12 inches long and compared to a men's size 12 shoe. No creature was seen. A large hand print found the following summer is treated as a separate event.

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