IL bigfoot
byI know this isn't exactly an Indiana report, but it is from Vermilion (yes, just one "l") county in Illinois, just across the state line from Vermillion county IN. According to the state sighting map on the BFRO, 2 adjoining counties in IN indicate sightings, roughly 20 mi from the area I've looked into. For those familiar with the area, I'm of course speaking of Danville, IL. In summer 1981 at the age of 19, a friend and I were fishing at Inland Sea at Kickapoo state park. After getting no bites and the day nearing dusk, my friend was concerned he heard noise in the brush behind us. I didn't hear anything but did get a distinct feeling of being watched. Like foolish teens we decided to throw the poles in the car and check whatever it was out. I got my 6 volt lantern and while my friend lifted the foliage at the bottom of the clearing up I shone the light up beneath it up the slow incline of the hill behind us that rose to about 15-20 ft. I shone to his right with no response, then he said shine it to my left which I did, and after a second or two he stumbled backwards into me and yelled "let's get out of here"! I didn't see what he did but wasn't sticking around to either, so we jumped in my car and sped down the dirt road for a mile or two. He said when I shined the light to his left he saw what he thought were 2 big tree trunks, but then noticed there was dark brown hair on them and they began to walk. He had been deer hunting with his father and said they looked nothing like a deer, besides it's unlikely a deer would hang around that close to humans. We went back the next day at full noon, he with his compound bow and I with my BB pistol (for protection, y'know). At least I could put it's eye out, lol! We crawled up the hill and found the vegetation mashed down at the top like something huge had been through. We followed a deer trail along the ridge and found what looked like some large depressions but nothing that we could discern as a footprint. We gave up after an hour or so and in time the incident receded into our memories as just another facet of our past. But not before I asked around town and found out several stories told from someones friend or grandparents and such about the "wildman" that supposedly lived in the surrounding woods. About 6 months later there were media repots from Tilton IL about a bigfoot that threw a garbage can 50 ft in a ladies yard and left footprints all over.
Just recently I threw the question out on my hometown newspapers's website, and though expecting a few snide skeptics remarks I got a few amazing reports. One concerning my grandfather who died in 1940 from a coal mine accident when my dad was only 7. After my incident in 81, an uncle told me my grandpa had been part of a posse looking for the wildman in the 1930's. Just last week someone on the website told me an almost identical story about his father being in that posse. They found several footprints along the Salt Fork river, just over the IN/IL state line. The man said his father had a size 14 shoe and could easily fit it inside the footprints. He also said his father most likely knew my grandpa as he said his father was at a funeral for a friend who had been killed in the mine, who I can only presume was my own grandfather! Amazing how one can find a bit out about your own family history while looking for bigfoot stories!
If my real name is required I'll supply it via
email. -Thanks.Posted on Jul 25, 2003, 6:08 PM
from IP address 12.45.97.2
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