YEAR: 1992-3

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: September

DATE: 14

STATE: Illinois

COUNTY: Montgomery County

LOCATION DETAILS: About a mile southwest of McPherson bridge.

NEAREST TOWN: Panama

NEAREST ROAD: country roads

OBSERVED: Me and my friend were looking for a place to hunt squirrels in about September of probably 1993. We were driving down the road on our way to McPherson bridge, an old condemned bridge that crosses Shoal Creek. We saw what we or I at first thought was a deer or something about 50 yards off the road but about 100 yards in front of us. It started running away from us at a 90 degree angle and was fast but when it got about 200 yards it stood up and ran on two legs and you could its arms swinging real long arms. I guess it had to be at least 7 feet tall. It was about the same color as a white-tailed deer in the summer-time, light reddish brown. It ran to the woods about 500 yards away and turned 90 degrees and started walking.

This is when I really knew something weird was going on. You could plainly see his arms swinging. It looked somewhat like a man when far away. Me and my friend really were both speechless and just sat there saying what the hell? We mentioned it to my wife and his girlfriend and they just laughed. But the other day we talked about it for some reason and we concluded that it must have been bigfoot. It was kinda just like I blocked it out for years but when he asked me about it I can remember just like yesterday.

ALSO NOTICED: Seemed like he was trying to fool us into thinking he was a deer.

OTHER WITNESSES: One, my friend.

OTHER STORIES: Yes, on another part of Shoal Creek there have been several occurrences over the years.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Evening about one hour before dark.

ENVIRONMENT: It was upland, with real thick hedge and water. Oak woods to the west and oak woods where he went in.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

I spoke with the witness by phone. His friend no longer lives in the area. The following details can be added to the report.

- Animal was thinly built.
- Animal was in a soybean field.
- No neck was visible.
- The hair was from five to six inches long.
- Witness was unsure if the animal, when first observed, was running on all fours or was running bent over.
- Witness noticed how straggly the hair was around it's elbows.
- Witness was unable to make out any facial features.

About BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

Stan Courtney has a special interest in wildlife audio recording. He has attended numerous BFRO Expeditions. See Stan's blog StanCourtney.com for recordings he has collected over the years.

Stan Courtney can be reached at illinois@bfro.net