YEAR: 1994

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

DATE: 22

STATE: Illinois

COUNTY: Winnebago County

LOCATION DETAILS: Near the bridge where Interstate 39 crosses the Kishwaukee River.

NEAREST TOWN: Rockford, IL

NEAREST ROAD: Cave Drive near Interstate 39

OBSERVED: someone should call me about this....i have a great deal of information to relate.....autumn night....weather was warm but very foggy....area was at my house which was in a glen near the kishwaukee river. very dense forest area within a couple hundred yards. figure DID NOT look like a big hairy ape.....very tall, slender and very large eyes...color appeared simialar to a local deer. was hiding behind tree watching me...i have extremely good hearing and night vision. it made noise as i was getting into a car. with the door of the car open i reached in and turned on the headlamps. it was peeking around a tree....it froze in the light but recovered quickly. we made eye contact which it held for several long seconds. it then turned and ran...within 3 or 4 strides it was able to hurdle a 5-6 foot fencing without breaking stride. i was able to watch it run for several hundred feet, although my vision was hampered by the fog. at that time i worked from home in my garage often at night and had heard many odd things before and after. contact me for further information...i believe this creature to still exist and i plan on looking for it this summer. I would be pleased to talk your organization, however i would prefer not to have this sighting listed just yet.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: approx.10:00-10:30pm

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

I spoke with the witness, who is an avid outdoorsman, by phone.

The animal was observed from a distance of 30 feet.

The following descriptions of the animal can be added to the report:

• The animal was between 6 and 8 feet tall and weighed about 250 pounds.
• Had a muscular build with a shoulder width 25% greater than a man's.
• Closely cropped hair was grayish tan in color, similar to a deer.

- Nose was broad, neither animal-like nor humanoid but somewhere in between.
- Eyes were large, and the lips were wide and thick.
- Facial skin was light tan in color.
- Arms were longer than a man's.
- Its movement as it ran was very fluid and graceful.

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