YEAR: 2006

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

DATE: 16

STATE: Illinois

COUNTY: Bond County

LOCATION DETAILS: Three miles south of Sorento, along Dry Fork Creek bottoms.

NEAREST TOWN: Sorento

NEAREST ROAD: Old Ripley Trail

OBSERVED: Me and my son and daughter were hunting deer during the 2006 youth deer season. My son shot and wounded a deer and it ran into the woods. We all three went into the woods looking for it. Something started to beat on a tree making a hollow pounding sound. Then a lot of thrashing noise and tree shaking. I got scared but did not want to scare the kids so I said lets go. We got about 100 yards from the truck and smelled a real foul odor exactly like rotting meat. I mean real bad. At the truck it smelled so bad it was hard to breathe. I know there is something out there. My kids both saw this creature. It was black and hairy and it climbs trees. About six foot, broad shoulders, no neck, a lot like a man but hairy.

ALSO NOTICED: Stink, lot of racket, thrashing, some squealing.

OTHER WITNESSES: Three shooting deer.

OTHER STORIES: Yes, old lady said something screamed at her house one night in 1967.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Late evening, sunny, no wind at all.

ENVIRONMENT: Fields and heavy timber. Isolated mile from nearest road.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

I spoke with the witnesses by phone. Although the father and two teenagers were with him, only the son was able to see the animal in the heavy brush. The following details can be added to the report.

- Immediately after shooting, several large wood knocks were heard.
- The son observed a very large animal descend from a tree.
- The animal was shaking the brush and trees.
- Screams were heard as the animal came down from the tree.
- The animal was about six feet tall and very muscular.
- The hair was from five to six inches long.
- The witness was not able to see the face.

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