YEAR: 2001

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

DATE: 16

STATE: Illinois

COUNTY: Hardin County

LOCATION DETAILS: approx. 2 miles east of Rt.34 in the Shawnee National Forest.

NEAREST TOWN: Rosiclare

NEAREST ROAD: State Rt. 34

OBSERVED: I was in So. Illinois visiting my Grandmother and sister on my Grandmothers farm located in the Shawnee Nat. Forest. I grew up on this property and lived there for about 23 years. While living in this area I have heard and seen a vast assortment of wild animals. The National Forest Service has released many different animals into the Shawnee National which has given me a good opportunity to hear, see, and also track different wild animals.

I have either heard or see bears, turkeys, bobcats, cougars, owls, fox, beavers, coyotes, opossums, racoons, hawks, buzzards, crows, ducks, geese, rabbits, squirrels, and lots of deer. On this night my wife and I were going to sit on the front porch with my Grandmother and sister when we started to hear a sound that raised the hair on the back of my neck and as I type this out I get that feeling all over again. I have NEVER heard a sound like this before. It was to say the least very frightning. I do believe that yeties do exist but did not believe that one would be anywhere near Southern Illinios. We continued to hear the sound which sounded like a calling that started out low pitched and ended out in a higher pitch that had somewhat of a human characteristic to it. It was continueous for about 5 to 8 min. The only other thing we could hear was neighbor's dogs going bezerk! Everything else was absoulutely quiet.

My Grandmother looked at me and asked if it was human and I said definatly no. It was without a doubt the eeriest and scariest sound I have ever heard. I estimate it to have been about a quarter of a mile away and maybe closer. It was at that time that I regreted not taking the time to bring my sidearm with me. My Grandmother, sister, wife and myself stood in general disbelief of what we were hearing. None of the witnesses have ever heard a sound like this before. In carefull reflection of that night and replaying the sound over in my head, I would have to say that if asked what it was I would say it was a Yeti. As far as hard evidence I have none. I had to leave that night and have to been back to look over the land to see if I could find anything.

ALSO NOTICED: The only thing that I noticed that seemed to be odd on this night was how quiet and dark it was outside.

OTHER WITNESSES: There were four witnesses involved. The witnesses were talking inside a house before coming outside onto the porch which is when the sound started.

OTHER STORIES: No, I have not heard of any other such occurances in this area.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Approx. 2130, Temp was approx.80 deg. A considerably mild night for Aug.with low humidity. Fairly quiet outside with occasional sounds of hooting owls. It was a very dark night with little to no moon light.

ENVIRONMENT: The terrain was mainly forest of mostly hardwoods and some pines that are on a spread of government land that border the suspected area. There is also cow pastures that do not have cattle on them at the present time. There are numerous small creeks that run through the area. The area is also somewhat hilly. The sound seemed to come very close to the pine forest.