YEAR: 1965

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

STATE: Illinois

COUNTY: Ogle County

LOCATION DETAILS: Five miles south of Oregon on Illinois Rt 2.

NEAREST TOWN: Oregon

NEAREST ROAD: Illinois Route 2

OBSERVED: I would love to talk to you about things that happen to me back in the 60's south of Oregon, IL. along Rock River. I do believe it was maybe a Bigfoot.

I was raised in the Oregon, Illinois area. We had a place out where Castle Rock State Park is today. In the spring of 1960 I was 9 years old. One night about midnight we heard this terrible screaming coming from the woods. There was also this horrible smell. My dad went outside with his gun but did not find anything. This thing always came around in the spring and fall like it was migrating. He told my mom that he had no idea what it was.

Then in 1965 I was 14 years old. This time it was in the fall. My dad had died and my sister had a trailer house that had been pulled onto the lot.I was baby sitting when I could hear this thing screaming. It was coming up the river making this horrible screaming sound.It kept getting closer to the trailer. We could hear it walking back and forth behind the trailer screaming. Then it hit the sides of the trailer four or five times. My mother yelled for me to shoot the gun and scare it away. I opened the door and shot one time. We didn't hear it anymore that night. As a kid we were always getting these weird feelings in the woods and the feeling of being watched.

Also sometimes when you had the feeling something was watching you there would be this flash of movement out of the side of your eye. Never would get a good look at it just that flash. Whenever it was around the dogs would act strange and sometimes block you from going into the woods while growling. I remember this would make Mother very uneasy and she would say its back. So you just didn't go into the woods.

After that fall night and being mad because the trailer was where the chicken coop use to be. Also the first time with the yelling while Dad was still alive they were mad because we moved in after the house was empty for about 10 years. Then as Dad cleared the land they let us know that they were not happy with this. The ground that was cleared was a valley leading to the Rock River about 1/4 mile away. You also could walk under Route 2 as there was a small bridge over the valley for spring run off. So they could walk to the river for water and no one would be able to see them until Dad cleared the land. Well after Dad died I had started to work on farms to help Mom out and pay my way so I spent less time in the woods. I had felt that what ever it was had left. Maybe they accepted us from then on and just left us alone. I think they would maybe keep watch on us and do things to mess with us without us knowing who.

I remember camping one time with some friends and after taking a hike we found potatoes and bacon missing from the camp site and not knowing who took it. This happened more then once when I got the chance to camp out with food missing. We always thought it was some person stealing the food. But couldn't figure out who because we would be camping a good mile into the woods and you wouldn't know we were there unless you fell over the tent. Maybe they were messing with us and we were too dumb to know it.

I'm coming to terms with all the weird stuff that happened back then. After reading other stories I feel bigfoot was behind all the weird stuff that went on. At first they let us know they were unhappy with what we were doing. And then on just messed with are heads every so often. It took me about ten years to reach out to somebody about what had happened.

OTHER WITNESSES: My mother, my dad

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 10 p.m.

cool and clear

ENVIRONMENT: heavy woods, Rock River

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

I spoke with the witness by phone.

In summary:

• The witnesses could hear the screaming in the distance as it got closer to the home.
• The witness and his mother could hear the animal walking back and forth behind the trailer while it continued to scream.
• The animal hit the sides of the trailer four or five times.
• The father had previously torn down a chicken house and positioned the trailer home on the same site.
• The father had also been clearing some of the land behind their home and the river.

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

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