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 [email protected]