A listener writes “Hey there Wes, I’m from Central Illinois, and was wondering if you get any reports of activity — specifically in the Peoria area of Illinois?
A couple personal incidents have kept me invested in learning more about this. I grew up right next to a fish & wildlife area, and this is where the majority of the incidents took place. I’ve heard the woodknocking, and also rock clacking from multiple locations. It was as if the clacking was communicating. A friend and I had a granite rock thrown at us; larger than a softball. I didn’t realize this was all sasquatch behavior back then.
In April of 2007, I was doing some rogue camping with my girlfriend at the time. In the name of being inconspicuous, we hiked from my parents’ place, and about 20 minutes into the reserve. Technically, you’re not supposed to be camping out there so we set our tent far off any trail, in some shrubs. Also in the name of being inconspicuous (and just plain safe), we didn’t build a fire. Just as we were going to sleep (probably midnight) we heard what sounded like a person walking through tall grass. Very quick, deliberate footsteps — bipedal footsteps for sure.
I kept expecting to see the beam of a flashlight. I remember it was a cloudy night with no ambient light whatsoever. I’m thinking, “How’s this guy walking so fast directly towards our tent, with no light?” This thing continues in a bee line, coming closer to the tent. I whisper to my girlfriend, “That’s a man. That’s gotta be a man, right?” It stops within 10 ft. of the tent and then continues on its way at the same speed that it approached. Kind of a heart-stopper moment there.
My girlfriend heard it breathing, but my ears aren’t that great. We debated what it could be for a while. This is a seldom visited reserve, with the exception of dove and deer season. I never ran into anyone out there when I was a kid, so I can’t imagine there’d be a guy wandering around at midnight with no light source. We also debated packing up and leaving, but were concerned about it coming back while we were packing things up.
These aren’t very exciting anecdotes, but they do all point to sasquatch for me. I found two sets of barefoot tracks in the snow (also in 2007 but in a different park). This really sealed it for me. There are numerous reports online for Tazewell & Peoria counties too, and I keep up on them as they show up. But I’m wondering if you’ve received any info on this particular area? Your approach with your guests and this subject is the most genuine I’ve heard. Much appreciated!”