“Did you ever have to make up your mind…it’s not often easy and not often kind, did you ever have to make up your mind?” – Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind, The Lovin’ Spoonful (1966)

I take a crack at the Bigfoot possibilities as we end our trek with nine final, alliterative and descriptive words, followed by my personal vision of how I’d like to see the mystery play out.

Myth – Folklore is fun and fascinating but science rules the day in my book. There is enough wonder in the workings of nature without having to invoke fairies, nymphs or various deities to explain the spectacle. And while it is attention getting to find a fictional guardian of the great outdoors (Bigfoot as Smokey Bear) it’s still up to us to get our act together in the end when managing our natural resources. This in turn will help to preserve those places off the beaten path where at least the possibility of legend can live on.

Monster – Mankind seems to need a bogeyman. But just as there’s nothing hiding under the bed or behind the closet door, perhaps there’s no furry giant lurking in the woods. Such tales simply continue to keep kids in their beds, a modern equivalent of preventing adventurous youngsters from wandering too far from the campfire in the old days (certainly would’ve worked on me). Besides, pick up the paper, turn on the tube, dial in your radio or check the internet and you’ll find that there is more “monster” in our own kind than ever reported about those mysterious hairy beasts. Sadly, the “-kind” portion of “mankind” or “humankind” doesn’t universally apply to our species.

Misidentification – Rene Dahinden once said, “I wouldn’t believe my own eyes” in regards to having a Bigfoot sighting. Ask yourself how many times you’ve seen or heard something in the woods or elsewhere only to later find that your mind and senses deceived. I guess the figments of some people’s imaginations are just more entrenched than others. I’ve spotted many muskies that turned out to be logs, morels that were corn cobs, turkeys that were clumps of debris and fur in a trap set that was a patch of dead grass. Why once I even saw a squirrel sitting on an opossum’s head in a willow tree. Turns out the opossum is still a knot on the trunk and the squirrels come and go.

Monkey Suit – You’d have to be nuts or bulletproof in some locations but it is entirely within the realm of possibility that some fool would don a fur suit and run around the woods. Coupled with today’s special effects and computer graphics one could certainly conjure up a credible sighting. To me, one of the major drawbacks of such a scenario is the inability of people to keep a secret. If it involves more than a couple individuals, somebody’s got a big mouth.

Manifestation – Cultures differ in their realities based on tradition and experience. Some Pacific Northwest Native American tribes view Sasquatch as an entity just as real as the bear, cougar or deer that inhabit their environment. Others incorporate various spiritual beings into their world view as well. Perhaps the rest of us have just lost touch with the ability to open our mind to such concepts as our magic resides in computers, cell phones and microwave ovens.

Mystery – We humans are a curious lot and are taken in by the unknown resulting in adherence to religion, science, the supernatural or some combination of each. But our curiosity and insecurity can lead us to fall prey to the power of suggestion and cloud our judgment. Dr. Grover Krantz offered up an apt tongue in cheek quote regarding such an affliction in stating, “I’ll see it when I believe it.”

Monkey – Large, possibly bipedal primates appear in the fossil record so it is not entirely out of the question that such species could still exist. Evolution and population dynamics, however, would make the likelihood of such animals residing in the diverse locations where sightings have been reported over the years rather slim. Small, remote pockets would stand a chance but it’s still somewhat hard to fathom.

Man – Similar to the above, perhaps a relict group of hominids has continued to survive undetected by modern man. Speaking of “modern man”, at some point we accepted the designation Homo sapiens meaning “wise man” in light of our highly developed brains and willingness to put ourselves at the top of the evolutionary ladder. If old Bigfoot is out there and stakes a claim to a nearby branch on the family tree, he might offer up a petition to change the “wise” half of our self imposed scientific name. Especially in light of some of the injustices perpetrated by “superior wise men” on “inferior wise men.”

Misnomer – Let’s say Bigfoot turns out to be “man.” How would you judge the “superior” hominid? What would the criteria be? For in my opinion, Bigfoot possesses a set of physical and mental qualities that would certainly insure his survival over ours should we ever have to revert to the wild. Most humans have long lost the ability to cut it in the absence of grocery stores, controlled climates and fancy attire. When push comes to shove, I’m betting on Bigfoot as the “superior” primate/hominid. And don’t forget that while many amongst our kind are loathe admitting it, that face staring back at you from the mirror is also an “animal.” I, for one, have no qualms with that.

In the end, I continue to waver on the question of Bigfoot’s existence. Every time I give up, something pulls me back in. I suddenly find myself transported back to 1977, staring up at that movie screen and seeing Bigfoot turn with a look over the shoulder at a ten year old kid full of wonder and perhaps a bit too charged up with gullibility. It’s a comforting place to visit, an occasional return to where anything is possible.

A place where my quest can reach a conclusion as I reach down to harvest the clump of ten morels that are just what I’d hoped to find during my previous hour of searching. One of the area’s worst mushroom hunters has finally scored, I think to myself. But I’m also reminded that the true reward is always the walk through the woods as the world welcomes spring and a palette of green about the forest canopy and floor.

Bending down for my bounty, the sound of a breaking branch snaps me out of yet another daydream. Glancing instinctively to my left, my eyes meet another set of eerily familiar, knowing eyes studying me through a nasty tangle of deadfalls and briars. Still kneeling over my initial find I slowly raise both hands, palms up in some sort of half hearted greeting. The eyes begin to climb as the figure rises from a squatting position behind its effective screen of natural camouflage. On a gut level there’s no doubt what I’m seeing yet my mind has trouble believing. Our eyes remain locked as time pauses and the sights and sounds of my surroundings fade away. When time resumes its normal course, the figure turns and gradually disappears from view leaving me to briefly wonder if it was ever really there.

Coming out of my surreal haze I realize that I’ve completely forgotten the camera in my fanny pack but it doesn’t matter and I feel no urge to pursue. Instead, I’m struck by the feeling that simply knowing is enough. Besides, my dawning senses have just informed me that I’m in dire need of a change of clothes.

Okay, a bit cheesy, perhaps. But, hey, I’ve never claimed to be a writer, I just write, a lot.

Happy Halloween and talk to you later (back to the fish and a few tunes in the upcoming days). Troy

“Forward troubles Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy! Look at all the happy creatures dancin’ on the lawn…doo, doo, doo lookin’ out my back door.” – Credence Clearwater Revival, Lookin’ Out My Back Door (1970)

Although we are no closer to solving our mystery than when I was a kid, the reports just seem to keep on piling up. As we’ve explored previously, the world is home to a variety of purported hairy monsters with a number of variations occurring in Alaska and the lower 48. But what about the possibility of having an encounter close to home?

Now, I realize that my blog can wind up anywhere but since I reside in West Central Illinois, I’m going to explore some lore from my region of The Land of Lincoln. Should you wish to research reports from other locales I would suggest consulting The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization’s (BFRO) sightings database.

According to the BFRO, 83 of Illinois’ 102 counties have an entry in the database and Illinois ranks fourth in the U.S. with 284 submitted reports trailing only Washington (635), California (436) and Florida (312). Keep in mind, however, that these are only the reports that eyewitnesses have gotten around to submitting. It stands to reason that there are countless others that remain unreported for various reasons. People may not be aware that such a forum exists, maybe they are too embarrassed to pass along their encounter (despite relative anonymity) or perhaps they don’t want to create a stir near home due to a potential wave of curiosity seekers. Then again, they may not believe the experience themselves or are simply content to keep their sighting private.

To each their own, but I enjoy regularly poring over the reports to see what’s new in Illinois or to explore reports from neighboring states. For me, it’s akin to reading a ghost story that I can actually relate to after having spent many a night around a campfire pondering things weird and wild. And the closer the report to home, the more it falls under the “must read” category.

As good as my family can report while Messin’ with Bigfoot – McDonough County, IL 7-4-17

In addition to the BFRO database, the book entitled I-Files: True Reports of Unexplained Phenomena in Illinois details a number of sightings within a couple hours’ drive from Knox County, where I spent 47 of my 50 years. Among the counties included are Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, McDonough and Tazewell. The list of communities near which these encounters took place consists of Canton, East Peoria, Gulfport, Hamilton, Kewanee, Lewistown, Pekin, Vermont and Warsaw. Well now, there has to be something to those reports because I’ve been to those places and some of those people seem pretty familiar. They wouldn’t make this stuff up, would they?

Even much closer to home back in the mid 90’s was a report out of East Galesburg involving a woman who was frightened by an “ape” that approached her vehicle late one night. I can’t recall whether I heard this report on the radio or saw it posted in the newspaper but I’ve failed to turn up anything in the archives at the local library. I suppose it doesn’t really matter anyway as it disappointingly turned out to be a case of significant drunkenness upon further investigation. Imagination and inebriation are quite the combination.
More recently, in June of 2011, a footprint and later a headless rabbit were discovered amidst some apple trees south of Springfield. Further information on “The Chatham Bigfoot” can be found here and an internet search will turn up more than a few additional articles to keep you busy.

And while you’re searching, why not go looking for something called “The Cole Hollow Road Monster?” This hairy creature, nicknamed Cohomo, prompted several hundred calls to various Tazewell County law enforcement bodies during the spring and summer of 1972. Both the I-Files book and the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization website provide interesting tales and details on those wild few months. Among the fun was the prospect of administering lie detector tests to witnesses, an accidental shooting amongst a posse of searchers, Cohomo spotted swimming in the Illinois River and a report of strange lights descending in the vicinity on a night in late July.

Area of Henderson, County IL in the vicinity of the sighting described below.

However, my all time favorite local report comes from a Henderson County turkey hunter in May of 2008 and can be found on the BFRO website as Report #23949. The encounter occurred near Rozetta which I’m sure is “parts unknown” (to borrow an old professional wrestling term) to nearly everyone. But for around forty years, my dad and uncle had free reign on several parcels of land right where this sighting took place. Although we’ve now lost access to the largest portion of the ground we collectively called “Wilson’s”, for many years it was an outstanding outdoor classroom for hunting, fishing, trapping, camping and hiking. Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends featured annual camping visits and each November found us making the daily trek of several miles along the creek bed running through an area known as “The Big Timber” for the first week of trapping season. Throughout the years we never saw, heard or smelled any clues, but then again, we were more focused on fur, navigating the rocky creek bottom and retelling tales of previous wilderness experiences. Yet, I couldn’t help but imagine after finding this report that while we didn’t see him, I’d sure like to think that old Bigfoot had his eyes on us over the years from landmarks along the trapline like Eagle’s Point, The Rose Bowl, The Waterfall or The Big Sycamore.

A favorite Henderson County, IL outdoor spot we call “The Waterfall”, was Bigfoot keeping an eye on us over the years?

Perhaps if we’d only turned around to look back rather than always looking forward in anticipation of what the next trap might hold…
Talk to you tomorrow. Troy