YEAR: 2004

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: May

DATE: 15 & 16

STATE: Missouri

COUNTY: St. Charles County

LOCATION DETAILS: The area is called Maple island. It is about 3 miles long. It is heavily wooded and at the downstream side it is extremely remote and heavily wooded.

From Alton head southwest on US 67, cross the Clark Bridge and take the 1st exit to the left (where the service station is) and head south on Riverlands Way. Go three miles to the boat dock which is at the end of the road and on the left side.

NEAREST TOWN: Alton

NEAREST ROAD: Highway 367

OBSERVED: I have had a couple of encounters this past weekend that have been on my mind.The place of the possible encounter is at Alton Dam, Alton IL. The event(s) happened Saturday and Sunday morning (MAY 15 & 16,2004), just before I launched my boat at the boat ramp to go fishing. Saturday, my brother-in law and my nephew were with me. As we were getting ready to launch my boat (it was still dark out) a man approached us and asked if we were going to launch our boat. I said yes,why? He said there was a crazy person throwing rocks at him as he fished by the boat ramp. Just the 4 of us were in the parking lot at the time. I said how big were the rocks? He said big enough to really hurt you if it hit you(about hand size). Just across the ramp is very heavy woods and weeds, a small creek divides the woods from the ramp. The rocks thrown had to have traveled at least 100 feet.Anyway, he insisted we should not launch because we would get hurt. I went and got my THOR 10 MILLION candle power spot light and scanned the woods, it literally made daylight out of the woods. Much to my suprise...I saw a set of bluish/white set of eyes staring back at me in a clearing about 75 yards to the right. The eyes were about 8 to 9 feet off the ground. As the light hit them,the eyes turned away to its left and disappeared. My 15 year old nephew saw them also.

The man who told about the rocks then came up and said he thinks he scared it away by firing 4 times at it with a 9 m/m pistol because it kept throwing the rocks at him and he warned it to stop. I started to get really scared when he said this because now I have a person carrying a gun and I don't know what he's going to do. We launched the boat without any problems.

Sunday morning, my twin brother went with me, he brought his video camera and I brought my digital camera. We were sitting on the curb on the ramp talking (it was still dark) when a small rock hit my boat. We were shocked. We then got up and walked up the ramp and got the THOR spotlight out of my truck and scanned the woods, but seen nothing. Just then a large rock thudded on the ground next to us. We couldn't believe it. We are both hard of hearing yet we clearly heard the thump. We launched the boat with no further problems. Well, thats my story, but not the end, we are going to keep an eye out from now on. Feel free to call me. P.S. Please don't use our names, you can use this story as you want, but I would like to investigate it or maybe one of your people could contact or meet us there on a weekend. Thanks...

ALSO NOTICED: No sounds or smells

OTHER WITNESSES: The first day, 4 witnesses, standing around, getting ready to fish.
The second day, my brother and I were getting the boat ready to go fishing.

OTHER STORIES: No

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 4:00-5:00 am

ENVIRONMENT: Mississippi river to the north, a small creek bed to the south, the boat ramp is located there. Across the creek is tall weeds and heavy woods. Early morning, 50 degrees, clear, little wind, blowing towards the woods.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

I talked with the witness by phone for forty-five minutes. I also spoke with his nephew by phone.

The following is a picture of Maple Island.

About BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

Stan Courtney has a special interest in wildlife audio recording. He has attended numerous BFRO Expeditions and travels throughout Illinois giving presentations on "Bigfoot In Illinois". 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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