BFRO #26905: Fisherman has closeup encounter with a juvenile near Kankakee

📍 Location

📝 Description

As a fifty-six year-old man, I am sincerely bewildered when harkening back to my youth and pondering my former naivety. The saying goes, �I may be dumb, but I�m not stupid�. What concerns me is that I was stupid...and probably still am. I suppose an explanation is in order. Something that interests me now, didn�t significantly arouse my curiosity thirty-five years ago.Along with several other hobbies, pastimes, and the like...I used to fish. I spent a good deal of money on equipment, as is my nature. When involved in an activity, I immerse myself in it before I move on. I never purchased waders, though, because I have a quadruple E width shoe size. None of the waders fit me properly because the shoe part was always too tight. I had worn my friends waders on occasion, and when standing in water the pressure would build on my feet and the pain would become unbearable. I, along with two friends, fished Williams Bay in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and the Rock Creek Canyon of the Kankakee River in Illinois. The hunt was for smallmouth bass. While fishing could very well be a solitary endeavor, with this, I was a follower and not a leader as with other things I�ve known to appreciate. Consequently, I was always in the company of the same two friends, and there were a variety of other locations we visited, scouted out by someone other than myself.One morning it was determined that we would go to what was described to me as the backwaters of the Kankakee River. We drove south from Chicago on I-57 to get to our destination, which was utterly rural. Upon arrival I observed water that wasn�t a running river, but more of a small lake with calm water. My friends donned their waders and headed straight-forward, while I traversed the shoreline in a semicircle, rod and spinning reel in hand. Back from the edge of the water was a very high hedge row spanning the full distance around the lake. On the other side of the hedge was a wide grassy lane, and on the other side of that was dense forest. I managed to walk a good distance while close to the shore, then circled back in the direction from whence I came casting my lure as parallel to the shore as possible, while at the same time achieving some outward distance. I retrieved my bait with a good enough lure presentation, to conclude I wasn�t going to get any hits. Before reaching my exact starting point, I felt it was time to leave this area and rejoin my friends. The thickness of the hedge behind me necessitated that I back through it from a semi crouched or bent over position. I tucked my elbows into my sides and pointed my rod tip down while trudging slowly backwards forcing myself through the brush. As I exited onto the grassy lane, I pulled my fishing rod completely through the hedge, and pivoted to my left while rising from my crouch. And positioned directly in front of me...face to face, within the distance of an outstretched fishing rod (even though I hadn�t extended it) was some sort of mammal. I had the feeling, or perhaps a peripheral view that it had also pivoted or turned to accidently and unknowingly face me. The surprise confrontation shocked me as we looked directly at each other. It was shorter than me (about 62 inches in height), and I was for a moment - frozen in time - before I went to flee to my right. This was conveniently in the direction of my starting point, and my friends. I was young, I was fast, and I was scared. It was a �feet don�t fail me now� moment. Yet in that frozen moment in time, as I attempted to bolt, the creature quickly turned then raced in the opposite direction down the grassy lane. He or she had an unforgettable gait. It could accurately be described as similar to actor Sherman Hemsley who starred as George Jefferson in the All In The Family television sitcom spinoff entitled, The Jeffersons. Hemsley would, at times, display a comedic, distinctly caricaturesque, arm flailing jog. (i.e. I actually witnessed this in person, when awaiting the arrival of my then employer, as I was parked outside the Ambassador East Hotel. Hemsley exited a limousine and cantered across the street toward the hotel. His mannerisms were unmistakeable). Which is to say that the creature�s arms were elongated...and it did not drop to all fours to run, it remained upright. I realized that it was equally fearful of me, as I was of it. The entirety of the being was covered in brown hair, similar to that of a brown bear, and it was not unkempt. It�s eyes were dark brown with no white, and they gave a dog-like friendly impression. It did was not reminiscent of any type of monkey, ape or gorilla, as it�s face was also completely covered in hair. It could best be described as almost having the appearance of an Ewok character from the movie Star Wars. It made no noise, and I don�t recollect having noticed any odor. The similarity with all babies in the animal kingdom is that you can tell they�re a baby. This wasn�t a baby, but it wasn�t an adult either. In full flight I

🔍 Circumstances

Two friends who did not see animal.

🔗 Sources (1)

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