Why Has Illinois Had A Huge Uptick In Bigfoot Sightings?

In the interests of full disclosure, I'm going to go ahead and admit that I'm a sucker for these sorts of stories.

If it's about cryptids (an animal or being that is believed by some to exist, but lacks scientific evidence to support its existence), I'm totally in on it. Some examples of cryptids would be:

• Bigfoot/Sasquatch
• Yeti
• Loch Ness Monster
• Chupacabra
• Mothman
• The Jersey Devil
• Werewolves

If There's A Show On About Cryptids, I'm Probably Watching It

I have a bad habit of finding a show about one of these creatures very late in the evening, when I should be going to bed. This almost always provokes this exchange between my wife and me:

Amy: Why aren't you in bed?

Me: I'm watching a science show about the Loch Ness Monster. It looks like these guys might find it.

Amy: Three things, genius. One, that show is at least 5 years old. Two, if they do find the Loch Ness Monster, is it going to happen on a cable show at 10:30 at night? And three, don't you think that being a news junkie you would have heard about them catching something people have hunted for over a thousand years?

Me: Well, actually...

Amy: Go to bed!

My mistake was not watching a show on Bigfoot, who is apparently showing itself in Illinois a lot more than it used to.

According To The Experts, Illinois Has Moved Up To The Number-Five Spot On The List Of States With The Most Bigfoot/Sasquatch Sightings

Unsurprisingly, the state of Washington comes in at number-one on the list with 724 reported Bigfoot sightings, followed by California at 445, then comes Florida with 328, Ohio with 318, and then it's Illinois in the five-spot with 304 sightings.

If you're looking for a Bigfoot-free state, there aren't any, but there are some states with nearly zero Sasquatch sightings:

• Delaware: 5
• Rhode Island: 5
• North Dakota: 6
• Nevada: 9
• Nebraska: 15

Let's Take A Look At The Illinois Counties With The Most Bigfoot Sightings

According to The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), these are the top 5 counties in Illinois for Bigfoot sightings:

• Madison: 24
• Jackson: 20
• Cook: 16
• Macoupin: 15
• Sangamon: 13

(Check the BFRO map of Illinois counties and their number of Bigfoot sightings by clicking here.)