Native American legends tell tales of a Thunderbird, a giant winged creature with mythical powers. Is this what landed in the back of one Illinois listener's truck? The Weird Around Illinois team take a look at this account of a terrifying encounter with a winged cryptid.

When people think if cryptids, Illinois is not usually the first state that comes to mind. As it turns out, Illinois has more than its fair share of cryptid activity, including such popular creatures as bigfoot, dogman and mothman. The Weird Around Illinois team takes a look at the top five cryptids you may see in Illinois.

What would be scary enough to make someone back into a pond until the water was up to their neck? Bigfoot? Dogman? Some other unknown cryptid? Whatever it was, it appeared near a pond in the far western suburbs of Chicago and one of our listeners was kind enough to share the tale with us. Join the Weird Around Illinois team as we discuss this horrifying encounter of a fishing trip gone bad.

In this podcast episode, the Weird Around Illinois team talks about where people usually see ghosts, and why they're seen there.

What could be worse than a train full of clowns and other circus performers meeting their doom? When those performers, and perhaps the circus animals as well, come back to haunt site where they were buried. The Weird Around Illinois team investigates the Ghost Elephants of Forest Park, Illinois.

One of our loyal Weird Around Illinois listeners reported some weirdness on Sheridan Road in Waukegan. After multiple investigations of this possible ghost or cryptid, as well as other cryptid sightings in the area, the team shares their view on just what is going on in this area of high strangeness.

They say "Your vibe attracts your tribe", but does this apply to the paranormal as well? The Weird Around Illinois team looks at the relationship between your mood and your likelihood of seeing cryptids like Dogman or Bigfoot, or having an encounter with an alien or ghost.

We've always assumed that humans were the first sentient, intelligent species to inhabit the earth, but is that really the truth? What if there were ancient species, long before humans, with comparable technology and intellect? Were they aliens? Cryptids? Reptilians? If they were here, where did they go? The Weird Around Illinois team discusses the possibilities.

When dogman looks at us, what does he see? Are we prey, a fellow predator, creator, rival, threat? Only dogman knows for sure, but the Weird Around Illinois team discusses some theories about this elusive cryptid and just what he may be thinking when he sees a human being.

It's a clear night and there's an object hovering in the night sky. It's not moving like a plane, but it seems to be very high up and emitting an eerie glow...Before you call the air force and tell them we're under attack by alien spacecraft, it's best to be aware of some of the things that can look like a UFO or UAP. The Weird Around Illinois team takes a look at some of the most frequent culprits in cases of UFO mistaken identity.