Claimed encounters in Jefferson County, Ohio

20 entries reported in Jefferson County, Ohio, each linked to the report or podcast segment it came from. Narrow them down with the filters, or see them on the map.

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20 encounters
May 2026 Bergholz, Jefferson County, Ohio Class B #80158

Family is frightened from the woods by unseen creature and loud knocks near Yellow Creek

A family of four was sitting by a lake when they heard crashing and crunching of something large moving in the woods about 50 yards away. This was followed by three very loud knocks from the same area where two children had just been playing and chopping trees. The group left immediately while the adult male stood watch, and later searches found only game sign and a few possible tracks.

Wood knockFootsteps
May 2026 Toronto, Jefferson County, Ohio Class B #80111

Loud bigfoot whoops heard by homeowners not far from last year's sighting outside Toronto, Ohio

One witness let dogs out in the early morning and heard a loud whoop from the woods behind the house, hearing it again when she opened the door. She ran inside frightened. The couple then went outside together and heard another whoop farther down the hollow.

Whoop
March 2026 Hammondsville, Jefferson County, Ohio Class B #79982

Possible daylight sighting of a sasquatch near powerlines 2 miles east of Hammondsville

The witness dropped a companion at a nearby farmhouse and drove to a barn on a hunting property in the morning. From the barn, the witness saw a tall black upright figure on the far crest of a field that stepped left, paused, then moved out of sight within about 15 seconds. The legs were not visible and no binoculars were available, but the witness said it moved like a person and was none of the common local animals.

Partial sighting
5 May 2025 Empire, Jefferson County, Ohio Class A #78751

Trucker on Route 7 spots a sasquatch on railroad tracks 10 miles north of Steubenville

The witness, a truck driver hauling oil, was driving north over a bridge in daylight when he looked down at railroad tracks and saw a large hair-covered figure standing in the middle of the tracks looking uphill. The sighting lasted about 1.5 seconds as he passed at 55 mph, and he tried unsuccessfully to get another driver on the CB to confirm it. He later compared its height to oil railcars and estimated it at no less than 9 feet tall.

Full-body sighting
July 2021 Bloomingdale, Jefferson County, Ohio Class B #69490

Missing chickens lead to discovery of large footprints by chicken coop near Bloomingdale

The witness found all chickens missing from the coop, which was covered in feathers but had no bodies or blood. While searching the property near the creek, the witness discovered a very large footprint and photographed and measured it. An investigator later found additional prints in the same area.

TracksProperty disturbance
2002–2004 Pleasant Hill, Jefferson County, Ohio Class A #8785

Family has series of experiences north of Steubenville off of State Route 213

Two boys were playing near a creek valley across from a house and waded into the water after hearing movement in the brush. One of them noticed a large very dark brown monkey- or gorilla-like creature watching them from behind bushes on the far bank. After staring for what seemed a minute, both fled uphill and watched it moving through the brush in an upright walk.

Partial sightingMovement only
June 2001 Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio Class B #8006

Strange vocalizations heard near a ravine just outside of Steubenville.

The witness was smoking in his garage at night when he felt a strong sense of being watched and became fearful and went inside. Shortly after he and his wife were in bed, they heard strange evolving vocalizations from the woods behind the house through an open window, including babbling, crying-like sounds and loud screaming lasting about three minutes. A neighbor's flashlight appeared during the screaming, after which the couple closed the window and the sounds stopped.

VocalizationScream
Fall 1997 Wintersville, Jefferson County, Ohio Class A #4951

Young hunter has sighting, accompanied by knocking sounds, near Wintersville

The main witness was sitting on a log hunting squirrels after an older relative moved to another area. A dark hairy figure reportedly ran upright from behind a tree very fast, making a high-pitched noise with loud thumping footsteps. After it disappeared, the witness ran to tell the older relative, who did not believe the account.

Full-body sightingVocalizationFootsteps
Winter 1988 Smithfield, Jefferson County, Ohio Class A #4952

Evening sighting by ice fisherman near Friendship Lake

The witness and a relative were driving near a pond at dusk when they saw two large white hairy beings carrying a very large object over a hill toward the pond. When the witnesses stopped to watch, the beings dropped the object, fell to the ground, and tried unsuccessfully to hide in brush. The witnesses drove a short distance to turn around for a better view, and on returning about a minute later the beings and the object were gone.

Full-body sighting
7 August 1987 Monroeville, Jefferson County, Ohio Class B #5778

Couple horseback riding catch a glimpse of unknown creature followed by a nasty smell and a loud moaning scream

A witness and a companion were riding horses on a familiar trail when the witness noticed a dark head-like shape to the side. Shortly after, the companion reported a terrible odor near a hedgerow, and then both heard a prolonged loud moaning or wailing sound from behind. They later returned to the locations but found no trace of the shape or odor, and concluded the experiences were connected.

Partial sightingOdorVocalization
in the fall of 1998 Wintersville, Jefferson County, Ohio Related account #4951

Wood knock near Wintersville, Ohio

A relative standing in a backyard heard similar knocking noises coming from two different locations in the woods behind the house.

Wood knock
Another time Wintersville, Jefferson County, Ohio Related account #4951

Wood knock near Wintersville, Ohio

The main witness while playing in the woods heard tree-striking sounds from three separate locations and struck a tree in response, after which the sounds stopped.

Wood knock
BFRO YEAR: 1980 or 81 Wintersville, Jefferson County, Ohio Class A #1507

Witness hears loud noise outside bedroom window, observes bipedal animal running away

As a teenager at home at night, the witness heard a cry and loud noise outside her bedroom window and fetched her father. Her father went outside with a flashlight and reported seeing a huge hairy bipedal figure running away. The next morning the family found a steel downspout twisted around and folded in half.

VocalizationUnidentified soundFull-body sightingProperty disturbance
July 24th at approximately 12:38 A.M. Bloomingdale, Jefferson County, Ohio Related account #69490

Vocalization near Bloomingdale, Ohio

The witness heard a yelping noise from one end of the property with a similar quick response from the other end, and reports an occasional eerie feeling of being watched at night.

Vocalization
Soon after Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio Related account #8006

Odor near Steubenville, Ohio

Soon after the chirping, while mowing the back lawn, the witness smelled a rotten meat odor that came in waves.

Odor
this past summer Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio Related account #8006

Vocalization near Steubenville, Ohio

On a summer occasion while working in the garage, the witness heard strange chirping that suggested Sasquatch to him.

Vocalization
BFRO YEAR: 1995, 2003 Smithfield, Jefferson County, Ohio Class A #49653

Two incidents, years apart, one auditory, one visual, near Smithfield

Late at night the witness was driving a small pickup with a companion to get car parts before a store closed. Coming around a curve on a dirt road near an old strip-mine area, the headlights illuminated a large red-haired standing figure on the roadside. The driver braked and started to reverse, but after the companion urged him to keep going, he drove on without further observation.

Partial sighting
Date unknown Hammondsville, Jefferson County, Ohio Related account #79982

Sasquatch sighting near Hammondsville, Ohio

The investigator's companion watching from a truck reported a low black shape near the crest by the treeline that disappeared before the investigator could see it.

Partial sighting
Date unknown Hammondsville, Jefferson County, Ohio Related account #79982

Sasquatch sighting near Hammondsville, Ohio

An investigator waiting at the hangar watched a tall motionless black object at the end of the field that had vanished about twenty minutes later.

SilhouettePossible hoaxPossible misidentification
BFRO YEAR: Late 70s Mingo Junction, Jefferson County, Ohio Class B #6848

Human-like footprints are found around a garage heading back into a remote hollow

A garage owner found very large human-like footprints in the snow around a garage set back in the woods. The tracks were said to come out of and return to a densely wooded area called Goulds Hollow after circling the garage. A relative initially dismissed the report but then viewed the tracks himself.

Tracks