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18 encounters
29 July 2017 Fairview, Randolph County, West Virginia Class B #59102

Daylight sighting by fisherman 6 crow miles NE of Elkins

The witness was wading and trout fishing at a fork with a wooded island when a twig snap drew attention to the island. About 60 yards away, a very tall dark figure stood facing the witness then quickly turned and walked away bipedally downstream out of view, apparently carrying a large staff-like piece of wood. The witness reported freezing with fear, being unarmed, and leaving the area immediately.

Full-body sighting
6 September 2016 Marlinton, Pocahontas County, West Virginia Class B #55554

Possible sighting by motorists half mile from Cranberry Mountain Nature Center

The witness and a companion were driving south on a scenic highway in the evening, stopping for views and photos. They noticed a furry figure in tall roadside weeds ahead and continued driving toward it. As they closed to about 80-100 feet, the figure turned with a crouch, jumped up the bank using a branch, and vanished silently into the woods. They estimated its height at about 7 to 7.5 feet from weed height relative to their truck and described brown to brown-gold fur.

Partial sighting
11 November 2014 Hedgesville, Berkeley County, West Virginia Class B #47225

Possible early morning sighting by a couple driving near Hedgesville

The witness was driving to work in the morning when a deer ran across the road and caused slowing. The witness and a companion then noticed a bipedal figure running through the woods in the opposite direction, uphill over fallen trees. They watched it from behind for about six seconds from 50 to 75 yards away and described it as 6 to 6.5 feet tall with a dark bulky build and speed too fast for a human. They stated it was not a deer, bear, human, or other familiar animal.

Full-body sighting
October 2014 Fort Ashby, Mineral County, West Virginia Class B #46665

Possible activity including eye glow outside a home near Fort Ashby

Around 1 a.m. the witness got up for water and looked out the kitchen window. About 20 yards into the woods behind the house, three pairs of red glowing eyes moved single file at an estimated 7 feet off the ground. No bodies could be seen in the darkness except moving branches, and the movement was described as smooth, balanced and agile.

Eyeshine
11 September 2013 Pax, Fayette County, West Virginia Class B #43193

Homeowner reports possible interactions that include his hunting dogs near Pax

The witness and a companion went to check on the witness's dog late at night after it behaved unusually. They shone lights uphill and saw a tall, thick figure that stepped back into darkness and vanished. The pair were frightened and fled.

Full-body sighting
November 2012 Franklin, Pendleton County, West Virginia Class B #37565

Hunters hear possible vocalizations, large head seen peeking from behind boulders near Franklin

On the afternoon of opening day, the witness climbed toward a treestand set among boulders and thick vegetation. From the boulders behind him he heard a growl and rock-clashing sounds, then saw a large dark head and shoulders duck behind a boulder. He backed away to about 100 yards while watching, saw it peek out and hide again, then left the area.

Partial sightingGrowlUnidentified sound
July 2012 Elkins, Randolph County, West Virginia Class B #80146

Hiking couple has brief sighting, then hears primate vocals, then sees tree shaking, in Otter Creek Wilderness

A couple hiking in the Otter Creek Wilderness became disoriented after several hours. They noticed a large dark silhouette on a ridge about 100 yards away, then heard monkey-like sounds for about 30 seconds and saw a tall thin tree violently shaken. They interpreted the displays as threatening and quickly left the area.

Partial sightingSilhouetteVocalizationTree break
15 October 2008 Huntington, Wayne County, West Virginia Class B #28382

Possible activity outside a residence near Lavalette

The witness and a relative were sitting on a hill near outbuildings watching a hollow at night when a passing car's lights revealed a tall standing figure below them. The figure turned toward them, and after the car passed they heard breathing and running coming uphill toward them. Both fled to the nearby house and heard nothing further that night.

SilhouetteMovement onlyFootstepsUnidentified sound
August 2008 Valley Head, Randolph County, West Virginia Class B #24494

Possible nighttime encounter while raccoon hunting outside Valley Head

Two people training a hound at night saw bluish-green eyes watching them from about 40 yards away in the woods. They approached the spot, found nothing, then on returning to the road saw the eyes again along with a second taller orange-red pair. Both pairs stared without apparent fear while the dog barked, then appeared to follow the truck for about half a mile as the witnesses drove away.

Eyeshine
16 July 2006 Arnoldsberg WV, Calhoun County, West Virginia Class B #15250

Possible sighting by child near home outside Arnoldsberg

A woman and a child went to a relative's house to feed a dog. The child chased the dog around the house out of sight, then screamed and ran back saying a monkey-like creature growled and ran into the woods, later adding there was a little one with its mother. The woman did not see the creature but heard movement in the brush.

Partial sightingGrowlMovement only
13 April 2005 Pocahontas County, West Virginia Class B #11432

Possible sighting during BFRO's West Virginia expedition, Spring 2005

The witness was alone at a riverside base camp in the afternoon when she saw two dark, slender bipedal figures walking on the opposite river trail around a bend. When she reached the riverbank moments later they had vanished with no place to hide except a steep vegetated canyon wall. A radio check confirmed the hiking group had not passed anyone, and when group members later stood at the same spot they looked much smaller and bulkier than the figures.

Full-body sighting
13 August 2002 Pennsboro, Ritchie County, West Virginia Class B #26279

Logging reveals a brief sighting of a bipedal creature near Pennsboro

In late summer 2002 the witness was walking alone on a logged ridge in the early evening and heard a tree fall nearby. Shortly after, the witness saw a very large brown figure lope between trees on the ridge, perceiving only an arm and leg and no head. Days later the witness returned and judged from the tree positions that the figure would have been seven to eight feet tall if human.

Partial sightingUnidentified sound
2001–2002 Onego, Pendleton County, West Virginia Class B #8796

Hunter experiences object throwing and vocalizations near Onego

The witness was climbing a steep ridge before dawn with hunting gear when his light revealed three or four sets of yellow eyes about 60 yards ahead. One set rose vertically and maintained eye contact as the group moved off across a hollow without showing deer traits like a white tail or snort. Shortly after, a heavy object landed near him, which he later interpreted as thrown, followed by guttural vocalizations unlike known wildlife and a skunky odor at a suspected bedding area.

EyeshineVocalizationObject throwingOdor
23 July 2000 Petersburg, Tucker County, West Virginia Class B #203

Possible sighting by a camper near the Dolly Sods Wilderness area

Around midday the witness was walking on a forest road north of a campground when they noticed a distant figure about 300 yards away moving the same direction. The figure appeared uniformly dark from head to toe with no visible skin. It suddenly left the road into brush where no trail existed and did not reappear.

Full-body sighting
August 1998 Capels, McDowell County, West Virginia Class B #1203

Many tracks found and terrible screams heard

A hunter reported seeing a tall, black-haired biped twice at dusk while sitting in non-running vehicles in the woods, and the creature ran each time. The account includes reddish eyes and an estimated height of at least eight feet. The reporter, who did not see the creature, relayed the hunter's description along with related track and scream reports from the same mountain area.

Full-body sighting
10 August 1990 Holden, Logan County, West Virginia Class B #16228

Possible sighting by a security guard at strip mine outside Holden

The witness was working an overnight security shift at a strip mine when he heard movement in brush behind the trailer. Shining a flashlight, he saw a large bipedal animal squatting behind a thicket that covered its face with huge hands before running away. About half an hour later he heard a chilling scream from inside the locked trailer, and he left the mountain for good that night.

Partial sightingScreamFootsteps
1989–1990 Wellsburg, Brooke County, West Virginia Class B #42321

Recollection of a dark figure watching as they recovered their dirt bikes near Wellsburg

Two riders got their bike and 4-wheeler stuck in a pit in a reclaimed strip mine. While working to free them they saw a large brown figure walking along the top of the highwall, crouch down behind a tree and watch them. After about an hour it stood and walked away the way it came, and the riders later left the same direction.

Full-body sightingAnimal behaviour
July 1975 Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia Class B #4237

Three youths have a menacing encounter near Beckley

Three boys were hiking back up a hollow after a day of fishing when they heard rustling on a logging road above them. Large boulders then came down the hillside toward them, prompting them to flee uphill. As they ran, the writer glanced back and saw a large black shape disappearing over the hillside.

Partial sightingRock throwingUnidentified sound