Search results

280 encounters
September 1998 Town Of Hoadley, Gallia County, Ohio Class A #3767

Late night sighting in Wayne National Forest, off Hoadley Road

The witness was camping with a companion when he repeatedly heard twigs snapping in the woods at night. Around 3:30 a.m. he shone a flashlight into the woods and saw a 7-foot-tall furry figure about 50 feet away with its back turned. After about a minute and a half the figure crouched defensively, and when the witness returned with a gun it was gone and no footprints were found.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
30 May 1998 Dennison/Leesville, Harrison County, Ohio Class B #4950

Sighting by camper in Harrison County near Tappan Lake

The witness was walking around a cabin toward an outhouse just before dawn. About 6-7 feet beyond a makeshift counter she saw peripherally a pewter or dark gray figure moving very rapidly on two feet. She said it made a noise but had no smell. Her companion was awakened afterward and searched but found nothing.

Partial sightingUnidentified sound
24 May 1998 Defiance, Defiance County, Ohio Class A #2902

Man in boat spotting deer witnesses a three to four foot tall biped walking on a log followed by a scream

The witness was traveling up a flooded river by boat in the evening to look for deer. While rounding a bend near piled flood debris, the witness briefly saw a small dark biped walk up a log and disappear. Shortly after noticing nearby deer, the witness heard two very loud screams, the second longer and louder, prompting the deer to flee and the witness to leave.

Partial sightingScream
May 1998 Hoadley, Gallia County, Ohio Class A #3686

Another nighttime incident near Hoadley, off Hoadley Road (Wayne Nat. For.)

The witness and a companion camped in Wayne National Forest over a holiday weekend. After mimicking animal sounds in the evening, the witness stayed awake through the night hearing crashes, footsteps, grunts and mimicking speech, and saw eye shine high off the ground. In the morning the pair found a snapped tree, strong odor, widely spaced ground marks and a five-toed partial print, which the witness attributed to a large visitor.

EyeshineFootstepsVocalizationGrowlUnidentified sound +3
1998 Nelsonville, Athens County, Ohio Related account #26011

Wood knock near Nelsonville, Ohio (1998)

The witness describes an earlier 1998 wood-knocking incident at the same property that led him to carry recording equipment.

Wood knock
7 July 1997 Loudonville, Holmes County, Ohio Class A #3381

A group of canoers see a large, black creature along the river bank

While canoeing down a wooded fork of a river, the group smelled decay and then saw a dark creature watching them from the trees. The creature followed them along the bank, ran ahead to a river bend, splashed and climbed the opposite bank, then later crossed an open clearing. About 20 minutes after the last sighting the group thought they heard shrieks shifting from high to low pitch.

Full-body sightingOdorScream
April 1997 Kent, Portage County, Ohio Class B #4967

Loud vocalizations and other noises heard late at night near railroad tracks.

The witness was working late at night at home with windows open. A loud impact-like bang was heard, followed by three or four loud yells described as non-human and unlike a house pet, seemingly coming from woods behind the apartment complex near railroad tracks. The witness felt the yells resembled descriptions of a possible Bigfoot yell heard at a seminar.

Unidentified soundVocalization
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
Fall 1997 Beaver Creek State Park, Columbiana County, Ohio Class B #7493

Outdoor photographer hears a howl/scream on two separate occasions that were identical to the sounds on the "Sightings" television show.

The witness reported being out with a camera in Beaver Creek State Park on a late afternoon when prolonged howl-like sounds were heard. The sounds lasted several seconds and surrounding wildlife reportedly went silent. The witness later compared the sounds to televised recordings of alleged Bigfoot vocalizations.

Howl
Spring 1997 Utopia, Brown County, Ohio Class C #3386

Loud vocalizations heard

The witness and a companion were in bed at home when their three dogs barked intensely and then fell suddenly silent. Shortly after the silence, the witness heard a loud deep grumbly yell ending deeper that she had never heard before. The companion also said he heard it while half-asleep, and the dogs remained silent afterward.

Vocalization
Summer 1996 Richland County, Ohio Class B #4974

Vocalizations heard near Clearfork Reservoir

Two relatives were doing manual work on a family property when they paused after hearing a loud, distant groan. The witness compared the sound to examples posted on a research site. The witness also reported hearing odd whistling in the same general area on a couple of occasions.

Vocalization
4 July 1995 Boston TWP. Or Boston Heights?, Summit County, Ohio Class A #15885

Possible confrontation with hikers at night in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

The witness and two companions were night-hiking on railroad tracks beside a swamp when they heard a distant high scream and later a much louder close roar. A very large two-legged silhouette with swinging arms and a massive torso then charged through the swamp water toward them. The group fled back toward their car and saw the figure stop at the swamp edge and not follow onto the tracks.

SilhouetteScreamHowl
1995–2003 Trenton, Butler County, Ohio Class A #6804

Two ourtdoorsmen chased by a large bear like biped recount 25+ years of strange occurrences.

The witness and a companion were camping overnight in the woods when they heard an unexplained sound and smelled decaying flesh. They heard something moving toward them and fled to a moonlit clearing where they saw a bipedal creature they first called a bear. The witness fired a shotgun into the air without stopping its approach, then both ran through a creek to a store to call for help. In later years they found broken trees and footprints they attributed to the same creature.

Unidentified soundOdorFootstepsFull-body sightingAnimal behaviour
1995–1996 Ohio #5bd98a2e-60f6-45f3-8cfe-7bb9b69f023e

Footsteps in Ohio (1995)

Six teenagers parked by a blocked trail in Oak Openings late at night to socialize. After a quiet period they heard approaching crunching, loud branch breaking and a massive tree snap, followed by an extremely loud prolonged female-like scream. They all fled on foot back to the car and drove away, too frightened to return.

FootstepsTree breakScream
September 1994 Nelsonville, Athens County, Ohio Class A #4202

Evening sighting by squirrel hunter in woods behind old brick Kilns

The witness was squirrel hunting in thick woods when they walked by an animal about ten feet away without noticing it. The animal then ran off bipedally with a striding gait while making a monkey-like screaming sound. The witness first thought it was a bear but concluded a bear could not run on two feet and called it bigfoot.

Partial sightingScream
June 1993 Fostoria, Hancock County, Ohio Class B #4458

Father and son hear screams identical to the one on the BFRO website.

The witness and a relative awoke before dawn to leave home and heard a loud eerie cry from the direction of a creek and reservoirs. The sound silenced birds and triggered intense barking from many dogs in the area. The relative, described as an experienced hunter, had never heard such a sound. Years later the witness heard a recorded scream that they felt matched what they had heard.

Scream
September 1991 Ashland County, Ohio Class A #3380

Two high school students are chased by large unknown creature

Two high-school companions went to an old single-lane railroad bridge at night to look into stories that it was haunted. While walking toward an abandoned barn they heard approaching rustling, then a loud scream-growl and heavy footsteps. A large shaggy creature reportedly ran at them on all fours, stood up about 15 feet away, and chased them back to their car before leaving when something else came down the road. They returned the next day and found odd-looking footprints.

Full-body sightingScreamGrowlFootstepsMovement only
August 1991 Canton, Stark County, Ohio Class B #17189

Close encounter remembered and possible vocalizations heard and recorded near Minerva

The witness camped alone on pine needles above old coal mines after companions left for the night. Around 3 a.m. he awoke feeling watched to dead silence, then heard loud ape-like screams from both ends of camp at intervals. He saw a very large hairy biped cross the camp about 20 to 30 feet away and felt its steps through the ground. He walked quickly out of the camp and ran to his parents' house once clear of the woods.

Partial sightingScreamFootsteps
24 February 1991 Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio Class A #10925

Four men have a sighting after vocalizations cause them to leave their campsite near Lake Vesuvius

Four companions camping overnight found a large fresh footprint in mud during the afternoon. Late at night they heard prolonged bark-like screams from two directions, then encountered a tall hairy figure at close range with a flashlight. The figure left up a steep bank, and the group retreated to their car while vocalizations followed them and displaced tires blocked the road.

TracksScreamVocalizationPartial sightingEyeshine +2
Summer 1990 Barlow, Washington County, Ohio Class A #7085

Three boys playing games witness a huge creature walking through their front yard

Four children playing a hiding game around a house heard something large running in a nearby thicket. Shortly after, three of them watched a thick, dark, hairy biped stride across the road and down a bank into a cornfield. They ran inside to tell a relative, who laughed. The witness recalled the image vividly years later.

Full-body sightingRoad crossingFootsteps