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234 encounters
March 1983 Bradenton, Manatee County, Florida Class A #25978

Bluff charge by a sasquatch at sunrise on Manatee River, 30 miles south of Tampa

The witness returned early in the morning to a familiar fishing spot by a river. A large hair-covered creature stepped onto the trail, noticed the witness, and ran toward them. The witness climbed over a tall fence to escape and was confronted face-to-face across the fence before fleeing along the fence line as the creature chased from the other side until it was stopped by dense vegetation.

Full-body sightingGrowlFootsteps
November 1981 Perry, Fla, Taylor County, Florida Class B #28263

Man recalls his terrifying encounter near the Econfino State Park while camping with his family

The witness and relatives were sleeping in lean-tos at a family hunting camp when the witness was awakened by shouting and gunfire. A relative said a tall, hairy figure had loomed over the shelter and then fled into the woods with loud crashing sounds. The group reported a strong foul odor around the camp and wood knocks shortly afterward, then left at sunrise.

Partial sightingVocalizationOdorMovement onlyWood knock
October 1981 Casselberry, Seminole County, Florida Class B #1079

Foot steps heard in wood line. Weeks later more sounds heard

Two companions walking at night to a school dance heard loud crashing steps near a wooded sanctuary. They turned and saw two trees being parted high above the ground. The witness states he never saw the source and both fled home in fear.

FootstepsMovement only
15 August 1981 Inglis, Levy County, Florida Class B #430

Brothers hear howl while trailblazing

Two brothers were trailblazing through dense brush at the edge of a marshy swamp in the morning when they heard a very deep, loud howl that echoed. The sound then changed to match a purported Bigfoot scream recording the witness knew, continuing for about half an hour. They also believed they heard a faint answering call from elsewhere in the swamp.

HowlScreamVocalization
1981 Florida #http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bigfoothotspot/2014/02/17/sc-ep17-ten-feet-away-from-a-sasquatch

Unidentified sound in Florida (1981)

The witness had spent years hiking and riding in groves near the Everglades. One night in 1981 he walked a wooded trail and heard a strange sound, then footsteps that paralleled him and then chased him as he ran toward lights. He escaped to a condominium and later to a friend's house, concluding he had been chased by a skunk ape.

Unidentified soundFootsteps
July 1980 NAPLES, Collier County, Florida Class B #13889

Man describes incidents in teen years in swamp area outside Naples

The witness and two companions were exploring a swampy wooded area when they found a large steel cage trap baited with fresh meat. After noticing a foul musty odor, they heard a very loud roar from behind them and fled as a large log flew over their heads. They ran home to tell the witness's mother and stayed out of those woods for a long time.

VocalizationObject throwingOdor
Spring 1980 Orlando, Orange County, Florida Class A #1275

Bigfoot rips door off of home. Witness has to flee from home

Late one night the witness was sitting on the porch at home alone with a dog when something was heard breaking through brush. The witness went inside for a rifle, heard the thing move to the back of the house and try the door, then fled through an orange grove, fell into a swamp and lost the rifle. After looking back and seeing a creature, the witness reached the road and got help, and friends later found the back door torn off.

Partial sightingUnidentified soundDoor or window contactProperty disturbanceOdor
1980–1981 Lady Lake, Lake County, Florida Class B #13976

Possible tracks and sounds outside a home near Lady Lake

As a child staying at a relative's house near lakes and woods, the witness heard growling, snorting and footsteps outside a bedroom window late at night and stayed in bed frightened. The noises lasted several minutes. The next morning the witness found two very large human-like bare footprints in a sand pile in the driveway and measured them, but relatives dismissed them. The witness now interprets the incident as involving a bigfoot.

GrowlVocalizationFootstepsTracks
November 1977 Naranja Near Homestead Fla., Dade County, Florida Class A #21951

Man describes figure looking into window outside Homestead

In fall 1977 a teen woke just before sunrise and looked out his screened window, exchanging grunts with something outside that made the screen vibrate. He and his father then went outside and watched a very large hair-covered creature near the woods that faced them before running into the woods, breaking two small pines as it left. The next day a neighbor reported seeing the creature as well.

Full-body sightingVocalizationTree break
October 1977 Palm Harbor, Pinellas County, Florida Class A #47378

Memory told of a close nighttime encounter while hunting rabbits in a rural backyard near Palm Harbor

Late one night the witness and his father turned on yard floodlights to shoot rabbits. The witness saw a stocky fur-covered biped rise from a crouch near the treeline about 30 yards away and stride rapidly into the pine forest with its head tilted to the left. The father, facing the opposite way, only heard loud crashing exit sounds, and both later heard distant hunting dogs barking in an unusually agitated way.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
November 1975 Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida Class A #16683

Daylight sighting at edge of woods near fishing hole outside Jacksonville

The witness had carried fishing gear to a creek and walked back to the parked car for more equipment when footsteps in the woods stopped. He turned toward the sound and saw a tall hair-covered figure at the woods edge pushing a branch aside. He called to two companions at the fishing spot, and when he looked back the figure was gone as loud footfalls moved rapidly away through the woods.

Partial sightingFootsteps
15 January 1975 Coral Springs, Broward County, Florida Class A #592

Two witnesses observed a large, black-brown human-like form between Wiles Rd. and Sample Rd

The witness and a relative were playing in a vacant lot across a narrow canal from a wooded area with a dirt-bike trail. They heard grunting and movement in bushes beside a large tree and saw a large black-brown human-like figure near the tree. The figure reportedly snapped a thick branch at its base with ease, then ran into the woods knocking down small trees.

Full-body sightingVocalizationTree breakMovement only
December 1974 Ocala, Lake County, Florida Class B #27778

Possible late night campsite intrusion in the Ocala National Forest

As a teenager camping with relatives in Ocala National Forest, the witness slept apart in a sleeping bag on the ground. After falling asleep, the witness awoke to bipedal footsteps entering the camp and heavy breathing with deep sniffs very close to the head. The witness lay still in terror, sensing the intruder watching, until it left silently and normal night sounds resumed. Nothing was seen or smelled, and no tracks were checked.

FootstepsUnidentified sound
September 1974 Lakeland, Polk County, Florida Class A #11812

Twilight sighting on the west side of Lakeland

Two people were sitting outside watching the sunset when they heard muffled tapping like wood being chopped from behind a house across the street. They stood to look and then watched a very large upright monkey-like animal climb a pine, jump to another tree, pause briefly, and jump down from an estimated 20 feet.

Full-body sightingWood knock
20 July 1974 Davie, Broward County, Florida Class A #44837

Years of South Florida Skunk Ape stories supported by witness accounts and newspaper articles

In July 1974 the witness and his older cousin were staying overnight in a relative's sitting room in southern Florida. Late at night under floodlights they watched a tall hairy biped outside the picture window scream, then walk around the property while they followed it from window to window. They saw it eat a watermelon with both hands and scoop water to drink before leaving on a wooded trail.

Full-body sightingScreamAnimal behaviour
1974–1976 Waukeena East Of Tallahassee, Jefferson County, Florida Class A #40784

Memory told of a large hairy biped approaching a family as they dumped their garbage near Waukeenah

Relatives stopping at a communal trash dump in daylight saw a very large, naked, reddish-brown hair-covered male figure emerge from the tree line about 70 feet away. The figure growled and grunted as it approached quickly to within about 30 feet, emitting a strong rotten odor. The family retreated to their car and drove away. The reporter states he was reportedly present but has no memory of the incident.

Full-body sightingGrowlVocalizationOdor
1974 Davie, Florida #http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bigfoothotspot/2017/02/03/sc-ep295-the-creature-was-hit-by-the-police-car

Sasquatch sighting near Davie, Florida (1974)

A few nights later a loud scream and shotgun blasts came from a cattle rancher's property. While following a deputy's patrol car, the witnesses saw the creature run from the dark and be struck, stopping the car. It got up limping, struck the hood, screamed, and left toward the swamp. At the pasture the prize bull was found dead with its torso in one place and head about 100 yards away, followed by an all-night search with dogs and helicopters that found nothing.

Full-body sightingVehicle contactProperty disturbanceScream
1974 Davie, Florida #http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bigfoothotspot/2017/02/03/sc-ep295-the-creature-was-hit-by-the-police-car

Sasquatch sighting near Davie, Florida (1974)

Around 3 a.m. the dogs reacted, floodlights came on, and a huge shadow crossed the wall. The witness peeked out the front picture window and saw a very tall hairy biped that flexed and screamed. It then walked along the fence, ate a wild watermelon, drank from a neighbor's man-made lake, and left toward the swamp. Next morning large footprints were found but were trampled before casting.

Full-body sightingScreamTracks
May 1973 The Closest Town Would Have Been Naples. But We Thought It Was Too Far To Lodge Or Get A Meal., Collier County, Florida Class A #2856

Construction worker has startling encounter outside hunting cottage

The witness and a relative camped overnight at two unfinished houses in swampy pine woods while on a work assignment. After dark by a campfire the witness saw eyes and then watched a tall upright figure cross an open area and take bacon left near the fire. The witness retreated into the house, retrieved rifles, and kept watch through the night. No usable tracks were found the next morning.

Full-body sightingOdorUnidentified sound
29 July 1972 Chuluota, Seminole County, Florida Class A #37304

Best friends recall watching their dirt bike being canvassed by a hairy biped while camping at Lake Mills

Two companions were sleeping at a lakeside camp when one was awakened around 4 a.m. by snapping brush. A tall reddish-brown furry biped entered camp, bent over a parked motorcycle and gently touched it with both hands while ignoring the witnesses, then stood and walked away through thick brush. The witnesses waited, fled on the motorcycle, and later returned by car to retrieve their gear.

Full-body sightingFootsteps