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44 encounters
October 2005 Arcadia, Charlotte County, Florida Class B #27587

Couple hears an unusual scream while camping overnight on the Peace River

A couple canoed to a secluded riverbed camp and set up torches for the night. After dark they heard distant splashing followed by a long loud scream that shifted from high-pitched to angry and low. Frightened, the husband retrieved a gun and they remained uneasy through the night with no further incident.

ScreamGrowl
15 June 2005 Middleburg, Clay County, Florida Class A #21879

Teens have very Close Encounter with Creature

The witness and two young companions were fishing on a private wooded property around noon. When the witness approached palmettos to check a noise, he saw eyes, heard a growl, and watched the creature stand to about nine feet tall. The group fled and returned hours later to find food and fish missing, poles scattered, and their shirts draped high in a live oak.

Full-body sightingGrowlOdorProperty disturbance
March 2005 Esto, Holmes County, Florida Class B #23399

Possible night-time visit at campsite near Esto

The witness and a companion camped in thick woods and settled in their tent for the night. After about an hour they heard loud thuds like heavy footsteps circling the campsite and limbs breaking, approaching within a few feet of the tent. They then heard deep gorilla-like grunts before the sounds moved away toward a creek, and they remained in the tent frightened until daylight without seeing anything.

FootstepsGrowlTree break
July 2003 Sanford, Seminole County, Florida Class B #44404

Memory told of a possible night encounter while camping near Sanford

The witness and a relative left camp near a lake at night to collect firewood in a clearing. The witness heard a growl and then saw a tall dark upright figure that stood up and shook small trees. The relative came over, then both fled back to camp. The witness said the figure did not match any identifiable animal and fit descriptions of Bigfoot.

Partial sightingSilhouetteGrowl
June 1987 Immokalee, Collier County, Florida Class B #20420

Possible nightime encounter near Lake Trafford

Late at night the witness's family was at home when a dog outside sounded distressed. A relative went out, saw a large shadow by the shed, retrieved a firearm, then saw something flee down the driveway and fired, after which a loud growl-howl was heard followed by silence. The next morning the family found unfamiliar footprints and believed the visitor had leapt across a nearby canal.

SilhouetteMovement onlyGrowlHowlUnidentified sound +1
10 April 1987 Cassia, Lake County, Florida Class A #32249

Memory told of close encounters while working as a fence contractor near Cassia

The crew was camped on the bank of Blackwater Creek eating dinner when a splash revealed their cooler in the creek was missing. Shortly after, a companion returned shaken saying something had watched him from across the creek. The witness shone a spotlight across the narrow creek and the group saw a large hair-covered biped stand up, its eyes shining, block the light with its forearm, vocalize, and flee. The men then left for a motel for the remainder of the job.

Full-body sightingEyeshineGrowlHowlOdor +1
June 1984 Pasco County, Florida Class A #737

creature seen in an open field by witness.

The witness group was in an open field when they heard a howling/growling noise from the tree line. They approached and saw a creature crouched down that then stood about eight feet tall before running quickly toward a swamp. They did not follow into the swamp but found bark shredded from the tree where it had been.

Full-body sightingHowlGrowlTree break
26 August 1983 Orlando, Orange County, Florida Class B #34787

Memory told of hearing a loud breathing-growl while camping at Disney's Fort Wilderness

The witness was awake alone inside a pop-up camper at night while relatives were away and two children slept. She heard very loud heavy breathing and growling immediately outside an open window about seven feet off the ground. She shouted for it to leave, the sound stopped at once, and the children woke. She later inferred the source must have been 7 to 8 feet tall and believes it may have been a Bigfoot looking into the camper.

Growl
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
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
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
BFRO YEAR: 1998 & 1999 Edgewater, Volusia County, Florida Class B #747

1. loud vocalization sounds woke sleeping couple. 2. family dog found injured

In the fall of 1998 two witnesses were asleep at home when they were awakened around 10 p.m. by two extremely loud vocalizations, first a growl and then a rising scream that felt as if it was inside the room. Their two dogs were too frightened to move, and a check outside found nothing.

GrowlScream
BFRO YEAR: 2002; 2007 Hosford, Wakulla County, Florida Class B #67296

Vocalizations heard and nests found in remote part of Ochlockonee River bottom

Around 2002 the witness was hunting alone from a tree stand in river-bottom woods during an afternoon hunt. After a prolonged silence and faint squabbling sounds, just after dark he heard a loud piercing call immediately followed by a deep prolonged growl, repeated three times at closer range while a deer moved past. He called out, scanned with lights with his rifle ready, saw nothing, then left quickly when a boat arrived.

VocalizationGrowl
Prior to this Hawthorne, Putnam County, Florida Related account #24893

Growl near Hawthorne, Florida

A relative walked toward the coop, was growled at, retrieved a firearm, and the source left.

Growl
last year when it was cool enough to sit around a fire Mulberry, Polk County, Florida Related account #12732

Growl near Mulberry, Florida

The witness, her spouse, and neighbors heard an unfamiliar growl or deep groan from the woods while sitting by a fire.

Growl
Last fall Turkey hunt Zephyrhills, Polk County, Florida Related account #25129

Howl near Zephyrhills, Florida

During a previous turkey hunt the witness and a companion heard an unfamiliar loud vocalization described as between a howl and a guttural growl.

HowlGrowl
four weeks later Ocala National Forest (Fort McCoy) Fl, Marion County, Florida Related account #32332

Growl near Ocala National Forest (Fort McCoy) Fl, Florida

The witness says he returned heavily armed, heard distant growls at first dark, fired his weapon, then left as something moved through a clearing pushing pines apart.

GrowlMovement only
before season started Greenville, Madison County, Florida Related account #32302

Growl near Greenville, Florida

The witness and a companion heard the same loud noise again while walking in a swamp bottom during a later scouting trip.

Growl
Date unknown Greenville, Madison County, Florida Related account #32302

Growl near Greenville, Florida

The witness alone heard a very loud deep growl/exhale twice from a thicket while hunting along a railroad.

Growl
BFRO YEAR: 76 Esto, Holmes County, Florida Class A #115

Young girls have daylight sighting near their home

The witness and a relative went to a play hut at the edge of the woods just after daybreak. They noticed a foul odor, heard something large moving and growling, and hid in a nearby gully. They then watched a very tall, broad, brownish-red haired biped with human-like shape approach the hut from 50 to 70 feet away before turning and walking away, after which they ran home.

Full-body sightingGrowlOdorFootsteps