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68 encounters
July 2001 Ohio #05bb12d3-0fab-40e1-b460-80b22920b90b

Odor in Ohio (2001)

During a July camping trip at Beaver Creek State Park, the guest hit trees with a staff and then a strong foul odor appeared. Around 2:30 a.m. a large limb whooshed through still air and thudded near camp. The next night something handled a food box, crackled a tarp, urinated by a tree, left a tarp corner neatly folded, and left a rolled ball of pine pitch on a tent.

OdorUnidentified soundDoor or window contactProperty disturbance
June 2001 Okeana, Butler County, Ohio Class A #4672

Midnight sighting by two witnesses near Okeana

The witness was walking in a backyard at night with one other person. At a distance the witness saw a tall dark figure walking with very long strides and unusually long arms. After the figure passed, a strong unfamiliar bad smell lingered.

Full-body sightingOdor
28 December 2000 Geneva, Ashtabula County, Ohio Class A #1117

Daytime sighting by two witnesses, near Geneva, at the end of Timberwoods Rd

Two companions shoveling snow noticed barefoot-like prints and followed them into the woods. They watched two large greyish furry figures, one pounding and shaking a thin tree and the other digging in snow, while noticing a foul odor. The creatures vocalized and ran off when they noticed the witnesses, who briefly tried to follow before giving up.

Full-body sightingTracksWood knockScreamVocalization +1
September 2000 Tipp City, Miami County, Ohio Class B #257

Mother describes possible observations by children near Tipp City, along Miami River

A woman took three children to play in a shallow river area in the evening. After hearing responsive whistling sounds and a tree being pushed down nearby, the group fled to their vehicle. The child who briefly lagged behind later described seeing a brown hair-covered creature walking toward him.

Full-body sightingWhistleTree breakOdor
September 1998 Butler And Bellville, Richland County, Ohio Class A #4973

Tracks and vocalizations lead to sighting by trappers in Bellville area

Two men checking trap lines on a quiet afternoon in early September 1998 encountered a hair-covered creature at about 100 feet. The creature watched them briefly before running uphill into the forest. The men described brown body hair, a low forehead, small dark eyes, huge hands, a bulky build and a foul odor, then removed their traps and did not return.

Full-body sightingOdor
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
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
October 1996 Boden, Guernsey County, Ohio Class A #8042

Bowhunter turns around to see a creature staring at him almost motionless.

Just past dusk while camping on a bow-hunting trip, the witness went to a portable toilet near camp, smelled a strong odor, and saw a white, wide-shouldered creature staring at him from a short distance. He screamed and waved a shovel, and the creature sprinted down into the ravine, breaking branches. The next day he and his companion found large footprints leading toward the ravine.

Full-body sightingOdorMovement only
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
September 1993 Donnelsville, Clark County, Ohio Class A #1750

Large furry head about 12" by 18" looked in the back door.

On a warm dark night in late summer 1993, five people inside a relative's house saw a large furry head peer through the back-door window for a few seconds before disappearing. After going outside, the witness stepped in a large pile of fresh scat and noticed a strong unpleasant odor. Nothing else was seen or heard that night.

Partial sightingOdorScat
June 1988 Sandyville, Tuscarawas County, Ohio Class B #4980

Night sighting near Sandyville

Four young people went to a collapsed train tunnel late at night and sat on top of the entrance. They reported an overpowering odor, snapping twigs, loud crashing through trees, a low growl, heavy footsteps they could feel, and a loud thud. As they ran back to their car, the reporter glimpsed huge hairy legs and a large hand with long dark nails, then they drove away quickly after the car lurched.

Partial sightingGrowlFootstepsMovement onlyOdor +1
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
June 1985 Twin Valley, Scioto County, Ohio Class A #5229

Man recalls seeing a strange bipedal animal during his one and only hunting trip

The witness, then 15, was squirrel hunting with two relatives in forested hills when he descended into a hollow and saw a dark brown creature sitting on a large rock. The creature stood on two legs and ran off quickly while walking noises were heard on both sides and a strong odor filled the air. The group left the area shortly after at the father's urging.

Full-body sightingFootstepsOdor
October 1983 Byhalia, Union County, Ohio Class B #4981

Late night encounter by Coon hunters near Byhalia

The witness was following dogs while hunting raccoons in the woods with a party. A loud scream, loud crashing noises, and an awful smell were encountered. The dogs returned scared to the trucks, with one smelling of skunk.

ScreamOdorUnidentified sound
October 1980 Goes, Hocking County, Ohio Class A #3920

Hunters have several encounters near Ash Cave State Park

A hunting party spent a fall day along a gasline, noticing a putrid odor and a large bare footprint in the morning. In the afternoon two members heard heavy movement circling in brush, and one moved closer and watched part of a tall dark figure step from behind a tree. The observer described a seven-foot-tall heavily built figure with long arms, no visible neck, and reddish eyes. The pair left the area and discussed the sighting on the drive home.

Partial sightingMovement onlyOdorTracks
August 1980 Ironton, Lawrence County, Ohio Class A #7940

Bother and sister are followed by a brown, hairy creature walking on two legs

The witness walked to help a relative who had run out of gas near a creek bed, where both noticed a foul smell and movement in the weeds. As they left on foot, the witness saw a tall, thick-haired biped approaching quickly and both ran toward home while it followed without catching them. When they reached their driveway they turned and saw it running into roadside weeds before going inside.

Full-body sightingOdorMovement only
August 1980 Russell Township, Geauga County, Ohio Class A #3301

Daytime sighting in a wooded area a few miles east of Interstate 271

Two children testing walkie-talkies in dense woods noticed a dark-faced figure watching them from behind a fallen tree. After several minutes of it shifting position and studying them, they backed away, saw it rise and place its hands on the trunk, then screamed and ran. They heard a loud crack and glimpsed the black, powerfully built biped running away almost silently.

Partial sightingFull-body sightingAnimal behaviourFootstepsOdor
July 1980 Clarksburg, Ross County, Ohio Class A #7133

Father, son and cousin enounter a large hair covered creature while wading through a creek

While wading and fishing with two relatives in summer 1980, the witness reported a strong rotten odor followed by sighting of a tall hairy figure standing in brush on the creek bank. The figure, visible from the waist up, turned its head to look at the group, after which all three left the creek and walked to their car. The father reportedly identified it aloud as Bigfoot.

Partial sightingOdor
July 1980 Nelsonville, Athens County, Ohio Class A #7803

Three college students witness a large creature standing just off of the railroad tracks.

Three college students walked back to their dorms along railway tracks at night after buying snacks. Ahead of them a dark shape crossed the tracks and briefly blocked a distant streetlight. A short distance later they smelled a strong wet-dog odor and the reporter saw a tall creature at close range with shining eyes. The group fled to their dorm, later drove back for another look without approaching closely, and the reporter retrieved dropped groceries the next day.

SilhouetteEyeshineOdorPartial sighting
September 1978 Tallmadge, Summit County, Ohio Class A #7431

Nine year old playing hide and seek comes face to face with a small ape-like creature

The witness, then nine years old, went outside at dusk during a hide-and-seek game to look for siblings in a pine grove behind the house. The witness followed glimpsed movement around the trees, then saw a small dark-faced figure with large eyes watching through a pine and moving to keep eye contact. A high-pitched noise sounded from the trees, the figure ran away, and the witness ran back to the house.

Partial sightingUnidentified soundOdor