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83 encounters
October 1996 Alexander Springs, Ocala Nat. Forest,Aster, Lake County, Florida Class B #1480

3am observation in Alexander Springs (Ocala Nat. Forest) of tall upright animal. Coolers ransacked

The witness and a companion were camping in a tent at Alexander Springs. After playing cards until about 3 a.m., the companion fell asleep while the witness lay awake. The witness heard surrounding animal sounds fall silent, smelled a skunk-like odor, saw a tall upright shadow on the tent wall and heard a grunt-like noise. In the morning the coolers had been ransacked, and the pair left the campground early the next night after feeling uneasy.

SilhouetteVocalizationOdorProperty disturbanceMovement only
March 1995 Florida City Everglades National Park, Monroe County, Florida Class A #36218

Early morning encounter during a rest stop near Florida City

Two friends drove into the Everglades park in the early morning and parked at a pine habitat to nap in their car. They were awakened by an ape-like animal looking into the tinted windows, touching the car, and then rummaging through a nearby dumpster for an extended period while emitting a strong rotten odor. The animal eventually walked away howling, and the witnesses drove to Flamingo where they reported the encounter to rangers.

Full-body sightingVehicle contactProperty disturbanceOdorHowl
18 December 1994 Fasevile Ga, Gadsden County, Florida Class A #246

Daylight sighting by hunter near FL / GA border

In 1994 the witness was hunting on a farm in Florida when a strong foul odor was noticed. Shortly after turning a curve, the witness saw a tall brown bipedal animal about 40 yards away that turned and ran very quickly into the woods. A deep grunt-like vocalization was also heard. The witness did not shoot, citing uncertainty about what it was.

Full-body sightingOdorVocalization
7 July 1994 Live Oak, Suwannee County, Florida Class A #14427

Man recalls having a dead rabbit thrown at him while riding his ATV near Live Oak

The witness was walking a logging-road loop with two dogs in the afternoon when the woods went quiet and the dogs froze. About 50-60 yards uphill the witness saw a very large shape standing among oaks and brush. The shape grabbed and shook two oak trees and made a loud wailing scream, after which the dogs disappeared and the witness left quickly for the house.

Partial sightingScreamOdorAnimal behaviour
Spring 1989 Oak Hill, Volusia County, Florida Class A #746

Sighting by two newspaper deliverymen around 3:30 a.m

Two witnesses delivering newspapers stopped their pickup on a rural dirt road around 3:30am after seeing a large hairy ape-like figure standing in the headlights. The figure began to approach the truck and witnesses felt its midsection was clearly not a bear or other known animal. Both noted an overwhelming cabbage-like odor that caused one witness to gag.

Full-body sightingOdorAnimal behaviour
Summer 1988 Venice, Sarasota County, Florida Class A #12587

Daylight sighting by fishermen near Venice

Two brothers were fishing from a john boat when they noticed a tall, reddish-brown hairy figure at the edge of the palmettos crouched and drinking water from its hands. The figure stared at them without making any sound and then left quietly. The witnesses reported a musky odor, fled to shore, and never returned to the pond.

Full-body sightingOdor
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
November 1986 Lake Butler, Union County, Florida Class B #23498

Bow hunter describes possible tracks, sounds and scat north of Lake Butler

The witness was archery hunting from a ground blind near a hog wallow when he heard close grunting and breathing that he could not see. After the sounds stopped he inspected the area and found very large scat and large deep tracks leading to and away from the scat. He first assumed hogs and then a very large bear made the sign, but later judged the scat too large for a Florida black bear.

VocalizationTracksScatOdor
December 1985 Tavares, Lake County, Florida Class A #14118

Night time sighting by motorist on CR 448 near Lake Jem

Late at night while driving home from a night shift, the witness saw a very tall, hairy, dark creature cross the county road in front of her car and disappear into vegetation. She observed it in her headlights from about 50 yards as it moved upright on two legs with swinging arms. After passing the spot she noticed a strong foul odor like road-kill in the air.

Full-body sightingRoad crossingOdor
October 1984 St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida Class A #1003

Two horseback riders see hairy creature

Two companions were riding horses south alongside railroad tracks when they noticed a foul odor, breaking branches, restless horses, and the sound of movement on the track rocks. They then saw a single slim, reddish-brown hair-covered figure standing in a partial crouch in the middle of the tracks about 150 yards away, watching them. The witnesses struggled to control their horses and left the area without returning.

Full-body sightingOdorFootstepsUnidentified sound
6 June 1984 Ruskin, Hillsborough County, Florida Class A #1061

June 1984 Manatee County FL Late evening sighting by 9 yr/old camper off Little Manatee River in Ruskin

The witness was camping by a river when a foul odor woke him in the middle of the night. He turned on a flashlight and heard something moving through nearby palms. He briefly saw the upper back and head of a large dark-haired animal as it ran away.

Partial sightingOdorMovement only
November 1983 Naples, Collier County, Florida Class A #607

while hunting hogs near a cypress bayhead, witness saw a dark brown/black bi-pedal creature.

The witness was hunting hogs alone between two cypress bayheads when a dark object at the treeline stood on two legs and turned to face them. They watched it for about 10 to 15 seconds before it went into the bayhead. Afterwards they found a lingering foul odor and bent grass at the spot but no bare dirt for tracks, and did not follow it.

Full-body sightingOdor
7 July 1983 N. Ft. Myers/Riverdale, Lee County, Florida Class B #20333

Possible Nighttime Encounter by Girls on Horseback north of Ft. Myers

The witness and a companion were riding horses at night along a dirt road bordered by ditches, woods and pastures when the horses became nervous. The witness heard something moving parallel to them in the woods, keeping pace even as they urged the horses from a gallop to a full run across several fence lines. The parallel movement stopped where the woods ended at the edge of the witness's property. A later search by truck found where something had been, but the creature was never seen.

FootstepsOdor
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
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
August 1979 Ochopee, Collier County, Florida Class A #7205

Morning sighting by carpenter crew near Ochopee

A work crew waiting on the roof of a house in early daylight watched a tall hairy figure come out of the basement and walk upright toward nearby trees. The figure then squatted about 40 yards away facing the crew without sound before standing, looking west, and vanishing within a few steps. The crew later noted a foul odor and a makeshift sleeping spot of clothes, rags, weeds and fur under the basement stairs.

Full-body sightingOdor
Fall 1979 Dunnellon, Marion County, Florida Class B #7692

Possible brush nest, tracks, smell, noticed by DeMolay teens visiting rural home Dunellon

Three teenagers walked down a dirt road at night to take time-exposure photos of stars away from house lights. They noticed a strong foul odor and an unusual silence, became frightened, and ran back to the house. The next morning they returned and found an area of flattened brush and a very large footprint in damp soil nearby, which they photographed in black-and-white before having to leave.

OdorTracksStructure or nest
5 October 1977 Marion County, Florida Class A #726

A hitchhiker reports seeing a bigfoot in a forested area off U.S. 441

A hitchhiker reported encountering a Bigfoot-like creature in a lightly wooded area south of Belleview in darkness. The creature was described as taller than the six-foot witness, brown and black in color, with a horrible garbage-like odor. The account comes from a 1977 newspaper article which notes the sighting was not substantiated.

Partial sightingOdor
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