Portage County’s never exactly been a hotspot for tourism. The county seat, Ravenna, was once where the Army made World War II’s best TNT. To this day the plant’s contaminated, but still standing, wisely, while the feds try to clean it up.
But the Bigfoot Field Research Organization says Portage County is first in Ohio with 13 reported encounters with the big, hairy fella. Neighboring Geauga County has seven, including an alleged sighting last year by a family still looking for their cat.
That makes the area prime hunting space for the Ohio Bigfoot Organization, whose members venture deep into the forests about twice a month to investigate sightings, noises, footprints, pretty much anything to feed the chase.
Most accounts, say founder Paul Mitchell, come from jokesters and whack jobs. They tell him they’re living Harry and the Hendersons, or that they shot one and won’t give up the body until enough money’s wired to their Swiss bank account. “A big part of the job is just weeding that out,” he says.
But a tiny percentage yields the base of squishy evidence which sustains the hunt. Mitchell himself gushes over tales of huge beds of matted brush, and farmers catching eight-foot apelike beings plundering their apple trees. “It may not be too long now,” he says.
He became interested in Bigfoot two years ago. On a camping trip in Guernsey County, he was jerked awake before sunrise by a deep, unfamiliar howling sound. He followed it for several minutes until it died out. “It was so loud,” he says. “There was no way it could have been a man.” He discovered similar recordings on the BFRO website, and has been on the trail ever since.
“Talk to the park rangers,” says Mitchell. “They’ll tell you they’re there.” — Jason Nedley
This article appears in Jul 25-31, 2007.
I think the southern part of ohio is a lot more “prime hunting†ground than portage county. Portage is too developed and loss too much woods and habitate that could support these creatures.
I never said anything remotely similar to farmers catching one of these creatures, save for “catching” a glance. Surprisingly, a 45 minute interview effectuates this unscrupulous, scurrilous reporting. Where are the names of the scientists, Jason? The mention of the categorical national database?
The semblance of reputable reporting? All gone, I’m afraid.
http://www.bfro.net
http://www.ohiobigfootorganization.blogspot.com
Interesting if that is indeed Paul Mitchel.
I noticed that this “journalist” had preconcieved idea’s which kind of disqualified him from objective reporting
I believe it. In Nelson there are caves and the arsenal is huge and civilians are not allowed in. Not to Mention all of the wetlands , game preserves and swamps. They are very abundant
maybe there wouldnt be so much sightings of the animal if people would stop taking woodland away to build houses, i believe that bigfoot is just like the coyote, people really never saw the coyote until construction crews started taking woodland away from the animals, they have nothing but small areas of woodland to roam and are being forced into the urban community, where i live back in the early 90s a community behind my house was nothing but alot of miles of woodland then people came in and forced alot of the animals out of there and now are living in this small section of woodland, i have found alot of coyote tracks marks ive seen the coyote, ive also seen bigfoot in the section, my friends and i have seen him ive tracked him i have a plastered foot print of bigfoot 14 inches long and thats the second smallest print, im not saying where i live because i want to keep him concealed from the public, dealing with poachers and reporters and just to keep people safe from the animal because he has killed 3 coyotes
If you see one, keep it to yourself! And if you happen to be lucky enough, just fill blessed to see one! You dont have to reveal it to the Government or prove it to those who doubt… The authorities already know and has made it known in the state of Washington of their exsistance! Thats good enough for me!