YEAR: 2002

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: May

DATE: 16 to 26

STATE: Ohio

COUNTY: Athens County

LOCATION DETAILS: North of State Route 50 on Haga Ridge Road.

NEAREST TOWN: Stewart

NEAREST ROAD: Haga Ridge Road

OBSERVED: This is the second track find we have had since 1999. The first sighting I was contacted and I sent photos to a person who called on the phone. He was supposed to come and check it out, but never did. Okay, we have had more activity on our property and this time there are two three different sets of footprints, like a family so to speak. There is one that is very small like a young one. About two weeks ago, my mother told me to look at some footprints outside, I did not get a chance until today (May 26, 2002), the first thing we seen when going outside was our bird feeder had been bent all the way over, as to if something had pulled it down to get the birdseed. We have two of them almost side by side, the other one wasn't touched. We took the bird feeder and metal pole that it sat on inside the house. I then went back outside to look for the prints, I had found several prints ranging about seven to just over twelve inches. The toes seemed to be dug in more than the heels. What they did was follow a ravine up through our front yard, which is mud and sandstone. When it rains water goes down through there and we believe they must have been following the path down into the ravine below. The dogs bark constantly around here, and my toddler couldn't sleep one of those nights, he kept saying "Rarrs" which in toddler language at least his, means monster. He must have heard something outside his window, maybe a sound they make or something in that nature? The first time I submitted photos, they asked about seeing red eyes. My mother seen three sets of these eyes, and also heard the screaming, she was a born and raised country girl, so she knows what sounds are what in the country. She said she never heard anything like that in her life and made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. After hearing the sounds she quickly came in the house. She felt they were really close because of the loudness of the scream. Anyway, I hope someone can get out here quick, since we feel the bird feeder was destroyed by the track makers and they may destroy something else. As far as seeing them personally, we haven't yet.

ALSO NOTICED: The dogs have been very excitable.

OTHER WITNESSES: My mother and son.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: The day I saw the tracks was partly cloudy with some sun.

ENVIRONMENT: We live up on a ridge, that at one time was logged so we have a big driveway so to speak that is nothing but mud and sandstone. Wayne National Forest borders the back of our 80 acres.

Follow-up investigation report:

**** Follow up provided by SP of Ohio ****

During a visit to the property approximately three weeks after the report was submitted, the following was discovered and/or observed:
- The tracks were weathered to varying degrees but many still showed five distinct toes. There were one set of three tracks along the tree line that were sheltered and of impressive quality. The track (see photo below) measurements were 16 1/4 x 7 3/4 x 5.
- The teenage son had encountered a white colored creature standing behind a tree in November of 2001 while jogging along a logging road in the back of the property. The height was in excess of seven feet tall at a distance of about 50 feet. After a few moments of looking at each other, the creature growled and he fled back to the trailer. The mother and grandmother had been consistently discouraging and dismissing this event on the assumption that, as they put it, "The Abominable Snowman lived in another country."

• Explanation of the report classification system
• Submit a report for the sightings database
• Please send any comments or inquiries to ContactUs@BFRO.net