YEAR: 2008

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: June

STATE: Ohio

COUNTY: Columbiana County

LOCATION DETAILS: Beaver Creek State Park, one of the larger pine tree area sites (site 47, 48, or 49)

NEAREST TOWN: Rogers, OH

NEAREST ROAD: State Route 7

OBSERVED: In the month of June 2008 I was camping with my partner and her sister at Beaver Creek State Park, Columbiana County, Ohio. I had camped and hiked in that park since I was a little kid, and felt comfortable there and knew the woods, trails, area well. We had been camping for 2 days, and were on our second evening. We had a campsite in the "pines" side of the campgrounds. In the evening, around 8:30, I went a ways into the woods behind our site to "answer the call of nature" so to speak. While I was going number one I heard a loud crash, it startled me as I thought it sounded like a deer crashing off. I jumped up, and saw a dark very muscular figure hurrying off quickly in the direction diagonal to our site and our camping neighbor. It was very dark, with bulging deltoid muscles. I could not get in my head what the heck was happening, as it was human form but appeared like it had no clothes on, plus black. The figure moved quickly, without reaching up to brush branches away like most people would do going thru the woods. It headed back toward where there's nothing but a steep drop off ravine. I told my girlfriend and her sister, both were scared and wanted to leave. I insisted on staying as I was so fascinated at what I thought I saw. We spent a restless night and got rained out the next morning, quickly waking up before dawn. We haven't camped there since. I now live in Powell, north of Columbus and have only camped at A.W. Marion State Park. Never had an experience like this.

ALSO NOTICED: No other evidence found/heard.

OTHER WITNESSES: They (2) did not see/hear but saw my reaction (shock) afterwards. We were three women peeing in the woods... LOL! maybe attracted a Bigfoot? Often wondered.

OTHER STORIES: Felt strange feelings one other time while hiking alone (with my small dog) near Beaver Creek. Dog stopped at several spots, refused to go on. Had to turn back. This was about 3 years before. Felt "watched" but shrugged off at the time.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Sun was still shining, late in evening about 8:30pm

ENVIRONMENT: Mixed coniferous/deciduous thick brush in back, dry conditions, warm weather

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Amy Bue:

I spoke to the witness by phone and found her credible. The following can be added to this report:

She described the weather as perfect and cool for June.

She gave more information on the figure she saw, saying it was not over 6 foot, and approximately 200 pounds. She said she is not good at estimating weight. It was muscular, but not huge, with arms "like a basketball player--lean with bulging deltoids". It had rounded shoulders, wider than a person's, and was black in color. She described it as being dark, but she was not able to tell if it had hair. She saw no facial features, but she described the head as sort of pointy, narrow, and conical in shape. It didn't have much of a neck, and the head was set down low. She did not notice any hands/paws, and she smelled no odor. She didn't see its legs, or "much below the behind". She did say that she drew a picture of the figure, and that she is looking for it to share with us. It should be noted that the witness is a nurse, so would presumably have a good knowledge of anatomy.The fact that she did not exaggerate the size of the figure lends credibility to her report.

She said the figure was not "super tall", and she judged this later by going back the next day and comparing it to the branches it had been behind. It was about 20-30 feet away from her, When it began to move, it was walking very fast, deliberately swinging its arms. She also described its gait as a trudge. It didn't run, and it walked in a straight line with no weaving. She said its movement was very loud, and that she had noticed that the birds went silent before she saw it. She said it went "crashing through the brush--slapping--and it almost seemed like it wanted to be heard." It originally went to the left, but quickly turned and curved back toward the ravine.

She said her friends wanted to leave after she told them what she saw, but she convinced them to stay. She went back into the woods the following morning, but didn't notice anything unusual. No bedding area or footprints.

Since she originally filed this report, she has gone back camping at this spot a handful of times. (Coincidentally, I met her while camping at Beaver Creek this past summer, but didn't realize it was her that I was calling until we spoke.) She went for three nights this past May, and stayed in sites 47 or 48. She said the first night was quiet, the second night there were noises in the woods, and on the third morning when she went to investigate where those noises came from, she found several bent saplings. I was recently in the area and stopped to see if I could find the bent saplings, but was not able to find them. I could have been looking in the wrong spot, though.

The interview concluded with the witness telling me that she hasn't told a lot of people about what happened, but she is glad to know that she isn't the only person who has experienced something like she did that day.

Other notes: Beaver Creek State Park is heavily wooded with corn fields and some small farms nearby. The creek runs through it.

About BFRO Investigator Amy Bue:

Amy Bue: Language arts teacher and writer in Ohio. After experiencing her own class B sighting in 2012, she became active as a Bigfoot researcher through solo investigations. Now she does investigations with friends and colleagues in several states.
Amy has attended several informal expeditions and investigations at Salt Fork State Park, Beaver Creek State Park, West Branch State Park, and Mohican State Park, as well as in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Washington, among others. She attended and volunteered with the 2018 Southern Ohio BFRO expedition.

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