March 2026 Bigfoot Flap - Portage County Ohio

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Bigfoot roaming Portage County? Several reported sightings within days 

by: Suzanne Stratford 

Posted: Mar 10, 2026 / 10:41 PM EDT 

Updated: Mar 11, 2026 / 02:46 PM EDT 

PORTAGE COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) – Some unusual and frightening sightings in Northeast Ohio have many people talking about and believing in bigfoot.

Multiple reports of a massive creature have been reported in Portage County heading toward Trumbull County.

“It’s normal for there to be bigfoot sightings all over the United States, but it’s not normal to have multiple sightings in a small area within a short number of days,” said Jeremiah Byron, host of the Bigfoot Society Podcast.

Byron has interviewed over 1,000 people about the subject and told FOX 8’s Suzanne Stratford Tuesday that these claims seem sincere.

“They’re shook up, they’re very emotional and just want to stay anonymous,” he said.

The reports started on March 6 with two encounters in Mantua Center, followed by two more on March 9 in Garrettsville.

“A guy and his friend were hiking on the Headwaters Trail and they saw a 10-foot sasquatch,” said Byron. “When it was grunting at them, it turned its head at the shoulders, not neck, which is an important detail that’s crazy.”

An older woman in Windham who did not previously believe in bigfoot also saw something massive run in and out of the woods on March 9.

“It’s a hair-covered creature, it’s on two legs not walking like a bear but like a human would,” said Byron. 

The next report came from Newton Township on March 10 from a man taking his dog outside at 4 a.m.

“Taking his German Shepherd outside, the dog when it gets to the door, it starts freaking out. It lunges towards the wood line, the gentleman looks out there and he sees a large black shadowing figure out in the tree line and it’s about nine to 10 feet tall,” said Byron. “The dog couldn’t stop shaking.”

FOX 8 asked if anyone took pictures or video, but Byron said the encounters were only a few seconds and the people were just outside doing other things and not prepared.

He said a cluster of reports like this has not happened since the 1970s.

One of the most famous incidents occurred in Minerva, Ohio in August 1978 and became known as the Minerva Monster.

A family living on Lincoln Street told FOX 8 they were terrorized by the creature. Multiple witnesses also saw it.

Stark County sheriff’s deputies responded to their calls. They could not find the “animal,” but noted a very strong unusual “musky ammonia” smell in the air.

To this day, the Minerva Monster remains a mystery, just like the current creature in Portage County, said Byron.

“It’s a great question, what is going on here?” said Byron. “I made maps and it seems to be heading towards the east-southeast.”

FOX 8 reached out to local law enforcement to see if any official reports have been filed.

Byron said they are also still investigating.

“The bigfoot community is extremely excited because we thought we’d never live through anything like this again where there’s a massive amount of sightings in such a short amount of time,” he said.