Bigfoot Sightings In Ohio The Grassman
by EricDockett
BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS IN OHIO: THE GRASSMAN
BIGFOOT IN OHIO
If you live in Ohio you probably think Bigfoot is the last guy you're going to see while out for a walk in the woods, but sightings of the elusive beast are on the rise in your state. It turns out Ohio is a favorite haunt of the big hairy guy. In fact, according to the BFRO Geographical Database, Ohio trails only such notorious Bigfoot hotspots as California, Oregon, Washington and Florida in reported sightings.
This might be surprising to some, but as we'll see there are good reasons Bigfoot may be lurking in Ohio. Like any wild animal, Bigfoot requires food, shelter and safety, and he is able to find these things in abundance in the Buckeye State.
Grassman sightings in Ohio go back nearly 150 years, and the state is now a Bigfoot hotspot. Source: kzinn / morgueFile Bigfoot is also spotted in many other eastern states such as Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Virginia. This brings up more than a few questions about how the creature remains hidden, evades capture and has dodged the errant bullets of hunters for so long.
It turns out Bigfoot may be smarter, stealthier and more resourceful that we ever imagined, and he may be hiding right in our backyards. Here's a look at how the creature may be getting by in the state of Ohio.
THE GRASSMAN LEGEND
For almost 150 years Ohio residents have witnessed a creature called the Grassman lurking about rural farms and fields. The Grassman is a monster alleged to inhabit Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, and looking back at reports it is almost certainly a Sasquatch. The first sightings occurred in 1869, where witnesses described it as a large, hairy, bipedal creature up to nine feet tall.
The beast allegedly eats wheat and other tall grasses, hence the name, but this is a food source we would expect an omnivore like Bigfoot to take advantage of if given the chance. Some researchers theorize that the Bigfoot population in more agricultural areas of Ohio may have adapted to consuming cereal crops. This too would make sense, as planted crops would provide an easy source of food for an enterprising Sasquatch.
The Grassman has been reported to share many characteristics similar to Bigfoot, but the grass-eating thing is not the only difference. For instance, the Grassman has also been spotted in groups, where most Bigfoot sightings are of a single individual. And, like the Skunk Ape in the south, the Grassman is reported to give off a strong odor.
But there are traditional Bigfoot reports from the state as well. If Bigfoot is as abundant in Ohio as many experts believe we have to assume it's not because of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the state's strong college football tradition. Bigfoot needs food, water and shelter, as well as a certain amount of security from us meddling humans. Even a creature as large as a Sasquatch can find such things in Ohio, and the history of the region makes the state even more Bigfoot friendly.
Some Ohio Bigfoot may have adapted to consuming agricultural grasses, hence the name "Grassman".
Source: sefamdn / morgueFile
WHY THE BUCKEYE STATE?
We may think of Ohio as an Eastern state, but really it was part of the Northwest Territory established in the late 18th century. The population of Ohio in 1800 consisted of only 34,000 European citizens. (New York City alone had over 60,000, and Philadelphia over 40,000.)
Even the Native American populations in Ohio were in decline prior to this. In the 17thh century a combination of disease and war with Iroquois tribes from the east had decimated much of the indigenous population. Eventually they would begin to recover.
So, while the eastern part of the country was flourishing, Ohio was largely populated by Native American tribes who had fled west to avoid the European invasion, and the remnants of battered tribes indigenous to the area.
Ohio was also beyond the Proclamation Line established in 1763 as a promise between the Native Americans and English to limit colonial expansion. This would hold off the population boom for a few more years.
What does all of this have to do with Bigfoot? It adds up to a longer period of time before the European population began to explode, and allowed more time for Bigfoot to adapt to the presence of a large number of people in his territory. Where big animals such as the black bear and eastern cougar were under pressure from the new colonists, Bigfoot would have enjoyed a relative period of peace in the Ohio territory.
In later decades the population of Ohio grew many times over, but even though the current census is over eleven million much of the population is clustered around major cities. There are still a whole lot of woods and farmland in Ohio where a creature like Bigfoot might live.
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The Appalachian PlateauIn the map above, notice the forests extending from the Appalachian Mountains into eastern Ohio. The Appalachian Mountains and the associated Appalachian Trail are thought by some researchers to be a kind of Bigfoot superhighway, enabling Sasquatches to migrate up and down the east coast in relative obscurity. On the western edge of the Appalachians there is the Appalachian plateau, which branches into Pennsylvania, Kentucky and West Virginia, and up into the eastern part of Ohio. Bigfoot is sighted in all of these states.
This southeastern area of Ohio features a large amount of wooded area within the Appalachian Plateau geography. Here a great number of Bigfoot sightings have been reported through the years, so much so that the Animal Planet show "Finding Bigfoot" did an investigation in this region.
Salt Fork State Park in particular is known as a great place to spot Bigfoot. It is the largest State Park in Ohio, with over 17,000 acres of land area and abundant rivers, streams and lakes. It seems like the perfect place for a Sasquatch to make his home.
The Appalachian Trail and the Appalachians in general are known for alleged Bigfoot sightings. Might this mountain range be a sort of connection between the eastern states, and a solid explanation for how a population of Sasquatch could thrive in the east?
THE FINDING BIGFOOT CREW INVESTIGATES SALT FORK STATE PARK
FOOD SOURCES
If Bigfoot eats grasses that's fine in the summer, but the climate in Ohio can be tough in the winter. Many skeptics believe there simply isn't enough food throughout much of the year to sustain a population of large creatures such as Sasquatch. But Bigfoot researchers disagree, and they believe the creature is perfectly capable of hunting or fishing for food even through the worst weather.
If Bigfoot hunts there is certainly enough game in Ohio. Since we know little about the beast's physiology it's hard to speculate on its caloric needs, but can assume they are significant. The state has a strong population of white-tail deer along with smaller mammals such as beavers, otters, weasels and groundhogs. All of this might be fair game for a hungry Sasquatch. Bigfoot may even be able to go long periods without food, and taking down a single deer may provide enough sustenance for several days.
There are plenty of water sources nearby. The state is bordered in the south by the Ohio River, and in the north by Lake Erie. Dozens of smaller rivers and tributaries run to each. This makes for great fishing and abundant food for a creature like Sasquatch.
And, there is always the possibility that Bigfoot has found other ways to bolster his food supply, such as caching food in the fall to make it through a rough winter. Of course we have no proof of this, but it is just as sound a theory as anything else.
THE MINERVA MONSTER AND OTHER SIGHTINGS
In 1978 a family living near Minerva, Ohio, witnessed a 7-foot, hairy monster outside their home. Minerva, incidentally, is in eastern Ohio where many Bigfoot encounters have been reported. The family notified the local sheriff, and the legend of the Minerva monster was born.
The police investigated the claims but could find to proof of the creature. But sightings by the family continued, some in broad daylight. Some strange creature was stalking their property, and the police could find no evidence aside from some questionable footprints.
The family was swarmed by media for several weeks, but the sightings died off with the increased exposure. No definitive evidence of the Minerva Monster was ever found.
The Minerva Monster, or monsters, is considered by many researchers the best eyewitness accounts of Bigfoot in Ohio on record. The family and other witnesses were reliable, and the involvement of the police lends to the credibility. The fact that the creatures were observed at length in the daylight makes it hard to argue a case of mistaken identity of a known animal. In the end there are only two possibilities: The witnesses engaged in an elaborate and extremely well-rehearsed hoax, or Bigfoot really was stalking their property.
There are literally hundreds of Bigfoot encounters in Ohio according to reports at the official Bigfoot Field Researchers Database
DOES IT MAKE SENSE THAT THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN RANGE IS A CORRIDOR OF SORTS FOR BIGFOOT POPULATIONS TO TRAVEL THROUGHOUT THE EAST?
* Yes! The mountains are rugged and Bigfoot would be well hidden.
* Maybe. The mountains might be rugged, but people have lived in them for a long time.
* No way! Bigfoot would be well-known by now if he lived in the Appalachians.
* Bigfoot doesn't exist and only lives in one's mind.
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BIGFOOT IS LOOSE IN THE EAST!
With increasing numbers of reports from Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and even the New England states, it appears there is a significant Bigfoot population in this part of the country. The Appalachians may provide a central area of security from which a relatively large population of Sasquatch could branch out into other adjacent states.
For a state like Ohio in particular, which appears to have the perfect combination of woodlands, water sources and wildlife, it seems almost impossible to imagine Bigfoot wouldn't be present. After all, while Ohio isn't nearly as remote, these are the same qualities of the habitat in the Pacific Northwest.
If you live in Ohio and have spotted Bigfoot tell us your story in the comments section below. More importantly, make sure you report it on the BFRO website. The more data legitimate researchers like the BFRO can collect the closer we'll all be to understanding Bigfoot and proving he exists, in Ohio or anywhere else!
MORE BIGFOOT STUFF:
* BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS: WHERE DOES BIGFOOT LIVE IN NORTH AMERICA?
* BEST BIGFOOT EVIDENCE: PROOF BIGFOOT IS REAL?
* WHAT DOES BIGFOOT EAT?
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