A listener writes “I grew up in a very small town about 20 miles north of Orlando named Apopka. Our house was on the northern edge of town.
Then north of that was miles and miles of Florida scrub woods. I now believe that we had quite a bit of Sasquatch activity when I was quite young. I remember hearing very heavy foot steps walk by my bedroom window one night. My older brother and I met in the hall because it was so loud
That we both came out of our rooms to go tell my dad. Another night something slammed into my brother’s window so hard that the curtain flew up from the impact. Frankly now I’m amazed it didn’t break! My younger brother had 2 pet raccoons that “escaped” from latched cages and disappeared.
My sister had all her bantam chickens killed and left scattered around the yard. My brother’s rabbits were all taken out of their cages and ripped to shreds and scattered around the yard. Our dog disappeared and never came back.
One night I heard horrible screaming coming from the woods behind the fernery and this had to be at least a quarter mile away. I ran and got my dad and we listened to what sounded like a woman being murdered but she would have had to have a set of lungs on her to beat the band because it was so loud and still so far away! We were getting ready to call the police when the screams morphed into monkey laughter is how I would have to describe it and my dad said oh it must be some kids horsing around .
The only time I think I actually saw one was one night behind our house. We had a pool in the backyard and it was enclosed in a screened porch. The bottom of the screen was an aluminum panel that was probably around 4’ high. I saw what I thought was a man walking outside the pool.
The man seemed unbelievably tall and the weird thing I remember thinking why is that guy wearing a sombrero ? My mom was from the southern most part of Texas and we had sombrero’s from our visits to Mexico when we went to visit my grandmother. The silhouette was so big that I think in my child’s mind that was the only thing I could relate the shape to! The man was at least 4 to 5’ taller than the aluminum panel. To be that tall I thought he had to have a sombrero tilted back on his head. Now I realize the silhouette was most like a very tall Sasquatch .
Anyway I would love to talk to you if you ever want to hear better details!”
Sharon H
I’d love to hear more! I lived in Apopka for a few years in the early 70s but I didn’t see a Sasquatch.
Charles R
That area has grown tremendously since the 60’s. Fueled by Disney and other parks and attractions and folks just wanting to move to warmer weather. I flew down to that area from Detroit in 1981 to buy a new Pontiac Bonneville ( wish I had bought a Vette ) from just recently started Danny Len Buick Pontiac ( now Danny Len Buick GMC ) in Eustis, Florida. A really good friend and college buddy and his Father had moved their 1/2 dealership in Midland, MI to Eustis as they thought the potential for growth was huge. Boy were they right. I imagine with all this growth, most of the Bigfoot population moved out – probably up further North where there is still ample forest and much less humanity. Who Knows. I am quite certain this listener had a fair amount of activity going on. Sombrero – or is that a mullet that hairy goomer is wearing?
Glen K
(New Jersey) Charles R says “I flew down from Detroit to Florida to buy a new car.” I don’t doubt it Charles, but it does a little backward!?
Thomas W
Florida native here. In the 60s and early 70s, I had a couple of sketchy, scary encounters with our local sasquatch, including a rock-throwing, escort out of the area during a Boyscout camping trip. Pretty standard stuff based on listening to many encounters now but it was extremely traumatic as a 12-year-old. The extended family has had a number of encounters over the years in central FL and in Myakka….the local rangers call them….”Upright walking bears”….wink, wink. All across the rural South the Squatch is pretty ubiquitous….and it didn’t occur to me until years later that a “booger” is a Squatch (Hat tip to Bear!). Great episode last night with Mike from MS…..spider crawling!
Denise F
I have heard of a family friend that used to take his dogs out to run around in some remote places around there.
One evening the dogs wouldn’t get out of the car and palmettos were shaking and flying all over the place with this loud growling. Poor man thought it was the end of him. He never went back out there.
Maria D
We live just a few miles from there.!
???