By Lindsey O’Brien, The News-Herald
Alan Megargle and Jesse Morgan read off Bigfoot sighting testimonies to an over 100-person audience at the Geauga Park District’s West Woods for a “Bigfoot in Ohio?” event.
Have you noticed missing items from your property or odd footprints in the woods?
You may have a Bigfoot on your hands.
Over 100 people crammed into the Geauga Park District’s West Woods Nature Center on Jan. 31 to share stories of their own Bigfoot sightings and learn more about these elusive creatures.
The Southeastern Ohio Society for Bigfoot Investigation’s Doug Waller started off the conversation by explaining what evidence to look for if you believe Bigfoot is in your neighborhood.
Often, Waller explained, property owners will notice missing livestock or livestock feed, smoked meat missing from a smokehouse or milk missing from cows. He also explains that some Bigfoots can be quite the pranksters.
“They’ll take something without you knowing it and hide it and then watch as you’re looking for it and scratching your head,” Waller said.
Although Waller tends to aim his work mainly in southern Ohio, Lake and Geauga County have their own Bigfoot investigator team known as “Fathom Frontiers.”
Jesse Morgan and Alan Megargle grew up in Painesville, always looking for the next odd mystery or adventure to follow. About six years ago, they decided to take on Bigfoot.
The team, members of the national Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, rummages through Bigfoot sightings on an online database and vets the most credible testimonies. From there, they set up cameras and record sounds to see if they can get a glimpse of the creature themselves.
“Since some of those TV shows have come out (about Bigfoot), everyone thinks they’ve seen a Bigfoot everywhere,” Megargle said. “I would say it’s probably a pretty small percentage, maybe 10 percent, that’s something we verify and something that we feel comfortable that they’re not doing it for attention or telling us a lie.”
The key to following around Bigfoot, Morgan said, is not taking it all too seriously.
“We’re kind of lighthearted about a lot of this kind of stuff,” he said. “When it comes to actually doing the research aspect, we take that seriously, but we don’t take ourselves seriously.”
For those who have had sightings in the area, though, it’s no laughing matter.
Multiple event-goers shared Bigfoot sightings in Middlefield, Bainbridge and Chardon and said it was one of the most terrifying moments of their lives.
Mike Rozman, of Orwell Village, shared his sighting while mountain climbing in Lake City, Tennessee. He explained that the way the creature craned its neck “put the fear in you,” with monkey-like facial features.
“In my mind, it’s not supposed to exist and that’s the most fearful thing, is you’re looking at something that’s not supposed to exist, but it does,” Rozman said.
For others, the event had simply piqued their interest after watching the popular “Finding Bigfoot” TV show on Animal Planet.
Brett Bellas and his 11-year-old son, Brett Jr., watch the show and just became interested in the topic over time.
When asked if they think they’ll ever spot Bigfoot running around, Brett is hopeful.
“Hopefully when we’re camping with the Boy Scouts one night.”