Florida Man Recounts Terrifying Bigfoot Encounter at Age 13
Posted Monday, August 24, 2026
By Squatchable.com staff
There's something about a firsthand account that just hits different, and this one from the Dirt Road Bigfoot channel delivers. A guest named Tyler sits down to share a story that's been living rent-free in his head since he was just 13 or 14 years old, and honestly, it's the kind of encounter that would shake anyone to their core.
Tyler hails from Niceville, a small town in the panhandle of Northwest Florida, just a stone's throw from Destin and Fort Walton Beach. If you know anything about that part of the country, you know it's thick with pine forests, swamps, and more wildlife than you can shake a stick at. Tyler grew up hunting and fishing those woods, so he knows the sounds of the forest like the back of his hand. That's what makes his story so compelling, because when he says what he heard wasn't any animal he recognized, he means it.
The encounter happened in southeast Alabama during a cold January, back when Tyler was still a teenager. He was walking down a narrow pig trail, barely wide enough for a four-wheeler, with thick brush pressing in on both sides. It was dark. He could hear something moving through the woods ahead of him, getting closer and closer, almost like it was coming to meet him right on the path. Then, just as he stepped out into a clearing, it happened.
A scream. Not just any scream, but something so powerful Tyler says he could feel it before he heard it. It started low and climbed to a deafening pitch before cutting off completely. The kind of sound that doesn't just register in your ears but vibrates through your whole body. Tyler took off running, and honestly, who could blame him?
What makes this account stand out is the aftermath. Tyler developed a slight headache the next day, which he chalks up partly to adrenaline, but it's worth noting that researchers have long studied infrasound and its effects on the human body. Low-frequency sound waves, the kind below the threshold of human hearing, can cause feelings of unease, nausea, headaches, and even that gut-deep sense that something is profoundly wrong. Whether that's connected to what Tyler experienced or not, it's a fascinating thread to pull on.
The encounter left a mark on Tyler that still hasn't fully healed. He still wakes up with night terrors about it, and his wife has learned to recognize when one of these episodes hits because she'll reach over and rub his back until he drifts back to sleep. That's the kind of detail that reminds you these aren't just campfire stories. These are real people carrying real weight from their experiences.
Tyler eventually found his way back into the woods, though not without some hesitation. He gave up deer hunting because the thought of being stuck 20 feet up in a tree stand with no quick way down was too much to bear, but he still turkey hunts because at least there he can pack up and walk away if things get uncomfortable. He's also done plenty of solo camping over the years, and he's had other sightings, including encounters with eyes in the darkness that he knew weren't black bears. At 6'4", Tyler has a decent frame of reference, and when something is standing eye-level with him or taller, and it's not a bear, that narrows the possibilities considerably.
He eventually got involved with Flat Rocks, which has become his number one hobby, and it's easy to see why. Once you've had an experience like that, the questions don't stop gnawing at you. Tyler mentions hearing audio recordings over the years that matched what he heard in those Alabama woods, and slowly the pieces started fitting together.
This is a really down-to-earth interview with a witness who isn't trying to sell you anything. He's just telling his story, and there's something refreshing about that. If you're into witness accounts, especially ones from folks who grew up in the woods and know their local wildlife, this one's worth the watch. Tyler's calm delivery and the way he still gets a little quiet when he talks about that scream says more than any dramatic retelling ever could.