Lake County, Florida

Near Ocala

Open Map

Lake County Florida (Class B) BFRO

December 1974

I was about fifteen at the time, traveling with my mom and two younger siblings (brother and sister), driving from Atlanta to Ft. Myers to visit my grandparents (as we did every December). We stopped in Ocala National Forest ' I don't remember the campground because we didn't get there until after nightfall, and I remember we went to Alexander Springs the next day, which was close by. Anyway, we drove through the campground and picked one of the last spots, several empty camp spaces away from the closest camper. The night was mild (certainly compared to North Georgia), and we all had sleeping bags, so we just pitched them on the sandy ground under the stars. My mom and my brother and sister were together near the road, but I wanted some space, so I was about ten to fifteen feet away closer to the end of the space. I wasn't afraid of the outdoors; I had already been whitewater canoeing, spelunking, camping, hiking, etc. I loved to hike, and catching snakes was a particular interest. Anyway, I loved being in the woods, and I knew that even bears are scared of humans, and didn't think anything would bother us in a camp site, even if we were on the fringe, for there were a dozen or so other campers around, particularly a small group about four or five campsites away who were having a bit of a party. Anyway, it was late, probably around 10 PM, and so we got in our sleeping bags and went to sleep. I dozed off for...I don't know, maybe an hour...and suddenly woke up. It was pitch black and very quiet, except for the footsteps. At first, I thought it was some big man walking through the saw palmetto; it was definitely bipedal, which is what threw me later. I figured someone was either drunk, looking for a place to pee, or lost. I remember cocking an eye to the trees and could see no light reflected from a flashlight. I remember thinking it odd how someone could navigate the woods in total darkness without a flashlight (which is why I figured it was someone drunk out to relieve himself). After about fifteen or twenty seconds (perhaps a dozen footsteps, crunch'crunch'crunch). I realized it was coming into our campsite; I say IT because I could now hear it breathing, and whatever it was, I realized it was not human. It sounded like something huge, like a Santa Gertrudis bull. I lay very still, listening. Suddenly I heard it very close to my head, no more than a feet away, and it sniffed deeply several times as if it was checking me out. I was suddenly seized with terror, and I have never been afraid like that before. It was an odd reaction; the back of my mind was telling me that it was probably just a bear (the only thing I could think of that would be that big) and that it was simply looking for a pic-a-nic basket. I was wide awake, and I never have had those "night terror" dreams; I was fully conscious. I simply did not want to move. I must have flinched, because whatever it was suddenly went silent. Although I could not hear it, I was certain that it was still there, watching me. After what seemed an extremely long time (it was only about ten or fifteen minutes), the regular noises of the woods stated to come back, and I could hear small animals rustling about the dried palmetto leaves around the camp. I quickly got up and went over to wake up my mom, and I told her that there was a bear in the camp. She grabbed a flashlight, but all we could see was a short way into the woods around the camp. She laughed at me for being scared of nothing. Well, I went to the car, locked the doors, and lay down in the back seat. I had a hard time going back to sleep. At first light we packed up and headed off to Alexander Springs, and that entire trip my mother teased by about how I was so frightened by an armadillo (yeah, an 800 pound armadillo.) I didn't think to check for prints (I did run and quickly snatch my sleeping bag where I had left it), and I neither saw anything nor smelled anything. But I convinced myself that it was a bear, for whatever it was had enormous lung capacity, but it always bothered me that it was obviously walking on two feet, and it left without making a sound.

View Full Report and Investigation

Discuss report

Got a sighting to report?

Lake County Florida (Class A) BFRO

Stranded motorist has a daytime close encounter with an adult and juvenile near Lake Mack

I want to start out by saying that I have never discussed this with anyone except for one other person. I have not discussed it with my wife, my best friend, or any other person close to me in my life...

January 2012

Lake County Florida (Class A) BFRO

Man driving to work has two early morning sightings on the same road near Sorrento

On the twenty sixth and again on the twenty seventh at approximately 5:00-5:15 am, I was on my way to work. I travel down Mt. Plymouth rd.in Sorrento FL. This is an area directly in the Wekiva River b...

July 2011

Lake County Florida (Class B) BFRO

Ongoing activity on a family farm near Paisley

Late at night as my family and I were setting off fireworks, we heard something growl loud enough for all of us to hear. My daughters boyfriend, a policeman said he thought it was a "bear" just in the...

July 2011

Lake County Florida (Class B) BFRO

Possible stick structure and track found in the Ocala National Forest (w/YouTube videos)

As I was hiking in Ocala National Forest I noticed a suspicious-looking formation of small trees off to the right side of the trail. I have seen videos of similar structures that were attributed to Sa...

April 2008

Baltimore County Maryland (Class A) BFRO

Large dark animal spotted wading in shallows of lake

On or about May 17th 2001, My Boyfriend and I were fishing at Liberty Watershed in Baltimore county. It was early in the morning, we arrived at 8 am. We parked at ********* road and walked down to the...

May 2001

Butler County Ohio (Class A) BFRO

Couple hears vocalization late at night - son finds prints near Okeana

MY WIFE AND I WERE OUT ON OUR DECK ABOUT 12:30 A.M. ON JULY 14,2002. WE OFTEN SIT OUT ON THE DECK TILL LATE AT NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING. WE ENJOY WATCHING THE WILDLIFE AND LISTENING TO ALL THE SOUNDS O...

July 2002

El Dorado County California (Class A) BFRO

Lake Tahoe sighting by a motorist

My name is (omitted), I've been keeping this secret since around 1986 and didn't know who I could tell without sounding like a nut, but it's been bothering me, and I hope you are the appropriate perso...

January 1986

Grays Harbor County Washington (Class A) BFRO

Sighting near Ocean City, Washington 2016

We were on our way back from Ocean Park or Ocean city. It was a beautiful morning. As I looked out into this field I watched a creature the size of a bear with a flat face the color of a dead trees st...

October 2016

Cherokee County Oklahoma (Class A) BFRO

August 1 1990 Oklahoma, Cherokee County, near Eldon

Various newspaper articles reporting possible bigfoot near Tahlequah, Oklahoma. First report was on August 1, 1990 at a mobile home near Eldon, Oklahoma which is east of Tahlequah at the junction of h...

August 1990

Cleveland County Arkansas (Class A) BFRO

Daylight sighting outside rural home in small community of Herbine, south of Rison

It was about 1:30 am on Sunday, July 29, 2001. I was up watching television. My dogs started to bark, so I went to my door to see what was going on. I turned on my porch light, and called my dogs. Whe...

July 2001

Ocean County New Jersey (Class A) BFRO

Young cyclist observes tall, dark creature in Manahawkin

Riding my bike through the woods with some friends. I had to stop to wait for them. When I heard a branch snap, No more than 40 ft away it looked right at me with large black eyes. It was about 8'-9' ...

January 1979

Fulton County Illinois (Class A) BFRO

Truck driver has a daylight sighting west of Ellisville

Ok, I seen this thing, and I loved it. The hair stood up on my head. I told the girl at the scale house because it was about a mile from there. She said she would not be surprised at seeing any thing ...

January 2005