Education events on local Bigfoot lore offered

PERRYSVILLE – Whether or not you believe in the legend of Bigfoot, one has to admit it’s still pretty interesting to talk about.

During the Mansfield/richland County Richhistory Weekend, there were a number of events taking place. At the Pleasant Hill Lake Park Welcome Center in Perrysville, the event centered around educating people about the history of Bigfoot in the surrounding Ohio area. Information with facts and local reports were presented for people to see to learn more.

“What we’re doing today is providing information for those folks who are interested in some of the history in this area,” said Louis Andres, the Program Specialist at Pleasant Hill Lake Park. “It’s been around for a long time. It gives people a safe space to report anything they might have saw. We’re acting more as a resource.”

As of 2022, Ohio ranks fifth (318) in total number of reported Bigfoot sightings in the U.S., according to the Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO). Locally, there have been nine reported sightings in Ashland County and four in Richland County.

“There’s a common misconception that there is one Bigfoot, but there’s multiple,” said Suzanne Ferencak, a local Bigfoot researcher. “They usually live in family units. Generally, it’s displayed as a big monster. They’re not like that. They’re very peaceful creatures.

“If anything, they’re curious. They do come around campsites. They like looking through windows and sometimes raid trash cans. Generally, they don’t want to be seen. The idea of Bigfoot hurting anyone is very, very rare.”

Asked if anything throughout her research on Bigfoot creatures over the years has surprised her, Ferencak answered, “I think there’s more out there than people realize and there are people that have had experiences that haven’t come forward yet.”

Both Andres and Ferencak say the Richland County area has plenty of Bigfoot activity that occurs and the area is “very rich and has everything they need, especially a lot of deer.”

“It comes down to habitat,” said Andres. “The food, shelter, water and resources, just like with any animal. They’re going to stay where they can survive.”

There have been four reported bigfoot sightings in the area since 2020:

● August 18, 2020 at Pleasant Hill Lake Park

● April 24, 2021 in Ashland County

● June 9, 2021 in Ashland County

● June 18, 2021 in Mohican State Park

The weekend events at the Pleasant Hill Lake Park Welcome Center were all in preparation for Bigfoot Basecamp Weekend on September 9-11 at Pleasant Hill Lake Park.

“The real diehard Bigfooter will have the opportunity to meet some real experts in the field and Matt Moneymaker (Founder/president of BFRO),” said Andres. “But if you’re really not a Bigfooter, then you can come out with your family because we’ll be doing a lot of hikes and crafts.” jsimpson@gannett.com Twitter:@jamessimpsonii