A former U.S. Army staff sergeant who once dismissed Bigfoot as a myth says a 25-second encounter with three of the creatures in 1993 completely altered the course of his life. Todd Neiss, who served in the Army’s 1249th Combat Engineer Battalion, was participating in a military exercise in Oregon’s Coast Range when he and three fellow soldiers stumbled upon what he describes as massive, ape-like beings.
The Encounter
Neiss, now retired after more than two decades of service, recalled the creatures standing between seven and nine feet tall, with human-like faces and bodies covered in hair. He noted their proportions were distinctly non-human. “Their silhouette was completely disproportionate in terms of the arm length and even the length of the legs as it pertains to a human torso,” he told Fox & Friends First. The trio appeared to be observing the military maneuvers involving high explosives, and Neiss emphasized they were “not really all that human.”
From Skeptic to Advocate
Before the sighting, Neiss had always dismissed talk of Bigfoot. But the experience spurred him to found the American Primate Conservancy in 2015, a nonprofit dedicated to discovering, studying, and protecting the creatures commonly known as Bigfoot or Sasquatch across the United States. He believes these animals are a rare species that have managed to evade widespread detection.
Ohio Sightings Surge
While Neiss’s encounter occurred in the Pacific Northwest—a well-known hotspot for Bigfoot reports—he noted a recent surge of activity in Ohio. In March, at least eight separate sightings were reported across the state, with residents describing eerie encounters, unexplained sounds, and massive footprints. Some tracks measured up to 17 inches long, far exceeding typical human footprints. The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) ranks Ohio fourth among U.S. states for Bigfoot sightings, with over 300 reports. Washington leads with more than 700 sightings, followed by California with over 400. Oregon, where Neiss saw the creatures, ranks sixth with just over 250 recorded sightings.
Recent Reports
The wave of Ohio sightings began on March 6, when a woman in Portage County found unusually large footprints in her yard. Local sheriff’s deputies could not explain the prints. Since then, sightings have multiplied, especially in the wooded corridor between Akron and Youngstown. Mike Miller, co-founder of the Ohio Nightstalkers Bigfoot Research Group, noted that the last similar concentration of sightings in the area occurred in 1978 after a harsh winter. “This isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like this,” Miller told Fox 8.
Skepticism and Response
Despite Neiss’s account and the Ohio reports, many remain skeptical. Critics point to the ubiquity of smartphones and advanced technology, questioning why no clear photo or video has emerged. “Over three billion cell phones with high resolution cameras have been sold, and still not one clear picture or video of Bigfoot,” one skeptic commented. Neiss counters that the lack of evidence is due to the creatures’ rarity. “They’re just a very rare species,” he said. “It’s just the odds of getting one to fall just right through that particular picture zone. It’s very, very difficult.”
