McARTHUR, Ohio -- A man who has been searching for the legendary 'Bigfoot' in southern Ohio says he has found new evidence that several of the elusive creatures may be living in the area.
Robert Gardnier of Columbus, Ohio, said he and several other hunters went into the Wayne National Forest west of McArthur recently and found footprints measuring 17 ? inches long and 9 inches wide.
Gardiner, who described the creatures as being 'very shy,' said he and his hunting party were surrounded by the creatures at one time.
'We had been to this deserted A-frame ... and were looking in this ravine for tracks and didn't find anything,' said Gardiner. 'Later on ... we came back to the A-frame and there were big tracks. These had to be made within an hour before we got there.'
He said the hunters went into the ravine where the visibility is limited because of dense woods, brush and brambles.
'We were looking at a specific sign on a tree,' he said. 'We found something on a tree. I'm not going to divulge what it is, but we were checking it out and we heard one bark.
'They have a barking-type growl like a chimpanzee or like a gorilla,' he said. 'We listened and then we heard one behind us, and what these two things were doing was communicating back and forth. They couldn't have been over 25 or 30 yards away from us.
'One was between us and the A-frame and the other was on the other side of us,' he said.
Gaadiner said he feels the creatures are only passing through the area heading for mountains in the southern part of the United States. He said one may have been injured and that is why they are staying in the McArthur area for so long.
'I've told everybody to quit shooting at these things,' Gardiner said. 'If you come across one, he won't bother you. He's just curious.'
Many hunters have tried to find the creature, also called Sasquatch, which is about as elusive as the Himalayan Yeti _ the 'Abominable Snowman' _ and supposedly comes from the Pacific Northwest.
Throughout the summer, Sasquatch-like creatures have been sighted and reported in southern and central Ohio.
Bigfoot reportedly was first sighted in Ohio near McArthur Aug. 24. Larry E. Cottrill said he found three Sasquatch-like animals near his home, shot at them and may have wounded one in the shoulder. Cottrill has since moved away.
