Terrifying Bigfoot Encounter in Michigan: ‘It Looked Like a Gorilla

Over the years, we’ve shared quite a few Michigan Bigfoot stories, some totally unbelievable and others just strange enough to make you pause and wonder. But the sighting reported on May 18, 2025, might just top them all. It’s a sighting that left me wondering if maybe, just maybe, it could be real.

It was about 11:30 on a Sunday morning, May 18, when a 47-year-old man and his 12-year-old son had an unforgettable experience while bowfishing in Monroe, Michigan.

According to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, the two were about 100 yards into the marsh near some railroad bridges when their dog spooked something big. Trees started shaking, and at first, they figured it was just a group of deer.

They kept going deeper into the marsh and stopped near the creek basin to relax and check out the wildlife. On the way back, they heard sirens in the distance, so the dad pulled out his phone to check what was going on using a police scanner app just out of curiosity. That’s when things got weird.

While the dad was messing with his phone, they heard a sudden rustling in a tree to the left, then a loud thud. Something big had just jumped out of the tree and hit the ground hard.

See Also: Michigan Trail Cam Records Mysterious Figure - Could it Be Bigfoot?

Whatever it was, crouched down low, then started coming toward them through the brush. Their dog took off after it, but before the dog could catch up, the creature tore through the trees, ran up a slope, and disappeared over the railroad tracks like it was nothing.

The son was the first to say: “Holy s*&t, what was that? It was as big as a bear, but it looked like a gorilla.”

Its back was to them the whole time. They said they got a pretty clear look at the hairy back and big butt cheeks for a few seconds. It’s the kind of oddly specific detail that makes you think…maybe they really did see something out there.

They said the whole thing happened in about 10 seconds, so fast they didn’t even have time to think about pulling out a phone for a photo or video.

The investigator who interviewed the two said it actually came across as a pretty credible story.

You can read about the entire incident and see the full report on the  Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization website.

Of course, with no real evidence like photos or videos, we’re just left with a wild story and a lot of questions. But still, it's hard to shake the feeling that something strange really did happen out there.