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A short video taken on the Cass River in 2021 gave Michigan’s Thumb one of its stranger recent folklore moments. The incident was added to a list of Bigfoot sightings in Michigan.
The clip, reported by Tuscola Today, “Bigfoot Roaming the Cass? Video Raises the Question,” on July 21, 2021, showed an upright figure moving through the river near the M-46 bridge in Juniata Township, Tuscola County. The video was brief, reportedly less than five seconds, and showed a dark figure carrying something while crossing the water. The original post noted that Caro resident Wayne King had collected other reported sightings in or near Tuscola County, including his own account from the 1970s near Enos Park.
The question remains the same: Was it Bigfoot, a person, a bear, or just another blurry image that became bigger than the evidence?
There is no verified proof that Bigfoot exists. Live Science describes Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, as a large ape-like creature some people believe inhabits North America, but says there is no hard evidence it is real. Still, reports continue to come in across the United States and Canada, including several filed since the Cass River video first drew attention in 2021.
Caro resident Wayne King indicated that this isn’t the first sighting of the creature in the area. In the 1970s, King reported seeing one near Enos Park near M-46 and Sheridan Road. He said it was about 7 feet tall and well over 500 pounds. In addition, King said he had collected about 30 other reports of Bigfoot sightings in or near Tuscola County.
Other Sightings of Bigfoot in Michigan
King operates the Michigan/Canadian Bigfoot Information Center. The site noted that the last sighting in Sanilac County was in 1993-94, approximately 7 miles west of Marlette. Reports included sightings and footprints of an apparent juvenile Bigfoot. There was an altercation with a large creature, and three creatures were then seen leaving the scene through a field of tall corn.
King’s site has collected sightings from 17 Michigan counties. Many seem to be clustered around Saginaw Bay, including Oscoda, Bay County, and Port Huron.
Bigfoot sightings, while unique, are not uncommon. The online newspaper The Sun reported that more than 10,000 people have insisted they’ve seen the mythical being over the past 50 years.
Recent Michigan Reports Since 2021
Recent Bigfoot and Sasquatch Reports Since 2021
The 2021 Cass River video put Michigan’s Thumb into a familiar North American debate: blurry evidence, local stories and hard questions. This interactive list adds later reports from Michigan, Ohio, Ontario and broader North America while separating witness claims from verified proof.
Mackinac County, Michigan
Near Big Manistique Lake, east of the Seney area
What was reported: The BFRO lists a February 2022 report from Mackinac County involving reported wood knocks near Big Manistique Lake. The entry is not a clear daylight sighting. It is a sound-based report, which makes it weaker than a close visual account.
Why it matters: The report keeps Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the Bigfoot discussion after the 2021 Cass River video drew attention in the Thumb. It also shows why readers should separate physical evidence from anecdotal field reports.
Evidence check
A sound report can be interesting, but it can also be caused by wildlife, people, weather, timber movement or ordinary noise carrying across water and woods. It should be presented as a reported encounter, not proof.
Monroe County, Michigan
Plum Creek area, near marsh, swamp forest and railroad tracks
What was reported: A father and son were bow fishing near Plum Creek when their dog reportedly flushed something from cover. The witnesses described a large, dark animal moving away fast. The reported encounter lasted only a few seconds, and no photo or video was taken.
Why it matters: This is one of the more notable Michigan reports listed after 2021 because it involved two witnesses, a dog reaction and follow-up coverage from a Michigan news outlet. The report still rests on witness statements.
Evidence check
The short duration is a major weakness. The lack of a photo, video, tracks or collected physical evidence means the case should be framed as a claim, not a confirmed event.
Chippewa County, Michigan
Near Whitefish Point Lighthouse
What was reported: The BFRO lists a May 2026 report near Whitefish Point involving two women and a dog at dusk. The location is notable because Whitefish Point is remote, wooded and well known to Great Lakes travelers.
Why it matters: The case gives the updated Thumbwind article a current Michigan angle. It also helps connect the Thumb’s Cass River story to later reports in the Upper Peninsula.
Evidence check
Dusk reports carry a higher risk of mistaken identity. Low light, distance and surprise can make animals or people appear larger or stranger than they are.
Portage and Trumbull Counties, Ohio
Northeast Ohio, near areas with woods, homes and local roads
What was reported: Cleveland 19 reported a burst of alleged Bigfoot claims in northeast Ohio in March 2026. The story said some residents were watching wooded areas after social media posts and local talk spread. Officials noted that police had not received formal calls tied to the claims.
Why it matters: This is useful for the updated post because it shows how modern Bigfoot stories can move fast through Facebook, neighborhood chatter and local news, even when hard evidence is missing.
Evidence check
This case is best treated as a media-and-folklore example. Without formal reports, clear images, tracks or physical evidence, it is not a strong evidence case.
Rural Ontario, Canada
Reported cases added to North American tracking projects
What was reported: The Guardian reported renewed attention around Sasquatch claims in rural Ontario. Witness accounts included large figures, strong odor reports and knocking sounds. The article also noted that skeptics point to the lack of a body, bones or confirmed DNA.
Why it matters: Ontario is close enough to Michigan to be useful context for Great Lakes readers. The report also shows the same pattern seen in Michigan: vivid local stories, but no verified physical proof.
Evidence check
Odor and sound reports can be hard to test after the fact. The best use of this case is comparison: it shows how Sasquatch claims remain active on both sides of the border.
Broader U.S. and Canada Reports
Idaho, Texas, South Carolina, Washington, Ontario and other areas
What was reported: BFRO’s recent additions page lists 2026 reports from several states and provinces, including Idaho, Texas, South Carolina, Washington and Ontario. The reports vary widely. Some involve brief visual encounters. Others involve sounds, roadside claims or accounts from low-light conditions.
Why it matters: This gives readers a wider view. The Cass River video was not an isolated cultural event. Bigfoot reports keep appearing across North America, often with similar details and the same central weakness: limited evidence.
Evidence check
A database listing is not the same as verification. Reports should be read as collected claims unless backed by clear images, tracks, biological samples or independent review.
The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, or BFRO, lists 227 Michigan reports in its database. Its Michigan page shows three recent entries after 2021: a February 2022 Class B report in Mackinac County near Big Manistique Lake, a May 2025 Class A report in Monroe County, and a May 2026 Class B report in Chippewa County near Whitefish Point.
The Monroe County case drew wider attention because it involved a father and son bow fishing near Plum Creek. The BFRO report says the pair were in a marsh and swamp forest near railroad tracks when their dog flushed something from cover. The witness reported hearing a heavy thud from a tree before seeing a large, dark animal quickly move away. BFRO investigator Matthew Moneymaker wrote that the encounter lasted less than 10 seconds and that the witnesses described the animal as running on two legs while hunched forward.
The Midland Daily News reported the same case and noted the animal was described as bear-sized but gorilla-like. The story also reported that the pair had no time to take a photograph.
The 2026 Chippewa County report, listed by BFRO, involved two women and a dog near Whitefish Point Lighthouse at dusk. The February 2022 Mackinac County report involved wood knocks near Big Manistique Lake east of the Seney Refuge.
These are not proof. They are reported encounters. But they show that Michigan Bigfoot claims did not stop with the Cass River video.
Reports Beyond Michigan
Other recent reports have surfaced across North America.
BFRO’s recent additions page lists 2026 reports from Idaho, Ontario, Connecticut, South Carolina, Texas, Massachusetts, Ohio and Washington. Among them were a June 2026 Class A daylight report in Idaho near Deadwood Dam, a June 2026 Class B report from Ontario’s Madawaska Valley, a May 2026 Class A road-edge report in South Carolina and a June 2026 Class A motorist report in East Texas.
In March 2026, Portage and Trumbull counties in northeast Ohio saw a burst of alleged sightings. Cleveland 19 reported that social media claims spread through the area, and Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski said about 10 people had told him stories of a large creature with a musty odor. Local police said they had not received any formal calls, and some residents cited the lack of trail camera images as grounds for skepticism.
In Canada, The Guardian reported in June 2026 on new Sasquatch reports from rural Ontario. Witnesses described large figures, an earthy odor, and knocking sounds. The reports were added to the Bigfoot Mapping Project, which tracks thousands of alleged sightings across North America. The same article noted that skeptics point to the lack of bones, a body or confirmed DNA as a major problem for Bigfoot claims.
What Counts as a Strong Report?
BFRO sorts reports into Class A, Class B and Class C. Class A reports involve clearer sightings where common misidentification can be ruled out with more confidence. Class B reports include poor lighting, distance, sound-only reports or other conditions with a higher chance of error. BFRO says Class B reports are not automatically less credible, but they carry greater potential for misinterpretation.
That distinction matters for Michigan readers. A short video, a nighttime sound, a distant figure or a story from decades ago may be interesting. It is not the same as clear physical evidence.
The Bear Question – Could Michigan Bigfoot Sightings Be Bears?
A major skeptical explanation is simple: bears.
Michigan has an estimated 12,450 black bears, including about 10,350 in the Upper Peninsula and 2,100 in the Lower Peninsula, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The DNR says Lower Peninsula bears are concentrated mainly in northern Michigan, but some have pushed south into mid-Michigan urban areas.
That does not neatly explain every Thumb-area report. But it does show why wildlife misidentification must be part of any serious Bigfoot article.
A 2024 Live Science report on a Journal of Zoology study said Bigfoot reports across North America have been linked to black bear populations. The study found a relationship between black bear numbers and reported Sasquatch sightings, though it did not explain every report.
That is the strongest reason to add a skeptical section to the Thumbwind post. Readers searching for “Michigan Bigfoot sightings” want the story. They also deserve the limits of the evidence.
Final Word
The Cass River video remains a fun and odd piece of Michigan Thumb folklore. It is local, memorable and easy to debate. But the evidence is thin.
Since 2021, new reports have appeared in Michigan, Ohio, Ontario, and other parts of North America. None has settled the question. The better story is not “Bigfoot was spotted.” The better story is why people keep reporting something — and why the strongest answer may still be folklore, mistaken identity or an animal seen under strange conditions.
Related Stories of Monsters and Mysteries in Michigan
“Social Distancing Champion.” I like that.
Looks like a guy in a brown Hoodie carring his German Shepard across the river.