"Salt Fork Ohio Grassman" Video Proves to be Controversial among Cryptid Enthusiasts

A still image from the video showing what could be an individual in bulky clothing. (We Do It Outdoors / YouTube) — A still image from the video showing what could be an individual in bulky clothing. *(We Do It Outdoors / YouTube)*

A video shared to the YouTube channel We Do It Outdoors earlier this month has proven controversial among cryptid enthusiasts, due in large part to the seemingly deliberate vagueness of its evidence.

According to the video’s description,

My friend and I got permission to fly our drones at Salt Fork State Park in Ohio. While we were there we heard many strange noises and we may or may not have found the Ohio Grassman / Bigfoot / Sasquatch in Ohio at Salt Fork. We used GoPro Hero7 Black, GoPro Hero 8 Black, and the DJI Mavic Air and DJI Mavic Mini. Please let us know what you think about the Ohio Grassman or Bigfoot in Salt Fork state park.

The “Bigfoot” is shown at the very beginning of the video, highlighted within the familiar red circle often used to point out “evidence” in paranormal videos, and then appears again at around the four minute mark, after which it is filmed meandering through the trees while the camera occasionally cuts away; at around seven minutes into the video, a guttural cry can be heard.

The “Bigfoot,” not in focus, has the silhouette of a man wearing a heavy, hooded jacket.

Critics of the video point out that the “Bigfoot” is never shown in detail; the men never approach it or ever film it in focus, although trees and other objects in the landscape appear crystal clear. The size, appearance, mannerisms, and gait of the purported cryptid could easily have been produced by a person wearing bulky winter clothing—something commonplace in Ohio at the time this video was made. Even the guttural cry could have come from a person, or been overlaid from another sound clip.

Also noted was the heavily edited composition of the video, which would have allowed for ample time between scenes to setup the next segment of “evidence.”

Despite this, reactions to the video have been mixed.

"Good video, you had the guts to not completely freak out," one believer commented. "Very interesting..."

Many others are skeptical of the video, and even We Do It Outdoors seems to have a tongue-in-cheek approach to the subject.

"So you have multiple action cameras, arguably the best on the market, and two drones which take extremely good video...and all you manage to get are the tree trunks, a bit of something that looks like a hobo shambling around...and that's it? How the hell can we take this seriously?" asked Randal Taylor.

"Take what seriously?" responded the YouTube channel.

Despite their doubts about the veracity of this video, skeptics are torn between whether or not, if the “Bigfoot” in question is a man in a bulky jacket and dark clothing, this represents a misidentification or deliberate hoax.

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