Sightings of a bigfoot alleged recently at Sutton Lake in central West Virginia may have a historic precedent. Some say that old news clippings that refer to a "wildman," and more recent stories of an ape-like creature, at least imply that the region is a fertile ground for such tales.

At the very center of West Virginia, the area surrounding the lake is coincidentally home of the legendary Flatwoods Monster, also known as the Braxton County Green Monster, the legend of which attracts many tourists to the region.

According to Andrew Smith, executive director of the Braxton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, rumors of bigfoot have been circulating in recent months and have even inspired one bigfoot researcher to post a video of a lakeside hunt online.

Read also: Bigfoot rumors boosting travel at central West Virginia lake

"We've heard of an uptick in reports near the lake," says Smith, who attributes the county's wealth of monstrous encounters in part to its dark skies and deep forests.

"I'd actually say the reason for so many strange sightings is multi-fold. Braxton County is a pretty large geographic area, but only a small portion is populated and developed, so there's a lot of empty space, and there's a lot of area that hasn't been seen by humans lately, apart from hunters, and, then, not all the time."

Les O'Dell, the publisher of the Facebook page "WV Cryptids and Strange Encounters," says this isn't the first time a furry bi-ped has been reported in the region.

"The Flatwoods Monster isn’t the only strange thing that has been seen roaming the woods of Braxton County,' O'Dell says.

"I’ve heard in passing about a bigfoot being seen along Sutton Dam. It supposedly threw a log at a boat. I didn’t get full details because it was one of those 'a friend of mine told me this' conversations."

O'Dell's Facebook page is filled with collected tales from the Braxton County region, though perhaps the earliest comes from an undated, uncited newspaper clip.