How would you enjoy an ideal Saturday? Spending time with family? Relaxing in the backyard? Searching for Bigfoot?
If that last option sounds most appealing, you should consider a move to the southwest.
In Round Rock, Texas, the Parks and Recreation department recently held a rather unusual public event: a “Find Bigfoot” tour. A recent video clip has led some to believe that Bigfoot is roaming the southwest. Authentic footage, or elaborate marketing hoax?
The $5 tour took visitors through the local park’s trail system in search of the cryptid. Since we haven’t heard otherwise, it’s probably safe to assume that no one came back with any hard evidence. Most likely, this was all a publicity stunt designed to bring in some extra money for the city. Props, city.
And that’s one of the essential difficulties serious researchers face when trying to find legitimate evidence of Bigfoot’s existence. Because it’s probably the most well-known cryptid in the United States, if not the world, plenty of opportunists are more than willing to pretend they’ve uncovered the smoking gun.
It’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, such hoaxes damage the legitimacy of professional Bigfoot hunters. On the other hand, they do serve to keep people interested in the phenomena. Even if no one actually finds any genuine sign of Bigfoot, these kinds of tours remind us that reliable people have reported encountering the beings. The more people express a true interest in the subject, the easier it is for researchers to promote their findings.
If these creatures doesn’t truly exist, why do people in certain areas of the country encounter them more frequently than others? Regional folklore can’t explain all the sightings. When enough intelligent people report encountering something strange in a particular area, it’s worth investigating further.
Keep huntin’.
— AJ
