This creepy clip from ‘In Search Of…’ (1978) is a good introduction to the ‘Sierra Sounds’:

Background of the ‘Sierra Sounds’

In 1971, Ron Morehead worked as a hospitality manager and church board administrator in Merced, CA. One fateful week, Ron learned that a family friend & fellow church board member was two days late returning from a high-Sierras hunting trip. The man’s wife explained to Ron that his hunting troupe encountered mysterious creatures that made “horrific, intimidating sounds and left five-toed prints around their camp.” One of the men even fled the site in terror.

A known explorer/adventurer and trusted friend, the man asked Ron to return with him to the area and collect evidence. Soon thereafter Ron trekked into the wilderness with a small group that included the hunter-friend and Sacramento journalist Alan Berry. The first trip yielded no results other than fragments of perceived toe prints in sand. The follow-up adventure was much more eventful.

On this trip, once they reached the remote deer-hunters camp, it didn’t take long for the mysterious beings to arrive from a nearby ridgetop.

Luckily, Ron & Alan brought ammo.

Well, tape recorders.

Though they evaded sight stealthily, the creatures whistled, screamed, and vocalized towards the men several times. After the invaders faded into the night, Berry and his companions found large bare-foot prints in the snow and pine.

For the next year or so, Ron, Alan, and friends returned to the site with microphones, tape cassette recorders, and plaster of Paris for foot-casts. It seems that, more often than not, the team encountered the supposed Bigfoot. Furthermore, they found the creatures to be incredibly stealthy. Camera traps were evaded easily and only brief glimpses were ever attained. Luckily, the phantoms overlooked the discreet microphones taped to bush branches and hanging from tree limbs. Over time, the team successfully collected high quality audio and footprint casts: a treasure trove of Bigfoot evidence.¹

Listen to the ‘Sierra Sounds’ Part 1:

Listen to the ‘Sierra Sounds’ Part 2:

About Alan Berry

I think it is important to note that, early on, Alan was very skeptical. Aside from being a former officer in the Vietnam War and holding a Master’s Degree in Science (if those accomplishments equal integrity for you) , Al was an investigative reporter for the Sacramento Bee. He cared very much about accuracy, and was described as a man of great character. He accompanied the men for a breakout story. Until his death in 2012, he always felt that “it would have made the story even more interesting if he could have discovered how anyone could have pulled this off.” His primary goal in the initial trips was to disprove the encounters. He was convinced of the hunter’s deception and even rummaged through their packs to find evidence of the fakery. He never found a shred of proof that he was being deceived.

Al Berry & Ron Morehead on their way to the ‘Sierra Sounds’ camp

Where is the Spot Exactly?

Ron and his group certainly found a super secret spot. According to a radio interview with BigfootEvidence.blogspot.com, the approximate area is inbetween Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park. Ron provides a nice rebuttle to skeptics on a hoax page of his website, providing some general geographical details:

• The Sierra camp is over eight miles, walking, from the closest road, any road.
• The trip is very exhausting. The men (about half way into the trip) would often leave the forest trail and proceed different ways to the camp, so as to not leave an obvious trail.
• The camp is over 8,000′ in elevation. In the fall it would snow and freeze.
• The men would always look for evidence of other people that may have been in the area. Rarely was any other humans within miles of the Sierra camp.

A shelter used by Ron Morehead and friends at the ‘Sierra Sounds’camp

How many recordings of the ‘Sierra Sounds’ were collected?

Several clips of the ‘Sierra Sounds’ can be found across the internet. I first heard this evidence on the In Search Of… clip where Al recreates an evidence collection session from 1972. There are staples, but I believe there’s still quite a bit of audio that’s not readily available, but can be purchased on Ron Morehead’s website. To date, Ron has released two collections (available on CD or digital download), and a book about his experiences (also available to download). Here are the descriptions for each:

Bigfoot Recordings Volume One: A True High Sierra Wilderness Story
Description: Produced in 1996 by Ron Morehead features very clear vocalizations captured in 1972, by Alan Berry, the investigative reporter brought into camp . Jonathan Frakes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, narrates. (40 minutes)

Bigfoot Recordings Volume Two: The Bigfoot Recordings
Description: Produced in 2003. Written, produced and narrated by Ron Morehead. It features rhythmic rapping-pounding sounds, and almost understandable phrases emanating from these creatures. (40 minutes)

Looks like about 80 minutes of high quality evidence. Hell yea.

Studies Supporting the ‘Sierra Sounds’

The ‘Sierra Sounds’ underwent a year-long evaluation at the University of Wyoming. The researchers determined the origin to be primate, and that one of the speakers possessed a vocal range and lung capacity much greater than the average human’s.

Additionally, they ruled out the presence of alteration. The tapes had not been sped up or slowed down or even re-recorded. They were organic pieces of evidence.

“The unusual growl-like sounds and whistles were studied by Dr. R. Lynn Kirlin, a professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Wyoming. It was his opinion that the format frequencies found were clearly lower than for human data and their distribution does not indicate they were the product of human vocalizations and tape speed alteration.”

Went Worth College Professor and former U.S. Navy crypto-linguist Scott Nelson determined that the ‘Sierra Sounds’ feature an actual deliberate language. With over 35 years in the field and fluency in four languages (English, Russian, Spanish, and Persian) his expertise led to the realization of more than grunts and snarls. He believes there are clear distinctions tagged on to the words in the form of phonemes. Phonemes are sound unites that “distinguish one word from another in a particular language.” Phonemes directly cause accents, since foreign-language speakers apply one type of phoneme inventory (French, for example) to a language with a different one (English). Nelson even created a transcription of the recordings by slowing the ‘Sierra Sounds’ down considerably. Per his report:

“Sasquatch Language is spoken approximately twice as fast as any known language in most analyzed recordings, therefore it must be slowed down to be transcribed accurately.”

Nelson’s ‘Sasquatch Phonetic Alphabet (SPA)’ paper is truly amazing. Even if these theories never lead to a definitive conclusion, one can’t deny Nelsons work proves there’s much more to the ‘Sierra Sounds’ than just primal grunts.

“Because of what I did in the Navy, spending years and several thousand hours speeding the human voice up and slowing it down, I could just detect language in those vocalizations.”

Opposition

Like any piece of Sasquatch evidence, the ‘Sierra Sounds’ are highly debated.

Good.

We need to keep adding good, conscious evidence in bulk to the pot, but we ultimately need to strain out the flimsy bits. The ‘Sierra Sounds’ are held in high regard, but what do some skeptics say?

A Hard Skeptic: Karen Stollznow, ScientificAmerican.com

“The vocalizations are an amateur impression of how a proto-language might sound if it evolved from non-human primates. This “Bigfoot” is likely human, and the ‘Sierra Sounds’ a combination of hoax and misidentification, like all of the other evidence for Bigfoot.”

“Similar to the claims of the (so far mythical) Orang-Pendek, Bigfoot would probably communicate using vocalizations. However, non-human primates don’t have the physiology to produce a wide variety of speech sounds, so it is unlikely that Bigfoot would have developed language, or would be able to speak existing human languages.”

A Recreation

Youtube user Hippies WithGuNs recorded his own version of the ‘Sierra Sounds’ and I must admit, he does a good job. He certainly nails the “pig monkey” sound, as he puts it, but admits he needs to work on the whistling. Check out the video and let me know what you think.

¹ Natalina. “10 Extraordinary Questions With… Ron Morehead of ‘Bigfoot Sounds’.” Extraordinary Intelligence. N.p., 31 July 2013. .

The post The ‘Sierra Sounds’ : Our Most Impressive Evidence for Bigfoot? appeared first on Bigfoot Base.

‘Night Scream’ by Scott Davis

Note, it’s difficult to determine the authenticity of a true ‘Bigfoot Scream’, since there are an infinite amount of other animals out in the wilderness screeching, cawing, wailing, howling, and braying together in a moonlit chorus. The potential for hoaxing is also very high. Even though we have very compelling Bigfoot sound evidence, we can’t forget that technology allows us to blend, enhance, deepen, and overlay intricate audio collages. Even back in the mid-20th century sound recording technology was advanced enough to allow for granular manipulation. That being said, let’s have an honest listen to the best pieces of ‘screaming’ evidence.

Bigfoot Screams on the Umatilla Indian Reservation

In 2012, several residents of the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendelton Oregon (Washington/Oregon border) reported loud, bizarre screams and shrieks coming from a spread of dense swampland over the course of several nights. At times, the sounds were so unsettling and intense that residents woke up suddenly and couldn’t get back to sleep. Even their dogs refused to go outside. The sounds ranged from bass-heavy roars to blood-curdling shrieks.

A tribal housing authority employee, Colleen Change, recorded this intriguing audio:

The Umatilla Reservation spans 178,000 acres. The utter strangeness of the sounds made it all the more unsettling. Most of the 1,500 people on the reservation practically grew up in the wilderness. They experienced the full spectrum of animal sounds throughout their lives, but these screams, according to many, are sounds that have simply never been heard before. Some even heard the sounds bellow from two different directions, as if a conversation took place.

A History of Odd Activity

Could these truly be Sasquatch screams? The confederated tribes of the Umatilla Reservation— the Umatilla, Cayuse, and Walla Walla- all tell stories of a form of Sasquatch, or wild man of the woods. The region is rich in supposed Bigfoot activity. In 1976 18″ tracks were discovered by a Walla Walla man just north of the reservation in the Blue Hills. Oregon, generally is a hotspot for Bigfoot activity. The state reported at least 243 encounters decade after decade. Fifteen of these reports took place in Umatilla County, including a 1992 ‘Class A’ encounter, where two brothers observed a “large hairy man” watching them 100 yards away across a gorge. And in 2002, a man reported another ‘Class A’ encounter, claiming that a Sasquatch-like creature stared at him through a window of his rural home. The creature fled into the treeline when it was acknowledged by the man. He investigated the land immediately after, discovering 16″ long, 6/7″ wide footprints.

Could the local fauna be to blame for the Umatilla screams? One local wildlife manager on the reservation explained that when cougars breed, the sounds they make are “absolutely hair-raising.” And the neighboring swampland is “a perfect place to have an echoing call sound eerie.” Additionally, wolves, coyote, and fox (listen to examples below) can produce wailing bellows and the same type of maniacal cackle the residents heard. The swamp may have enhanced the eerie nature of these already strange animal calls.¹

The Bigfoot Scream You Have Probably Heard

“The sound you hear is what some experts claim to be a Bigfoot scream. Recorded in the state of Washington by a group of campers in 1971. It is regarded as the highest quality audio of the creature ever captured.” -Leonard Nimoy, Ancient Mysteries (1992)

This is probably the most well known of all Bigfoot screams. I first heard this clip featured in Ancient Mysteries: Bigfoot (1994) back in the day. I assumed it was authentic, no doubt thanks to Leonard Nimoy’s wise timbre. Unfortunately, about a year ago I watched Sasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot (1976) and was upset to hear that this very scream was used prominently in the film! The sense of awe and terrified wonderment I always had for the hauntingly beautiful audio was lost.

At that point when I watched the movie, I accepted that the audio was made for the project and year after year the origin became hazier and hazier into oblivion. The film is 40-odd years old and highly obscure. I assumed the producers of Ancient Mysteries and these other Sasquatch documentaries of recent years completely overlooked the source or chose to move forward with the segment believing no one would notice.

Unfortunately, It’s Probably Fake

As I continued research, I stumbled into ParaBreakdown’s corner of Youtube, and he provided evidence that this scream was utilized in an EARLIER Bigfoot movie, called Big Foot: Man or Beast (1972). In this pseudo-documentary, a couple from British Columbia were interviewed about an anguished ‘screaming cry’ heard in the swamps behind their home at dusk. The film then provides an “approximation” of the recorded sound, which of course turns out to be the Bigfoot scream in question. This form of it, though, is much clearer and even seems to have some echo and reverberation, somewhat indicating recording-studio acoustics. No!!!!

And if this is the original version… then the Ancient Mysteries: Bigfoot clip just completely made up the 1971 Washington Campers story. Why wouldn’t they have played this original audio then, you know?

I am holding out. I like this audio too much. It’s real damnit! It has to be!

So I’ve decided to subject myself to the suggestive powers of unsourced Wikipedia pages and down-the-rabbit-hole Youtube Comments. The Sasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot Wikipedia page says the audio is authentic and recorded before the film. As I waded deeper into the shitty blackness of the Youtube comment feed I found a handful of users defending the source, claiming it was truly legitimate:

“There’s not a bit of actual proof that this is a construct. In fact, though he doesn’t take credit for it, it’s most likely a capture made by the same gentleman who’s responsible for the “Sierra sounds” recordings.” – Youtube user ‘Pattysreal’

You read that right. I’m sourcing Youtube comments and unverified Wikipedia text. I consciously elect to put my head in the sand. Roar on, lonely Sasquatch.

More Notable Sasquatch Screams

Even though the Ancient Mysteries wail is likely fabricated, there are plenty of compelling Sasquatch scream recorded throughout the years. Many possess that same kind of anguished, exasperated cry. Others, on the other hand, feel malevolent and sound just plain terrifying.

The Puyallup Screamer

In the spring of 1973 a young boy and girl were riding their bikes on an old pipeline road outside of Puyallup Washington. As they rode near a large gravel pit, a hulking, bipedal ‘thing’ walked across the road, approximately 150 yards in front of them. It paused halfway, looked at them, and continued its stride into the dense bush. The kids pedaled home frantically. No one believed their story even though something strange had been haunting the town of Pullyup for weeks: horrible screaming in the night.²

The children had experienced it, and many of the townsfolk felt the terror. The screams continued after the children’s encounter. And finally on May 12, 1973 a man named Marlin Ayers collected proof. One night he recorded this frightening audio of the chilling screamer:

The Clipper Mills Screams

In the Summer of 2012, a couple traveling with their two dogs through the Sierras near Clipper Mills CA pulled off-road to fix transmission issues in their truck. The vehicle was beyond repair that night, and they decided it was best to wait until morning to seek help. At approximately 10:00 pm, a chorus of powerful, distant howls began. The unsettling cries lasted exactly twenty minutes before fading away. Per the video uploader, “This is as it happened, it changed us, we will never forget that night as long as we live. I am so glad I caught this to prove our sanity and to remind us that this actually happened.”

¹ The Oregonian, Richard Cockle. “Bigfoot or Animals? Strange Sounds Coming from Swamp on Umatilla Indian Reservation (listen).” OregonLive.com. N.p., 20 Jan. 2013.

² Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. “BFRO Reports by State: Pierce County, WA.” BFRO.net

The post These Are What Bigfoot Screams Sound Like appeared first on Bigfoot Base.

In North America, reports of Bigfoot-like creatures come from all over: Mount St. Helens to North Carolina; Alaska to Arkansas and every state between… even Hawaii. Witnesses see them on every continent except for Antarctica. The true scale of this phenomenon is impressive to say the least.

‘Bigfoot Reunion’ by Sebastien-Ecosse

Little by little I believe in the idea that these bipedal, hairy, massive phantoms could inhabit ANY remote or highly inaccessible wilderness area. But where specifically would Bigfoot live?

Warning, this article attempts to analyze the distribution and habitat of a yet-undiscovered species. Trying to shape strong hypotheses with nothing more than anecdotal evidence and speculation based on ‘similar’ animals should not be taken serious. This is all just Bigfoot-flavored food for thought. That’s all we can do with such limited information, think.

JUMP TO… Where Does Bigfoot Live in the U.S. & Canada? | What Kind of Setting Would Bigfoot Require? | Where Would Bigfoot Sleep? | Historical Accounts of Bigfoot Settlements

Where Does Bigfoot Live in the United States & Canada?

The short answer? Anywhere. But there are certain places where Bigfoot is commonly considered to live:

Mount St. Helens, Washington

Nestled in the Cascade mountain range in Washington, Mount St. Helens is best known for its incredible 1980 eruption. 57 people died in debris avalanches, structure collapses, and smoke inhalation. This includes countless injuries and millions of dollars-worth of destruction. Amazingly, stories persist to this day of several Sasquatch perishing on the mountain and surrounding country. Some witnesses claim they observed army helicopters airlifting massive dead bodies away from the smoking landscape.

Many believe that a maze of lava tubes snake below Mount St. Helens and throughout the Cascades. These tunnels would offer miles of underground shelter for large animals, perhaps even Sasquatch. The state of Washington features the most Bigfoot sightings in the United States, by far. Intricate cave systems and the expansive, remote wilderness make Washington Bigfoot capital of the United States.

The Everglades National Park, Florida

A lot of people overlook states outside of the Pacific Northwest as prime Bigfoot habitats. Many people don’t realize that Florida ranks in the top five of state-by-state sightings. Miles and miles of remote, impenetrable swampland and a huge food surplus creates a fantastic habitat for a large omniverous mammmal like Sasquatch.

But down in Florida you won’t find Sasquatch. You’ll find Skunk Apes. In dense and expansive territories like the Everglades National Park and Myakka State Park, witnesses describe a putrid smelling, lithe, black-haired ape-man. These creatures contrast the hulking, barrel-chested brutes of the Pacific Northwest. The southern body types likely have stark differences due to a more limited population size (smaller territory), a unique swamp diet, and the amount of time spent living in the water.

Salt Fork State Park, Ohio

A true midwestern hot spot, Salt Fork State Park in central Ohio boasts dozens of compelling Bigfoot sightings. The largest in Ohio, this state park features 17,000 acres of majorly uninhabited land, and 8,000 acres of lakes and waterways. Ohio is another greatly overlooked state for encounters. The state is ranked 7th in overall population, but most Ohio residents live in close to large cities throughout the state. This means that there’s still a lot of sprawling, low-traffic, food-rich country in the Buckeye state. Ohio also features a vast river system with countless tributaries and smaller waterways. Salt Fork is kind of a vortex of many of these waterways. It is also right on the edge of the Appalachian Plateau, which is sort of a gateway to the Appalachian Mountain Range. Many Bigfoot researchers believe that this range is a Sasquatch super highway, trekked annually by these creatures as they follow seasonal food sources.

Salt Fork is also the site of several popular Bigfoot conferences like the Ohio Bigfoot Conference, the Annual Bigfoot Conference. Researchers also hold monthly Bigfoot night hikes and creature weekends in the park.

Considering Population Size

Let’s try to hammer down where these creatures might establish their geographic territory. Knowing that sightings occur all over the globe and throughout the United States & Canada, let’s try to magnify what kind of area these creatures would prefer to settle.

First let’s consider a sustainable population number.

There’s definitely not one Bigfoot. There’s not even a hundred Bigfoot. The minimum viable species amount for gorillas is somewhere between 842 and 11,919. This means that unless the total amount of gorillas dipped beneath 842, the species would be just fine. I cite gorillas assuming Sasquatch are actually great apes as well. Conceivably, these creatures would need similar numbers to exist in the world, unless they’re slowly dropping off– which is possible. The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) provides a general estimate of 2000-6000 Bigfoot in North America.

Estimating population size is beyond speculative. Researchers have a hard enough time determining the required breeding population of known animals, let alone one they’ve never been able to even get close to. So where would a few thousand Bigfoot live in North America? And WHERE exactly would they settle?

Where do sightings take place overall?

Let’s take a narrowed look at North America sightings and try to drill down from there. This fantastic map from Josh Stevens plots 3,313 Bigfoot sightings between 1921 and 2013. He looks at the relationship between reported sightings and population density within each county in the United States. Utilizing all reputable data from the BFRO, Stevens notes that sightings in the midwest and east coast, while numerous, are actually proportionally rare or follow the population. Per Josh, “There are distinct regions where sightings are incredibly common, despite a very sparse population. On the other hand, in some of the most densely populated areas Sasquatch sightings are exceedingly rare.”

Bigfoot sightings map by Josh Stevens

By the numbers, here’s the BFRO’s data on state-by-state reports up to November 2016. It is very possible that these creatures don’t habituate certain states, and the small number of sightings are mis-identifications and hoaxes. But, as the reports soar per state, I find it harder to believe that every single sighting is bunk.

What Kind of Setting Would Bigfoot Require?

1) Near a Reliable Water Source

Let’s go out on a limb and decide that Bigfoot drink freshwater like every other red-blooded American. Topping the list of basic needs, the need for water should place them at all times within a few miles of a known source, likely an area that is dependable. In California, for example, drought conditions frequently dry up streams and creeks. It would make more sense that they set up shop near a pond or lake that only recedes gradually. I would imagine them to take full advantage of mountain springs as well.

2) Near a Reliable Food Source

Apes aren’t known to migrate. They are more territorial animals. Likely, when food opportunities arise, Sasquatch wander to distant areas and make temporary settlement. They may maintain a small number of ‘homes’ in an ideal, base-locale, like a cave near a water source. Some suggest that “the Sasquatch are ‘slick opportunists’ in that they know instinctively where and when certain fruits ripen, crops mature, the salmon run, birds nest and the herds calve.” So let’s not project the desires/needs of MAN onto an animal. Sasquatch don’t go fishing for fun or hike for their health. There’s no reason why they wouldn’t be extremely familiar with available food sources in a 50 mile radius. That’s their purpose: to live.¹

I think that they are intelligent enough to remember previous temporary settlements and return to those spots when food sources become available. Perhaps they stay in that general area for a few days, or weeks to gather food for a cache and move on to the next spot. Perhaps they have one truly dependable location that they can always return to. Those few places would also likely be the spot where the young and old reside.

3) In Reliable Shelters

Plenty of animals sleep out “under the stars” as we romantically put it. Plenty of large mammals construct ‘beds’ with grass and bark. I don’t doubt that Bigfoot does the same, but as an intelligent great ape who, in my opinion, has an innate need to NOT be seen or heard they probably utilize a bit more strategy when they’re going to be laying down for an extended period of time. This likely translates to settlements that allow for a quick escape, total or significant floral coverage, and ideally, high ground camps to assess dangers from afar.

Where Does Bigfoot Sleep?

1) Caves

There are easily hundreds of thousands of caves strewn throughout the United States. Over one-third of all counties in the country have at least one cave, and some have so many that they haven’t been properly indexed. Most karst/limestone caves dot the Appalachians, the Ohio valley, the Ozarks, and the Florida Lime Sinks: all top regions for Sasquatch sightings (see map above).

There are also psuedokarst caves, which are most often lava tubes. These types are most often found in the western United States. They can stretch miles long, winding about in knotted passages with multiple entrances. Mount Shasta in California supposedly features a ‘lost city’ of tubes amidst the volcano roots. A lost city of Sasquatch?! Probably not, but I’m sure there’s plenty of dark space to habituate up there.

Similarly, lava tubes spread beneath Mt. St. Helens in Washington. Just like Mt. Shasta, many believe the entire volcano, above and below, to be a major hotspot for Sasquatch colonies. Stories persist to this day of government helicopters scooping Bigfoot bodies off the mountain after the 1980 eruption. The mountain is also just two miles west of Ape Canyon: an infamous site in Bigfoot lore. In 1924, rock-throwing, shrieking ‘ape men’ terrorized five miners overnight. This event is commonly called ‘The Battle of Ape Canyon.’

2) Abandoned Mines

There are an estimated 500,000 abandoned hardrock mines in the United States. Most of them were hastily dug amid the country’s western gold rush. 500,000 empty mines: that’s a lot of uninhabited shelter space up in the mountains. Depending on surrounding terrain, I could definitely see Sasquatch settling inside. With that many mines, there’s bound to be hundreds of them found in especially remote areas. A perfect choice for a longterm Bigfoot home, no doubt.

3) Abandoned Homes

Shelter is shelter, you know? What would happen if a roaming Bigfoot came across a forgotten farmhouse way out in the country? I would think they’d look upon that house with a heap of optimism and settle in for a short time.

These creatures aren’t dumb. They won’t just walk into your Grandma’s house and take a nap. Houses and farms indicate human presence. They likely develop a comfort level with the structure and scout out human activity for a reasonable amount of time before settling in.

And once they do… welp, there goes the neighborhood.

4) Trees

Could an entire family of 800 lb apes live in a tree? I doubt it. Maybe one or two, but I don’t think that tree dwellings make sense. Certainly, I could see one resting high up in a tree, but do they even have the capability to climb after a certain age? Bears can comfortably scale a branchless pine tree with a nifty set of claws, but what would a Sasquatch do in that situation? They’re all fingers!

Gorillas live on the ground, but maintain great balance in the trees. While I don’t think many tree varieties would be sturdy enough to support a Bigfoot for a long stay, I think resting & foraging would work just fine.

Historical Accounts of Bigfoot Settlements

Usually it seems that Sasquatch finds you, or you glimpse one for two seconds as it rushes across a trail or road. Stories are rare in which a person or group stumbles into the ‘lair of the beast’, but we do have some notable historical tales that help paint a picture of an actual Bigfoot residence. Unfortunately for these two men, they became forced house-guests.

Albert Ostman’s Abduction

Perhaps the most well-known of Bigfoot abductions is the 1924 Albert Ostman story. Ostman, a Canadian prospector, claimed that he was carried off into the night by a Sasquatch while still nestled inside his sleeping bag. The creature carried him for miles and miles across the countryside. Hours passed before the abductor placed him on the ground. When Ostman crawled from the bag he discovered three more of these beings: a young boy & girl, and an old female. The abductor was like an old man. The family stood over Ostman chattering away in their own language. Ostman noted the geography of their dwelling:

“I could see now that I was in a small valley or basin about eight or ten acres, surrounded by high mountains, on the southeast side there was a V-shaped opening about eight feet wide at the bottom and about twenty feet high at the highest point — that must be the way I came in. But how will I get out? The old man was now sitting near this opening.”

Ostman lived with the creatures for six days. Though he had a weapon, he did not want to shoot the family, since they brought him no harm. As the days passed, Ostman studied their interpersonal dynamics and what perhaps brought them to this spot:

“I don’t think this valley was their permanent home. I think they move from place to place, as food is available in different localities. They might eat meat, but I never saw them eat meat, or do any cooking.” He added, “I think this was probably a stopover place and the plants with sweet roots on the mountain side might have been in season this time of the year. They seem to be most interested in them. The roots have a very sweet and satisfying taste. They always seem to do everything for a reason, wasted no time on anything they did not need.”

Ostman eventually escaped by offering the old man a box of snuff. The creature curiously ingested the tobacco, became sick, and did not pursue Ostman as he ran away.

Read the amazing full story at Bigfootencounters.com.

The Story of Muchalat Harry

In 1975 notable Bigfoot researcher Peter Byrne wrote ‘The Story of Muchalat Harry.’ A missionary priest named Father Anthony told him the story of a Nootka indian named Muchalat Harry who he rescued from the Conuma River. Near death, Muchalat Harry explained that he was abducted by a massive creature while trapping in the forests of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Much like the Albert Ostman tale, the creature came in the middle of the night and picked him up as he slept, wrapped in blankets. He was also carried for roughly three miles to a rocky settlement. Terrified, Muchalat Harry noted around twenty Bigfoot of all shapes and sizes. The group brought no harm, but poked and analyzed him out of pure curiosity.

When the sun rose, Muchalat Harry was able to understand his surroundings. The creatures made their craggy camp high up in the rising hills, beneath a high rock shelf. As the day passed most of the beings dispersed the site for one reason or another. When he finally escaped, Muchalat Harry ran for his life three miles downhill to his camp. He ran all the way passed his camp for twelve miles to the mouth of the Conuma River. There he canoed forty-five miles down ice-cold, winter rivers. When Father Anthony found him, he was near frozen and lifeless. Three weeks passed before he regained his health, still mentally shaken by his incredible ordeal.

Read the entire story at Bigfootencounters.com

‘Detail of a Nootka Sound’ watercolour by John Webber, 1778. Muchalat Harry was a Nootka indian reportedly abducted by Sasquatch

Ok, So Considering Everything… Where Does Bigfoot Live??

I would be willing to bet we’d find a Bigfoot in a remote, abandoned mine shaft within one mile of a lake in Washington state when berries are in full bloom.

K, see you there.

— AJ

Sources:

¹ Short, Bobbie. “Sasquatch Migration – No Shortage of Opinions…” Bigfootencounters.com

The post Where Does Bigfoot Live Exactly? appeared first on Bigfoot Base.

Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick WA. Site of the International Bigfoot Conference

Who’s putting on the International Bigfoot Conference?

Author/researcher duo Russell Acord & Ed Brown began brainstorming a Bigfoot-centered conference in October 2015. The team quickly realized that there was a huge opening for this kind of event, especially in the Pacific Northwest- Sasquatch’s original backyard. They set out to book a list of the field’s most respected analysts and legitimate researchers. Mixing these popular names with successful independent researchers, Russell and Ed knew they had something special, something with a purpose. “We had to create a conference with a purpose, and that purpose was to provide an opportunity for up and coming researchers to share the stage with some of the biggest names in the world of Bigfoot research.”

Who’s going to be there?

The International Bigfoot Conference will feature an impressive “who’s who” of Bigfoot names. Every one of these speakers is truly exceptional:

Dr. Jeff Meldrum: Professor of Anatomy and Anthropology and Professor of the Department of Anthroplogy at Idaho State University, Dr. Meldrum is the most renowned authority of Bigfoot footprints. In the past decade especially, Dr. Meldrum has pushed legitimate scientific evaluation of these cryptids to new levels.

John Bindernagel, PhD: John is a Canadian professional wildlife biologist and author who has studied and gathered evidence for Sasquatch since 1963. He earned a PhD in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1970. John taught biology and wildlife courses across the globe, including Africa, Asia, and Central America. Throughout his career John has led a level-headed analysis of the wildlife ‘footprint’ of these cryptids, suggesting on his website’s author page that “tracks constitute a more reliable and persistent record of the presence of a mammal species in an area than a fleeting glimpse of the animal itself.”

Loren Coleman: Known across the globe as THE cryptozoologist, Loren has penned dozens of books and hundreds of papers about cryptids. He completed doctoral-level studies of anthropology at Brandeis University and sociology at the University of New Hampshire. Loren taught at New England Universities over the course of 24 years. A true icon for the field of cryptozoology, Loren is also the curator of the fledgling International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland MA.

Derek Randles: A 29 year veteran of scientifically sound Sasquatch research, Derek is co-founder of the world renowned, Washington-based Olympic Project. The association performs comprehensive habitat study and empirical evidence analysis for these elusive Sasquatch creatures. Derek encountered a Sasquatch in 1985, spurring over two decades of passionate, yet practical research.

Ron Morehead: Renowned author and researcher, Ron is most well known for collecting arguably the most compelling audio evidence of Sasquatch: the Sierra Sounds. He wrote ‘Voices in the Wilderness’ about his experiences with Sasquatch and compiled personally recorded audio for a series of records called ‘The Bigfoot Recordings.’ A cornerstone of the Bigfoot world, Ron provides unique insight from his research and encounters for conferences and special events across the globe.

The event will also feature very special guests Cliff Barackman, of Finding Bigfoot fame, and the man himself: Bob Gimlin!

(Left to Right) Jeff Meldrum, John Bindernagel, Loren Coleman, Derek Randles, Ron Morehead

Additional deets

• $45 per adult for total access to the three day event (amazing price if you ask me; honestly just LOOK at that rundown of speakers)
• $25 for children 12 and under
• Vendor space available
• Hotel information HERE
• Door prizes up for grabs, including win-a-four-wheeler!
• Begins Friday 9/2 at 2pm
• Location:

Three Rivers Convention Center
7016 W Grandridge Blvd, Kennewick, WA 99336

For more information, visit the International Bigfoot Conference main page or the event’s Facebook page. Cheers!!

— AJ

The post The International Bigfoot Conference: Why You Need to Go appeared first on Bigfoot Base.

© 2012 The Sasquatch Genome Project

In 2013, Dr. Melba Ketchum, a Texas veterinarian published a controversial report detailing the existence of a new indigenous peoples: Sasquatch. Ketchum led a multi-year study to sequence nuclear genomes of these elusive creatures. Her team tested over 100 pieces of perceived Bigfoot hair, ultimately finding that several samples originated from an unknown hominid species. In Ketchum’s report “Novel North American Hominins, Next Generation Sequencing of Three Whole Genomes and Associated Studies”, she claimed that Sasquatch are hybrids of Homo sapiens combined with an undetermined primate. Whether or not you believe in this study, an odd video surfaced alongside the official release.

Upon release, Ketchum paired with Bigfoot researcher Adrian Erickson to provide the public a double dose of strange: the comprehensive Bigfoot DNA study paired with a 30 second ‘teaser’ clip of a sleeping Bigfoot named ‘Matilda’. The creature in the video is “donor 37” from Ketchum’s 100 samples. Both can be yours for only $29.99!! Seriously, buy the full study here.

Given the surrounding circumstances I truly doubt this piece of ‘evidence’, but Finding Bigfoot front-man Matt Moneymaker vouches for it’s authenticity. There were supposedly even TWO sleeping Bigfoot on display in the full-length clip. At some point in the video, the creatures even rose to their feet and shuffled creepily around the researchers. When asked if Matilda is real, Moneymaker replied on Twitter, “Yes Matilda is real. There were 2 BFs there – an adult female and a juvenile female. The sleeping one was the adult female.”

And by popular demand, a new piece of the video surfaced: this time of the face:

Multi-millionaire BFRO-backer Wally Hersom and Moneymaker were granted exclusive access to view the full footage. In the video, Hersom observed “fangs” and a “black tongue” as the creature approached the camera. The creature appeared shifty and feral with darting eyes, displaying a “paranoid and aggressive” demeanor. A more detailed list of features, via Bigfootevidence.blogspot.com:

“Others who have seen the footage say it’s much more detailed than the Patterson-Gimlin film. On the full facial close-up shot, one witness described:

• Nose similar to ours (but with larger nostrils)
• Slightly chapped, rosy lips
• Pink mouth, blackish tongue
• Pointed teeth, like fangs
• Deep set eyes that dart around and don’t blink
• Her head is round, shaped more like ours than a gorilla’s, but her brow is much more prominent
• She has lots of fine, flowing hair on her head (dark reddish brown) and soft short hair on her face
• When she walks away, she moves just like the female in the Patterson Film”

How was the Sleeping Bigfoot footage obtained?

Bigfootevidence.blogspot.com sat down with Hersom in October 2012 to discuss the events that led to the bizarre video:

“Supposedly word got out that there were two Bigfoot researchers, Dr. Leila Hadj-Chikh, a biologist, who has a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology, from Princeton University, and Dennis Pfohl, a researcher from Colorado, had successfully baited a family of Bigfoots and filmed them for hours. The researchers, hired by the Erickson Project, obtained various videos of Bigfoot from different habituation sites such as Maple Ridge, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. According to sources, Dr. Leila has seen the Bigfoots many times with her own eyes but only speaks out it privately. They have shot enough video of these creatures and are convinced that what they saw were real Bigfoots.”

Sources:

“Matt Moneymaker Confirms Matilda Bigfoot Footage Is Real, Says There’s Two of ‘Em” Bigfootevidence.blogspot.com. 21 Feb 2013. Web.

All videos and content | ©2012 The Sasquatch Genome Project All Rights Reserved

The post What is ‘Matilda’ the Sleeping Bigfoot? appeared first on Bigfoot Base.

Rene Dahinden holding the “cripplefoot cast”, 1970

Right beside the famed 1967 Patterson/Gimlin footage, many enthusiasts believe the other pillar of irrefutable Bigfoot evidence to be the 1969 Bossburg, Washington cripplefoot tracks. In this small community just south of the Canadian border, at least 1089 individual footprints were discovered by a enthusiastic team of Bigfoot hunters. On the surface these appetizing pieces of evidence are remarkable, but what is the real story? The Patterson/Gimlin footage ignited a fever among Bigfoot hunters in 1967, and just two years later these tracks once again hypnotized researchers. But does this unique piece of Bigfoot evidence truly hold that much weight? In this case, it’s essential to look beyond the footprints, right into the eyes of several overzealous Bigfooters.

What events lead to the cripplefoot cast?

In November of 1969 notable researcher Rene Dahinden received a phone call from colleague John Greene. Greene explained that a fellow Bigfooter named Ivan Marx was tracking a crippled Sasquatch, evidenced by a malformed foot print found in the mud by a butcher around the town dump. Rene traveled to Bossburg to investigate. Though trampled by curious locals, the muddy grounds around the dump did yield at least one complete footprint preserved beneath a cardboard box. Rene photographed it and took a plaster cast.

Rene performed due-diligence about town, holding interviews and investigating the surrounding wilderness for more evidence. Mystified by the extraordinary crippled trait, he made base in Bossburg, living in a trailer on Marx’s property. For the next several days he made rounds about the town fringes, dropping infrequent, random piles of meat scraps as Bigfoot bait.

The morning of December 13th brought Rene’s best chance to nab the Cripple. Cruising the banks of Roosevelt Lake with Ivan Marx and an interested young local man, the team pulled over near a railway crossing adjacent to the Columbia River. Marx left the car to check on one of Rene’s meat-piles. Within seconds he flew back to the car shouting “Bigfoot tracks!”

The cripplefoot trackway

1089 individual footprints covered the snowy landscape, winding along the railroad, across the railroad, across the highway, over a 3 ½ foot wire fence, and underneath a pine tree. Beneath the tree they found a large impression littered with pine needles. In the center of this marking was a large clump of snow bearing a few toe prints. Rene believed that the creature stopped to shake off accumulating snow from its foot.

Upon realizing there were hundreds more tracks beyond the pine tree pit-stop, a fiery Rene abandoned all skepticism, shouting “Now we’re going to get that hairy sonofabitch!”

The tracks went up a steep hill and back down the same hill, side-by-side. A deep, yellow-tinged snow patch indicated the possibility the creature stopped to urinate. No samples were collected. Beyond the pee-patch the footprints led down a steep grade parallel to the river, until they finally disappeared amidst the Columbia’s rocky shore.

Left to right, Rene Dahinden, Don Byington, and Ivan Marx following the trackway discovery, 1970

What did the crippled foot look like, and what supposedly happened to ‘the creature’?

The left print measured 17 ½” inches long and 6 ½” across the ball. The right, “crippled” foot measured 16 ½ long and 7” across the ball. The right print showed more compression than the left. This suggests that the body weight favored the right side.

The most notable attribute, and perhaps the sole reason this event became so delectable to the hungry group of Bigfooters, is the infamous crippled right foot. Shorter and wider than the left foot, it strangely left a deeper impression. Rene along with several academics offer their own explanations of the gnarled appendage:

Rene Dahinden, on-scene Bigfoot researcher: Believed the ‘creature’ to have a shorter right leg and endured an accident that dislocated the shinbone.

Dr. Grover Krantz, anthropologist: Believes the tracks made by the ‘crippled individual’ are authentic and simply too sophisticated to be faked. Notably penciled in anatomical structure of the bones upon the plaster cast.

Dr. Jeff Meldrum, Professor of Anatomy and Anthropology, expert on foot morphology and locomotion in primates: Believes the tracks to be authentic and the chances of a hoax to be “almost non-existent.” In an official study, he details the structure of the foot and appears to accept Grover’s skeletal outline:

“The malformed right foot has been previously misidentified as a case of talipes equinoverus (clubfoot). However, it is consistent with the general condition of pes cavus, specifically metatarsus adductus or possibly skewfoot. Its unilateral manifestation makes it more likely that the individual was suffering from a lesion on the spinal cord rather than a congenital deformity. Regardless of the epidemiology, the pathology highlights the evident distinctions of skeletal anatomy. The prominent bunnionettes on the lateral margin of the foot mark the positions of the calcaneocuboid and cuboideometatarsal joints, which are positioned more distal than in a human foot. This accords with the inferred position of the transverse tarsal joint and confirms the elongation of the heel segment. Furthermore, deformities and malalignments of the digits permit inferences about the positions of interphalangeal joints and relative toe lengths, as depicted in the reconstructed skeletal anatomy depicted below.”

Dr. David Howe, orthopedic surgeon: Believes the prints are wholly authentic. He echoes Dr. Krantz, believing that “it would be very difficult to come up with the knowledge and the ability” to fabricate the structure of the foot. He also feels that it could be a lisfranc injury: dislocation of the metatarsal bones from the tarsus, the cluster of bones that including the ankle and heel that are inbetween the toes and the shin bones. If the creature suffered a lisfranc injury, without medical treatment, the “residual deformity could heal over in [that] direction.”

Grover Krantz examines the cripplefoot cast

Treachery comes to Crippleburg

The cripplefoot tracks began a Sasquatch circus in Bossburg. Over the course of a few months Bigfooters of all types flocked to the sleepy mountain town. Among them were Roger Patterson of the Patterson/Gimlin film and the aforementioned John Greene. All of the colorful Bigfoot eggs were in one red-hot basket. Unfortunately for the gang, their salacious optimism no doubt attracted treacherous agents.

A mysterious prospector named Metlow appeared one evening in the Bigfooter’s trailer headquarters. The man, who I picture as some sort of shrouded, pale, devil incarnate, instigated a bidding war for control of an actual Sasquatch that he managed to trap in a deep mine shaft. He refused to let any of the men view the creature. This delectable offer divided the diehard group. With remote financial backing for each side, the bid grew every day. Swept up with excitement, Rene’s bid of $55,000 placed him top of the heap. Excitement faded quickly, as Metlow suddenly withdrew his proposition.

As if dangling chunks of meat for a gator congregation, Metlow returned shortly thereafter with the promise of a frozen Sasquatch foot. The group of Bigfooters once again bit hard on the proposal. And once again they divided, coming up with nothing but whiffed air on this attempt. Simply, Metlow dangled the relic, got bored or wasn’t offered enough cash, and quietly withdrew.

Peter Byrne vs. Ivan Marx

Peter Byrne (left) and Ivan Marx (right)

The cripplefoot saga cycled back to Ivan Marx for the final chapter. The original reporter of the now famed ‘Bossburg Cripple’, Marx phoned old-faithful Rene nine months after the Metlow debacle (October, 1970), proclaiming, “I’ve got a film of the cripple.” On cue, the starving gators crawled back to Crippleburg.

According to Marx, he received an anonymous phone call explaining that a “large upright creature” was struck on the highway by a train or a car. Marx had rallied his hunting dogs and armed himself with a camera. It wasn’t long before he tracked the creature and recorded several minutes of compelling footage:

“On the screen the Sasquatch is shown moving from right to left at an angle of about forty-five degrees away from the photographer. Distance from the subject according to Marx ranged from twenty-five feet to more than a hundred feet as it made its way into the heavy underbrush on the far side of the clearing. Probably the most impressive part of the film, besides its extreme clarity, is the fact that the Sasquatch is visibly injured, holding its right arm tightly to its chest and using its long muscular left arm for compensating balance. Also, both ankles of the creature seem badly skinned, the wounds showing plainly raw against the black hair of the legs and feet. In watching the frames singly, the injured or skinned area appears to extend onto the bottom of one foot, and possibly on both feet, which would account for the apparent pain-filled movements of the frightened creature. As the Sasquatch is nearing the far side of the clearing, a twisted tree limb is stepped on, bouncing up and striking it above knee level. Marx, the following day, photographed this stick, which was ten feet long. In comparison the creature photographed would have stood about nine feet tall and Marx estimated its weight as that of two large bears, or around seven to eight hundred pounds.”

Ding! Ding! A bidding war for the rights to the original footage ensued. A fresh faced British adventurer named Peter Byrne entered the sullied arena. With backing of his own from infamous millionaire (and Yeti enthusiast) Tom Slick, Byrne agreed to pay Marx a $750 monthly retainer to continue hunting the creatures. As part of the deal, the original film would be kept in a safety deposit box. Marx happily agreed.

It was not long before the astute Byrne suspected Marx’s validity. Already doubting the footage, Byrne sought trusted help. He showed a copy of the clip to a local friend and his children. Incredibly, the children recognized the exact location of the filming. Byrne investigated. According to Marx, he tracked the creature six miles north of his home into remote foothills. Amazingly, the actual location of Marx’s short movie was indeed a spot the children were very familiar with: the furthest edge of their own ranch.

Byrne investigated and found extreme inconsistencies in Marx’s description of the setting. He also noted that the shadow of the creature shifted far enough to indicate a significant amount of time passed between shots, directly contradicting Marx’s claim that the creature was filmed over the course of a few minutes. Endless sizing and logistical inaccuracies surfaced quickly. Byrne was quite thorough: a breed not so gullible as Marx’s usual audience. The weight of the inquiries finally crippled Marx. He fled town. When Byrne opened the safety deposit box containing the original video recording, they discovered nothing more than a film roll of a Mickey Mouse cartoon.

Marx surfaced years later. He narrated and produced a Bigfoot film called The Legend of Bigfoot (1976) starring his own uniquely designed, super-cone-head Sasquatch from the previously debunked footage. He even appeared on a game show called You Asked for It peddling “real” photos of a Bigfoot in a snowstorm. From the beginning to end, Marx definitely had a creative flair.

So, were the cripplefoot tracks legitimate? What the hell happened?

Quite literally, this saga begins and ends with Ivan Marx. In my opinion it is easy to see that he carefully penned a compelling narrative of a crippled Sasquatch. Marx was an intelligent and creative guy. He recognized that a simple set of large footprints in the woods would not quench the country’s Bigfoot thirst so easily. He needed some kind of ‘shtick.’ Thus, the most important feature of the entire tale: the crippled foot.

Was Marx desperate for the recognition attached to Roger Patterson only a few years earlier? Was this a long-con to sell endless amounts of footage with his homemade suit a la Peter Parker snapping Spider Man pics for The Daily Bugle? Honestly, it sounds like all of these things crossed his mind. He decided to build a Bigfoot: a memorable monster that was to be revealed little-by-little.

I note modern professional’s evaluation that the foot could not have been faked. In this case, I point to Dr. Grover Krantz, who inadvertently legitimized Marx’s stunt for decades to come. Krantz, always a bit too personally passionate about the topic, penciled in the bone structure of the crippled foot by his lonesome. When Marx began his outline for the fake crippled foot-stamp I imagine him reading through the same anatomy textbooks as Krantz likely did one year later, completing the charade. It is not impossible to fake a footprint like this. In fact, more questions should have risen after observation that it was actually the crippled foot that received more weight in the steps. Despite his story, Marx needed that feature to stand out no matter what.

The time was perfect. He manipulated the desperation of men like Rene Dahinden to enhance belief in ‘the Cripple’ and corral even more Bigfooters. The Patterson/Gimlin film fever entranced the nation. Marx, perhaps over-confidently, assumed he could achieve the same celebrity. He most likely believed that the creature in the 1967 footage was a fake and he could pull off something much more interesting.

If his story didn’t sloppily face-plant, Marx probably would have achieved his goals. He definitely had enough creative plot points to satisfy the public for years to come: the crippled foot, the train accident, the piss in the snow, the dumpster looting, and a very unique suit. Unfortunately for Mr. Marx, he simply waded too far. By the time Peter Byrne began a series of very practical inquiries, Marx was too far out: drowning in his own remarkable fantasy. — AJ

Sources:

¹ “Bigfoot Compendium” Orgoneresearch.com
² Meldrum, Jeff, Dr. “Evaluation of Alleged Sasquatch Footprints and Their Inferred Functional Morphology.”www2.isu.edu/. Idaho State University, n.d. Web.
³ Hunter, Don, and Rene Dahinden. Sasquatch. N.p.: Mass Market Paperback, 1975. Print.
⁴ Sasquatchalliance. “Ivan Marx Sasquatch Footage.” YouTube. YouTube, 20 June 2008. Web.
⁵ Critical Evidence. By Liz Pollock. Perf. Dr. Jeff Meldrum, Dr. David Howe. 2009. Monsterquest: Season 3, Episode 19. Web.
⁶ Byrne, Peter. “The Hoaxed Ivan Marx Footage, as Told by Peter Byrne…” Bigfootencounters.com. N.p., Sept. 2003. Web.

The post ‘Recasting’ the Infamous Cripplefoot Tracks of 1969 appeared first on Bigfoot Base.

With limited hard-evidence and the tendency to attract hoaxers like hungry mosquitoes, foundations of the Bigfoot field often feel flimsy. Regardless, some things are undeniable: thousands of people have discovered giant tracks far in the wilderness; thousands have encountered a large, hairy, ape-man; and thousands know in their hearts that they did not see a bear or a man in a costume. Could this many people be wrong? A very exciting, new Bigfoot docudrama hopes to strengthen the public’s belief in Sasquatch, while, of-course, scaring the shit out of them. Lone wolf filmmaker Christopher Garetano will place the sturdiest encounters and most legitimate evidence into the open, finally pulling back the curtain on our beloved beasts.

Who is making this Bigfoot docudrama?

The docudrama titled Bigfoot is the passion project of filmmaker Christopher Garetano. Widely known for 2014’s Montauk Chronicles – a deep dive into the darkness and controversy surrounding a U.S. airforce base in Long Island, New York – Christopher also directed the short films Inside (2004) & Cottonmouth (2009), and the documentary Horror Business (2005) about low budget, horror-genre film makers. Motivated by lifelong passion and a perfectionist spirit, Christopher wants to create the greatest Bigfoot movie of all time.

‘Bigfoot’ creator Christopher Garetano at work
© Christopher Garetano

What inspired Christopher to create this film?

Christopher is no stranger to the arcane and mysterious. He grew up fascinated with Bigfoot sightings and the idea of something lurking in the same forests he often played in. Ever the imagination booster, the idea of Bigfoot propelled creativity and wonderment throughout his younger years. Like many modern day cryptid enthusiasts, he was particularly struck by Leonard Nimoy’s hypnotic presentation of Sasquatch on the TV show In Search Of… Drive-in flicks like the campy The Creature from Black Lake and docudrama The Legend of Boggy Creek cemented his interest. In fact, it appears Christopher’s Bigfoot docudrama will follow a similar structure to Boggy Creek: a blend of history, interviews, and dramatized encounters.

It’s just titled Bigfoot… Why so simple?

Rather than adopt a familiar Bigfoot movie name like the “blank monster” of the “blank place”, Christopher is sticking to the basic core. Either that or he’s paying serious homage to the cult classic Bigfoot of 1970. No, I’m joking. But Christopher feels that this is the most comprehensive way to label his film:

“It is appropriately titled “Bigfoot” because I realize there’s no singular movie in existence that seriously and properly covers the rich history as well as the modern science that surrounds the mystery of the Sasquatch.”

Will the film take a scientific look at Bigfoot?

Youthful daydreams of a giant, hairy beast stalking the outskirts of town no doubt flooded a lot of our young brains. Well, maybe just for the cool kids. But when you finally arrive at that intersection of reality do you really sink your teeth into the topic. Like many crypto-hounds, Christopher is inspired by the work of notable academics and their serious involvement in the field. Foot morphology and primate locomotion expert Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum headlines the list of professionals who believe that this species could truly exist. Christopher wants to present the first film that seriously details modern academic involvement in the subject.

Concept art drawing for ‘Bigfoot’
©2015 Christoper Garetano

So, what is Bigfoot really about?

No joke folks, Christopher wants to start at the beginning of life on earth. Taking an evolutionary approach, he hopes to detail ice age survival and the species’ rise parallel to man. He will follow that line all the way to modern civilization. Native American involvement is critical to the history of these creatures. Tribes like the Iroquois shaped the dark wild man of the woods as they told tales and experiences around the fire. Stories kept the legend alive, and, in my opinion, kept Native’s safe.

This Bigfoot docudrama will also feature horror sequences dramatizing legendary encounters. Throughout the film, Christopher will recreate the most infamous and dramatic Bigfoot run-ins: the 1924 Ape Canyon incident, Teddy Roosevelt’s frightening “Bauman” story, and, most notably, the Patterson/Gimlin encounter in 1967.

This sounds amazing. As they say, Christoper is going all in with this picture. Judging from everything I have read about him, I wouldn’t expect anything less than The Godfather of Bigfoot films. Don’t expect a teen-slasher, found-footage film or a surface-level reality TV show either. Christopher aims to make a picture that will not only bubble our adrenaline, but stir us on levels that haven’t been touched since we were cave dwellers.

To help this amazing project along, please check out Christopher’s Indiegogo page for donation information. Currently he is 25% complete with the film, but any amount would strengthen his vision: creature effects, period costumes, pyrotechnics, and a Tony Todd voiceover (awesome!). Check out the teaser above!! — AJ

The post Comprehensive Bigfoot Docudrama Could be Best Cryptid Movie Ever appeared first on Bigfoot Base.

Lake Crescent, Olympic Mountains WA

If you have a bucket list item involving a Bigfoot encounter, look no further than the Washington-based Olympic Project. The premier Pacific-northwest Bigfoot evidence and research coalition, the Olympic Project offers multi-night Sasquatch research trips. In their own words, the goal of the project is to “obtain as much information and empirical evidence as we can” in anticipation of the species ultimate reveal.

There are many Bigfoot evidence collection and research groups across the country. The Olympic Project finds its unique footing as a science-first association. Perhaps the most thorough Washington-state research group, the Olympic Project stresses empirical proof and intelligent evaluation of Bigfoot evidence. They collect relevant findings and show them to those interested. According to their website, from that point “It is up to those interested, to draw their own conclusions.”

What are the expeditions like?

These ecologically entrenched Bigfoot expeditions take place over several nights. From Thursday to Sunday, Olympic Project team leaders guide a small group of Bigfoot enthusiasts deep into the Olympic Mountains of Washington. Guest-speakers and field researchers instruct sign-ups on the proper, scientific ways to analyze and log Bigfoot evidence on the scene. CSI: Sasquatch, anyone?

Derek Randles, Co-Founder/Investigations ©2014

Derek Randles, co-founder of the Olympic Project, stresses research participation for his sign-ups. While he wants to deliver a fun, enlightening experience rooted in scientific principles, Randles is determined to involve participants in real study: casting prints, setting game cameras, observing ecological disturbances, and collecting samples. Everyone is a scientist, even in the Bigfoot world. I won’t lie, this sounds fun.

The Olympic Project even provides boys and girls the opportunity to track evidence and log Bigfoot activity. Similar to a scouting program, Olympic Project Junior teaches kids the proper way to track and gather evidence. Bigfoot or not, the program sounds like a fantastic way to provide youth with general biology and wilderness skills.

Even if your group doesn’t come across substantial Bigfoot evidence, a huge perk of the Olympic Project is the organization’s impressive lineup of guest speakers. They offer a commendable list of revered Bigfoot personalities, including Bob Gimlin (of the Patterson/Gimlin film), Ron Morehead (of the Sierra Sounds), foot morphology and primate locomotion expert Dr. Jeff Meldrum, and Finding Bigfoot’s Cliff Barackman. Survivorman Les Stroud has also appeared at certain events.

Are Bigfoot tours available in other parts of the country?

Bigfoot evidence expeditions are available throughout the country. Unfortunately, most lack the scientific grounding of the Olympic Project. Many are paired with regional ghost tours and display the scientific legitimacy of a road-side attraction. Some border on cruelty. Read this snippet (hopefully fake) describing “the hunting experience of a lifetime” in Michigan:

Just imagine experiencing your own Bigfoot sighting… then shooting him, a GENUINE 900 pound trophy Sasquatch!–that’s an animal ten feet tall with a 19-inch foot!

I’m fairly certain that’s fake. But, beyond the redneck, “Mountain Monster” theme trips are many legitimate options in different regions of the United States for respectful observation and evidence gathering. The Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO) offers trips throughout many states and Canada.

Is it actually safe to hunt Bigfoot?

The more I read about these Bigfoot expeditions, the more I feel like they’re ripe for carnage. Granted, ninety-nine percent of outings will end up being nothing more than a fun Bigfoot-themed backpacking trip, I predict something terrible will eventually happen. There’s too many dark tales of violent Bigfoot encounters and abductions out there. An apex predator can only be bothered so many times I believe.

Though, if the Olympic Project field guides routinely stomp through the same areas, it’s likely the species, if living nearby, has a level of comfort with their human trespassers. Only Olympic Project officials know. Appearing to be rational, practical-folk, I’m sure they take great care. Happy hunting.

© 2014 olympicproject.com

Sources:

“2016 BFRO Expeditions”http://www.bfro.net/news/roundup/expeds_2016.asp

“The Olympic Project”http://www.olympicproject.com/

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Still ever elusive on planet Earth, we have the first Bigfoot sighting on Mars, our buzzing sister planet. As the Mars Rover treads the red rock spread, more and more highly detailed photos are beaming back to NASA home base. And they just picked up our first “StarSquatch.”

With the revelation that there may be water on Mars, the topic of Red Planet life is gaining momentum. With life comes Bigfoot sightings, of course. Leap-frogging single cell-organisms, believers have found a StarSquatch in these Mars images. Or at least a rockpile shaped like an ape.

But, are there really martians? And could Bigfoot be one of them? Does a Bigfoot sighting on Mars prove the creature’s ability to travel inter-dimensionally?

What could StarSquatch Be?

Many believe in Bigfoot’s ability to travel through space and time as something of an omnipresent being. Witnesses sometimes describe coming across portals in random wooded areas as well as known paranormal hotspots with many Bigfoot sightings, like the Skinwalker Ranch in Utah. Many of these areas also appear along Earth “ley lines”, or alignments of ancient monuments, sacred sites, and geographical wonders. Notably, Stone Henge, the Great Pyramids, and Machu Picchu would be found on this terrestrial constellation-like map.

The ability to appear at will anytime, anywhere lends credence to the idea Bigfoot could be alien lifeforms. This may also explain accounts of the creatures vanishing before their eyes, and being seen near areas of high UFO activity. For these believers, Bigfoot on Mars is not readily dismissed.

Are Bigfoot Nephilim?

Some believers even subscribe to the idea that Bigfoot are Nephilim, offspring of human women and demons, or fallen angels. According to legends the Nephilim were giants and great purveyors of evil deeds. Perhaps merely an allusion to the great evils men do, the appearance of these ‘fallen ones’ in Genesis 6:5 is immediately followed by the great flood:

5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every cintention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it egrieved him to his heart.
7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

Planet-hopping Bigfoots are believable in this celestial description.

What is Matrixing?

Of course, sometimes our imaginations cannot be stopped. Have you ever walked through the woods and pointed out faces in the tree bark? Or identified the shape of Florida in an Animal Cracker? Or seen Bigfoot on Mars

As humans, we love the human form. Especially the face.

Matrixing, or pareidolia, is a visual phenomena of the human brain where people identify common shapes in complex backgrounds or patterns. Seeing faces in trees, rocks, and even on the Moon is an extremely common example. Infants develop facial recognition very early. The human brain is excited by faces. When arranged in a symmetrical fashion, the face is extremely pleasing to us. When there is something off, we are quickly alerted to it.

So instinctively we pick out human shapes in the distance. Rock piles and tree stumps are frequently confused or merely interpreted at first glance of being a human. We are always on the lookout, whether we like it or not.

Whether alien or ancient demigod, this StarSquatch is most definitely filed into my Blobsquatch folder. Matrixing is quite real, and for now, the idea of Bigfoot on Mars will remain just a cool idea for a movie.

Sources:

Radford, Benjamin. “The Lore and Lure of Ley Lines.” LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 19 Nov. 2013.

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Even though Bigfoot Captured missed it’s mark with most audiences, something great came of all that History Channel funding. Did you ever think you’d see a 3D bigfoot skeleton? Truly, welcome to the 21st century, where brilliant minds work together to play with the bounds of science and technology. One of the more high-profile Bigfoot defenders and researcher, Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum worked with digital modeling teams to craft the world’s first ever presentation of an anatomically perfect 3D Bigfoot skeleton.

Without any Bigfoot bones, how did they create a skeleton?

As part of Bigfoot Captured, the History channel special about hypothetically trapping a live Sasquatch, Dr. Meldrum and Idaho State University paired with the Idaho Virtualization Laboratory and Idaho Museum of Natural History. Meldrum, a professor of anthropology and anatomy at ISU, based his final model on the infamous Patterson/Gimlin Sasquatch (commonly referred to as ‘Patty’) from 1967. He worked with other Sasquatch researchers and musculoskeletal specialists to mine supposed Bigfoot cousins and ancestors, like Gigantopithicus Blacki, the extinct genus of giant Asian apes that lived only 100,000 years ago, and Homo neanderthalis, neanderthals, for their own bone structures. They applied those bones and proportions to the final design, which ended up a staggering 8’5″. With these proportions, the creature would be well over 600 lbs.

What was the 3d printing process like?

The digital design process to construct this amazing 3D Bigfoot skeleton is fascinating in its own right. Using pieces of other great apes and hominids, Meldrum sat for hours with 3D specialists to tweak bones one at a time: realigning, resizing, twisting, and rotating. While simultaneously analyzing the famed Patterson/Gimlin footage, Meldrum and team went into great detail to achieve the perfect look. “We had to widen the shoulders and increase the thickness in the torso.” Meldrum said. “The hips are as wide as the shoulders; the body was built like a tank.”

The 3D Bigfoot skeleton took 1600 hours (66 days worth of time) to print. 1000 cubic inches of plastic were fused together for the final product. Numerous 3d printers across the state were employed for this massive project, as well as some in Washington.

Meldrum Strikes Again

Even though Dr. Meldrum disapproves of the Bigfoot Captured program, this was a fantastic project for the world of Bigfoot. It not only brought real science and evidence into the spotlight, but it first and foremost gathered academic minds together to collaborate on a subject that is heavily ridiculed. Hopefully this is a springboard for other great minds to lend their insight to the topic of Sasquatch. Much praise to Dr. Meldrum and his team.

“I’m delighted these departments were not only interested, but willing to participate in an exercise that I hope will be insightful and informative, and in pursuing this fascinating question of the potential of the existence of a relic hominoid species.” – Dr. Meldrum

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