AMBROSE KANE

6. It’s a common Sasquatch behavior to twist branches, push over trees, and configure branches and twigs in unique and complex ways. These structures are found in some of the most remote places of the forest, and they are quite impressive to say the least. Sometimes the Sasquatch will snap twigs in places located very high from the ground. Most of them are snapped or broken with a precision that bears and other animals are not capable of doing.

Some people have surmised that the structures are the natural falling of trees or branches, and this is certainly possible in some instances. A good many of them, however, show signs of deliberate skill and purposeful intention. They are much too complex and detailed to be seen as merely natural occurrences.

Others have argued that they are man-made structures (perhaps made by hunters), and this is a possibility too. But I find this to be unlikely in most cases because of where they are discovered (e.g., obscure and sometimes hidden regions within the very thick and dense forests of the Pacific Northwest). They are thought to be man-made because they show evidence of human skill. Some of them can’t just be explained as a natural occurrence or done by wild animals because these structures require the use of hands. But we know that the Sasquatch possess hands and they are able to employ them for use in diverse ways (e.g., catching fish, killing and ripping apart prey, throwing rocks, shaking trees, and picking berries).

As to why the creatures do this, it may be for territorial reasons; perhaps to signal or warn other Sasquatch groups in the area that this is their domain. Some of them may be temporary shelters from the rain, although several of the structures in the videos above appear too small to house a Sasquatch. I think they are also done, in part, to display their strength. The highly esteemed Bigfoot researcher, Dr. Henner Fahrenbach, during an interview on the subject in 2002, displayed a thick branch that a Sasquatch had twisted (as one would a wet bath towel) which would require an enormous level of brute strength. He said that many hours after the branch had been discovered, it still had the foul, musky stench that the Sasquatch are known to emit on its ends where it had grabbed onto.

7. It’s believed by some Sasquatch investigators that the creatures periodically kidnap humans. A good many Native American tribes have believed this very thing, and they have spoken of such occurrences in their oral traditions and stories. They believed the Sasquatch were a people, although different in ways than themselves. They were also careful to not venture out alone into the woods too far because the Sasquatch were known at times to kidnap their women and children. Native tribesmen seemed to have deeply respected these creatures, yet they were also fearful of them too.

When I first heard about such incidents many years ago, I took them with a grain of salt. It just sounded so highly improbable. Such accounts sounded like something you would read on the front page of the National Enquirer (“Wife Kidnapped by Bigfoot!”).

I’m not so certain I write off such a possibility now, although I’m not yet fully convinced of it either. Aside from Native American accounts, there are two well-known incidents of a Sasquatch kidnapping humans.

The first account is of a Canadian trapper known as Muchalat Harry, a Native of the Nootka tribe, who supposedly was picked up by a huge male Sasquatch while sleeping late at night and carried into the hills. He was eventually brought into a Sasquatch camp, and he was able to witness the creatures and their habits up-close. He said they were curious, but they did him no harm. He was able to finally flee from his captors and return home.

At first, he relayed nothing about what happened. After some time, he slowly began to share with others his strange ordeal. He never returned to the area he was kidnapped from to retrieve his camping and trapping gear. Harry, according to the account, never left the settlement at Nootka. The incident, if true, had a profound effect on him for the rest of his life. There are details in his story that provide insight known only to informed Sasquatch observers which suggests that Harry’s story might have really happened. Bigfoot researcher, Peter Byrne, has provided a detailed account of the event in his book, The Search for Bigfoot (1975).

The second account is the story of Albert Ostman, a Canadian prospector who was allegedly abducted by a Sasquatch and held captive for six days near the Toba Inlet in 1924. Ostman claimed to have been picked up by a huge Sasquatch late one night while still in his sleeping bag. He was carried for hours until he reached the den of a Sasquatch family. The creatures did him no harm, although they were very inquisitive about their new guest. He was able to finally escape by feeding the large male Sasquatch some snuff he carried with him (which did not take well to his digestive system), and running for hours until he found his way home.

Ostman did not tell his story for more than 24 years after it occurred for fear people would think he was crazy. He finally went public with his account in 1957 when he shared it with a local newspaper. He was interviewed at length by journalist and Bigfoot researcher, John Green, including a police magistrate who cross-examined him and was persuaded that Ostman was being truthful. Ostman also signed a Solemn Declaration stating that his story was true under oath and by virtue of the Canadian Evidence Act.

What I found most striking about Ostman’s account is that he relayed things about the Sasquatch that are true and would probably only be known by people who had actually encountered them. There’s nothing in the story that conflicts with known Bigfoot facts. Ostman provided even more intimate details about the creature to the late Bigfoot tracker, Rene Dehinden, in a book he co-authored with Don Hunter in 1973 (Sasquatch). Ostman’s story seems to have persuaded the former journalist and author, John Green, who I have found to be a careful and sober-minded Sasquatch investigator. Green sets forth his reasons in his book, Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us.

Both accounts are interesting and perhaps suggestive that the Sasquatch sometimes do abduct humans, but I’m not certain at this point that what Muchalat Harry and Albert Ostman relayed truly occurred. I don’t think anyone alive today can be sure of it.

Sasquatch investigator, author and former police officer, David Paulides, has presented an interesting case that the Sasquatch creatures routinely kidnap humans, particularly small children throughout the Pacific Northwest. They’ve apparently done so for many years, although it’s rarely publicly discussed. Paulides thinks that the rash of missing children throughout the nation may be the result of Sasquatch kidnappings (although he would not say that all or even most of them are due to the creatures). Many people, like myself, had never even heard of such things until recently. I’m admittedly skeptical of Paulides’ thesis, although I have not greatly delved into the subject nor do I have a command of all the direct and surrounding facts on such matters. I remain intellectually cautious but open to such possibilities.

Paulides has based his investigative conclusions on various lines of evidence, including the many disappearances that have occurred in our Pacific Northwest forests, the presence of certain patterns and regional clusters where they have occurred, and the fact that all Native tribes believed the creatures to be another tribe of people, and not wild animals or apes. He points out that Sasquatch kidnappings were commonly known occurrences among the indigenous Native tribes of North America.

Here’s an interesting presentation from David Paulides earlier this year:

During the late 1960s, promoter and exhibitor Frank Hansen had a traveling show in which people paid to see an alleged deceased Neanderthal man housed in ice commonly referred to as the ‘Minnesota Iceman.’ Many people were shocked at how surprisingly real the rather gruesome display was. The creature was described as 6′ tall, hairy, with very large hands and feet. It was covered in dark brown hair, and had a flattened nose. It was also missing one eye (possibly shot out by a bullet which entered the creature’s head from behind) while the other eye was left dangling from its eye socket. One of its arms appeared to be broken. A small amount of blood appeared to be visible as well. The odor of a decomposing body could be smelled in the air because some of the flesh had been exposed from the melted ice.

Eventually, this attracted the attention of Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans, a Belgian-French scientist and the father of Cryptozoology (the study of hidden or unknown animals), including an associate, Ivan Sanderson. They were both suspicious at first. Together, they examined the body for three days at Hansen’s house trailer in Minnesota and concluded it was a real creature, possibly a new species with Neanderthal affinities called Homo pongoides.

There was some dispute over how the creature was originally found. Hansen claimed that it was discovered in the region of Siberia and that he was merely acting as its caretaker who was described as an “eccentric California millionaire.” Heuvelmans, however, thought it was likely shot and killed during the Vietnam War and shipped in ice to the U.S. At this point, no one really knows for certain what the creature’s origins were.

Some are persuaded that Hansen replaced the original body with a fake latex model that he paid to have created. At least two theories seek to explain why Hansen would have done this in spite of him possessing what appeared to be the greatest scientific discovery of the 20th century: (1) Due to the more professional and scientific attention that Hansen was starting to receive over his gruesome display, he began to fear that he might potentially be arrested for murder, especially if the creature was in fact identified as a human descendant. Hansen had apparently become aware that the FBI was informed of his display, although they never formally investigated the matter. Hansen’s fear of the authorities may have been warranted since he was reportedly once detained by Canadian customs officials because he transporting a cadaver. This seems to be the most likely scenario. Interestingly, when Hansen was pressed as to why he withdrew the body from public inspection, he claimed he did so on orders from its California-based owner who was never identified. (2) It’s possible also that Hansen was unable to prevent the body from decomposing and thus he replaced it with a replica. But still, why would he not donate the body to science and at least take credit for its discovery?

Primatologist, John Napier, was urged by Sanderson to investigate the creature under the official auspices of the Smithsonian Institution. But by this time, Hansen had replaced the original body with a fake one. When Napier finally got around to inspecting the display, he quickly concluded that it was “simply a carnival exhibit made of latex rubber and hair.”

No one knows what happened to the original body, and the entire story faded from public attention. There remains, however, some considerations that suggest Hansen’s original display was the real thing.

First, the three day examination of the body by both Heuvelmans and Sanderson utterly convinced them that it was a real creature, possibly a remnant of Neanderthal man. The stench of the decaying corpse, the blood, the repulsive manner in which the body was presented with one eye shot out while the other was left dangling from its socket, the manner of its large feet and hands which were consistent with a living creature, and the very real presence of hair on its entire body which appeared natural and not fabricated, all seem to support that the ‘Minnesota Iceman’ was likely a young male Sasquatch.

By the way, Heuvelmans and Sanderson’s complete description of the what they observed is much more complete and convincing than what I’ve summarized above. Is it reasonable, then, to think that these two highly intelligent men could not discern between a real body and a fake model or costume? Moreover, it must be noted that this was during the late 1960s and not during a later era when costume technology was more highly advanced.

Secondly, Hansen’s reaction to the professional attention he was receiving, including his apparent fear of the authorities, suggests strongly that he had in his possession something that could get him into trouble. Hansen was smart enough to know that if all he had was a latex body, he would not be arrested by the authorities. He knew the matter would be dropped immediately and that no consequences, financial or otherwise, would be pursued. However, the fact that Hansen admitted to withdrawing the body based on the orders of its original owner, suspiciously implies that he had something he wasn’t supposed to and that he felt the need to replace the original body with a fabricated one.

Thirdly, the manner in which the original body was displayed implies that it might have been real. It seems odd that if Hansen had planned to merely display a latex model of some extinct creature or Neanderthal man, that he would position the body in the way he did. Is it reasonable to assume that Hansen requested the costume maker to design it with one eye missing and the other to dangle from its eye socket? More than likely, if one was going to display a fake Neanderthal body, important features of its face and body would be preserved for viewing. It would also probably not be so gruesomely presented. The attention to detail in the original body, additionally, tends to rule-out a fake, unless Hansen had unlimited funds to pay for the best costume model available at the time. But this seems unlikely and Hansen was not a wealthy man. Moreover, the stench of a decomposing body which Heuvelmans and Sanderson detected also implies that it was a real body.

Fourthly, those who were able to compare the original body with the later one that Hansen publicly displayed, concluded that they were not the same. Even a cursory examination of the body’s original photographs (of which there only a few) and the later latex model images reveal a marked difference between them.

Fifthly, Hansen’s family members, from what I’ve read, had never admitted that it was a fake. If true, this is very interesting. If someone were to interview any surviving members of the Hansen family, it may help to solve the ‘Minnesota Iceman’ mystery.

Finally, the heavy-duty housing used to contain the creature as well as keep it frozen suggests that whatever was placed inside of it was large and had substantial weight. Not only was the housing extremely heavy, around 1000 lbs., but it measured approximately 4′x4′x8′ which was sufficiently large enough to house a young Sasquatch. The original freezer container recently sold on eBay in February 20, 2013 for $19,000.

4. The Sasquatch, as many enthusiasts of the creature already know, signal to each other through wood knocks. They apparently strike the mid trunk of trees with a branch or solid piece of wood as a way of sending messages to their family group. The wood knocks occur usually during the early hours of the morning (between 12am and 4am), although they have been heard during the daytime as well. They may do it to locate other Sasquatch in the vicinity or as a way of warning their family group of intruders. There’s probably a variety of reasons why the creatures do it.

I had read a while back that the identification of wood knocking by the Sasquatch had only been discovered by researchers in the early 1990s. Matt Moneymaker of the BFRO, in particular, claims to have personally identified wood knocking as a distinctive feature of Sasquatch communication. Within time, other field researchers caught on that this was indeed a common Sasquatch practice.

I’m not disputing Moneymaker’s claim, but I remember reading a typed written document from the early 1970s which noted the phenomena of wood knocking as a common manner of Sasquatch communication. The document skips my memory now and I haven’t been able to find it again on the Internet. I’m not even sure if an author’s name was attached to it. The document also had some other very interesting things to say about the creature. The somewhat rare and detailed information it contained suggested to me that it came from someone who had engaged in serious Sasquatch field work.

Another Bigfoot researcher, Bob Titmus, also recalled a Sasquatch encounter he had as far back as 1959 in which the creature had wood knocked. According to Titmus, the knocks weren’t random but deliberate, sounding as if they were a coded series of messages. When Titmus heard it, he started doing the same. The creature replied by repeating the same knocks in both its timing and blows as he had done. According to Jane Goodall, chimpanzees do something of the same as a way of announcing their presence and listening for a response.

Regardless of when wood knocking was discovered and by whom, the point I found intriguing was that as early  as the late 1950s, there was an established and growing body of information available on the subject of Sasquatch. For people who lived in areas that the creatures inhabited, there was probably much more personal knowledge of them than we might suppose.

5. The Sasquatch are not generally violent or aggressive toward humans. They seem, for the most part, docile and shy. Even when the creatures discover hikers in their territory, they don’t physically attack them. Most often, humans are just observed from a safe distance. They may throw a rock or even roll a boulder near where a human is standing as a warning, but I know of no instances where they’ve deliberately struck and injured any humans unprovoked. The creatures, incidentally, are known to have great accuracy in their rock throwing.

There have been a couple of instances in which the Sasquatch have justifiably behaved aggressively toward humans. One such incident was the ‘Ape Canyon’ event that occurred in July, 1924, approximately 2 miles east of Mount Saint Helens in Washington. According to Fred Beck, who was one of five prospectors in the area who routinely looked for gold, they had recently come across some strange, human-like footprints, some which measured 19″ long. This had intrigued the group, and they were curious to find out what they might be.

One of the prospectors, upon seeing a Sasquatch across the canyon about 100 yards away the following day, shot at it. Beck said he observed it too, and he described it as a hairy, ape-like creature, about 7′ tall with blackish-brown hair. Beck said that in spite of the distance, he was able to get a clear look at it. It was not known whether the creature was struck or suffered any injuries as a result of the gunfire.

That night, all five of them slept inside a cabin they had built on a prior occasion for their prospecting work. The cabin was located near the vicinity where one of them had shot at the Sasquatch earlier in the day.

Beck recalled that later during the night, after they had all went to sleep, several of the Sasquatch creatures (he estimated there were about five of them) or “mountain devils” as they were sometimes called, began to hurl giant boulders and large rocks against the cabin. The creatures jumped onto the cabin’s roof, and they even tried (unsuccessfully) to push over the cabin as well. Beck said they weren’t able to do so due to the solid wood construction of the cabin.

The men were naturally terrified, but they managed to fight off the creatures with multiple rifle rounds fired through the chinking or open spaces of the cabin’s walls and corners. One of the creatures was able to somehow get his long arm inside the cabin’s interior and grabbed an axe. It was unable to pull it through to the other side because the axe got stuck. Upon seeing it, one of the men fired his rifle at the intruding Sasquatch arm.

The attacks continued all night with only brief intervals of silence. Just before daylight, the men ventured outside. Beck saw one of the creatures about 80 yards away. He shot at it three times and it toppled over a cliff it was standing near, falling down into a gorge some 400′ below. All five of the prospectors fled the area and eventually returned home.

The men, at first, agreed to keep quiet about the incident. Before long though, word got out and the area was eventually re-named ‘Ape Canyon’ after the terrifying Sasquatch encounter.

I’m not sure how true or accurate the event was, but Beck has sworn to its veracity. He also provided a detailed account of the entire incident, and he had been interviewed at length about it too. There’s a short but interesting video of him being interviewed that’s available on Youtube. The public attention it drew and the re-naming of the canyon is perhaps an indication that something such as Beck had claimed probably did occur.

The lesson here, I suppose, is that while the Sasquatch are not generally aggressive toward humans, they will defend themselves if attacked or provoked. Sometimes they will attack in groups as the Ape Canyon incident demonstrates.

Along these same lines, the Sasquatch will also at times engage in ‘bluff charges.’ In other words, when riled or threatened by a human’s presence, they will sometimes run or fully charge at him, yet they won’t actually make physical contact or harm the person. It’s done to scare the person away. The great apes do something similar to this as well.

Bigfoot field researchers have observed this very thing, and it can be extremely intimidating to say the least. James “Bobo” Fay of the ‘Finding Bigfoot’ TV series, has publicly stated that it’s happened to him. The controversial Bigfoot hunter, Paul Freeman, was once ‘bluff charged’ by a Sasquatch that completely terrified him. He allegedly had it recorded on videotape, but the incident was so personally embarrassing to him that he never publicly released it. The video footage supposedly records him screaming, crying, and wetting himself.

Whether Freeman is telling the truth or not is anyone’s guess. After all, he admitted to hoaxing a few footprints. At the same time, he apparently filmed a genuine Sasquatch in 1994 in the Blue Mountains region of Washington. Some of the footprints he discovered showed the presence of dermal ridges and other things indicative of an authentic creature, and it sufficiently convinced both Dr. Grover Krantz and Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum. I’m not sure I would fully write off everything the late Paul Freeman had done. Either way, what he described in his Sasquatch ‘bluff charge’ encounter seems to fit their behavior when they are greatly annoyed or feel threatened.

The following is some information on the creature popularly known as ‘Sasquatch’ or ‘Bigfoot’ that the reader might hopefully find interesting. I think Bigfoot researchers in the know would generally agree with most of what’s written in this post, and I always make sure to get my information from credible, reliable, and non-sensationalistic sources.

There’s too many kooks and hoaxers in the Bigfoot world. I’m very careful about this because I don’t want to mislead others. I also don’t want this very important field of investigation to get tainted with falsehoods and misinformation. In the end, though, these are only my opinions and personal observations from what I have read and discussed with others. I don’t claim to be an ‘expert,’ but only a student of the subject matter since the early 1970s.

1. Various opinions exist about the identity of the Sasquatch. What exactly is this creature? A bi-pedal ape? Half man, half ape? An ancient ancestor of man, perhaps a Neanderthal? A descendant of Gigantopithecus who lived roughly 9 million years ago in Asia?

I used to think that it was simply an upright walking ape that just hadn’t yet been discovered by science. I viewed it merely as North America’s great ape. However, over the past year I’ve been reconsidering this notion. I’m more open now than previously to the possibility that it might be more human than merely a primate or an unclassified ape. These creatures seem to be exceptionally intelligent and, if there’s any validity in what Scott Nelson (crypto-linguist) has said about them, they may even have their own language.

There’s a gentleman in Ontario, Canada who has recently made great strides in developing an ongoing relationship or repeated ‘contacts’ with a small group of these creatures (see ‘Sasquatch Ontario’ on Youtube). He seems to be legitimate, and I don’t get the hoaxer vibe from him. We shall see. It’s always best to remain somewhat skeptical and to allow later facts, events, and circumstances to confirm things.

His approach is quite unique in that he doesn’t try to film them. He believes that the creatures seem to know what a camera is. He thinks this will scare them away, and he doesn’t want to ruin the incredible progress he’s developed. He is, in effect, low-key, non-invasive, and very patient in his efforts. The creatures seem to respond favorably to it. He leaves them food and candy next to what he calls the ‘gift tree’ and they routinely take it. If what he’s documented so far is the real deal, then it’s another confirmation that the Sasquatch are not apes. The creatures have left him woven ‘gifts’ on several occasions and, if my memory serves me correct, apes don’t weave. He has approximately two dozen of these ‘gifts.’ They’ve also left him an apple and a flower on a couple of occasions.

They’ve left branches on the ground configured in ways that demonstrate a high degree of intelligence. They sometimes rearrange small stick structures that he’s set up. One of them, a younger male Sasquatch, seems to have fun in much of this.

They’ve also intentionally left their footprints in the snow and mud surrounding his house for him to find. He said that he’s seen over 500 footprints, and some he has cast. In a few instances, they’ve planted their large footprint next to his in the snow for comparison.

One of them even left a huge handprint (complete with fingerprints and nail markings) on his car! More than that, he’s managed to audibly record these creatures talking, whooping, making grunts, and roaring on several occasions. They are absolutely amazing to hear! If these recordings are genuine, it’s an incredible discovery and another important piece in the puzzle of the Sasquatch’s identity.

This sort of ‘contact’ and the willingness of these creatures to reveal themselves is rare indeed. It’s obviously worked for him, and it may provoke Bigfoot trackers and investigators in the future to rethink how they approach and obtain documentation of them. He’s convinced the creatures are primal people.

I’m not fully persuaded as of yet that the Sasquatch are human or even a primal people as the gentleman in Canada thinks, although I remain open to that possibility. To me, they still seem to be non-human animals of some kind. The way they live, the seemingly primitive nature of how they conduct their existence, and their nocturnal vision all suggests to me that these are animals – albeit highly intelligent ones. At best, I might concede they are people-like, but not truly human as we are.

We have much to learn about them, and I’m sure a lot of long-held assumptions as to what they are will be jettisoned as we gain more data – especially if a Sasquatch body is discovered.

2. These creatures are masters of their environment. They are also much more stealthy than I had previously imagined. Twenty years ago I heard the famous Bigfoot investigator, Peter Byrne, say that he suspected the Sasquatch hide their tracks. He reasoned this way because he surmised there was a substantial population of them scattered throughout the Pacific Northwest (some have estimated between 3000 to 6000), and yet so few tracks are actually discovered. Thus, they must in some way hide or conceal their tracks so as to remain undetected.

When I heard Byrne posit this, I thought he was off his rocker. It just sounded so strange and unbelievable. I felt this way because I hadn’t yet understood how truly aloof and stealthy these creatures are. I also hadn’t realized how intelligent they were either.

I’m not sure how precisely they hide their tracks, but some Bigfoot field researchers think they are very careful about where they step. They seem to be aware that their footprints leave evidence of their presence, and thus they watch closely where they place their feet.

In areas where they know human contact is less likely, they probably are less cautious about where they step. The late Paul Freeman used to frequently witness Sasquatch tracks where he worked in the Blue Mountains region of Washington. More than likely this was because the area was off-limits to humans by the U.S. federal government. The Sasquatch, then, apparently felt free to walk about unconcerned over having their footprints detected because so few humans were ever seen in the region.

The Sasquatch may even intentionally walk on surfaces where they know their footprints won’t be readily discovered. The individual Sasquatch in the Skookum body cast (if that’s what it really is) seems to intentionally avoid leaving foot or handprints in the mud so as to avoid detection. Again, this suggests that these creatures are highly intelligent and extremely stealthy.

One way they remain hidden, among many, is by means of the thick hair that covers most of their bodies. Their hair, including its color which is usually black, dark brown or reddish brown, helps them to blend in well with their environment. They are able to conceal their large frames behind the many massive trees throughout the forests of the Northwest. Aside from the sheer density of the forests they inhabit, they will sometimes stand perfectly still and remain wholly undetected while humans pass nearby. They will also tree peek. In the majority of instances by far, they will see you before you ever see them.

Again, they are masters of their environment. When humans enter their territory – and yes, these creatures appear to have distinctly marked territories that they consider their domain – they seem to be quite aware of it. One controversial Bigfoot enthusiast, Todd Standing, has argued that these creatures have their own sentries or ‘day watchers’ who alert others in their family group of any potential human invaders.

I’m not sure how valid Standing’s theory is, but it seems to make sense. If the Sasquatch are in fact nocturnal creatures and, therefore, primarily sleep during the day, then it would not be a stretch to imagine that one or two of them might stay awake during daylight hours for the purpose of warning others if an intruder enters their territory. This seems reasonable especially when one takes into account their high levels of intelligence.

The Sasquatch are also known to ‘escort’ humans out of their territory. If a hiker penetrates too deeply into their domain, they will sometimes throw rocks near where the hiker is standing or walking. They don’t generally try to strike the intruder with them, but simply to scare him off. The Sasquatch will also walk parallel to where the hiker is walking, usually above where he’s located. They will stomp their feet, grunt, push over trees, and intentionally step loudly as a means of letting you know that they’re watching you. In this way, the Sasquatch show their displeasure at your presence in their area.

3. Strange as it may sound, there is mounting evidence (although admittedly it’s circumstantial in nature) that the Sasquatch know what cameras are used for and they purposely avoid them. I’m not saying they’re cognizant of the inner-workings of a camera or anything along these lines. They just seem to have a sense of what cameras do; that it will somehow capture their image and hinder their efforts to remain hidden from humans.

There’s been a few videos showing trap cameras or trail motion detection cameras that were deliberately set off by what is likely a Sasquatch. In one such video, it appears to show a partial hand. In another video, a stick is waived in front of the camera’s lens in an apparent attempt to activate it. Another video shows what appears to be a dead chicken waived in front of the camera. This is, admittedly, bizarre behavior. But if the creature is somehow trying to set it off or perhaps just being curious, it may not be as strange as we might first imagine. Either way, the Sasquatch seem to be intelligent enough to not knowingly walk directly in front of the cameras. Bigfoot investigator, M.K. Davis, has analyzed a few of these videos for those who might be inclined to research it further.

Infrared or night vision cameras don’t seem to be as generally effective in capturing a clear image as was first thought when they came into use among Bigfoot field researchers a few years ago. The creatures seem to be aware of them although no one is certain as to how. They might detect the cameras due to the heat that’s emitted from them? Or perhaps due to their night vision capabilities, they’re able to see them from a distance and this avoid being captured on film?

With that said, however, there have been a few images of the creatures captured on film (which would include the famous 1967 Patterson-Gimlin footage in Bluff Creek, CA). One such image is the Jacobs photo(s) taken in Pennsylvania in 2007 which appears to show a juvenile Sasquatch hunched over on all fours. The creature appears to be a primate and not a bear or any other animal.

There’s also a host of videos that appear to catch the Sasquatch walking about, running, shaking trees, and generally doing whatever they do in their natural environment. In some instances, the creatures are filmed apparently snooping around on farms looking for an easy meal in the early hours of the morning. Some of the video and images are relatively clear, while most admittedly are not.

A multiplicity of factors contribute to the poor quality of many of these videos. Some of it is due to weather conditions, the poor quality of the cameras, the inability of the camera operator to steady the camera, the surprised or sudden nature of the occurrence, the dense forest and terrain which often makes it difficult to capture a Sasquatch when having to peer through or around large trees and bushes, and the very short time-frame that occurs during most Bigfoot sightings.

The creatures are usually caught on film suddenly as is the case in most Sasquatch encounters. Once spotted, the Sasquatch will quickly turn away or step hurriedly into the most dense areas of the forest which makes it extremely difficult to obtain clear and steady footage. They don’t just hang around waiting to see what you’re going to do in most instances. Sometimes they will drop to the ground or crouch down on all fours in an attempt to hide themselves from view. Other times, they will quickly run away. People who have had the privilege of observing them run stand amazed at their speed and agility as they race through the forest. The 1996 Memorial Day footage which films what appears to be a Sasquatch running in the area of North Central Washington might be a good example of this very thing.

I had hesitated about bringing up the issue of Bigfoot in any serious way because the subject is fraught with sensationalism and a circus atmosphere usually surrounds most discussions of it (thanks to the media and the weirdos who are often connected to it). It’s a quick way, I suppose, to get people to roll their eyes and immediately dismiss you.

Some people, no doubt, will write off anything I say the minute they discover my belief in the creature’s existence. So be it. This blog is about my opinions and the things I have an interest in. With that said, however, I do wish to clarify that my belief in Bigfoot’s existence is not out of some personal or esoteric need to believe. If it was somehow revealed that the entire Bigfoot phenomena has been wrong or an outright hoax, I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. The subject is not a religion to me. I have many other subjects that interest me and I’m not obsessed with the Sasquatch question.

Still, I’m convinced that the creature exists solely because the evidence is overwhelming. I side with those Sasquatch investigators who feel that they’ve reached a point where the question is no longer ‘Does it exist?’ but instead ‘What is it?’ In other words, the evidence itself has forced those in the know to move beyond questions of whether it’s real or not to one of trying to determine exactly what it is.

If that’s too strong for some, then let me put it another way: There’s enough evidence at this point in time to warrant a serious and scientific investigation into the possible existence of this creature. The problem is that so many people are unwilling to even fairly evaluate the available information that currently exists. Their minds are already closed and they’ve ruled out the possibility of Sasquatch from the outset. Most people who reject Sasquatch’s existence do so out of complete ignorance. Others do so out of biased and poorly researched information they’ve gleaned from some other misinformed soul.

Regardless, sound reasons and strong scientific evidence is out there if one is willing to even-handedly consider it. The case for Sasquatch can be made from variety of factors – namely, (1) The many names North American natives gave to the creature. They spoke of it as real and not as mythological; (2) North American travelers and frontiersmen in their journals described a real creature they encountered that sounds very similar to Sasquatch; (3) Every continent throughout the planet has stories of Bigfoot-like creatures. They all seem to describe an upright walking ape that looks very close to human; (4) The famous 1967 Patterson-Gimlin footage in which a female Sasquatch is filmed. A detailed examination of the film is very suggestive that this is a real creature and not just a man in an ape costume; (5) There’s been some good hair and scat samples, including some recent DNA evidence, that points to Sasquatch as a real but unclassified animal. (6) Sasquatch footprints and casts, some which show dermal ridges (the foot’s equivalent of fingerprints), are also compelling evidence. The fact that several of these have been found in the most remote parts of the Pacific Northwest seems to rule out a hoax. (7) Reliable eyewitness testimony. Although there’s always going to be some attention-seeking nut claiming to have seen a Bigfoot, the interesting point here is how many reliable and mentally stable people have witnessed the creature. Many of these same people were reluctant to come forth with their stories because they feared ridicule. (8) Sasquatch sound recordings. There’s been some very unique and, I think, persuasive audio recordings of what seems to be the creature talking and making thunderous vocalizations (although I admit this is conjecture only). Some of the vocal ranges are supposedly beyond the human range. A series of these recordings were done deep in the Sierras in 1972 and even recently this year in Ontario, Canada.

What’s so ironic is that while the non-scientific community (lay folks) has been pursuing the Sasquatch question for decades, the worldwide scientific community hasn’t had the slightest interest (although, thankfully, that’s slowly beginning to change). One would imagine that scientists and anthropologists would be deeply interested in the subject matter or at least open to its possibility. But they haven’t been.

One would think that the scientific community’s rejection of the creature would be grounded upon a rigorous investigation of the subject, including sound and painstaking research methods. But this isn’t the case either. Most of them know nothing about Sasquatch or Cryptozoology (the study of hidden or unknown animals). The truth is, these academicians and scientists are human and, therefore, like everyone else they have their biases and blind spots. They shouldn’t be so close-minded, but they are. Moreover, any professor seeking tenure isn’t going to get it if he entertains any serious thoughts on the subject, especially if he makes his views known to his colleagues. But true science should be open to all possibilities – including the possibility of a large, bi-pedal primate that roams the forests of the Pacific Northwest – unless the evidence suggests otherwise or leads to differing conclusions.

Anyone interested in pursuing the Bigfoot question should stick with such sober-minded researchers and investigators as Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum (associate professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University); the late Dr. Grover Krantz (professor of anthropology at Washington State University); Dr. John Bindernagel (author and wildlife biologist); journalist and author, John Green; former big game hunter and Bigfoot researcher, Peter Byrne; author and student of cryptozoology, Loren Coleman; professor and esteemed Sasquatch researcher, Dr. Wolf-Henrich (Henner) Fahrenbach; and a host of others who are not hoaxers or sensationalistic about the subject matter.

There’s some real kooks out there in the Bigfoot world, so it’s best to stick with the researchers who are committed to just getting to the truth, adhering to valid rules of science, and letting the investigative chips fall where they may. This isn’t meant to suggest that these men are infallible or that controversy hasn’t followed them at times. They’re human and imperfect like the rest of us. I’m simply urging the serious Bigfoot student to follow the lead of respectable investigators and to be cautious always of the many oddballs and charlatans who muddy up the waters for the rest of us. Here’s some books I recommend:

My interest in Bigfoot began in the early 70s as a kid. I checked out and read a couple of books from the library on the Yeti/Bigfoot by Ivan T. Sanderson (Abominable Snowman: Legend Come to Life) and Bernard Heuvelmans (On the Track of Unknown Animals) who is considered the father of cryptozoology. I also remember watching excitedly the Patterson-Gimlin film that was replayed on our local news station. After some time, my interest faded and it wasn’t revived until the early 1990s when I watched a Sasquatch documentary that nicely laid out some of the supporting evidence for the creature’s existence. Since that time, my interest has only increased, particularly as new discoveries through modern technology help to increase our chances of finally identifying the Sasquatch.

In future posts, I intend to present some unique information about the habits and characteristics of the Sasquatch. I’m no ‘expert’ on this creature and I don’t want to convey the notion that I know everything about it. I’ve never engaged in any expeditions. However, my purpose is to try to convey some practical and interesting truths about them in ways that everyone can easily understand.