Riley Rawlins 1994-2012

Lake Highlands Teen Killed Crossing the Street: MyFoxDFW.com

1st Annual Chautauqua Bigfoot Conference

1st Annual Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot - Sasquatch Convention:

When: May 6th, 2012: - 12:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.

Where: The Chautauqua Suites, Mayville NY.

Speakers include:

Larry Battson
Billy Willard
Melissa Hovey
Steve Kulls


There will be more information in the coming weeks. I will post updates as they happen or you can click on the link above to stay informed on the official website. See you there!!

Ohio Bigfoot Conference

Don Keating has announced that there will be no Ohio Conference this year. 

Study on Camera Traps and Coyotes Wariness of Them

Thank you to Ron Pyle for sharing this scientific study with us!
Wariness of coyotes to camera traps relative tosocial status and territory boundaries
Abstract: The primary objective of this study was to develop a better understanding of coyote (Canis latrans) wariness
particularly as it related to social status. We determined that territory status (controlling alpha, resident beta, or
nonterritorial transient) affected vulnerability to photo-capture by infrared-triggered camera systems. All coyotes were
wary of cameras, leading to relatively low numbers of photo-captures, most of which occurred at night. Alphas were
significantly underrepresented in photographs and were never photo-captured inside their awn territories. Betas were
photographed inside and outside their territories, whereas transients were most often photographed on edges of territories.
Both alphas and betas were photographed more often on territorial edges when outside their territories. We next
addressed the question of how alphas were better able to avoid photo-capture. Alphas tracked human activity within
their territories and presumably learned the locations of cameras as they were being set up. They did this either by approaching
our location directly or by moving to a vantage point from where they could observe us. Betas and transients
either withdrew or did not respond to human activity. Trials in which a dog was present were more likely to
elicit an approach response from alphas. Avoidance of camera stations and the tracking of human activity implied wariness
toward objects or locations resulting from their learned association with human presence rather than neophobia toward
the objects themselves.

Read the entire document here.

Another Update from Melba Ketchum

"For everyone that keeps asking for when the paper will be out, please understand that

1) I cannot talk about our data or it will never get published. Those are journal rules.

2) I cannot divulge which journal as that will kill our paper also so speculation is futile.

3) Peer review and publication can take 5 to 26 weeks and then there is the question of revision where they ask you to change or re-write or edit some of the paper. It is a rare paper that is accepted without some revision. I know this because I peer review for some well known scientific journals also.

4) Timing is very difficult to say the least because of #3 and once again, I am sure the journal would reject the paper if I told you exactly when I think the paper would be out. Soon is as much as I can say. I cannot afford to lose all of the exceptionally difficult work that my co-authors and I have put into this project. I am asking you to understand this! Please. 

5) I also ask you to understand that I am not trying to be rude or disrespectful to anyone by my silence. I would love nothing better than to scream our results to the world. But, like everything else in the world of Sasquatch, it will NOT prove ANYTHING if the data doesn't undergo the rigors of peer review in the scientific community. It has to convince the skeptics (or at least skeptical scientists) or it is just another attempt to prove the existence of BF that cannot be substantiated even though we have overkilled the science on this project beyond all realms of reason. So, I guess the question is, do we rush and and fail, or do we play by the rules and prove something once and for all that will vindicate thousands who have had sightings. They are real and most if not all of the people on FB here are believers. Please, let's do this right so the world will know once and for all that there is a real and illusive creature that is alive and well right here in our own backyards. If I have any news I can share, I will share it here though, OK?"

 

And now, today, 1/3/2012 She claims to be a witness:

"Yes, I do know about them now. I am glad I didn't see them until after most of the data was in. I needed to prove it scientifically to myself first as a former skeptic before hitting the field so to speak and actually observing them. I had no fear, the ones I encountered were peaceful and gentle. I keep going back, I know why so many people love doing this now."

They're Coming Back!

The Finding Bigfoot cast is returning to Deerassic Park Education Center located at 14250 Cadiz Rd, Cambridge, Ohio.  
                                                                 
Mark your calendars for Saturday, January 21st at 11 a.m.  (why not purchase your official Bigfoot Researchers calendar and have Bobo and Cliff autograph them for you?)

This Town Hall Meeting will be more geared to a Question & Answer session and all are encouraged to participate!
                                                     
 

Behind Finding Bigfoot

By now we have all become familiar with the show Finding Bigfoot and the characters on the show. 
We make fun of Matt saying "I do think there's a Squatch in these woods" and Ranae's yodeling "Yoo Hoo"... we tune in every week because finally researchers are getting some overdue recognition.

The show is entertaining, but as with all television productions, there is a lot going on behind the scenes.
The show has to travel to a new location every week and although first class airfare would be cool, someone has to transport all of the camping gear and research equipment.

This brings me to the unknown cast member, the 5th Beatle if you will, Tyler Bounds.  Who is this behind-the-scenes man of mystery?
 
Tyler hails from northern Washington state and as many people of the PNW, he has had a fascination with Bigfoot since he was a wee lad.
In 1992, Tyler went on his own personal expedition to Bluff Creek where he camped for days, alone in the wilderness.  He didn't find any evidence of Bigfoot at that time but in true Tyler fashion I quote, " I drove down there and spent days camping all by myself. I had no clue what I was doing, but it was rad."
It wasn't until 2009 that Tyler met Matt, Cliff and Bobo at the Yakima Roundup.  He then went on the BFRO Olympic Peninsula Expedition later that same year where he met Ranae Holland.

When the Finding Bigfoot production filmed at Salt Fork State Park in 2011, I drove down to visit with Cliff and Bobo.  Unfortunately it was Bobo's turn to camp out with Tyler, and they were trying to avoid the masses of enthusiasts who were flooding the woods that evening.  We talked and sent texts back and forth.  I was curious as to who this Tyler fellow was and Bobo assured me that Tyler was one of the most awesome people one would ever meet.  I decided to interview Tyler and find out some more about him.

SL: When were you invited to join the Finding Bigfoot team? 
TB:  I worked on the first season- the Georgia, Oregon and Washington episodes. Cliff and Bobo insisted I be part of the crew, and Day 2, I found those footprints in GA. Then I was the golden child after that. They needed someone for Season 3 that could camp out without being afraid, without complaining, and trusted and experienced enough to be left alone for days at a time. Plus, they had to be a bigfoot nerd, know how to work nightvision, thermal, trailcam, parabolic, etc etc etc
   
SL: Have you ever had what you would consider a Bigfoot encounter?
TB: I've had several "encounters"- knocks, screams, pebbles thrown at my tent, rock clacking etc. and I saw  3 of them east of Mt. Rainier in 2009.

SL: how far away? what were they doing? what were you doing?
TB: The first one I saw had paralleled me for 30 minutes, knocking and raising a ruckus 20-25 feet away from me in the dense forest, then I saw it with Gen3 nightvision when I reached an area that was more open. It was 80 feet away from me, 8 1/2-9 feet tall, male. There were 3-5 juveniles in a deadfall not far away, I could see their eyeshine, so I think it was trying to distract me from discovering them. The next two I saw were the next night, myself and 13 other people watched 2 of them standing in the road 100 yards away, 1 large and 1 smaller. They stood in the road watching us for 3-4 minutes before bolting when we began to approach them.
I may have seen another one later that year on the Olympic Peninsula, but I can't be sure, it was dark and my eyes were fried from accidentally watching lightning through a night vision, and I don't want to claim something I'm unsure of.


SL:  What are your duties with the Finding Bigfoot production?
TB: My job duties? Uh...fixer. Production assistant. Cameraman. "Bigfoot expert". Driver.  Camping expert. Tent technician. Finder of lost shit. Trailcam setter-upper. Bait station creator. Parabolic listener. Tracker. Hiker.

SL: What is the most rewarding feature of being with this production and do you mind being on the road away from home so much?
TB: The most rewarding thing for me is the travel, the adventure, and making my friends look like rockstars. And no, I'd rather be on the road than at home. If I could take my dog, I'd never come back. I was home for 1 hour before I was bored.

SL: What kind of dog do you have? What is his name?
TB: Mojo is an Alaskan Magic Mountain Mutt.
SL:  Have Mojo and Mountain Monkey ever met?
TB: no. Mojo and Monkey haven't hung out.

 SL:  What do you want to be when you grow up?
TB: I'm gonna open up another brewery before 2012 is over
 SL: another brewery? you had one before?
TB: I was a brewer in AK for 6 years.
SL: apparently you like cold weather!
TB: I'd rather be in 0° than 100° any day 

SL:  Will we be seeing more of you in 2012?
TB:  Where? on TV? Probably not...

SL:  I look forward to meeting you in person, Bobo speaks very highly of you!
TB:  He lies. But Thanks.

As you can see Tyler has a very dry wit about him.  He is down to earth and is a real, in the woods, in your face Bigfoot researcher.  Look for Tyler to appear in a Carhartt ad for Backpacker Magazine in the near future!

https://www.facebook.com/tyler.bounds

Good Riddance 2011

I don't know about you but I hated 2011.  Plagued with personal road blocks that you don't really need to hear about, I find that I am all too ready to shake it off and start anew.

I've got a few readers who share their thoughts with me, more good than bad, and I appreciate all of the positive feedback and great tips I receive!

I just received this doozy from Jill regarding one of my friends, James "Bobo" Fay.  As you may know Bobo is becoming the breakout star on the show Finding Bigfoot.  Little did we know that Bobo has been a star his entire life!  Whether he is chasing Bigfoot or crab fishing in Alaska, he makes the most out of life and never ceases to amaze me.

Have fun with this little video and see how many times you spot the young, handsome, athletic Bobo.  (Hint, he is wearing a yellow t-shirt and blue shorts.  He does a squatch dance at around the 2:51 mark.)


I predict that 2012 is going to be the year of the female Bigfoot researcher.  Watch out boys!  Here we come!

Finger is NOT of a Yeti

I am sorry to report that the mystery of a yeti finger taken from Nepal half a century ago has been solved with the help of scientists at Edinburgh Zoo.

A DNA sample analyzed by the zoo's genetic expert Dr Rob Ogden has finally revealed the finger's true origins.
Following DNA tests it has found to be human bone.

 A deep breath was exhaled from the Ketchum camp and they are still in the running to produce the first viable Sasquatch DNA evidence. 

Mysterious Monsters

Have fun watching this movie in its entirety!

Salt Fork Bigfoot Captured on Film?

Watch as the creature uses an entire tree to "knock".  This is quite amazing footage and I would love to know more about the videographer and the events pertaining to the capture of this video.

June 12 Follow-Up

I've been battling pneumonia this past week and it has really brought me down.  There is nothing worse than not having the energy to go on an investigation!

This past June I shared a story with you all Things That Go Bump in the Night and have had several follow-up conversations with Doc, the witness.
If you recall, Doc had a pet billy goat named, Billy who alerted Doc to visitors on his property.

Yesterday I received a phone call from Doc and to keep this brief as I am very run down I will just give you the highlights of the conversation until I can follow it up with another on-site visit.

Friday night, Doc heard a ruckus out back and on Saturday morning, he found Billy dead with a broken neck.
Doc claims to have several images on his game cams that could indicate that the grey colored Bigfoot is to blame.
I will get more info later but I feel with the holidays this week it is going to be near impossible for me to get down there.  I will shoot for the first weekend in January.

Sasquatch watchers following Bigfoot blogs for the latest news on their favorite subject

Last week I was contacted by Sharon Hill of Doubtfulnews.com, to take part in an interview about people who blog about Bigfoot.  I was flattered that she considered my blog one of the favorites.  I was honored to share the spotlight with Guy Edwards with the Bigfoot Lunch Club and Shawn of Bigfoot Evidence.  I know that we will all continue to share Bigfoot related news and events in the best possible light for many years to come.

Her article can be read in it's entirety HERE

Quote-
 I contacted three bloggers who run popular Bigfoot-focused sites and asked them how and why they do what they do. All three blogs have different personalities. And, all three writers are committed to providing the Bigfoot researcher community and the casual interested visitor with something of value. None of them say that they will be going away any time soon. Sharon Hill

Reason, Science and Sanity in Bigfoot Research

A few days ago Steven Streufert added me to this new page he created on Facebook which he called  "Coalition for Reason, Science and Sanity in Bigfoot Research.  The group is just starting out, and is very small, I believe there are 86 members today.

We were having several very nice, intriguing discussions among many threads, the most active one being,  "Do you think the government already knows about Bigfoot and possibly already recovered a body? Why would they not tell us about it?" 


Another thread soon turned to DNA evidence and more people were added to the group.  Now it was getting interesting.  

There are those who believe that Bigfoot can disappear into thin air, or appear as another creature, or explode into a ball of pure, white light.  Some believe the Bigfoot to be a primate with no hominid qualities, then there are others who deem these beings as "Forest PEOPLE" implying that the Bigfoot is as human as any of us reading this, but with more hair.  I won't say which group I belong to, and you can decide for yourself where you fit in, however, perhaps we need to dissect each group and try to rationalize, irrationally, what can be happening.


I believe in the possibility that there are extra-terrestrial beings and UFO's. I believe in the possibility of angels and demons.  I believe in the possibility of Bigfoots, Dogmen, Mothmen, Skunk Apes, Sea Serpents and Chupacabras.


I am not going to rule out anything just because I have not experienced it first hand.  BUT, if you are going to try to convince me that the owl I hear is really a Bigfoot IMITATING an owl, then I suggest you turn the video camera around and post THAT on Youtube.  I am willing to view any physical evidence you can provide with a very wide open mind.


I was intrigued by the video of the angel who came to a young girl's hospital door moments after she was taken off of life support, and the girl survived.  Now maybe I'm just gullible, but that was very intriguing!

I would venture to say that if a researcher was out in the woods and a bright light enveloped them, they may have had an alien or spiritual encounter.  But why would this researcher (no one in particular)  believe that it was a Bigfoot encounter?

Everything that occurs is open to individual interpretation, so for the sake of research, we must begin to separate interpretation from cold, hard, scientific fact.

We have so many different types of people putting forth information, while not really accurate but perhaps their own interpretation of what is going on out in them thar woods.

We have the Youtubers who really think they are going to be the next "break-out" reality show star.  Then we have organizations that instruct hundreds of members to pay dues and to follow the rules of said organization.  Then there are the people who claim habituation, but refuse to share their Bigfoot with the world with any hard evidence but we are to just take them at their word.  Then there are those who are all too eager to show their Bigfoot evidence, usually in the form of blobsquatches, leaves, tree stumps, air....you get the picture ;).  And then we have those who communicate with the Bigfoot through mind-speak.  Now, if you are not actually seeing the Bigfoot, how do you know you are not reading the mind of a chipmunk or woodchuck?
It is all so very frustrating and it becomes more frustrating when the ones who want hard, solid facts sit by and watch as innocent enthusiasts flock to the new Bigfoot gurus, or flit from one belief to another.

We so wanted the Georgia Bigfoot in the freezer to be the real deal.  We wanted that flesh and blood body to be 100% legitimate, and not an alien, or a spirit.  Yet once again, we were disappointed.  Perhaps at some point during our infatuation with Bigfoot, we simply give in to the idea that it just may be something not of this world.

I hope to hear a lot of feedback from eyewitness who can attest to the fact that this creature is real.  Warm blooded, oxygen breathing, omnivorous with a sense of humor and a taste for exotic spices.

Norfork Man Recounts Bigfoot Encounter

The encounter happened, according to LaBrecque, between 9-10 p.m. near a woodpile behind LaBrecque's home in the Windsor Heights suburb of Des Moines, Iowa. Prior to the altercation, LaBrecque says he observed almost nightly a Bigfoot specimen — about 8 feet tall — that sometimes appeared with two apparently juvenile Bigfoot creatures.
Read the entire story here.

A closeup look at Clifford LaBrecque's model of Bigfoot

I find that the full facial hair is interesting.  Many people claim that the Bigfoot they see has little or no hair on the cheeks/face.  Marc DeWerth captured some fascinating footage many years ago and it clearly depicts an ink black face with full facial hair coverage.  I hope he converts it to an electronic file soon!

Matt Moneymaker on the Ketchum DNA Project

This comment made by Matt on Cryptomundo has been given it's own thread.  Visit Cryptomundo for the full text.
Heard from a reliable source connected with an article reviewer for Nature (a major science journal published in the UK) that the Ketchum paper was handed back (i.e. not *rejected*) for several reasons.
One of the reasons: The paper “does not contain a testable hypothesis”. Not that the paper writers forgot to include something … It’s apparently more an issue of what is, and what is not, “testable” … and it’s a very technical matter that may not be resolved any time soon …
Matt Moneymaker

Read the rest of the entry here

Studysasquatch on YouTube

There is a researcher in New Mexico who uploads videos of his research on YouTube.  I appreciate that his focus is on the research and not on himself!  I love this video of something "peeking" into camp at approximately 4:30 a.m. You can see it lower right of center.


He also recorded some very convincing howls:
Tell me what you think!  I hear a small whoop at the end of the howls!

A Message From Dr. Melba Ketchum

From Melba Ketchum-"For all of the people speculating on the Erickson project, Adrian and I have agreed to set aside the NDA (non-disclosure agreement) to tell you that his group is a successful participant in this project. His research project to obtain the DNA samples is separate from us. His samples will be in the paper along with all of the successful submitters. And, yes, his great footage will come out so lets let all of the rumors go, OK? And once again, please know that we are at the mercy of the journal as to when we can announce. Thanks!"

Then

Then

NOW! Wow!

 Wow what a difference a little money makes! 

Dr. Igor Burtsev's Rebuttal

SIBERIAN TAIGA RESPONSE TO SKEPTICS

As Kemerovo region officials reported, a scientific conference featuring a boxing legend, Nikolai Valuev, and U.S. Bigfoot believers held in beginning of October, 2011 in that region of Russia, has claimed that it found "95 percent evidence" for the existence of a Yeti-like hominoid in southern Siberia.
But the opposition politicians ridiculed the findings as pure pre-election publicity for United Russia. On another hand, all this might attract so far is tourism, said the scientific opponents.

And just in less than a month after the Conference the Siberian taiga answered to both the politicians’ and other suspicious scientific skeptics’ accusations. See following.

On November 6 a resident of the Tashtagol city Yuri Koungoushev with his wife Svetlana and two daughters arrived for the weekend to their summer cabin in the forest not far from the city. They noticed big footprints in the snow which crossed the yard and went up a steep slope through the bushes. The family were surprised and scared by the size of the strides that were close to 4,5 – 5 feet. In some footprints they could see imprints of toes. The footprints crossed also a 14 feet wide creek, not having broken the thin ice on its surface, i.e. the creature just jumped over that fairly wide creek.
The stride up the slope became shorter, about three feet, but still too long for a human walking up that slope.

Yuri took shots with his film camera and made video-clip of the event. The family didn’t stay at the house for the night for fear of the creature, they returned to the city and informed the local newspaper about their findings.
On the next day the photo-reporter Kirill Sazanov with other collegues came to the spot and was convinced that those were real tracks of a huge biped. He also took several photos of the footprints, but fresh fallen snow made them not so visible. Anyway, the newsmen were very excited with what they saw and published an article about it which the local people sent over to me.
I connected later with Kirill, and he has sent me the video and photos of the findings.

Thus it looks that the Snowman decided to show to the skeptics that he really exists in Highland Shoria, and was not made up by the authorities for their electoral purposes, and not deceiving the international public. Of course, the authorities showed their wisdom and flexibility and attracted this phenomenon for the good of their population, which is worthy of praise.

And at the same time their attitude objectively contributes to progress in the study of these mysterious bipeds. For this the researchers-hominologists are very grateful to them.

Dr. Igor Burtsev,
Director,
International Center of Hominology

The Pocono Mountains Film Festival

The Pocono Mountains Film Festival was Founded by Bridget O. Davis in 2002 to provide some of the best independent filmmakers in the world with the opportunity to showcase their work; regardless of their race or socio-economic status. Our audience is a compilation of film lovers, critics and buyers who are searching for that independent film--to either purchase or distribute for sale.

From the Pocono Mountains Film Festival website-What makes the Pocono Mountains Film Festival a stellar event? We provide a social network for filmmakers to introduce their screenplays or independent films directly to an audience of shoppers.

Now why is the Bigfoot Field Reporter talking about the Pocono Mountains Film Festival?

Announcing the 2011 winner for Best Documentary....

Tom Biscardi for Anatomy of a Bigfoot Hoax! That's right!

I told you the film was good regardless of public opinion.
Buy it or borrow it but you should watch it!

Available at Amazon.com