Video

I am adding the video that I shot on Saturday, February 20th. I would like to know if anyone can provide their opinion as to what the prints are.







Since the Wednesday February 18th, 2010 sighting, there have been 2 more sightings by others in the same area.

Feb. 18th Bigfoot Sighting Investigation

Last night Don (Keating) text messaged me to call him ASAP. I dropped what I was doing and called him because I just knew that finally, something good was going on.

It's been a long, cold winter and most creatures and researchers have been dormant. I've been trying to keep busy, but nothing compares to getting out into the field.

Don then let me in on a brand new sighting report that he received from his friend Randy.

Early morning, Feb. 18th a young man who was working with heavy machinery in a remote location observed something massive and bi-pedal on the adjacent hillside.

He observed the creature descending the snowy hillside at a very rapid pace; but not running. It was moving very quickly.

The witness describes the creature as extremely wide and a very dark brown to black color.

The creature continued it's course in a straight line down the hill, then abruptly turned left and continued at a fast pace. It was then that the witness was able to see the arms of the creature swinging as it walked.

The witness has been working in his field for over 6 years and is an experienced hunter. He had never seen anything like this before and when he told his supervisor of the incident, he was visibly shaken.

He told a couple of his co-workers what he saw and of course they began to poke fun at him.. He decided that he wasn't going to mention it ever again.

The supervisor had known Randy from previous employment and knew of Randy's interest in bigfoots. He contacted Randy and coerced his employee to talk to Randy, lettinghim know that there is someone he can talk to who won't ridicule him.

The following day Randy went to the location and observed the trail of prints coming down the hillside, just as the young man had described. He then called Don, Don called me, and we all agreed to meet today to look into the situation further.

Looking through the binoculars, the prints didn't appear bi-pedal. This wasn't going to be easy. The snow was up to my knees and the prints were at least 100 yards away.

I decided to go to the prints. I had to. I didn't drive two and a half hours to not see something close up!

The first thing I noticed was that the prints were in a set of 4. Not bi-pedal...but the odd thing was that the stride length between each set of prints was between 9 and 14 feet apart. Yes, I said feet. I was confused.

There were plenty of deer prints around, and they were very definitive. But these odd prints, with the huge strides were baffling me.

I went back with my photos and showed them to Don and Randy. I said, i can't explain these to you, so Don and I headed back up the hill with a tape measure.

I tossed around many thoughts in my head, and if they were just prints with no witness, I would say it was one huge beast. I mean, come on!!! We are talking 14 feet between prints!

Was the creature leaping? Was it on all fours? Was it dragging it's knuckles?

What did this young man observe? He said to himself as this creature appeared before him that he had never entertained the thought of bigfoot before, but that morning, he knew darn well what he saw. A bigfoot.

The Cryptid Factor

Bigfootery's very own Craig Woolheater will be the guest interview on The Cryptid Factor, a radio show from New Zealand.

Oregon Bigfoot Symposium June 19-20 2010

What a busy morning for me!

Also coming up soon is the Oregon Bigfoot Symposium being held in Eugene Oregon.

Speakers include Autumn Williams, Cliff Barackman, Thom Powell, Dr. Jeff Meldrum...etc...it looks like this event is going to be the premiere event of the season!

I am pasting the info here from their website, I plan on being there to cover this event as well!

The Symposium is scheduled for June 19th and 20th, 2010. It will be held at Lane Community College in Eugene, OR. Since I don’t fly (my arms get tired – ha!) I’m thrilled that so many of the wonderful people that I’ve come to know and love around the country will be here that weekend, both as speakers and attendees.

The list of speakers currently includes:

Autumn Williams

Cliff Barackman

David Rodriguez

Thom Powell

Kathy Strain

Sali Sheppard-Wolford

Dr. Jeff Meldrum

Ron Morehead and Scott Nelson

Jaime Avalos

More information and speaker biographies are available here.

Here’s a little more information, straight from the horse’s mouth:

1st Annual OSS Eugene,Oregon JUNE 2010

Join us in the beautiful and cozy Willamette Valley next year as we kick off the first annual “OSS” Oregon Sasquatch Symposium in Eugene, Oregon. This event will be held at Lane Community College in the Forum Hall. Seating is limited, and tickets are on sale now!

The event was originally formed to unite Oregon researchers within the same venue to share information about what they have going on, basically in their own backyard. The Sasquatch phenomena is, of course, not only an Oregon experience, but given the history of this beautifully forested state, our Sasquatch is as much a part of our culture as the Douglas Fir trees that surround it.

The 19th of June will be a day when long-term witnesses and enthusiasts share their personal Sasquatch encounters at the OSS.

The 20th of June will be the day expert testimony takes front and center stage . Although not every attendee will be from our own Oregon backyard, we are still delighted to invite them into the shadows of our majestic forests. So far, all is looking fantastic as to the forecast for the 20th lineup. Maybe it is our little known saying that has got everyone so on board. “Oregon, will treat ya so many ways, your bound to love one of em”!

The Oregon Sasquatch Symposium provides a yearly forum for those within the field of Sasquatch or Bigfoot research to come together and discuss the historical mystery. This is done in hopes of educating others as to the facts that exist surrounding Sasquatch’s and at the same time dispelling some of the myths. The significance and implications of its existence weigh largely on those that have encountered them, but it should not remain there. For if such a creature has managed to survive our encroachment for 100’s of years if not more, we should all be mindful of their historical relationship with humankind.

You can get your tickets today via the Oregon Sasquatch Symposium website.

Are you planning to attend? If so, email me and let me know!

[Note: While I'm scheduled to speak at the Symposium and am assisting Toby in any way I can with arranging speakers, etc., this is his baby, so if you have any questions regarding tickets, etc., please contact Toby directly by clicking HERE.

22nd Annual Ohio Bigfoot Conference

It's that time of year again! Our favorite hairless Burt Reynolds look-alike is throwing his annual bash at Salt Fork State Park May 14th-16th!

Special guest appearance by some west coast friends, Mr. Bob Gimlin and Tom "Yams" Yamarone. Two of the nicest guys on this planet! I wouldn't be surprised if they let the flight attendants take their seats so they can personally attend to and entertain all of the other passengers! I kid, I kid!

I spoke to Lee at the Salt Fork Lodge yesterday and the rooms and cabins are going quickly folks! You better get on the phone today if you want to reserve your lodging!

Of course there will be the festive Meet and Greet on Friday evening.

This year Don will be charging a $5.00 mandatory fee for those wishing to attend Saturday's activities. Please be wary of any foreign camera crews. (If you spot one, please alert Henry May.) Again, another feeble attempt at humor folks. :)

Last years conference had over 450 people in attendance! Crikey!

I know I will be there! There will be other speakers that I have not mentioned and you can find out all the information you need at Don's website

22nd Annual Bigfoot Conference / EXPO

Only 85 days until the 22nd Annual Bigfoot Conference / EXPO !!! Web site last updated 1/24/2010.

img DATE... MAY 15TH, 2010

img TIME...4 p.m. to approximately 10 p.m. There will be a 1 hour dinner break included as well.

img ADMISSION... THERE WILL BE A $5 DONATION REQUIRED AT THE DOORS TO ATTEND.

img LOCATION... SALT FORK STATE PARK LODGE located just off of US Route 22 in Guernsey County, Ohio. (See map)

THE 21ST ANNUAL BIGFOOT CONFERENCE / EXPO WAS ATTENDED BY 450 PEOPLE + / -. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THOSE 450, I THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS EVENT VERY SUCCESSFUL ONCE AGAIN THIS YEAR. KEEP AN EYE ON THIS WEB SITE FOR UP AND COMING DETAILS REGARDING PLANS FOR THE 22ND ANNUAL BIGFOOT CONFERENCE / EXPO IN 2010!

YOU MAY NOW RESERVE VIP SEATING, RECEIVE INFORMATION ON ROOM PRICES, ETC, BY CONTACTING DON KEATING AT THE E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW!

img SPEAKERS... SPEAKERS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE!

BOB GIMLIN ... from Yakima, Washington. Need I say more? Bob is the only living eyewitness to the events of Friday October 20th 1967 at Bluff Creek, California when Roger Patterson took film of what appears to be a Bigfoot. I am not 100% sure if he will be speaking but he will be in attendance for you to meet and maybe ask a question or get a photo taken with him.

LARRY LUND ... from Vancouver, Washington. I was born NW of Mt. St. Helens in Tacoma, Washington on April 1, 1947 and along with my Mother and two brothers, moved to Vancouver, Washington, due South of Mt. St. Helens, at age four. Other than my three years in the Army, 1966-1969, I have lived in this general area. So it is no wonder much of my Bigfoot/Sasquatch Research has been all around not only Mt. St. Helens, but Mt Rainier, My. Baker and Mt Hood. We are blessed with many large forests, giving us a very large research area.

My deep interest in the subject started at a very young age as we heard about much of the activity in British Columbia, Canada directly North of us. While on my first deer hunting trip in 1960, again at the base of St. Helens, my Dad and two of my uncles and I, were sitting around the campfire one night when we heard a very distant, yet loud and guttural roar coming down from up on the mountain. When I asked if that was a bear, they told me no and it certainly wasn't a large cat sound either. My uncle Dick said to me..."Maybe it's that big monster your always reading and talking about." Well, so much for sleeping that night. I was 13 and my head was full of thoughts of Bigfoot/Sasquatch from then on.

I was fortunate over the years to meet and work with several of the well know investigators and authorities on the subject. Early on I got connected with Rene Dahinden who became a very close friend and introduced me to the deep forests in B.C.

I then met Peter Byrne in the early 70's for a brief time. It wasn't until the late 80's that we would meet again and actually start doing research together. That continues today.

Over the years I met most of the people I had only read about. Grover Krantz became a good friend, though I had to keep him and Rene at different ends of my research.

I have attended many conferences in different areas of the U.S. and Canada. I have also been part of many of the early TV productions which were often fun, but not always informative or laden with true facts. I tend not to accept invitations to do many appearances in the last few years.

I still believe in the existence of this creature and though I am referred to as "The Sasquatch Sleuth" I am also known as "The Skeptical Believer"

I must admit, that other than the "Patterson/Gimlin Film" we have not gotten much closer to proof that this creature exists. There certainly is a lot of fine evidence, but as of this time, we don't have that definitive proof that we so desperately need.

ROB MC CONNELL from Ontario, Canada (Bio coming soon!)

TOM YAMARONE is a singer/songwriter from Pleasanton, California. Tom is also an independent Bigfoot / Sasquatch researcher throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. He has written “Bigfoot songs” that are both historical and humorous since 2003. During that time, he has also attended and organized Sasquatch/Bigfoot research conferences in California, Washington & Idaho. He is involved with several Bigfoot organizations including the Alliance of Independent Bigfoot Researchers and the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. For more information, go to www.bigfootsongs.com or find him at his YouTube channel bigfootsongs04.

img OTHER ACTIVITIES...

The weekend will kick off with a meet and greet on the evening of Friday the 14th. Those speakers or special guests that have made it in to that point will be there. The meet and greet will begin at 6 p.m. At 7 p.m. a buffet dinner will be available in the lodge. (Location of the buffet to be announced). I added this to the Friday meet and greet as I though it would be a great way for everyone to hang out longer without having to worry about going somewhere to grab an evening meal. The cost of the buffet will be about the same as it was during the conference in 2009, which if I recall was $14.95.

On SUNDAY the 16th of May there will be other activities take place. Announcements on those are pending.

img ACCOMMODATIONS...Salt Fork State Park Lodge has once again agreed to give attendees who attend the conference and stay at the Lodge a HUGE discount on room rates! Just contact SFSP at (740) 439-2751 for rates. Make sure to tell them you are attending for the Bigfoot EXPO. Or you may check the RATES LISTING for details.

My thanks to every business and individual who help every year with their gifts. Without you, there would not be a Conference.

Stan Courtney's Sounds from the Field

I had sent Stan the audio I had captured at Salt Fork State Park in July of 2008 and he asked if he could post it on his sounds web site.

Stan has collected many recordings from researchers across the United States and has compiled a very nice assortment on his webpage for your listening pleasure!

Please visit: Stan Courtney Guest Sounds

Researcher Steve Kulls

Last year was not a great year for many bigfoot researchers, including Steve Kulls.

We all know of his undercover involvement with the "Georgia Hoax", and he is currently writing a book on the incident.

I have met many people in bigfoot research this past year from Oregon to Maine, and I would say that more than half of them, myself included, would like to become a household name. They write books, they make appearances, they give press releases, they hold conferences, they attend conferences, they appear on Monster Quest, you get the picture.

Well I had never met Steve Kulls, so I decided that before I form an opinion on this man, I am going to open my eyes and my ears and make my own informed decision.

I talked to Steve, I read his reports, I watched his videos and I have come to the conclusion that Steve is all right by me.

I feel that he is very professional in his bigfoot research and is sincere. He approaches his research with enthusiasm and has a very keen eye for busting hoaxers!

The first thing that stuck in my head and in my heart when I listened to Steve was his work with disadvantaged children. It impresses me that he is not "All About Steve" and would take the time to care for another human.

The following is all about Steve.

Steve had a lifelong fascination with the Bigfoot phenomena since an early age. In 1998 after reading "Monsters of the Northwoods", Steve like many of the general population had believed that sightings were exclusive to the Pacific Northwest, learned that there were numerous sighting reports close to his residence in upstate New York.

Steve began his quest first in 1998 seeking knowledge from other researchers in the field. In 2003 Steve met two of the authors of Monsters of the Northwoods and was invited to apply for BFRO membership. By that time Steve had his own small grass roots organization and website.

One of Steve's first tasks was to examine the Sonoma video. After Steve had talked to the lead investigator, Steve conducted picture analysis on the videographer's website where it was determined the time line did not match the photos at all and Steve declared the Sonoma video a hoax on that premise. Several months later it was revealed that the video was perpetrated by the comic duo of Penn and Teller for their cable TV series.

Steve then went after Tom Biscardi. Steve for over two years was forced to play the role of a Biscardi contractor, assuring friends that if Biscardi hoaxed something, Steve would be there to call him on it. In June of 2008 Steve thought he had uncovered a press deception but was forced to recant due to a possible error. Two months later Steve would have his opportunity, when Biscardi tried to cover up the now infamous Georgia Bigfoot Body Hoax. Steve later learned that Biscardi was neck deep in the hoax.

Today after a brief respite, Steve continues the fight against hoaxers and misnomers in the field, while trying to ferret out the gems and possibly obtain the scientific evidence to prove to the scientific community Sasquatches do exist.

Steve firmly believes in a "boots on the ground", methodology of obtaining evidence for or against, evidence regarding the Sasquatch mystery.

Steve has had three sightings in the last ten years and a handful of what he describes as "most likely, close encounters" with the creatures, after initially entering the field quite skeptical.

Steve has appeared on numerous local news programs around the country and national venues such as Fox and Friends, and interviewed in print in over 100 newspapers over the last ten years. Steve has appeared most recently on the History Channel series, MonsterQuest.

Steve is a former Licensed Private Investigator, in New York, has been invited to join a new Private Investigation partnership, and a former retail investigator of 18 years. Steve also works with disadvantaged children.

You can find out more about the Sasquatch Detective by clicking here.

I will be interviewing Steve in the near future to promote his upcoming book titled "Fifty Large" so stay tuned for information and be ready with your questions.

I also look forward to getting out in the field with Steve as soon as the weather warms up.

Article from the New Zeland Herald

I would like to congratulate Don Keating and the 450 or so Bigfoot enthusiasts who supplied Leigh Hart with his catapult to infamy.

His obvious take-off of Destination Truth proves that he cannot manifest an original idea on his own. His sneak attack on the fine folks at the Ohio Conference in 2009 shows how cowardly he is and, in my opinion, if anyone does see his show and he has used any footage of them while attending the conference, I would recommend that they sue his arse up, down and sideways!

"Hard nosed attitude"? I think not, egotistical bully is more like it.

Well, I guess the fine folks of New Zealand need entertainment too, but I would not lump all New Zealnaders into the same category as Leigh Hart. Just as they should not lump all bigfoot researchers into the mold of backwoods, overweight hillbillies.

Leigh says, "That's the one where the subject matter is the people themselves, and they come across worse than in any other episode. They really are quite frightening and annoying. They're having arguments over something that doesn't exist, abusing each other, calling into doubt each other's credibility. Most of these people probably got into Bigfoot when they were 10 years old. They can't not believe it any more. They can't see the wood for the trees."

He is so intent on being a comedian at the expense of innocent people. People who did not invite him to the conference to bash them. If he had an open mind, he would have realized that many believers have had actual sightings and experiences that occurred in their adult hood. Some people who have tons more integrity than Leigh.

But I digress...I wish I would have had a chance to meet the buffoon...I hope he finally finds the fame and glory that he so craves. Some people will stoop to any low to make a name for themselves...


Local man of mystery
By Cliff Taylor
4:00 AM Monday Feb 8, 2010

The truth is out there.

Or, just as likely, not. "Probably a lot of it is bullshit," admits hyperactive sausage salesman and intrepid mystery-hunter Leigh Hart.

It's this hard-nosed attitude which has seen Hart crucified by Bigfoot believers after filming the first episode of his upcoming TV One series Leigh Hart's Mysterious Planet at a Bigfoot conference in Ohio, where he introduced the world to the "Waitakere Yeti" and suggested the elusive Bigfoot was actually a hairy midget with enormous feet.

"I made the mistake of writing a column about it. Because it's all online they went nuts. They've been tearing me to bits and abusing me [since]. I'm public enemy number one. If I went back they'd probably lynch me."

Hart reckons the Bigfoot episode is the most confrontational of his mockumentary series, debuting this Friday, which also shines a shaky light on the infamous Roswell UFO incident, the Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness monster, El Dorado and Stonehenge.

The series is a piss-take of many dodgy conspiracy theories and the TV programmes built around them, with their breathy voiceovers and ridiculously over-the-top music and editing. "I always find those docos fascinating," admits Hart.

"They say you are going to find out once and for all - and you never do."

It also allowed Hart, known for his work on Moon TV, Sports Cafe, his popular "That Guy" Herald on Sunday column and those Hellers sausage ads, a chance to indulge his love of weird stuff and world travel.

Born in Greymouth, Hart spent much of his childhood travelling as his mining expert father moved from job to job. Filming in Peru allowed him to return to the remote Andean camp where he lived for several years as a boy. "Peru was a personal favourite," he says. "My father built a tunnel irrigation scheme there. My brother and I returned to where we used to live. That was the self-indulgent part, sleeping in the house where we last slept back in 1980-something."

Dressed in a safari suit and Indiana Jones-style hat, Hart delves into the Andean jungle, the depths of Loch Ness, the Ohio backwoods and the deserts of New Mexico in search of mysteries and the sometimes-odd people obsessed with solving them.

It was fraught with danger, not least for one of the crew at the hands of Hart himself. "He had blocked sinuses, and I accidentally gave him anti-snake venom instead of antihistamine," he says. "That made him go a bit weird."

But it was the Bigfoot conference where Hart faced possibly his greatest danger. Presenting his findings in front of an audience of mad-eyed, overweight (and possibly armed) monster-hunters was as perilous as venturing into an actual Sasquatch cave. If such a thing actually exists.

"That's the one where the subject matter is the people themselves, and they come across worse than in any other episode. They really are quite frightening and annoying. They're having arguments over something that doesn't exist, abusing each other, calling into doubt each other's credibility. Most of these people probably got into Bigfoot when they were 10 years old. They can't not believe it any more. They can't see the wood for the trees."

In conversation, 40-year-old Hart is nothing like his brash, bullet-headed TV persona. Speaking from his Auckland home with his two young children playing in the background, he comes across as extremely polite, even a bit shy. But there is clearly something that compels him to perform. Before breaking into television, he toured for several years with his brother in a rock band called Wild Turkey, eventually getting themselves detained and deported from France for visa and work permit violations.

Before their expulsion, the brothers spent 11 days in a detention centre in Lyon. "It was pretty frightening," he recalls. "It was like Colditz. We were the only white guys there, it was full of African immigrants and there were hunger strikes and chaos going on. But after a couple of days we started to kind of enjoy it."

For the immediate future, Hart has a new season of Moon TV coming out and hopes to film a second series of Mysteries. As long as it involves travel, he'll be happy. "I'd like to do something Palin-ish, something huge that I'm not qualified for. The six-and-a-half wonders of the world, perhaps."

* Leigh Hart's Mysterious Planet debuts on TV One, Friday at 9.30pm.
By Cliff Taylor

William M. Dranginis

For those of you who do not know William, let me give you some information.

William is the founder of The Virginia Bigfoot Research Organization.

William's interest in the bigfoot creature came to him rather unexpectedly. On a mild March afternoon, William and a friend had been metal detecting some old gold mines in Culpeper County Virginia when his friend noticed what he thought to be a man behind a tree.

Within minutes they knew they were not looking at a man and the seconds of the encounter has given William years of curiosity to find out more about these creatures!

William is a surveillance and security expert and he has spent thousands of dollars on vehicles and equipment to better enhance his chances of another encounter, or a habituation situation. He bought a 24-foot mobile veterinary unit and converted it into the Bigfoot Primate Research Lab.

Knowing Bill's, er William's background in designing surveillance equipment and his work with the government, I would trust his analysis of any video, be it thermal or digital or photographic. Knowing William as a person, I find him to be calm, cool, collected and intelligent with no "ulterior motives".

Visit the Virginia Bigfoot Research Organization to find out more about Bigfoot in Virginia.

Follow-up on Squeaky video from William M. Dranginis

The video is only good if the subject in the video can be verified as a flesh and blood Bigfoot/Sasquatch creature, otherwise it’s just another unknown video. The scientific community would laugh if they examined this “thermal footage of a Bigfoot creature” as it’s being claimed by Mr. Greene and the BFRO. I’ve attempted to purchase a copy of the video directly from Mr. Greene [on Friday, February 5, 2010] so I could forensically enhance it to possibly determine what was filmed. He declined and said the film was no longer for sale. Hmmm? I guess that answered my question!

If you’re going to promote something as evidence of a flesh and blood Bigfoot/Sasquatch creature, be prepared to have the evidence examined by your peers and the scientific community.

I’ve been more than willing over the years to apply my knowledge and provide equipment to help examine evidence just like this video.

Thermal imaging technology will play a significant role in the discovery of these creatures, but the thermal camera can be a double-edged sword in the wrong hands. When a thermal camera is used correctly, it’’s a magnificent tool for Bigfoot research, but one must be knowledgeable in its operation. This is why FLIR holds week long classes on the camera's operation.

If a thermal camera ends up in the hands of an inexperienced operator, it can turn into Merlin’’s Magic Wand where everything you see is a Bigfoot creature. I’ve been using/building thermal cameras since 1998 and I’m still learning something new everyday.

William M. Dranginis

Manassas, VA.

Virginia Bigfoot Research Organization.

"Squeaky"

Here is the 3.5 minutes of video that Mike Green is allowing to be viewed at no charge.

I find the bulk and the movements of the "creature" intriguing!

Please comment!

Thermal Re-Creation of the "Squeaky" video

Mike Green of North Carolina has captured something on his thermal camera.

You can watch 3 minutes of the video for free, but must pay to watch the entire video. I have been reading comments from people who have paid to watch the entire video and the consensus is "disappointing".

In this video, Mike re-creates the movements of the object in the "Squeaky" video.

Mike Green Interview

Mike Green discusses how he was able to capture 2 "alleged" bigfoot on his thermal camera.

Bigfoot Exhibit at the Washington History Museum

Legend? Hoax? Reality?
All-things Sasquatch on display at Washington State History Museum

By Clare Jensen
Tacoma Weekly

The legend of Sasquatch has sparked the interest of humans for centuries. In the Pacific Northwest, “Sasquatch” is a word derived from the Salish word “sesqec,” meaning, “Wild Man.” In other parts of the world, the mysterious creature is called anything from Bigfoot to Yeti, or simply Ape Man.

Legends of large, hairy, ape-like creatures date back thousands of years, specifically among Pacific Northwest tribes. Stone carvings resembling ape-like heads perplex scientists as to why Northwest people in the ancient era would create something that mimicked the anatomy of the jungle-dwelling ape.

Mysterious prints of large, human-like feet have been cast, and images of large, furry, bi-pedal animals have been printed, all tying into the ongoing debate on whether or not the creature exists.

“Giants in the Mountains: The Search for Sasquatch,” the newest exhibit at the Washington State History Museum, takes visitors through the many aspects of the local tribal legends, the physical evidence, countless hoaxes and Sasquatch’s prevalence in current Northwest pop culture.

The exhibit does not prove or disprove the existence of Bigfoot, however much of the physical artifacts, such as the stone head carvings, foot casts and twisted tree branches, are intriguing and could be easy for the Sasquatch enthusiast to view as indisputable evidence.

Research by Washington State University anthropologist Dr. Grover Krantz points to physical factors that he believes could not be faked. As the first anthropologist to openly state in the 1970s that he believed in Sasquatch, Krantz remained integral in the legend versus realty discussion.

In the exhibit, viewers can see footprints that Krantz believes are authentic to a large, upright walking animal, because they include evidence of injuries that are too intricate and thoughtful to be faked.

Twisted tree branches, which Sasquatch supporters say could be used to mark the creature’s territory, could not be replicated with a human hand and have yet to receive any other explanation.

And the stone heads found in the Columbia Basin, which date from 1,500 B.C. to 500 A.D., were carved by the indigenous people of the area representing ape-like heads, an animal that geographically the Northwest dwellers should have never seen.

Tales of larger-than-life creatures and animal-man beings have been passed on for generations in numerous Native American communities. Tribal artifacts and artwork in the exhibit will convey Native cultural beliefs of Sasquatch. The country of Tibet actually has 253 square miles of land dedicated as a Yeti preserve for the region’s believed Bigfoot.

Former President Teddy Roosevelt is even quoted as having experienced a run-in with a Sasquatch-like creature in his past. Most descriptions of Sasquatch are of a “wild man” or cross between ape and human, standing six to 10 feet tall, with a thick pelt, monkey-like features and semi-upright walk. Those who claim to have seen Sasquatch often describe it as a nocturnal creature and the descriptions remain consistent throughout time, cultures and geographic regions.

Decide for yourself at the exhibit, which runs through June 27 at the Washington State History Museum, 1911 Pacific Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays

Admission is $8 adult; $7 senior; $6 student and military; $25 per family (two adults and up to four children) free for children 5 and under Historical Society members. Free admission on the third Thursday of the month from 2-8 p.m. Information: (253) 272-3500, http://www.washingtonhistory.org.

Commercial we shot for the SasqWatch

Radio Show From Bigfoot Film Festival

Of course I had technical difficulties, but I did have the foresight to record the entire show! Yay me!

Listen here

Bigfoot Film Festival...Day 1

I arrived at the very small town of Millersburg, PA then met up with friends for dinner after a short nap.

We then drove to the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art and made it just in time to hear the opening remarks and to see the trailer that was created to advertise the festival.

Film director Jim Hollenbaugh then gave a brief lecture on Bigfoot in film and the different ways the creature is portrayed. He then introduced 2 films by George Kuchar, "The Hairy Horror", which was kind of a weird trip inside Kuchar's head...then the now infamous short film, "Yolanda" which was about a frustrated housewife who becomes obsessed with Bigfoot. The movie was very artsy, but ended up being too pornographic for some of the members of the audience. That's all I'm gonna say about that!

We then headed back to the "lodge" which is short for "motor lodge" and retired to our respective rooms. To blog. More to come tomorrow!

Bigfoot Filmaker in the News...

Eyewitness William Barnes, of Nevada City, California is on a mission to once and for all obtain solid photographic evidence that the creature known as Bigfoot does indeed exist.

William has a website that he is using to garner interest in his mission that will be running 34 hours a day, 7 days a week, hence the url: http://www.bigfoot24-7.com.

Barnes claims “As a weekend goldminer in Northern California, I had such a creature walk up to my tent, so close I could have touched it, and then walk past me and up the side of the hill. Since that night by the creek, I have pondered for years, about how one could be filmed for any length of time, and how it could be studied in it's own safe habitat.”

Well, join the club William. The idea to obtain Bigfoot footage has been around since 1967...LOL

Read the entire story from the Humboldt Beacon here

The Bigfoot Field Reporter Radio Show

This Saturday I will be reporting live from the Bigfoot Film Festival at the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Arts in Millersburg, PA.

To listen to the radio show live, click here

The show will be archived if you would like to listen to it at a later date!

Skunk Apes and Other Big Footed Things

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 10:09 AM EST
Palmer Wood

It is for those who claim they have seen the elusive ape-like creature roaming the woods and swamps of Florida including Polk County’s Green Swamp. Sightings of the animal have been reported around the world but rare, with quality photographs and videos even rarer.

Read the entire story

Bigfoot Film Festival

Only 2 more days until the Bigfoot Film Festival being held at the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art!

Ned Smith Center has teamed up with Harrisburg film cooperative Moviate (presenters of the annual Side Street Cinema) to present its first ever film festival! The Bigfoot Film Festival is a fun event designed to explore the anomaly of "Bigfoot" and other natural folklore and how Bigfoot has been represented in film. Kitschy, campy films like "The Creature from Black Lake" and others will be shown, as well as documentary films on the Bigfoot phenomenon. Expert speakers will also be on hand, along with fun family activities.

At some point amidst all of the activities, The Bigfoot Field Reporter will be airing a live radio show with interviews of the program director and participants, and comments from the crowd!

The event has been sold out! Amazing what a little publicity can do! :)

Friday, January 29, 2010 - 6 p.m.

6:00PM Art Exhibit Opening: Garrick Dorsett

6:30PM Welcoming Comments

6:40PM FILM: "Bigfoot Comes To Lunch"
Produced by Caleb Smith and Jim Hollenbaugh

6:45PM LECTURE: "Bigfoot In Film" with Jim Hollenbaugh, Filmmaker

7:45PM SHORT FILMS: "Yolanda" and "The Hairy Horror" by George Kuchar

8:30PM FILM: "The Creature from Black Lake"

Saturday, January 30, 2010 - 12 p.m. - 10 p.m. - No more tickets available!

12:00PM Welcoming Comments

12:10PM FILM: "Capture of Bigfoot"

2:00PM LECTURE: "Bigfoot in Pennsylvania" with Eric Altman, Director of Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society
**Includes guided walk on trails

3:30PM FILM: "Legend Meets Science"

4:30PM DINNER BREAK - Please visit the many fine dining establishments in Millersburg!

6:00PM LECTURE: "Boggy Creek, Bigfoot and Beyond" with Loren Coleman, Cryptozoologist

7:30PM FILM: "The Legend of Boggy Creek"

Sunday, January 31, 2010 - 12 p.m.-5 p.m. - FAMILY DAY!

12:00PM Welcoming Comments

12:10PM BIGFOOT COSTUME CONTEST: Create your own bigfoot costume and enter in our friendly costume contest!

1:00PM FAMILY ACTIVITY: Animal Tracks

2:00PM LECTURE: "Bigfoot's Favorite Pet: Modern Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania" with Marcus Schneck, Outdoor Writer for the Patriot-News

3:00PM FILM: "Harry and the Hendersons"

ONGOING:

ART EXHIBIT by Garrick Dorsett

MERCHANDISE FOR SALE! Get your official BFF t-shirts and merchandise from our speakers! Also THE SASQWATCH will be available for sale!
BIGFOOT BAKE SALE


The pink Sasqwatch is being in sold to honor breast cancer awareness...buy one for your beloved for Valentine's day!

Ohio Conference Update

I just got off the phone with Don K. and of course he is as busy as can be trying to put together the 2010 Ohio Conference on his own (I offered to help)

So far the stellar line up includes:

Todd Neiss, Tom Yamarone and Bob Gimlin and the radio host of the X Zone, Rob McConnell.

There are still vendor tables available to rent AND all who attend will be required to pay a $5.00 donation at the door.

VIP seats are still available.

Don will be updating his website later this evening and you can visit it at
http://www.eobic.net

Chupacabra Found?

Breaking news...CBS news is reporting that the mystery of the Chupacabra has been unearthed.

Some folks in Texas have claimed to have found the cryptid we have called "Chupacapra".

Colud finding Bigfoot be far behind?





Update:
A biologist has confirmed that the creature is NOT a chupacabra, but a hairless raccoon.

Perhaps the raccoon had mange, which would explain why these animals are being found dead, or it is a rare strain of raccoon.

Read the rest of the story here:

Not a Chupacabra

Mike Esordi Sets the Record Straight

A few weeks ago I posted an article by James Snyder "I Just Found Bigfoot".

Mike Esordi was mentioned in the article, and now he wants to set the record straight.

The intro to the story is posted here, please click on "read the entire story"

My name is Michael Esordi, and as a longtime and legitimate member of the cryptozoology community, I would like to address a few points in this article by James Snyder (“I Just Found Bigfoot,” Cover Story, January 14).

Read the entire story here.

Who is a Bigfoot Researcher?

I can't even begin to count how many people in the world belong to a bigfoot organization, or who are conducting their own bigfoot research quietly, not reporting their findings to anyone. The number has to be in the thousands.

And who are all these people? I know that I have met a surgeon, a lawyer, construction workers, television producers, librarians, authors, teachers, night club managers, motivational speakers, plumbers, salesmen, cooks, factory workers and a lot of unemployed people.

Are they single? Married? Gay? yes,yes and yes. Do they go to church? Do they like to drink? Do they cheat on their spouses? Do they teach Sunday school? Are they shut-ins? The answer to all is yes! You cannot put the Bigfoot Researcher into one category. That is what makes us so unique.

How boring and questionable would it be if all bigfoot researchers where the same type of person? This isn't a cult where we are all brain-washed to act and behave in one certain way.

What motivates these "researchers"? Is it curiosity? Do they seek attention? Are they filling a void in their lives? Do they want to prove to the world that these creatures exist? Do they want to prove to themselves that these creatures exist?
Some have seen the creature. Some have yet to have their first sighting. Does having seen a sasquatch make you an authority? Heck no. Does finding a set of prints make you an expert in the field? NO.

Why does it seem like the whole world of bigfoot research is a competition?
Some researchers get petty when someone else is getting attention. I know of one "researcher" who fabricated evidence, yet, he doesn't drink, doesn't smoke, has a job, and a wife...I wouldn't ever believe a word he says again. Some cowards post anonymously about what they perceive is the foolishness of others.

Like I said, no one is an expert or an authority on sasquatch.

Many people who have done their own type of studying on the creature for years, have formed theories and opinions, but you cannot accept their beliefs as the gospel.

Some people believe that the sasquatch is a shapeshifter, or he is an alien being assisted by ET's and UFO's, those people will get ridiculed. Why? Just because they look at the situation through different eyes? Maybe if you do walk into the woods with your arms wide open, palms stretched outward and look to the heavens, and pray to the forest gods, you just may have opened yourself to a new realm of squatchtivity. Do I think you are crazy? No, I think you are open-minded.

How many books have been written on Bigfoot or Sasquatch? Fiction, non-fiction, articles, blogs???? And of all of these authors, who has seen one of these creatures? Who has a habituation situation? Who is gay, straight, bi-polar, an alcoholic, a Mormon, a Jew, a Christian? and Athiest? No one answer, right?

I have always written my blog fairly, not condemning any one person, or any style of research. I have tried to unite researchers from the west coast to the east coast. I have been having a lot of fun. I have made so many friends and acquaintances, and you know what?

They are Christian, single, married, gay, straight, doctors, scientists, unemployed, bi-polar, thin, overweight, tall, short, young, old...I can go on and on.

I will not stop my quest just because I don't fit someone's mold.

And I pray that all of you stay the same, and keep up the good work, don't let anyone change you by saying you are crazy, you are wasting your time, you are doing it wrong.

Peace.
Sharonlee

Washington State-Bigfoot Tour

Thursday, Jan. 21: "Sasquatch" sneak peek
Take a tour of Bigfoot Thursday

By Ron Swarner on January 20, 2010


Drawing by Rick Spears/Darby Creek Publishing from "Tales of the Cryptids," by Kelly

Fact meets fiction and then rubs noses with history, Native American lore and modern science as the story of Bigfoot will play out in displays at the upcoming exhibit Giants in the Mountains: The Search for Sasquatch at the Washington State History Museum.

This exploration of the Sasquatch story here in the Pacific Northwest focuses on why the geography and heritage found in this area of the globe feeds into the Bigfoot legend. The exhibit studies all aspects of the legend and draws no conclusions.

It opens Saturday, Jan. 23 at 10 a.m. A special "sneak peek" at the exhibit will happen during Third Thursday ArtWalk. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., co-curators Gwen Perkins and Susan Rohrer will lead a tour through the hairy show.

[Washington State History Museum, Thursday, Jan. 21, 6:30 p.m., free, 1911 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 1.888.238.4373]

This sounds like a wonderful exhibit! AND it's free! If anyone does attend, I'd like a re-cap of the experience!

I'm bored...

These frigid months have driven most of us inside, waiting for a bit warmer temperatures until we can pursue our passion for Squatching.

I've tried to keep things light here, promoting others, sharing information form the web, etc. But now I am bored.

Yeah, yeah, I know I will get to meet up with many friends on January 29th at the Bigfoot Film Festival in Millersburg, PA. But it's just a film festival!

I yearn to get back out into the woods, looking for prints, following up on witness reports...long nights in the woods listening for tree breaks, wood knocks and creatures speaking gibberish!

If anyone has a story they would like to share, please feel free to send it on in! I need something to tide me over till Spring! :)

Until then, I will finish Dave Coleman's book, Ancient Lake.

The bigfoot in Dave's book is not a rampaging killer as much as he is a black ops soldier!

Unlike Clint Romag's books, Dave Coleman's sasquatch kill one person at a time, when they are in remote locations...now this all may change as I get on with the book, but for now, I am intrigued...

Have a great day fellow Squatchers!

Bigfoot Fancy 4 Kids

I am writing to tell you about a blog site about bigfoot just for kids!

Bigfoot Fancy 4 Kids

Our lady friend Linda Newton-Perry has been writing children's books for a few years now, and her interest in bigfoot has been the subject of many of her tomes.

It is Linda's desire to inspire a whole new generation of bigfoot believers!

The artwork on some of her children's books is beautiful!

Be sure to order copies of her books for your children or grandchildren! (Bob)

Activity reported by Todd Partain

Recently I spoke to my younger brother and he related unusual circumstances at a secluded gas well near my home where he has worked.


Rocks and small pieces of debris have been thrown at a trailer on the site on multiple occasions.

There have been loud wood knocks from nearby forested areas.

My brother related he was awakened late at night by what sounded like two people speaking in "Gibberish", a fast paced language that can't be understood.

A co-worker stated that during his duty at the gas well, there was rock throwing and later something "slapped" the trailer hard. The co-worker, who did not believe in "BigFoot", later looked up from his laptop one night at the trailer to glimpse something at the window staring in.

These occurrences are classic behavior patterns of the target species.

I am attempting to verify these statements, i will try to get recorded interviews and attempt to secure permission to spend a night at the sight, which is only a few miles south of my home (some location details omitted) in North West Louisiana.

A Day Without Loren is like a Day Without Sunshine

Episode 6 Airdate December 24, 2009 from matthew mcdonald on Vimeo.

Story by James A. Snyder

I Just Found Bigfoot

By James A. Snyder | Published Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010


On an overcast January day in 2002, I plunged into the backcountry of East County, carrying a half-full pack and weathered walking stick. Hiking into the serene green of silence and solitude was my escape, and lately it had become an obsession. It offered a mental, physical, even a spiritual reprieve from the fast-paced SoCal lifestyle. Like alcohol to an alcoholic — the more I hiked, the more I craved.

The worn dirt trail dropped steeply, and unstable footing made for an on-again, off-again controlled slide for both Richard, my long-time hiking buddy, and me. We had been on 200-plus hikes over the years, feeding off the challenges and discoveries each backcountry trek would bring. This trip appeared to be no different. As we descended into a magnificent green-and-brown, chaparral-filled valley, the pristine headwaters of the San Diego River beckoned, shimmering silver in the weak sunlight 1500 feet below us. Beyond the open valley, brooding on the horizon to the east, the proud Cuyamaca Mountains sat like squat kings, mute sentinels lording it over their kingdom below.

After 50 tense minutes of knee-pounding, ankle-twisting descent, we abandoned the rutted trail and slipped into the tangled chaparral. The low, brittle branches tore at our pants as we stomped up the river gorge. We followed a faint deer trail that only animals and brush-savvy humans could discern. The narrow trail zigzagged upward into the ravine. The pungent smell of sage filled our nostrils. For the next 20 minutes, the only sounds were heavy breathing and branches snapping, occasionally punctuated with an “Ow!” as another branch slapped my face. By the time we were ejected into a clearing, my T-shirt was soaked with perspiration, and goose bumps had exploded across my bare arms.

The rare brushless area was an open oasis of rock and moss, a needed break from the profuse vegetation of the surrounding sides of the gorge. Rock ruled here, arousing our prospecting curiosity: we were eager for a glint of elusive gold. I chugged an entire liter bottle of water. After doing the same, Rich headed one way and I the other. I was enticed by a dry streambed littered with jumbled boulders, granite worn smooth by millenniums of moving water and wind.

An unexpected shape caught my eye. “What the heck,” I murmured. “That looks like a huge footprint.” Closer, I ogled a five-toed imprint embedded into the rock. “Hey, Rich, I just found Bigfoot!” I shouted over my shoulder. Rich made his way toward me. I squatted down to examine the impression and noticed dermal folds under the biggest toe. The toes were flexed to the side in unison, the way mine would be if I stepped at the same angle as this foot once had. “Oh, yeah, I see it,” said Rich. “It’s probably a natural rock formation. Sure looks real, though.” There was an unspoken rule of hiking courtesy between us: You show interest in what I find, and I’ll do the same. It didn’t matter what it was — animal skull, pottery fragments, arrowhead, an oddly shaped rock, an old rusty can, etc. A buddy inspecting your find was a way of justifying the hike.

Rich rock-hopped up the streambed, searching again for his own finds, while I lingered. Clearing the print of dirt and debris, I studied it, unable to determine with certainty whether this huge gorilla-like footprint was authentic. It had so many apelike/manlike features — opposing side toe, heel indent, ball of the foot, the indent between the ball and the toes, toes with toenail points, dermal folds under the big toe, plus the scrunched toes all racked in unison to the side, corresponding to the load of a biped stepping at an approximate 45-degree angle. A coincidence? It couldn’t be. Or could it? I’d seen hundreds of imprints in rocks, but this was beyond bizarre.

I shook the cobweb of questions from my brain and followed the sounds of snapping branches made by Rich, already swallowed up by the green sage. We explored until the weak winter sun found its way into the western sky. We hiked out in the dark, as usual — flashlights are for emergencies or wimpy hikers, and we were proud of our night-hiking prowess — yet already, I was planning my return to the rock enigma.

Soon, curiosity about the footprint had eroded my ability to think of anything else. A general contractor, I got off work early one day and decided to put the issue to rest. I stuffed my backpack with a five-gallon bucket that contained a gallon jug of water, a third of a bag of 20-minute (hot mud) drywall compound, a jar of Vaseline, a paintbrush, a trowel, and some cardboard and tape. Then I made for the trailhead. The extra weight, along with my usual pack items, left me exhausted. When I arrived at the rock site, I collapsed and lay on the sun-warmed granite beside the footprint for a while. Then I got out a paintbrush and began to sweep the indents in the rock.

With the dirt removed, I splashed water into the print and cleaned it meticulously, wiping it dry with my T-shirt. I felt like an amateur anthropologist, smearing the warm, gooey Vaseline into every inch of the print’s surface, careful to leave only a thin uniform coat. I stroked the Vaseline with the brush to remove any excess lubricant.

The wet drywall compound smoothed to a cake batter–like consistency when stirred in the bucket with the trowel. I quickly built a low cardboard retaining wall and secured it to the granite with masking tape. The wall was needed to keep the drywall compound from flowing out of the footprint. Gingerly troweling in the hot mud, I questioned my judgment, vacillating between “This is nuts. What are you doing? What a waste of time. Are you mental?” and “No, I need to know. Do it! Follow through.”

The fast-setting drywall compound was hard in about half an hour. Yet because of its thickness, I gave it another half hour to be sure. I’d come too far and expended too much energy to blow the casting because of haste. With timid prying, using a 12-inch K-bar knife, I tried to lift up the cast — nothing. More pressure. Still nothing. For 40 minutes, the white casting couldn’t be budged. The sun was heading home when, with a final pry, whoosh. The cast separated from the stone in one unbroken piece.

“Now is the moment of truth,” I thought. I rotated the heavy imprint upward and gasped. A giant footprint had been captured in the cast, revealing details that were hard to see in the rock. A wave of euphoria swept over me. Seeing is believing. “I’m not nuts! This is a real footprint! Woo-hoo!” I screamed, venting excess adrenaline in joyous celebration. Then the tide of epiphany receded, leaving paranoia. “This is not my land. Did anyone see me? Or hear me?” I heard the sounds of a small plane overhead and looked up. “Can they see me?”

I quickly packed the still-warm print cast into the bucket, padding the treasure with a fleece shirt. As if to hide a crime scene, I stashed all evidence of the casting into the pack. I placed heavy rocks over the footprint, then topped them with dead brush. The sun was now sinking below the hilly horizon. Satisfied with the natural concealment, I hiked out. I was giddy with excitement, muttering, “I just found a Bigfoot” over and over, interspersed with whoops and laughter.

Once home I showed my wife Mary (the Princess) the cast. “Wow, that sure looks like a huge foot. Amazing!” she said. She has always been my biggest cheerleader. I hid the cast in the garage, checking on it periodically while contemplating the next move.

When the weekend came, I returned to the print in the rock and made another cast with real plaster of Paris. Then I took photos, including the front page of the North County Times newspaper in the frame, to verify the date. I measured the print’s length and width — 18 inches by 8 inches — and even took off my boot and stuck my foot into the indent. It dwarfed my size-13 foot. This beast had been huge.

After some coaxing about the benefits of a good, healthy hike — and with the additional guilt trip of “If I die, you need to know where it is” — Mary agreed to accompany me on my next trip. Being the better photographer, she took more photos. She then treated us to a swank picnic lunch, with turkey-on-wheat-bread sandwiches, pickles, crackers and cheese cut into perfect slices, juicy red grapes, and the “necessary” napkins. I don’t call her Princess for nothing.

After the initial rush of the discovery subsided, I pondered the next logical step. Should I contact scientists, the media, or keep it a secret? The media should be alerted, I figured. Who better to spread the word of Ramona’s Bigfoot? I compiled a list of the major San Diego TV news stations and newspapers, then sent a typed letter about the discovery to each. I waited for one week. Nothing. “They don’t get it,” I thought. Again I did a mass mailing, this time with copies of the Bigfoot photos. Now they got it.

The phone rang. “Hi. This is the news director from Channel 8 News. Can we send a reporter and a cameraman to the site?”

“When?” I asked.

“Would tomorrow be okay?”

“Sure, but don’t send anyone out of shape. This is a rough hike; they wouldn’t make it.”

The next day, reporter Don Teague and his cameraman, both in shape and chomping at the bit, showed up early. They couldn’t decide which camera to take — a large shoulder version or a small, high-tech Sony. After looking down at where we were headed, the cameraman chose the small one. We hiked to the print site, arriving at 9:00 a.m. For stealth and maximum impact, I didn’t tell them at first that we had reached the site, allowing them to think it was another needed rest stop. When their backs were turned, I removed the brush and stones from the imprint in the rock.

“Gentlemen, what do you think?” I said. I pointed at the now-exposed footprint.

Surprised, they put down their water bottles. “Oh my God,” Don Teague said. He placed his fingers in the footprint.

“That’s really huge!” said the cameraman. “Let’s get some video.” They swung into action.

Their excitement was palpable and, to me, a relief. I hadn’t known what to expect from seasoned news professionals. Don took off his hiking boot and inserted his foot into the imprint. “Man, this is huge!” We were like three adolescent boys, bouncing with exuberance over the discovery.

Don called via cell phone to his newsroom. Within 20 minutes, the News Eight chopper was hovering 30 feet overhead. A cameraman inside filmed from above.

That night on TV, sultry, smoky-eyed Kathleen Bates gave a teaser about what was to come at the start of the news report. “Did Ramona once have a Bigfoot? A Ramona man thinks so. Details at 6:00.” Super-serious Marty Levine and Kathleen Bates led the newscast with the story. It led the news for the next two days, as other local stations caught Bigfoot fever. Fox News picked up the story and ran it on a national program. Pandora’s media box had been opened, and out stomped Bigfoot.

A bubbly gaggle of excited teenagers from Ramona High School rang the doorbell one morning at 8:00. I invited them in. They begged me to take them to the Bigfoot site. “Our English teacher said we could do a report on anything we wanted, and we decided to do a story on your discovery,” their cute spokesgirl said.

“We need to see it,” an athletic-looking boy in a letterman’s jacket chimed in.

The thought of party-animal teenagers rockin’ out at the Bigfoot site steeled my will. “No, sorry,” I said. “I can’t do that yet.”

Disappointed, the girl pleaded, “Please, please.”

Not wanting to be a complete Scrooge, I brought out the plaster foot cast and the photos, spacing it all on the dining room table for their inspection and photo session. After a quick tape-recorded interview of who, what, when, how, but not where, they filed out the door, still high on the idea of a Ramona Bigfoot.

That same day, an overly friendly reporter from the Union-Tribune called for an interview. I gave one over the phone. Then he used the information and the photos I had previously sent to enhance his piece in the next Sunday paper, which smugly mocked people who believe in crypto-zoology, crop circles, and UFOs.

One evening, a brainy scientist called and lectured me in academic detail about how this could not be possible. He ended the conversation with “But I sure would like to see it. Can you take me there?”

“Not at this time,” I said, wondering why he wanted to see it if he was so sure it wasn’t anything.

An enthusiastic man from L.A. called and offered me $200 to see the footprint. “I’ll get back to you,” I said. I still wasn’t willing to reveal the discovery site, no matter the price.

But the next day an AP photographer called. He wanted me to take him to the footprint so he could do a professional photo shoot with high-tech camera equipment.

“What will you do with the photos?” I asked.

“I’ll sell them to media outlets around the world,” he said. He was trying to impress me.

“And what will I get?”

“I’ll give you a nice set of photos.” Clearly, he was hoping that a picture portfolio would seal the deal.

But I was disappointed in the lopsided offer. “I’ll get back to you,” I said.

This Bigfoot business was like an explosion over which I had no control. Being a Christian, I prayed for guidance. Then I took the plaster cast to the Museum of Creation and Earth History in Santee. This organization had an Intelligent Designer’s point of view on anthropology. Maybe they could redirect the blast.

One of the professors left a full classroom of students behind to look at the cast. “I can’t believe it,” he said. “Can I keep this and show it to some of my colleagues?”

“Sure,” I said, “but I’m pressed for time and only have one good cast. One day only, then I’ll be back.”

When I returned the next day, the analysis was “We can’t figure out what it’s from. Maybe a Gigantopithecus or some other prehistoric ape. Extremely interesting!”

I sent photos of the print to a Bigfoot website run by a local expert, Michael Esordi. He posted them on his site, and within days, the Bigfoot people started chiming in with opinions. Dr. Jeff Meldrum, an Idaho State University expert on Bigfoot prints, said, “It can’t be. I see a quartz vein in the rock.” However, the supposed “quartz vein” was a white mineral-water stain from a seasonal flow of water. So much for the “expert.”

Another scientist from UC San Diego called and proceeded to lecture me on why this could not be. “That anomaly is caused by foreign matter that got caught in molten rock,” he insisted.

“Could a giant ape foot be considered foreign matter?” I queried back.

The silent pause was seconds long as he thought it over. “Yes, it could,” he conceded.

Other experts who reviewed the footprint on the Bigfoot website said, “It’s a bear’s rear paw print. No doubt about it.” Or “Native American Indians carved the print in the rock. I’ve seen similar work elsewhere, but not this detailed.” Still others said with that side toe, it was a giant ape.

I took the plaster cast to Michael Esordi, the Sasquatch expert in Point Loma, who runs the Bigfoot website. He made a latex mold of the cast, so he could make and sell copies on his site. I was to receive profits, but he suddenly moved to Rhode Island, and I never saw a dime, yet he kept the Ramona Bigfoot cast in his merchandise offerings for a while.

I was feeling very used by the so-called experts, who seemed to twist the Bigfoot find to fit their own perspectives, especially that shoot-from-the-hip scientist who couldn’t tell a water stain from a quartz vein. Surely, there were others out there who knew more and could better determine what the find was. But how to find them? How could I get this enigma to them?

After researching, I contacted a Dr. Thomas Raab from Los Angeles. He said his company, Interpress Worldwide, could put the story in 250 major media outlets around the world, with me retaining the rights to the story, photos, and interviews. “There would be royalties,” he assured me. Buoyed by the phone conversation, we set up a meeting at a Starbucks in Studio City.

“Now I’m getting somewhere,” I thought as I sat at an outdoor table, basking in the midday sun. The beautiful people were out in force. Every young, pretty woman who minced by on four-inch platforms was a potential starlet, and every well-dressed man with muscled physique was an onscreen action hero. This place oozed wealth, power, and dream-makers. I stuck out like the Tin Man in the city of Oz. No Bruno Magli shoes or the ubiquitous Rolex. A Bigfoot plaster cast was in a cardboard box on the sidewalk beside me, a manila folder of photos on the table. I waited without the mandatory coffee cup in hand, since I’d never acquired a taste for that dark drink.

Dr. Raab spotted me immediately. He was a handsome man, much younger than I expected, with black hair and an easygoing smile. After greeting me, he got himself a cup of coffee. I proceeded to show him the cast and photos. “Very impressive!” he said. “Now, where did you find this?” Others seated around us were ogling the plaster cast and eavesdropping on our conversation.

“Southern California,” I said, being vague on purpose, acutely aware of the others listening.

He got my drift. “I understand your reluctance to divulge the exact location, and I appreciate that you haven’t told others. Because, without exclusive control over this find, my company wouldn’t be interested.” After 15 minutes of Bigfoot banter he cut to the chase. He took a typed contract out of a folder and handed it to me. “Look this over. If it’s to your liking, we’ll promote this find worldwide, providing that it is genuine.”

“It’s real,” I assured him. “This is not a hoax.”

We shook hands, and he melted into the opulent urban backdrop from which he’d appeared. I drove home on a high.

The contract was to the point. It said that I could not promote or divulge anything more about the property (the footprint) for a period of one year. This stipulation was to give Interpress Worldwide the time needed to take the plaster cast, photos, and a rock sample that Dr. Raab had requested from the footprint area to scientists in Europe and South America for investigation and carbon dating.

After two days of reviewing the contract and discussing it with Mary, I decided to sign it, trusting Dr. Raab, and cautiously believing that this was a legitimate organization. Their involvement seemed like an opportunity to take Ramona’s Bigfoot to the next level of analysis. Of course, the chance for some financial benefit was like a bright red cherry on top of an ice cream sundae — very appealing. So I boxed up the contract, cast, photos, and a small rock sample and sent it all off.

As the months went by and he traveled to European museums, Dr. Raab would send periodic email updates that the investigation was proceeding. Finally, I received his emailed response:

Dear James Snyder:

First let me apologize for the long time it took to get back to you. But I guess all the efforts, waiting, and patience were not in vain.

Your box, including rock sample and cast, traveled some three (3) continents.

I was able to present the exposé to several international (and, more importantly, independent from each other) experts in geology and paleontology, such as

(1) Dr. Heinz A. Kollmann, Chairman of the Department of Geology and Paleontology of the Natural History Museum in Vienna Austria and his team.

They are very knowledgeable, due to the vast experience of explorations and expeditions conducted by them worldwide. Their expertise is based on hundreds of years of data collected by the royal expeditions of the former Austrian empire.

(2) Angel Duran Herrera, Archeologist.

(3) Daniel Fracinetti, Head of the Paleontology Lab of the Natural History Museum of the University of Chile.

Their expertise is based on many ancient archeological, geological, and paleontological findings and excavations along the greater stretch of South America, including Continent-specific knowledge of flora, fauna, and culture of the Americas.

(4) Eduardo Valenzuela, Independent Paleontologist with great reputation and expertise in Chile.

All experts seem to independently concur on the composition and creation of the rock sample. Some discrepancy of its origin may still need some more investigation on my behalf.

However, given the fact that the “footprint” is imbedded in the same rock from which the sample was taken, experts seem to exclude organic involvement.

Some of the experts agreed to provide us with a written statement and explanation.

Given all the facts provided by you and known to me, at this point it seems that what appears to be a big “footprint” may merely be a game of nature.

However, there are still some meetings and investigation pending. But suspicions seem to harden that we may not be on to a possible organic print of fossil.

I will also try to call you for a personal update later today to discuss further action.

Thank you again for your patience, but I think we did the right thing.

With best regards,

Dr. Thomas Raab

INTERPRESS WORLDWIDE

The report was a disappointment. For one whole year I had put the 800-pound gorilla in the closet, hoping a scientist, or someone else who might hear about it, would finally give this creature a nod of authenticity. I was very discouraged. Their scientific training seemed to have limited their vision, only seeing through a single lens. I was still not convinced it was just a fluke of nature.

Occasionally, I still show the plaster cast to people, and I’ll check on the hidden print if out hiking in the area. I sometimes imagine what the creature that left its mark on that Ramona hill might have looked like.

One day, when friends were over, I showed their five-year-old girl the plaster cast. “What do you think this is?” I asked.

She looked at it for a few seconds before replying with conviction, “That’s a big foot!” Out of the mouths of babes.

One thing is certain: The next time I let the Ramona Bigfoot loose, I won’t look to science to validate the find. Because seeing is believing.

San Diego Reader

Not a Sasquatch

In British Columbia, some folks have video taped what they believe to be the Cameron Lake Monster! A relative to the Loch Ness Monster perhaps?

Cameron Lake Monster caught on video

Cryptozoologist John Kirk is on the case:




What lies beneath the surface of Cameron Lake on Vancouver Island? John Kirk has been eager to find out for a few years.

This Saturday, Sept. 19 he’ll have his chance when he searches the lake about 20 kilometers east of Port Alberni in search of an elusive lake creature people have reported seeing for years.

“Our organization has received reports coming from Cameron Lake since 2004,” said Kirk, co-founder of the B.C. Scientific Cryptozoology Club (BCSCC) and author of In the Domain of the Lake Monsters. “Witnesses have been describing what looks like a dark creature in the lake.”

Kirk and his crew of researchers are traveling to Cameron Lake to look for scientific evidence of the creature. The team will spend the day traversing the lake in a boat, attempting to lure it to the surface and get a visual sighting.

They have been planning to explore the lake since a 2007 sighting by Bridget Horvath, who noticed a strange wake in the water and three objects or creatures going in a circle.

“British Columbia is number one in the world for lake monster sightings,” Kirk said. “There are 39 lakes in B.C. where some type of creature has been seen.”

In 2004, a woman and her father reported to Kirk’s organization that they had seen a very large, long black creature in Cameron Lake. The creature swam along the lake near Highway 4 and the two were able to see it from their car until the highway veered away from the lake.

The BCSCC was founded in 1989. Elusive creatures, such as lake monsters and Sasquatches, are known as cryptids and their study is called cryptozoology, from the Greek cryptos for hidden and zoology, the study of animals.

Kirk spent time on Okanagan Lake this summer in search of Ogopogo, one of many expeditions done by his organization. Kirk is also chairman of the Crypto Safari Organization which sends investigators around the world, and has traveled to Africa as part of research teams in search of living dinosaurs.

Besides numerous sightings of the Cameron Lake monster, Vancouver Island has been the location of Sasquatch sightings, and a film and History Channel program based on the elusive animal, as well as home to specialists in the field.

Alberni Valley News

UHO!

I just coined it! Unidentified Humanoid Object! :)

Steve Kulls on Sasquatch Watch Radio

January 11, 2010

The show began with lots of talk about the frigid temps across the U.S. and Steve was introduced.

Billy requested that no one bring up the Georgia Hoax incident.

Steve spoke briefly about his involvement with handicapped children, and expressed how much he has learned from them, patience and acceptance.

Steve appears to be a very down to earth guy and not arrogant by any means.

The questions from the chatroom were all over the board, from animal attacks, to recent sightings and I asked if he charged people to go on outings with him. His answer was a big, fat NO!

You can hear the entire interview at: Sasquatch Watch Radio

Dr. Jeff Meldrum on National Geographic

The Winsted Wildman

By CATHERINE GUARNIERI of the Connecticut Register

It seems as though nearly every area of the world has their legend of some wild man-beast who likes to terrorize the locals. There is Bigfoot of the Pacific Northwest, the abominable snowman of parts north, the Yeti of the Himalayas.

For some reason these creatures seem to prefer the cooler climates… perhaps because they are so hairy? I can’t imagine what a sweaty Yeti must smell like. It can’t be good.

Imagine if one of those creatures did prefer a little warmer weather though, and decided Connecticut was a good spot. Not too cold, not too hot, and you can go to the beach too, and scare small children. One of these man-beasts just might have decided that he liked the area and settled in Winsted.

The Winsted Wild Man made his first documented appearance in August of 1895, when the Winsted Herald reported that then Selectman Riley Smith, while traveling to Colebrook, stopped along the road to pick blueberries, accompanied by his bulldog. The dog became frightened of something, and ran to Smith, whining and cowering.

A bit later, Smith related, an extra-large buck-nekkid man, covered with thick black hair jumped out of the bushes, yelling like crazy, and ran for the woods. Riley was understandably a tad disturbed by the interruption to his bucolic little trip. Apparently he never lived it down either.

The next documented appearance of the Wild Man didn’t occur until the 1970s, when two young men, Wayne Hall and David Chapman heard some very strange noises outside one morning in July 1972. Hall described it as a mix of frog and cat snarls and snorts.

The two men looked out the window in the direction of Crystal Lake, and in the dim light saw a large, furry, eight-foot tall “man” lope out of the woods, cross the road and head toward a barn. They watched the creature wander around the barn for a while, and then it crossed the road again, to disappear back in the woods. When asked if it might have been a bear, Chapman and Hall vehemently denied that possibility. They described it as big, hairy, walking upright and every once in a while it would scratch its head.

The creature was spotted again, two years later at Rugg Brook Reservoir, when some amorous couples had their soiree rudely interrupted by the large furry beast. The Wild Man allegedly rushed out of the forest and headed toward the car. Perhaps the foursome had been a little loud and disturbed his sleep. He appeared to be mighty angry.

This time the police were called in to investigate. When patrolman George Corso and one of the young men went back to the area to investigate no trace was found of the Wild Man.

So what exactly is the Wild Man of Winsted?

Is it some hairy mutant that survives on the fringe of society?

Is it an escaped gorilla?

A New England branch of the Bigfoot family?

Some guy in a gorilla suit?

Nobody knows for sure.

But if you’re one of the people that has seen the Winsted Wild Man, tell us your story.We may update this item at a later date with all the details.

Possible Sasquatch recorded on iMax production of Great North

Thanks to my friend Joe Biello for sending this on to me.

The documentary titled Great North is an iMax production and the cinematography is beautifully breathtaking!

It is my understanding that this video was filmed over 9 years ago and just recently, somebody with a very good eye caught what could be a Sasquatch at the 9 minute 20 second mark.

The caribou herd is in the river and as they cross the river you will see a very black, large, swift, human-like figure dart a few feet in the field then hunker down...



Great North

You can read Matt Moneymaker's theory at the BFRO website

Let me know what you think!

Loren Coleman is EVERYWHERE!

Boston Globe columnist and former Wired writer Mark Baard has picked the top “10 New England Esotericists to Watch in 2010.” Yep, Loren Coleman is high on the list of those chosen.

Ranking third in “Sci-Tech Heretics” choices of “the biggest brains in the businesses of esoterica,” to keep an eye on during the new year, Baard notes:

“3. Loren Coleman. This legend in the world of cryptozoology (2010 marks his 50th year in the business) will be surprising us again with new insights, and new guests and events at his Portland, Maine-based International Museum of Cryptozoology.

“A regular contributor to Coast to Coast AM, Boing Boing, and The Anomalist, Coleman is also the keeper of the world’s most popular cryptozoology blog, Cryptomundo.

“Coleman this year will be speaking at Bigfoot and ‘big cats’ conferences — both at home and across the pond, in Glasgow, Scotland. This spring, he will also be lending his expertise to the ongoing search for the Loch Ness Monster.

“In addition to his ongoing consulting work for History’s ‘MonsterQuest,’ and Animal Planet’s ‘Lost Tapes,’ Coleman will also be working on (we kid you not) five new books.”

Baard’s number one pick is Marc Abrahams of Cambridge, Mass., who is the organizer of the annual Ig Nobel Prizes awards ceremony, which honors “research that makes people laugh and then think.”

Two individuals that Coleman nominated for inclusion on the list after he was told he was one of the top five, were John Rozum and Joseph Citro, who both were later picked.
Cryptogod 2010

Since no one has seen a bigfoot lately

here are some animal stories!

Giant Leatherneck Turtle visits Southwest Florida

Dog saves Boy from Attacking Cougar

Finally! Something Fun to do in January!

Come join me at the Bigfoot in Film festival January 29-31 at the Ned Smith Nature and Art Center in Millersburg, PA.

The fun filled weekend will feature films about Bigfoot (of course) and some notable speakers including Eric Altman and Loren Coleman!


Ned Smith Center has teamed up with Harrisburg film cooperative Moviate (presenters of the annual Side Street Cinema) to present its first ever film festival! The Bigfoot Film Festival is a fun event designed to explore the anomaly of "Bigfoot" and other natural folklore and how Bigfoot has been represented in film. Kitschy, campy films like "The Creature from Black Lake" and others will be shown, as well as documentary films on the Bigfoot phenomenon. Expert speakers will also be on hand, along with fun family activities.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE (subject to change)

Friday, January 29, 2010 - 6 p.m.

FILM: BFF Trailer
Produced by Caleb Smith and Jim Hollenbaugh

LECTURE: "Bigfoot In Film" with Jim Hollenbaugh, Filmmaker

FILM: "Yolanda" by George Kuchar

FILM: "The Creature from Black Lake"

Saturday, January 30, 2010 - 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.

FILM: "Capture of Bigfoot"

LECTURE: "Bigfoot in Pennsylvania" with Eric Altman, Director of Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society
**Includes guided walk on trails

FILM: "Legend Meets Science"

DINNER BREAK - Please visit the many fine dining establishments in Millersburg!

LECTURE: "Boggy Creek, Bigfoot and Beyond" with Loren Coleman, Cryptozoologist

FILM: "The Legend of Boggy Creek"

Sunday, January 31, 2010 - 12 p.m.-5 p.m. - FAMILY DAY!

BIGFOOT COSTUME CONTEST: Create your own bigfoot costume and enter in our friendly costume contest!

FAMILY ACTIVITY: Animal Tracks

LECTURE: "Bigfoot's Favorite Pet: Modern Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania" with Marcus Schneck, Outdoor Writer for the Patriot-News

FILM: "Harry and the Hendersons"

ONGOING:

ART EXHIBIT by Garrick Dorsett

MERCHANDISE FOR SALE! Get your official BFF t-shirts and more!

BIGFOOT BAKE SALE

You never know who will show up!