America's Wilderness

Photo credit - E. Winick - ewinickphotos.instaproofs.com

       "If there was such a thing as bigfoot we would have found it by now." "How could such a large animal remain hidden in such an urban country?" These and other similar lines often make up the core of bigfoot skeptics' arguments. And, they have a point. It does seem highly unlikely that an animal predicted to stand seven to ten feet tall and weight upwards of five hundred pounds could exist. However, it seems to me that many people underestimate just much wilderness remains in America.

    Based on data collected by the United States Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife Service, the current amount of land deemed "wilderness" within America stands at a whopping one hundred and nine million, four hundred and seventy-eight thousand, nine hundred and thirty-nine acres. Or, simplified: 109,478,939 acres. In total, this amount of land covers more area than the state of California. Now, I don't know about you, but to me that is a huge amount of wilderness. Given, the total land mass of America is around 2.3billion acres, one can conclude wilderness makes up twenty-one percent of all American land. Some estimates range as high as twenty-six percent, however. In all that unexplored, untamed land, I feel it is possible that a large animal could remain undetected. Especially if said animal did not want to be found and was intelligent enough to evade attempts at capture.

    Imagine, a wilderness the size of the state of California. Now place within that a small population of forest-savvy, intelligent bipedal hominins that do not wish to be found. Release into this wilderness an even smaller group of bigfoot researchers. How greatly are the odds stacked against them? Consider, as well, that these researchers are busy dealing with all the problems, appointments, and stresses of everyday life, such that their time spent exploring this area is severely hampered. Needless to say, my bet is on the bigfoots remaining hidden.

American Wilderness - Wilderness.net/NWPS/static

    Of course, there is the added factor of hunters. As they routinely travel into the backwoods of America, hunters comprise a large population of boots on the ground when it comes to searching for the big guy. The problem remains, however, that hunters are not searching for bigfoot. They are hunting game animals. The methods used in locating game animals are drastically different than those used by bigfoot researchers. Nonetheless, bigfoot sightings by hunters are relatively common and, in fact, a large portion of bigfoot sightings come from hunters (The BFRO sighting database is an excellent source for reading up on these sightings).

Another factor to consider is the shared U.S. - Canadian border. Where America's percent of wilderness is approximately twenty-one to twenty-six percent of it's total landmass, Canada boast much more vast tracts of wild land. Exact numbers are hard to find, but the general consensus seems to hover between forty-five to fifty-five percent. Along nearly all of the border American wilderness intersects Canadian wilderness. With very few geographical landmarks separating this land, animals could easily pass between the two. Thus, Canadian wilderness must also be considered when thinking about the amount of wilderness in North America.

    With such large amounts of land, it is quite naive to think all of it has been searched, or even thoroughly explored. In this vast area, I feel it is entirely feasible for a large, intelligent, biped to remain undetected. Do not be deterred, however, bigfoot researchers. Eventually, the discovery will be made. Just keep your eyes open and cameras ready.

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

Comedy and Bigfoot

Photo Credit - Snorgtees.com

    Over the years, with the continued lack of concrete evidence, the world of bigfoot has become intrinsically linked to a more comical, caricature of the big guy. Despite the seriousness with which research groups pursue the alleged undiscovered hominin, this comic aspect has developed into a running joke, giving rise to goofy bigfoot merchandise, comic strips, and even advertisements campaigns.

    Now, I'm not saying I don't enjoy the more humorous side to the search for North America's Great Ape (I own the shirt pictured on the left) but I often wonder what this laughable perspective has done to relations between the serious researcher and your everyday, uninterested citizen. I fear jokes about bigfoot, or advertising campaigns (such as Jack Link's hilarious "Messin' With Sasquatch" ads), lead those who are unaware of the reality of bigfoot research to think of the whole search as a joke that only "those crazy bigfooters" take seriously. As it stands, most academics already frown on research directed towards the discovery of a previously unknown bipedal hominin. This stance, however, is much preferable to that of the major news networks who, in an overwhelming majority, direct condescending and mocking reports towards the subject. (See here CNN's "report" on Ketchum's DNA study, as covered by Cryptomundo.)

Photo credit - rcm0105 - CartoonStock.com

    Not to be mistaken, aside from the major news outlets, most sources that portray bigfoot as a joke seem not to harbor any ill intent. The comic to the right is one of my favorites. It pokes fun at a serious problem in bigfoot research in a goofy, yet non-offensive way.

    So what, exactly, are researchers to do when faced with the prospect of most people thinking their work is nothing more than a joke? In my opinion, I believe we should try to take it in stride. Instead of frowning upon more light-hearted portrayals of the big guy, or dismissing them as nonsense, I propose the serious bigfoot researcher can turn these jokes to their advantage.

    In most cases, to those who are not familiar with bigfoot research, the jokes surrounding it will be more known to them than the actual research. So why not use this as a means to garner attention to your work? Or, use this as a way of introducing your opinions on the big guy? One of the most important ways of effectively communicating with someone is to establish a common ground between them and yourself. Starting the conversation with both parties laughing at the same light-hearted bigfoot joke is a great way to find that common ground. From there, you can direct the conversation, in a slightly more serious manner, towards the work that you're doing. Or, present your views on the big guy in a non-aggressive way. (Further advice on how to present the idea of bigfoot, should you want it, can be found here.)

    In today's world, where comedy and bigfoot research have become intimately entwined, researchers must proceed with consideration and tact in order to successfully present the idea of bigfoot research as a serious venture. Gaining understanding and garnering interest from those who would otherwise be unaware of bigfoot being anything more than a joke will help advance the search for this alleged undiscovered hominin. But don't forget to let yourself have a little fun along the way!

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

The Sasquatch Hunters Strike Again!

    In the past few months there has been quite the resurgence in bigfoot videos throughout the world. Though I intend to write on those videos which I feel are most relevant, I would first like to begin with a specific clip. Filmed in North Florida, this short video shows what appears to be a Sasquatch tree-peeking, then taking one large step off into the dark. Though it broke a while ago on other bigfoot websites and blogs, I feel this video deserves some special attention.

    Known as the "Brown Footage" this was filmed by Stacy Brown Sr. and Stacy Brown Jr. on May 8th, 2012. They list the filming location only as "northern Florida." Having worked with this group in the past, I am familiar with their methods and can confirm that it is usual for them to not release the exact location of their searches. This is done (and I entirely agree with them) to prevent large numbers of inexperienced researchers flocking to the area and ruining the appropriate research conditions. That is not, to say, they covet their locations. In my experience this group has always been open and welcoming.

    Achieving wide popularity, the Brown Footage was hosted on several bigfoot blogs, especially after rock star researcher, Cliff Barackman, aided in authenticating the footage. A full report of the encounter can be found on the Sasquatch Hunter's website, and Mr. Barackman's analysis can be found here.

    To me, this is one of the most promising videos from Florida. The behavior of the animal in question aligns with other reported bigfoot behavior, while the single, large stride we observe is near exact to those seen in the legendary Patterson/Gimlin footage. The alleged sasquatch is tree-peeking, observing the camp site. When Brown Sr. and Jr. turn to film the creature, it immediately leaves the area.

    I must applaud the Sasquatch Hunters for their work here. Their passive-aggressive approach succeed in attracting a curious bigfoot and capturing it on film. Great work guys!

    Thanks for reading!

- A.Z.

Dear reader,

    It is with great pleasure, and much excitement, that I announce I will once again be writing actively for this blog. Naga has, I am sure you've noticed, fallen in to inactivity over these past few months. I beg your forgiveness for this and shall actively work to amend this wrong. At this time I have several posts in the works which I expect to be published before the end of the week. Until then, keep your eyes sharp and your mind open, dear reader.  

Thanks for reading!

- A.Z.

Major Props to The Sasquatch Hunters!

The Sasquatch Hunters

    As you may have noticed, dear reader, I have been rather absent from this blog of late. My excuse is that I am dedicating more time to work on my other writing projects while awaiting the highlight of my summer -- an expedition with an actual bigfoot field research group, The Sasquatch Hunters. I expect this expedition will result in a ton of posts as I discuss everything that happened during our time in the woods (which will probably include me being scared half to death).

    Until I am able to attend this expedition, I have taken a back seat role in the bigfoot world. While checking in on Bigfoot Evidence today I noticed The Sasquatch Hunters had made the front page! The original video that got them there was about a recent sighting in British Columbia that resulted in video and photos of some really clear tracks. (It is firmly my belief that one can see a clear mid-tarsal break in the step of most of the prints.) For the full story on this find, check out the "Sighting in British Columbia" headline on The Sasquatch Hunter's home page.  

    Also featured on the Sasquatch Hunters website are videos from their May expeditions (that I was unfortunately unable to attend). They found many tracks on these expeditions as well. (Video 1 and video 2)

If anything, Floridians should be proud to have these guys out there doing the field work for us all. They do a heck of a job. I will be both honored and privileged to join them later this summer. 

    Here's to you, Sasquatch Hunters, keep up the good work!

 - A.Z. 

Bigfoot dry spells

Photo by jczart - Flickr.com

    A common occurrence in the bigfoot world, dry spells are both an annoying and demotivating factor for those interested in research. But when working in a field such as this, they can only be expected. 

    A combination of factors creates these dry spells, the most common of which being a pure lack of any new discoveries being made from field work. Due to a lack of funding, as well as little interest by academia, most researchers are regular people who work regular jobs, tend to families, and have to deal with everyday life getting in the way of field work. When the researchers are bogged down, it follows that opportunities are missed and new evidence is not collected. 

    Another factor contributing to these dry spells is random chance. Most bigfoot encounters seem to occur at random. Considering the vast amount of land for bigfoots to potentially inhabit and the small amount of people actually out and about doing things on this land, encounters between the two are scarce. Throw in the (alleged) fact that sasquatches appear to intentionally avoid interaction with humans and you have quite the mix of improbable circumstances that would need to occur to create an encounter. When dealing with these kind of obstacles, it makes sense that there will be times when interesting events in the bigfoot world flatline. 

    It seems to me that when these droughts occur websites that rely on a constant stream of news start to pull from the dredges of the proverbial barrel. And who can blame them? It is hard to report the news when there is none. It is times like these that I am glad this blog operates on original content. As previously announced in the post "Out of the wilderness" I will soon be attending a bigfoot expedition. I expect (fingers crossed) that this expedition will result in a flood of new content. At the very least I will soon be able to write a detailed post about how to create an evidence collection kit as well as how to properly collect suspected DNA samples from field sites. The Sasquatch Hunters will be teaching classes on both topics.

    So, in this drought (pray that it is a short one) to relieve the boredom, here's an interesting video originally posted on Bigfoot Evidence. My next post here at Nagreatape will discuss this video more in depth. Until then, take a look and draw your own conclusions.

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z. 

Out of the wilderness

Flower and barrack at Warner Robins AFB, Ga.

    It has been a hot, sweaty, wet, and at times, perilous eight days in the woods of North Georgia, but I am very pleased to announce that I am now back and ready to surge forward with new and (hopefully) interesting content! I was only run over by one raft while riding the white waters of the Nantahala and stung just once by a scorpion who decided my sheet was a comfortable place to spend the night. Now I'm back at my laptop, so here we go!

    For the past few weeks I have been in contact with the The Sasquatch Hunters, a Florida based research organization. I am very pleased to announce that I will be attending their Central Florida expedition this August, which will be my first experience with bigfoot field research. I am interested in the ideas this group brings to the table when out in the field. Their ability to mobilize a decent sized team of bigfooters as well as a large amount of expensive equipment has really caught my interest. The amount of money this group has put into purchasing gear is quite staggering considering they do not charge for attendance on their expeditions. If anything, this increases my faith in their genuine desire to work towards answering the question of an undiscovered North American great ape's existence. Conversing with the group's founder, Stacy Brown Jr., I am reassured that the group is serious about what they do. In the past they have traveled throughout Florida and Georgia, with occasional trips to Mississippi and Tennessee, in search of the big guy. Their team consists of interested bigfooters from all background and walks of life. A recent addition is the esteemed Tim Whitfield:

"Tim has been an adjunct professor at Saint Petersburg College and St. Leo University where he was instrumental in helping to establish both forensic science programs, having authored all 6 forensic courses at St. Leo University. Tim has also been an adjunct instructor in Forensic Investigation Classes at the Institute of Police Technology and Management out of the University of North Florida since 1987, having taught classes internationally and in over 40 states."

    Mr. Whitfield will be working as an evidence consultant for the team and has already attended one expedition. On the Central Florida expedition he will be teaching a lesson on how to properly collect and analyze DNA evidence in the field, something he has done for many years. As well, other members of the team will be teaching classes in various areas, depending upon their expertise. With a line up like this and the dedication I have witnessed, I feel my experience with The Sasquatch Hunters will be a good one. Here's to a hopeful tomorrow!

    Interested in joining The Sasquatch Hunters on an expedition or as a member? Click here.

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

Outsider's Perspective

Guest Post

   

    Before I met A.Z. I had never even heard of the possibility of bigfoots being real.  I thought it was on the same level as mermaids, ghosts and the Loch Ness monster.  In fact, I thought that it was just one mystical creature -- Bigfoot -- not an entire species, making it even harder for me to consider the idea since it would have had to been living for hundreds of years.

     

    However, now that I have been exposed to the whole world of bigfooting I am learning some of the finer points of what people believe the species may be like. From its suspected calls and whoops to its walking patterns and habits, I am being exposed to it all. Nevertheless, I must admit I am not a believer. I am not someone who completely dismisses the idea though. 

     

    There are major trust issues between the rest of the world and the bigfoot community and I think I have fallen victim to that. Another blurry video of “bigfoot”, a grouping of sightings in the same area, or a new footprint draws hardly any attention from the media and is not given any credence from the outside world because of the stigma that is against the whole idea of believing in something that the majority think to be mystical and has no chance of existing. 

      

   On the other hand, back in 2004 when blurry video was caught of a thought-to-be-extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker and there were eight sightings in one area over the course of a year, there was loads of media coverage. People were much more willing to believe in, and admit that they believed in, the reemergence of a bird than the emergence of bigfoot. For more information on this mysterious bird, check out the video to the right from Texas Parks and Wildlife. The 2004 video can be seen at 0:58.

     

    Therefore I am left wanting to be able to convince myself that there are bigfoots out there, but not being able to. I am just not able to overcome the need for extremely definitive evidence and the societal dismissal of the idea. Despite this, I admire those greatly who do believe in bigfoots and I hope one day that crucial piece of evidence you need will come and you do get the coverage you deserve.

Thanks for reading!

-E.R.

Bigfoot Around the World

Orang photo by Sandro_Lacarbona - Flickr.com

    Yowie, Yeti, Orang Pendak, Bigfoot, Yeren, Sasquatch, Windigo, Skunk Ape, Mapinguary, Maricoxi, etc, are all names for various alleged undiscovered hominins around the world. Bigfoot is not just a phenomenon limited to North America. Peoples the world over have reported sightings of creatures that fit the description of sasquatch for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.

    This article from Crystalinks.com hosts a very comprehensive listing of bigfoot sightings from all around the world. I've been a follower of bigfoot research for most of my life, and yet, this article taught me a thing or two.

"Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is a figure in North American folklore alleged to inhabit remote forests, mainly in the Pacific northwest region of the United States and the Canadian province of British Columbia. In northern Wisconsin, Lakota Indians know the creature by the name Chiye-tanka, a Lakota name for "Big Elder Brother".
Bigfoot is sometimes described as a large, hairy bipedal hominoid, and many believe that this animal, or its close relatives, may be found around the world under different regional names, such as the Yeti of Tibet and Nepal and the Yowie of Australia.
Bigfoot is one of the more famous examples of cryptozoology, a subject that the scientific community tend to dismiss as pseudoscience because of unreliable eyewitness accounts, lack of scientific and physical evidence, and over-reliance on confirmation rather than refutation. Most experts on the matter consider the Bigfoot legend to be a combination of folklore and hoaxes."

    Considering the incomplete fossil record and all it has taught us about previous hominins to inhabit this planet, it seems to me that most of these alleged bi-peds are entirely possible. Nothing highlights this fact better than the 2003 discovery of Homo Floresiensis, as touched upon in this post.

    Whether you're looking to brush up on your global bigfoot knowledge, or just interested in learning more about other cultures' versions of the big guy, this article is definitely worth your time. The same site also hosts other information on Cryptozoological matters that explores other cryptids ranging from believable to outright weird.

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

Out of town

Underwear on the flag pole - Summer camp 09'

    Well it's that time of the year again folks -- time for A-frame tents and mosquitos, woodcrafts and pranks, scouting and learning -- time for summer camp! As you may or may not know, when I'm not blogging about the big guy I am also an Eagle scout and adult leader in my local Boy Scout troop. Each year we take a seven to eight day camping trip to one of the BSA's esteemed summer camps around the country. This year we're headed to Camp Sidney Dew in Northwestern Georgia.

    I'll be in the woods from the 9th to the 17th, but have no fear, I have prepared some posts to be published during the duration of my time away. If everything falls into place, I may even have a post from a guest writer!

    I'm not expecting to get any legitimate bigfoot research done while at camp (helping to manage a troop of hyperactive scouts hinders investigation), however, I will keep my eyes open and hope to find some time to do a bit of hiking. The BFRO reports four sightings near Rome, GA. The most recent of which occurred in June of 2011. All of the reports come from the general area surrounding the Chattahoochee National Forest, which camp Sidney Dew borders to the south. I'm sure having 200+ scouts running about causing an uproar will not lend itself well to attracting any encounters, but who knows.

    So keep your fingers crossed for me! It's gonna be a hot, but exciting eight days!

    See y'all soon!

 - A.Z.

Response to "Milwaukee River rock throwing."

    A while back, Bigfoot Evidence ran an article about the video to the right. The user who uploaded the video, Russter1000, claims this is the second time rock throwing has occurred while he has been kayaking on the Milwaukee river. The full story can be found here. Another story Bigfoot Evidence ran some time ago was an opinion piece on how common sense can help determine the authenticity of alleged videos of the North American great ape. In my opinion, we can readily apply this idea to this video.

    Commonsense aids in debunking this video in many fashions. Foremost, jumping to the conclusion that something that splashed into a river was a rock thrown by bigfoot, with no other circumstantial evidence, is absurd. There are a ton of ways to explain this splash. The most common of which being a fish jumping. I've lived with a large river in my backyard all of my life and have had plenty of experiences like this. A small fish jumping creates a splash very similar to the one seen in the video. The camera quality, though very good, is not such that one would be able to see if a fish had jumped. This is a much more plausible occurrence. When dealing with bigfoot reports it is always best to rule out any other possible factors that could have led to a misleading encounter.

    Continuing the theme of ruling out natural occurrences, an apple falling from a tree could have made that splash. Or a large acorn. Heck, even a bird egg could have fallen out of a nest in the tree. All of these seem more probable to me than rock throwing. As a Bigfoot Evidence commentor pointed out, the splash from the rock is vertical, there is virtually no horizontal movement. This leads us to believe whatever hit the water did so from nearly straight up. Who throws rocks straight up when aiming at a target? If anything, other videos of rock throwing show the rocks to be quite accurate, landing very near the people in the vicinity. Some researchers go so far as to speculate that sasquatches hunt by throwing rocks. The rock in this video is anything from close to the subjects.

    The factor that most dismisses this video in my mind is the witness's reaction. "Was that bigfoot?" Really? That's the first thought that crosses your mind? Do you realize how fishy that sounds to everyone watching the clip? Even if that was your true, default response, it would be suspect. The line oozes with suspicion.

    From behind my laptop screen, I'm in no place to claim that this video is fake, but from what I've seen, lets just say I won't be putting much trust in it.

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

The persistence of fascination

Photos by Axel-D - Flickr.com

    Stories of bigfoot, or sasquatch, have existed for thousands of years. The Native Americans had encounters with the big guy, as well as did early American settlers, French trappers, and your average joe from down the street. The persistence of bigfoot stories seems, to me, one of the strongest cases for the existence of some sort of undiscovered North American great ape.

    If every bigfoot footprint was a hoax, every audio recording some other animal, and every reported sighting a lie or misidentification, would the interest of the public continue to lie with the story of bigfoot? Wouldn't the search have lost momentum by now? I just don't see how stories of such a creature can persist for so many years if there isn't anything to back them up. Every year thousands of people around the world report sightings of bipedal, mysterious hominins. Every year, large footprints are found, photographed and cast by researchers. Every year, pictures of some sort of unidentifiable animal are captured. Given, none of this is conclusive proof, how could it all continuously occur if there really was no undiscovered great ape? I highly doubt that everyone who has some sort of evidence of bigfoot is fooling themselves into a "blind belief" of the existence of this animal. All these sightings have to mean something strange is going on in the woods of North America. I'm not saying this evidence warrants the conclusion that bigfoot is real, but I am saying that it calls for more research. Remember, "Close-mindedness is the death of progress."

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

Difficulties of photographing bigfoot pt.3

**This is a companion piece to The difficulties of photographing bigfoot pt.1 and pt.2**

Subject approx. 100 ft. from photographer
    

    This conclusion post to The difficulties of photographing bigfoot parts one and two is a short conclusion to the set.

    One of the many advantages of trying to hide in a forested environment is the natural advantages of shadow and glare. Due to breaks in the canopy, sunlight shines down to the forest floor at random, disjointed intervals. As well, thick spots in the canopy create darker areas. This varied atmosphere makes for great hiding spots. Glare, caused by reflective, lighter surfaces contrasted with other darker surfaces on the forest floor, results in the lessened ability of an observer to see into shadowy areas. Take the photo to the left as an example. There is a six foot tall person, wearing a bright green shirt, standing in the treeline. The subject is approximately one-hundred feet from the camera, standing straight up.

    To the right is the same photo, but zoomed in on the subject. Even with this edit applied, it is not easy to see the subject. Thank goodness for that bright green shirt and those white-tipped converse! The glare in the photo (caused by sunlight reflecting off of the lighter colored grass) obscures the ability of the observer to peer into the shadows of the treeline. An animal fitting the description of "bigfoot" or "sasquatch" would have dark fur, lending it even more of an advantage when hiding in deep shadows.

    Environmental factors such as this are just some of the reasons that forests and woodlands make for great hiding spots for such a large animal as the sasquatch.

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

 

   

Difficulties of photographing bigfoot pt.2

**This is a companion piece to The Difficulties of Photographing Bigfoot pt.1**

Auto focus on with subject at approx. 50 ft.

    As mentioned in part one of this post, the odds of getting a clear, concise photograph of a bigfoot in a forested environment are quite low. In this post I'll touch on another factor that makes the forest such a challenging place to capture pictures: autofocus.

    Nearly every camera on the market now comes equipped with a nifty little program called autofocus. When active, autofocus will approximate the subject you are trying to photograph and move the camera lens so that this subject is in focus. The feature was developed as a time saver, meant mainly for taking photos of stationary objects, groups of people, etc. For the vast majority of picture taking, autofocus works very well. However, attempting to use it in a forested environment creates several problems.

    Forests and wooded areas are filled with animals, plant life, swaying branches, and often drastic changes between deep shadows and bright light. All of these can hinder the performance of autofocus. Unless a clear line of sight is established between the camera and its subject, the subject is not moving too fast, and the light conditions are stable, autofocus will not successfully take a clear picture. For an example of this, look at the photo to the right. The subject is standing at approximately fifty feet from the camera. This photo was taken with a Canon EOS Rebel T2i, a top of the line SLR boasting 18megapixels. The subject was stationary, there are not many leaves on the trees, and the conditions are clear. However, the branches in front of the photo managed to turn what would otherwise be a clear picture into a blurry mess. Such is the downside of autofocus, it is easily confused by foliage and non-stationary objects. Every nature photographer captures a blurry photo of their subject from time to time. If they didn't delete them, there would be just as many blurry photos of birds and raccoons as there are of the big guy.

Same camera, same spot, manual focus.

    To avoid your otherwise perfect photo of the big guy becoming just another blobsquatch, I recommend learning how to use manual focus on your camera. Most high end cameras come with the option to turn off autofocus and engage manual focus. A photographer who is familiar with the manual focus option on their camera can return much better results, capturing clear and focused photos even in a challenging environment. A person operating the focus on a camera will almost always be quicker than the camera doing so automatically. We're just good like that. The photo to the left was taken from the exact same camera in the exact same spot as the first picture. The only difference? The photographer used manual focus.

    For years the presumed undiscovered great ape of North America has eluded clear photographs by fooling autofocus. But now, with masses of researchers armed with manually focused SLRs, those days are over. (I hope.)

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

 

Neil deGrasse Tyson of bigfooting

Ben McLeod - Flickr.com

    A short time ago, Bigfoot Evidence hosted a story about an interview with our favorite skeptic Ranae Holland. The interview was conducted by AfterEllen.com You can find the full story here.
 
    There are a few reasons we appreciate Ms. Holland so much here at Nagreatape, foremost of which being the way she conducts herself on Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot. She manages to keep a cool head when reviewing possible bigfoot sightings and approaches the subject with a scientific touch. She is the ideal skeptic. Her mind is not entirely closed to the possibility of the existence of an undiscovered North American great ape, yet she also won't except circumstantial evidence as proof. Given we disagree on the Patterson-Gimlin film, Ms. Holland is an all around awesome person in my book.

    Being the only skeptic on a show that focuses on the search for sasquatches can be trying, but Ms. Holland never loses her temper or shows signs of aggravation. Furthermore, she regularly offers her scientific background and knowledge to help conduct investigations. The way she conducts herself should be a lesson to bigfooters and skeptics alike. Through being rational, cool-headed, and approaching investigations from an empirical standpoint, we can all contribute to the search for North America's great ape.

    Her viewpoint that she can use her television fame to inspire the interest of young people is another greatly admirable aspect of Ms. Holland. When she speaks about this idea in the interview, to me, she becomes the Dr. Neil deGrasee Tyson of bigfooting. It is truly refreshing to see someone who has found a way to help others while participating in the search for bigfoot. I have had the pleasure of speaking to Ms. Holland on a couple of occasions and can confirm that she is a genuinely polite person who puts others before herself. When this website was just starting, she accepted my invitation and took time out of her day to come by and give it a look over. She then went on to Tweet about the site to all of her followers.

    So here's to you, Ms. Holland, keep doing what you do. Let's inspire a new generation of scientists, researchers, and all around curious professionals!

Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

In response to Bigfoot Sightings in Hawaii

H. Floresiensis - IsaacMao - Flickr

    Not too long ago, Bigfoot Evidence ran a story on Bigfoot sightings in Hawaii:

"It is often said that there have been sightings of mysterious ape-men in every state exept Hawaii. Well, Hawaii may not foster the classic Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest, but they may have something somewhat similar. Local folklore tells of hairy dwarfs who purportedly travel in large groups of up to twenty individuals."

     Reading this story about the menehune, I was reminded of the 2003 discovery of Homo Floresiensis. Native peoples of the Indonesian islands often told stories of “the old woman of the forest”, a small human who looked like a tiny, old lady, but ran off when approached. The islanders say these “little people” lived on the island up until the arrival of European settlers. Reports of other little peoples have trickled in from the deep jungles of Africa and South America. These stories were commonly discounted as folklore, until the discovery in 2003. A team of anthropologists uncovered the remains of what would come to be classified as Homo Floresiensis (or “Hobbit"). H. Floresiensis was not uncommon compared to other early hominins, except that it stood only three feet tall (see insular dwarfism) and may have lived up until twelve-thousand years ago (but the blink of an eye in evolutionary terms). This date range makes it possible that Hobbit could have existed -- even interacted  -- with modern man. 

    There have been many menehune sightings over the years and an 1820 census on Hawaii listed 65 inhabitants as "menehune." Natives of the islands believe these mythical hill people are the first settlers of Hawaii. 

    Is it possible that these "hairy dwarfs" in Hawaii may be something similar to H. Floresiensis? The Hobbits on Flores died of thousand off years ago, but perhaps the species continued to exist in other places? Or, maybe these menehune are a relative of Flores' little people? Whatever the case, I strongly feel the mystery hominids of Hawaii are deserving of more investigation.

    For additional reading on the menehune, click here.

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

PG Film stabilized and .gif'ed

    Reddit.com/Bigfoot  does it again! I found a link to this awesome .gif while checking up on new posts in Reddit's bigfoot discussion area. We've all seen the Patterson-Gimlin Film (If you haven't, I suggest fixing this terrible misfortune). But have you seen it stabilized and in .gif form? I was taken aback by how much easier it is watch the animal's movements with these effects applied.

    Mucho kudos to whoever created this. I was unable to locate the original creator. But I'm sending good vibes their way, honest.

    Certainly makes viewing easier, no? (Apologies for the odd formatting, I am not computer literate enough to fix it.) The original .gif can be found here where the formatting isn't shot to hell.

        If anyone has any information on who created this .gif, let me know. I would love to give them credit!

        Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

Huge online bigfoot discussion

Photo by Anirudh Koul - Flickr.com

    While browsing Reddit.com's archives I came across a very interesting post by username Mr_Bigfoot The author is conducting a Reddit event known as an "AMA", which is an abbreviation for "Ask Me Anything." Generally people who have interesting lives, jobs, etc, will participate in AMA sessions. This one turns out to be a particularly good read. The author claims to have "spoken on the existence of a species of bipedal ape living in North America on 60+ occasions for more than 5,500+ combined listeners." I found his arguments to be quite logical and his approach to the subject an appropriate mix of interest and lightheartedness. Even the behavior of the Redditors following the thread was rather civil. All in all, the discussion ended up being both educational and intriguing. It is a good example of how to present the idea of bigfoot to a group.

    Mr_Bigfoot, as with so many others, became interested in researching bigfoot after watching the famous television show "In Search Of..." 

    In the author's own words:

    "I began research, reasoning that if Bigfoot wasn't real, I didn't need to be afraid of the big guy. My research became a side hobby over the next several years. Six years later, I arrived at college. My friends wanted to know why I believed in such a thing, so I gradually developed a 45-minute multimedia presentation offering empirical support for the existence of Bigfeet. Over the following four years at college and in the three years since graduation, I've given my presentation many, many times (see title) and make biyearly camping expeditions into Eastern Oklahoma in search for physical evidence. It's a fun hobby." 

    The thread can be found here. Keep in mind it is is archived now, so current conversation is not ongoing. However, the discussion continued for quite a long time, reaching over an approximate four hundred posts. There is a lot to read. If any of you make it all the way to the bottom, you will become one of the few people to be able to claim having seen the bottom of a Reddit thread. (No mean feat!)

    Keep in mind that the thread was originally posted nine months ago, so some of the information and evidence the OP (original poster) presents and discusses in slightly out of date.

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

The difficulties of photographing bigfoot

Subject is approx. 80 ft. from photographer

    **This is part one of a multiple post project explaining the difficulties of photographing bigfoot. Part 2 can be found here.**  

    More often than not, alleged photos of sasquatches show nothing more than blurry, shadowy groupings of pixels that may, or may not, be an animal. Blobsquatches, they are called. The "Beast of Seven Chutes" is a good example. The picture, at first, appears to show an animal. However, the longer one looks, the more one begins to question if it isn't some trick of the light or a misidentified natural object. Many skeptics cite the multitudes of blobsquatch photos when arguing the case against the existence of a North American great ape. So why do most "bigfoot" photos show blurry, out-of-focus shapes and not clear, concise images?

    Top of the line SLR cameras are widely accessible and now come with up to 21.2 megapixels to ensure professional quality in every photo. Point-and-shoot cameras are boasting upwards of 10mp now-a-days. Even the iPhone 4s comes equipped with an 8 megapixel camera. In today's technology filled world, bigfoot believers should be capturing clear, definitive pictures of this alleged "bigfoot", right? Wrong. Photographing at your niece's Soccer game is one thing, taking your camera into the forest is entirely another.

    Take the picture above and to the right of this text for instance. There is a six foot tall person in a bright green shirt in the center of that photograph. Can you find him? The subject is standing approximately eighty feet from the photographer. The photograph was taken with a Sony Cybershot that has 10.1 megapixels. The conditions are clear, the terrain is flat, there is not a lot of ground cover, and even the leaves on the trees aren't blocking the subject much. Do you see him? The picture below and to the left of this text is a zoomed version of the above. Okay, so now we see the guy! But notice how blurry he is? This is the result of applying a zoom effect to the photograph. Almost looks a bit like a blobsquatch. Now imagine if the subject was not wearing a bright green shirt. Not standing straight up. Maybe even hiding from the photographer? It would be near impossible to see him.

Same photo as above, zoomed.

     The dense forests of North America, and particularly those of the Pacific Northwest, create a very unsuitable environment for photographing animals. Consequently, they make a very suitable environment for large animals to remain hidden. Assuming sasquatches are real and that they have no interest in approaching humans (who can blame them, we're not the nicest species to coexist with) I feel it would be very easy for them to remain hidden.

    I was the subject of the two photos seen here. From my position, approximately eighty feet from the photographer, I had an exceptional vantage point. Were I a large, intelligent animal that did not wish to be spotted, I would have had no trouble scoping out the photographer from further than eighty feet away and slipping off back into the forest.

Subject approx. 50 ft. from photographer

    The odds of getting a good photo of a sasquatch are stacked against researchers for a number of reasons: There are vast amounts of untamed wilderness in North America. If bigfoots do exist, they have a huge amount of land to occupy. In all of this wilderness finding one of these animals would be beyond difficult. If one was immensely lucky and did find a bigfoot they'd better hope they have a camera with them. They'd also have to have the camera at the ready, be able to focus it, and snap a photo of the animal. (When I say "focus it" I mean manually focus the camera. Auto-focusing is next to useless in dense foliage. I'll touch more on this in the next post.) Considering the difficulty of photographing in forests presented above, the odds of the photo being clear and concise are low. Very low. Also worth considering is the alleged nature of sasquatches. Researchers claim the cryptids tends to avoid humans. This would only further increase the difficulty of getting a good shot of the animal.
 
    Blobsquatches dominate the world of bigfoot pictures, and rightly so. The difficulty of photographing effectively in a forested environment is immense. Hopefully we can all keep this in mind as we move forward.

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

Native Americans and the big guy

Photo by SoulRider.222 - Flickr.com

    Lately, I've seen a lot of commentors around the internet using the argument that Native American folklore is solely myth thus none of it aids the case for the existence of bigfoot. It seems to me that this view comes from a lack of understanding of Native American culture and the purpose of their story telling.

    Native American myths are created to pass knowledge down from one generation to the next. In cultures without a written language, this is very common. From what I understand, there are two types of Native American myths:

1. Myths to explain that which is not understood.
    
2. Myths to pass on knowledge.

    So which of these do sasquatch myths fall under? I would like to believe they fall under the second category.

    Tribes from all across North America have a rich and diverse collection of myths, such as creation stories. Yet these stories vary from tribe to tribe. However, the same tribes' descriptions of a "wild tribe of men", or sasquatch, are generally consistent. Many of these tribes come from different parts of the country. They have different traditions, different ceremonies, even different languages. And yet, they all describe "our brother in the woods" in similar manners; a wild man who does not communicate with humans(cannot talk), is covered in hair, and stands taller than any normal man.

    Where the problem comes in, I believe, is discussing the spiritual side of the sasquatch. It appears to me that the Native Americans generally agree on the descriptions and behaviors of sasquatches, but disagree on the spiritual aspect. In most Native American cultures every animal consists of two aspects, the physical and the spiritual. The physical describes the creature and its habits, whereas the spiritual assigns the creature a set of characteristics, or traits. These traits help explain how the animal relates to the natural world. In a way, the spiritual aspect explains why the animal exists.

    Speculation as to what the spiritual traits of sasquatch are varies greatly between tribes. Some believe sasquatches were once men who became cannibals, other believe they are simply another "tribe" of man. This speculation, I think, is what leads to the modern day belief that Native American tales of the sasquatch are nothing more than myth and superstition. There is a clear line between knowing (and accepting) the creature exists and speculating as to the metaphysical traits of said animal. Unfortunately, this line is often overlooked.

    So what do you think? Bigfoot...victim of misinterpretation of Native American culture, or bunch of superstitious hoopla?
 
    While researching for this post I came across a very fascinating webpage on Native American spirituality. Definitely worth a read if you're interested.

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

Not saying this means anything, but...

Scholarly Journal Primates  

    I'm sure most of you reading this have been following the Dr. Melba Ketchum paper that is allegedly set for publication "soon." For those who haven't, I'll provide a brief summary: Dr. Melba Ketchum claims to have been writing a paper that will confirm (or strongly support) the existence of an undiscovered great ape living in North America. The paper, to be published in a yet unnamed scholarly journal, is said to contain analysis of bigfoot DNA. Dr. Ketchum has also hinted that multiple Ph.D's co-authored the paper. As of yet, nothing has been confirmed and as time drags on, it seems more and more likely that this "paper" is a bunch of hot air.

    Personally, the biggest factor that caused me to lose faith in Dr. Ketchum (aside from the length of time she has been working on this "paper") is the way she conducted herself on her public Facebook page. Her actions came off as childish and unprofessional. With each passing day her credibility sinks. Rock bottom, I fear, is not far off. But who knows, perhaps that is just who she is and there really is an awesome paper set to be published. I mean, a bigfooter can dream right? Should the doctor's paper prove everything she claims it will, it would drastically further the cause of gathering enough evidence to have bigfoot recognized as a species.

    With that being said, I came across this interesting link while browsing Reddit / Bigfoot. (Reddit, I know, not the most professional source for Bigfoot news, but still worth a look now and again.) The link leads to the website for the scholarly journal "Primates", a well recognized journal in the academic world. Notice, on the webpage, directly below "Open Access" there is a series of bullet points.

• Provides a forum for the investigation and elucidation of all aspects of primates

• Embraces work in all fields of investigation

• Editor-in-Chief: Juichi Yamagiwa, Kyoto University

    The second bullet point is the particular object of discussion here. Now, I'm not saying this proves anything about the Ketchum paper, but I did find it interesting. "Embraces work in all fields of investigation." Quite the odd wording, wouldn't you agree? Personally, I won't be vesting much faith in this publication, but it may be worth keeping an eye on.

    What do you think? Is the odd wording just a coincidence, or should we keep our eyes open for the next issue of Primates? Can we trust Dr. Ketchum? Will her alleged "paper" ever appear?

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

Could this be a Yeren-human hybrid?

**Update: I spoke with the poster of the video today. He had no additional information other than to say: "I found [the video] years ago and downloaded it. Recently I found it was no longer available online, so I put up a copy because I thought people could use it in bigfoot discussions."**   

    "Yeren" sightings have been reported in China since the days of prehistory. The name translates to "Wildman" and the creature is believed to be China's equivalent of the North American great ape. Typically reported as having red-hair and standing over six feet tall, the creature sounds like it could be a relative of bigfoot. However, sightings in modern times are less numerous than the elusive sasquatch.

As reported by Time: 

"More than 400 people have reported Yeren sightings over the years, and investigations in the 1970s and 1980s uncovered hair, excrement, footprints and a sleeping nest."

    But could this video show a Yeren-human hybrid? Reports of hybrids have surfaced in the past, though generally they aren't given much attention (it does seem pretty crazy). But recently, hybrids have caught the bigfoot world's eye due to Dr. Meldrum's conversations on the topic. The "hybrids" theory plays upon the fact that human DNA and sasquatch DNA are believed to be similar enough that copulation could result (at least some of the time) in functional offspring. 

    The following video was uploaded to Youtube by user "SamsBrainwaves" on July 9th, 2011. The user's channel does not have any other video of this kind on it. (I have messaged Samsbrainwaves in the hopes that he has more information.) The description accompanying the video reads:

"This person is the result of a supposed rape of his mother by a Yeren. His mother went missing for months. When she came back to the village, she hardly spoke, but claims she was raped by the yeren. She never spoke about it after that. Scientists have asked her if they could study him, but she always just asked them to go away and leave them alone.
The Yeren, variously referred to as the Yiren, Yeh Ren, Chinese Wildman or Wildman of China, Man-Monkey, or Man Bear, is said to be an as yet undiscovered hominid residing in the mountainous and forested regions of China's remote Hubei province.The Yeren is sometimes described as a large, hairy bipedal hominoid, and some believe that this animal, or its close relatives, may be found around the world under different regional names, such as Bigfoot of the United States and Canada, the Yeti of Tibet and Nepal, and the Yowie of Australia."

**Note: parts of the video are sped up. This is attributed to an error during conversion.** 

    Upon watching the video I was interested in the way the man moves. His arms are very active, reaching out for support as he walks. I have heard some researchers claim that bigfoots grab trees and other foliage as they move through the forest, almost pulling themselves along. Given, I'm not sure how credible this theory is (I've not seen any video to back it up), could this be what the "hybrid" is doing?

     As well, the man appears to be much taller than your usual human. At 0:18 into the video, scale is achieved with the man shown next to his mother. Either she is a short person, or this guy is quite tall. His limb proportions and musculature also seem out of whack to me. It is a shame the mother doesn't want scientists to study her child. There may be much we can learn from this man.

    Information on this video and its subject is scant, if anyone has heard anything else about this man, I would be very happy to include it in this blog post if you wouldn't mind sharing it. 

    So what do you think? Yeren-human hybrid? Growth disorder? Let us know!

    Thanks for reading!

 - A.Z.

The good Doctor's opinion

Photo by =mc2 - Flickr.com

 **This is a revisit of an older post. I figured it deserved a bit more attention.**   

    In general, main stream scientists and academics give bigfoot research a wide berth. Many fear that association with the subject will besmirch their reputation. Some just don't think the existence of a North American great ape is plausible. And then there's Dr. Jane Goodall.  In this audio clip the world renowned primatologist explains her views on the existence of an undiscovered species of great ape (spoiler alert, she's a believer!). The clip comes from a longer interview that originally aired Septermber 27, 2002, on Nation Public Radio's "Science Friday." (A very educational program, if I do say so myself.) 
    In researching for this article I came across a well written and interesting similar post on Cliff Barackman's blog, North American Bigfoot. The post details a personal encounter with the legendary Dr. Goodall and shows just how much of an all around awesome person she is. 

    The work Dr. Goodall has done around the world, both for the betterment of apes and humans alike, needs no introduction. Her years of experience in the field make her one of the most respected primatologists of all time. 

    Dr. Jane Goodall, similar to Dr. Jeff Meldrum, is a scientist who has dared to publicly voice her opinions on the possible existence of a North American great ape. A round of applause, if you will. Major props to you two, as well as all of the other scientists who dare to further the bounds of human understanding in the face of adversity.

    Thanks for reading!

    - A.Z. 

Naga's Mascot

Sassysquatch

    We had some fun today while taking photos for an upcoming blog post on the difficulties of photographing animals in dense forest. Here's Naga's mascot, Sassysquatch, reenacting the Myakka Skunk Ape photo. (Don't worry, we used a much bigger stand in for the photos that will be in the actual post.)

Myakka Skunk Ape ©2001 David Barkasy and Loren Coleman

The post, currently under the working title "The difficulties of photographing bigfoot", is in the early writing phases. I expect it will be finished sometime next week. Until then, we've got some interesting content planned. Look for it!

Thanks for your time!

 - A.Z.

How best to approach field research?

Photo by zen - Flickr.com

    The bigfoot community consists of a diverse group of people spread as far apart as the forests of the Pacific northwest, to the swamps of the southeast, to foreign shores the world over. Some are academics like Dr. Jane Goodall and Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum. Some are professionals who land television gigs like the cast of Finding Bigfoot and Monster Quest. And still, some (and by some, I mean most) are your everyday, average individuals who are fascinated by the prospect of the existence of an undiscovered great ape in North America.

    This diversity allows the bigfoot world to act as a sort of melting pot for ideas and research tactics. Every other person brings a new perspective to the table. The task the bigfooting world hopes to achieve is no mean feat. Discovering a new species is hard enough as is. Add to the mix a creature with great intelligence, natural elusiveness, and a habitat consisting of vast tracts of unexplored wilderness, and you have one extremely hard to locate animal. So, what are the best tactics to find this animal? What research methods return the best results?

    There are a ton of different strategies: call blasting, wood knocking, baiting, habituation, trail cams, gifting, the list goes on. In an attempt to keep this post at a readable length, I'll stick to a discussion of which is best, a stealthy approach, or a loud, interactive approach?

    The idea behind using a loud, interactive approach goes something like this: sasquatches, like most great apes, are curious creatures. By call blasting, wood knocking, and other attempts to communicate, we will draw them in and encourage interaction. The sasquatches will notice when humans are around, so trying to trick them with trail cams and the like is useless. (Some believe that sasquatches so excel in their natural environment that they are able to easily locate and avoid trail cams and other such photo / video traps.)

    Supporters of the stealth side of the issue argue by saying that alerting the sasquatches of our presence will only scare them away. They've shown in the past that they aren't particularly fond of human interactions. This leads to the decision that the best way to conduct research is to remain quiet and hope to capture photos, video, or audio of bigfoots being their usual squatchy selves. Proponents of the stealth side of the issue support using trail cams. (Some more recent theories involve mounting trail cams on parked cars, or around campsites. The thought here is that the sasquatches will recognize cars and campsites as man-made structures thus a trail cam mounted on one of these will, to them, seem less out of place than a camera in the middle of the forest. However, this does seem a little contradicting to the argument that a human presence scares away the creatures.)

    In the end, the choice of which method is best lies with the researcher. Many longtime field researchers have developed personal opinions of which methods work and which don't based on their personal experience. To me, this seems the best way to go. Get out in the field, test various methods, and go with your gut.

    Which methods do you feel work best? Why? Feel free to tell us about them in the comment section below.

    Thanks for reading!

    - A.Z.