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.