Finding Bigfoot. :)

[Grif]

I'm a skeptic by nature, but in the true sense of the word. Not one to deny nor believe either way until strong evidence or direct observation persuades me.

All my life (literally all my life since able to read) I've kept abreast on reports of what can be termed Fortean phenomena. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Fort

At one point I had a massive library of books on cryptozoology, UFOlogy, the paranormal and other "pseudoscientific" topics. It was not a static library, I read them all, loaned them to friends, bought and sold them. The whole of it was immersive. So much so that in the true legacy of Mr. Fort himself began to lose faith in anyone or anything that purported have all the answers or even any of them.

Yes, I'm talking to you Mr. Science, and you Mr. Religion, and you Mr. Economist and you Mr. Conspiracy theorist. Reality truly bends when you realize that there exists many more possible things in the universe than there are probable ones, and many more of those probable ones than you can possibly imagine.

So when I say I'm a skeptic, this does not mean "debunker" or one who seeks to discredit observations of incredible things simply because they do not fit the common norm. Instead I study those observations try to find patterns and meaning in them. To me it is a very, very serious subject.

What concerns me lately is the exploitation of such subjects in popular culture. Where every "paranormal" TV show must have a big "BOO!" moment, every week, on schedule. Every Cryptid show has dubious evidence to "prove" existence of the monster du jour, every week, on schedule. Every UFO show has the latest footage of the "UFO" posted on youtube and was thoroughly dismissed as photochoppery two years ago. Not to mention the absolutely absurd leaps of supposition and logic that most all of them are guilty of.

Its not the subject matter to be resented, its the manner in which its presented. It cheapens the subject matter by providing a spook o' the week. Some manufactured, some misrepresented, some re-enacted. All to appeal to the masses who's critical thinking skills rarely extend to balancing their checkbook.

Speaking of checkbooks, yes, all of these shows do it for the money. If they were losing money, they wouldn't do it. There is no altruism in chicanery. If these shows inspire a few to do the nasty deed and bend thier minds around all things possible then that's great. My hope is that those so inclined will see with a critical mind that the charlatans outnumber the kernals of truth. Realize that noise is in the data so thick and so furious that you, yes YOU must dig through it yourself. Read.. check sources.. visit your library and research. Correlate it in your own mind, and always assume that even you are wrong.

That is the reality game. Good luck.

[VXR]

I think that you used too many "that having's"...

It could vote in local & national elections...

[Y33TREKker]

I'm a skeptic by nature...

I was just going to ask Ebenezer about something along the Fortean line in the Bigfoot community.

I've noticed over the years that unexplained phenomenon receive regular attention in the media with the occasional story about this siting or that, or with television series revolving around the subject(s), but it also seems there are times when that attention seems to be at a fevered pitch. The 70's were one such sustained time period, the 90's were again although with a little more subtlety, and now it seems to be happening again.

That's not to say that investigations of the varied phenomenon by specific groups has ever decreased or stopped altogether, just that those investigations start receiving more attention and widespread involvement at times.

I personally don't know for certain if Bigfoot, ghosts, or UFO's are real, but just because I don't know doesn't mean I dismiss the possibility or anyone who DOES believe they're real as crazy. And that's why I take what I hear by most news medias with such a big grain of salt. Most of the networks those news medias are operated by seem to have no qualms about putting television series that investigate or portray such topics on their network channels, but when it comes to reporting possible occurrences on their news reporting programs, they report the stories with such thinly veiled deliberate sarcasm that it's pretty much impossible not to notice the double standard.

If that's the way they really feel though, why devote so much time to the subjects in the programming? I personally consider the process to be a distractionary tactic, but by whom and for what ultimate reason?

But...I guess I got a little distracted myself. My question, Ebenezer, was this. Is it the general consensus in the Bigfoot community that the Sasquatch was being represented by Chewbacca in the Star Wars series?

[circmand]

Maybe you can answer a question about the show Finding Bigfoot. Every time they go to a spot where there has been previous Bigfoot hits, they find some activity going on (a response to a BF call, tracks, etc). They seem to pack up the next day and go to another hot spot. Why don't they stay in one spot for two/three months and get some real concrete evidence.

Peace.
Tom

I have seen on this show and the Ghost Hunters show they talk about the sightings that occur in the daytime. Then they set up searching or equipment to catch shots at night. I am not sure why with BF you wouldn't try to duplicate time of day. Are they presumed to be nocturnal? Then why daytime sightings? If they are up during the day wouldn't they be asleep at night? Therefore hard to catch a shot of at night?

[Ebenezr]

I am not into Fortean paranormal stuff. I know some people like to link the Bigfoot phenomenom with that but Sasquatch are nothing more than a primate. One that has lived among us hence all the sightings and historical stories. They are primarily noctournal but so are many mammals that are occasionally seen during daylight.

[Ldub]

OK...I know you say they're supposedly highly intelligent...but

With the gazillion or so (a made up stat) game spotting cameras set up by hunters every year, out there in BF's presumed habitat, wouldn't ya think that one of them would accidentally catch a frame with at least part of a BF as evidence?

Also, why are all supposed pics of BFs, UFOs, Alien beings, spooks, leprechauns, chupacabra, etc,etc,etc...blurry as hell...

[samneil2000]

Also, why are all supposed pics of BFs, UFOs, Alien beings, spooks, leprechauns, chupacabra, etc,etc,etc...blurry as hell...

They're too fast for our technology.

[Osteomata]

Yeah, that is a succinct summary of my deep skepticism towards these fabulous claims as well.

OK...I know you say they're supposedly highly intelligent...but

With the gazillion or so (a made up stat) game spotting cameras set up by hunters every year, out there in BF's presumed habitat, wouldn't ya think that one of them would accidentally catch a frame with at least part of a BF as evidence?

Also, why are all supposed pics of BFs, UFOs, Alien beings, spooks, leprechauns, chupacabra, etc,etc,etc...blurry as hell...

[Grif]

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I'm not arguing against that.

But the sheer quantity of noise, drama and ridiculous speculation added by some of these buffoons on TV detracts others from serious study, and distracts the public from the scant amount of extraordinary evidence there is.

Its really not helpful.

Yeah, that is a succinct summary of my deep skepticism towards these fabulous claims as well.

[PK]

Now come on guys, be nice to the nice hunters of extraordinary things.

We have hunters like that down here as well.
They hunt for -
Thylacines (Tasmanian Tigers) - last positive siting of this now extinct species was in the 1930's, but people still hunt for them.
Tasmanian Foxes - the government here has set up a task force and spent millions over the last 5 years, to eradicate foxes - Score to date - Foxes = zero, Proven fox scat = zero, loss of domestic animals to foxes = zero. Still the stupid Government pay the hunters each year to go hunt again.

Mind you the same people also hunt for, and have more success with -
Rocking Horse poop.
Unicorn horns.
Gnome nuts.
and little green men.

PK

[Y33TREKker]

On the other hand, there are some very obvious and legitimate reasons why such proof may be withheld from the general populace, two of those reasons being preservation of different sorts. It's not hard to imagine how video or photographic proof would result in every yahoo for hundreds of miles with a 4x4, an automatic firearm, a case of beer, and something to prove would show up looking to shoot first and ask questions later regarding something they didn't understand, could possibly make money from, or that could get them on tv.

The other being from the land owners themselves who wouldn't want the information to get out because they might not be real enthused about the prospect of having their land suddenly overrun by every yahoo for hundreds of miles with.....aka..... Skippy get's even

[tom4bren]

read this: http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=2475

Looks like the closest sighting to me was at Quantico. That seems really strange to me considering the amount of weapon firings & air traffic in the area.

[Ebenezr]

Some of my thoughts on the unacceptance of BF. We are americans with a heritage that goes back to people primarily of European decent. Way back then ie 1600's 1700's 18's and early nineteen the people had not really heard of "monkeys"...europe didn't have such a thing and there was not even TV to provide the information that we enjoy. When they settled here and hunted and so forth they expected to see foxes and bears and so on. Those that did have a BF experience KEPT THEIR MOUTH SHUT or they would be laughed at. This is the way it has been with my generation. Hunters that have seen them have some quit hunting, don't go back to that woods, etc and never never, never tell their hunting party what they saw because they would throw their beer down and laugh their hiney's off and that poor soul would be become the butt of jokes for his life. The internet however has allowed the gathering of info now anonymously at websites like the BFRO.net and it has blossomed to thousands of reports from people of all walks of life. The information is so volumous with reports of characteristics of the encounters that are so similar that I could write a book on the creature not ever having seen one. That book would include habits behaviors geographic distribution etc. If you read a thousand reports or at least 500 as I have you will realize that it is real. There are not enough liars out there to form such a base of info.

Trail cams have been and are used and have picked up pictures; http://bfro.net/avevid/jacobs/jacobs_photos.asp

One of my favorite videos is the New York baby footage: http://bfro.net/REF/bfmedia.asp scroll down to the link. It has a camper that was filming his campsite. He noticed way in the background -months later- that their were primates swinging in the trees.

Yes they are smart. They are "Stealth". They do not like to be seen and therefore are much more careful than bumbling bears. My favorite story I would link if I could find it again is one from the late 1800's. an Indian women was in an Appalacian gorge and heard shots fired up the gorge and men shouting. She hid herself because she was alone and did not want to have trouble with them. She heard crashing coming her way and saw a frantic Bigfoot run into a deadfall kind of pile of debris. It laid down and proceded to cover itself with leaves, sticks and whatever it could until she could no longer see it.