Saturday, August 04, 2007

Sasquatch Experience Tonight...

Tomorrow Night... Talking with John and Montra Freitas



Our guests will be John and Montra Freitas. The show starts at 9:00 EST/8:00 Central and can be found at the link to the right. As always, we encourage you all to please tune in and support great research.

Best Evidence: Bigfoot to re-air late this month

August 29th, the Discovery Channel will re-air their Best Evidence: Bigfoot program at 1:00 P.M. EST/12:00 Central. Check your local listings for time and channel.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/08/070802-neanderthals.html

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuar/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1124594&sectionID=1
Attack Panther “Like a Woolly Mammoth”

Bob Heironimus on The XZone This Monday Night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Monday night, at 10:00 EST/9:00 Central until 12:00 EST/11:00 Central, the man who claimed to be in the suit in the Patterson/Gimlin Movie, Bob Heironimus, will appear on the XZone with Rob McConnell. It can be found
  • Here
  • and promises to be a barn-burner. The call-in number is 1-877-528-8255, but if you do call in, please do it in a professional and non-confrontational manner, and not in a fanatical and biased manner.

    FRIDAY, AUGUST 3 2007: THE ‘X’ ZONE RADIO & TV SHOW with ROB McCONNELL AND IN THE NEWS

    http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/197513/
    http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=6881658&nav=0jsh

    Prince Arthur’s Feejee Mermaid

    Lacantunia enigmatica">New Enigmatic Catfish: Lacantunia enigmatica

    Friday, August 03, 2007

    Review: Indy and Robin's Bigfoot Chat 8-3-07

    This was a wonderful show, with Indy and Robin discussing their recent Squatchfest event, which 20 people attended, including Ohio's own "Falling Phil" himself, Philip Brocco. I called the show and gave my assessment of things regarding their successful event, as well as asking about the DVD based on the event, which will be sold next year. I got to plug the Sasquatch Experience and Sasquatch Triangle as well. I called Bill Green and brought him on, and he got to ask Indy some questions too. It was a lot of fun, and Indy and Robin are great hosts. They will be in transition for a couple of weeks moving to Ohio, so the show will not air for a couple of weeks. When it does return, it can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/USBIGFOOTRESEARCHASSOCIATIONRADIO Hope everyone tunes in and supports our good friends Indy and Robin and great research.

    Bigfoot Chat With Indy and Robin Tonight...

    Indy and Robin are having a short show to discuss the recent Squatchfest event that made front-page news. The show starts at 10:00 EST/9:00 Central and can be found
  • Here
  • Hope everyone can tune in and support great research.

    Anomalous Stories

    Big Cats on Britain's Cannock Chase...

    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/world/sevenlegged-lamb-born/2007/08/02/1185648037794.html

    Interview with filmmaker Michael Worth

    Cryptomundo Headlines

    Looking For A Summer Rental?


    The Day It Began: Bluff Creek in Bigfoot History

    Thursday, August 02, 2007

    Review: The Sasquatch Triangle 8-2-07

    This show featured Mike Frizzell of the Enigma Project ( http://www.enigmaproject.org ) who discussed activity in the state of Maryland, as well as the analysis done on Don Keating's videotape of a white entity which was taken 15 years ago today. There were several questions from the chatroom, including from Bill Green and Thunderhawk. I also asked about a woodcut from Maryland showing different animals of the state, including a bipedal animal of some sort. It was a great show, full of great info. Don's next program will feature Bigfoot/UFO Researcher Paul Rozich, former host of the Artist First program UFO's: Did You Ever Wonder? next Thursday at 9:00 EST/8:00 Central at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sasquatchexperience I hope everyone will tune in and support great research.

    Review: Let's Talk Bigfoot 8-1-07

    This was a wonderful show, with Dan (Squatch Commando on Bigfoot Forums), who recounted his 1994 sighting when he was in the military. He also discussed such things as the military's covering up the incident, his opinions on what Sasquatch is and different things like that. He answered some questions from the chatroom and really put forth his opinion. Mel and T always do a great job, and were able to ask some tough questions. Their next show will have Tim Cullen (Fishbone on the Bigfoot Forums) next Wednesday at 10:00 EST/9:00 Central at http://www.letstalkbigfoot.com I hope everyone will tune in and support great research.

    More Cryptomundo Headlines

    Update: High School Principal Chasing Bigfoot

    Cryptomundo Headlines

    Olympic “King Kong”

    Bigfoot reports from Maryland from the Enigma Project

    http://www.research.umbc.edu/~frizzell/TEPMDBFSynopsis.html

    http://www.research.umbc.edu/~frizzell/MDCOBFreports.html

    http://www.research.umbc.edu/~frizzell/BRSFreport.html

    http://www.research.umbc.edu/~frizzell/BRSF11-05Update.html

    http://www.research.umbc.edu/~frizzell/Reports/amrintro.html

    http://www.research.umbc.edu/~frizzell/cries.html

    Re-Updated, Re-Advised Schedule for the Sasquatch Experience from August-December 2007*

    August 5th-John and Montra Freitas
    August 12-Peter Byrne (tentative)
    August 19th-Diane Stocking
    August 26th-Open-Mic
    September 2nd-Don Keating
    September 9th-Larry Lund
    September 16th-Ray Crowe
    September 23rd-Tim Cassidy
    September 30th-Jason Valenti
    October 7th-Benjamin Radford (tentative)
    October 14th-David Daegling (tentative)
    October 20th-SPECIAL COMMEMORATION OF THE PATTERSON/GIMLIN MOVIE'S 40TH ANNIVERSARY WITH GUEST M.K. DAVIS! (2 Hours!!!)
    October 28th-Chris Murphy (tentative)
    November 4th-Autumn Williams (tentative)
    November 11th-Todd Neiss (tentative)
    November 18th-Todd Partain
    November 25th-Best-of
    December 2nd-Loren Coleman (tentative)
    December 9th-Scott Herriott
    December 16th-Kathy and Bob Strain
    December 23rd-Best-of
    December 30th-Year-In-Review

    *Schedule subject to change

    Wednesday, August 01, 2007

    Sasquatch Triangle Tonight...

    Don's guest will be Mike Frizzell of the Enigma Project ( http://www.enigmaproject.org ) The show starts at 9:00 EST/8:00 Central and can be found at the link to the right. As always, we encorage you to please tune in and support great research.

    Anomalous Headlines

    http://blogs.clevescene.com/cnotes/2007/07/portage_county_home_of_the_big.php

    http://www.gcbro.com/MSperry0001.html

    Links on this Sunday's guests, John and Montra Freitas

    http://www.boingboing.net/2005/12/22/footage_of_possible_.html

    http://www.rense.com/general69/bgft.htm

    http://bfro.net/GDB/show_article.asp?id=6

    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/01/24/SC86886.DTL

    http://www.bigfootencounters.com/articles/freitas.htm

    Just say So-no-no-ma

    http://www.tracone.com/the_unexplained/bigfoot_sasquatch_sightings/california_six_rivers_national_forest_bigfoot_screams_january_24_1999.htm

    http://www.rfthomas.clara.net/news/searching.html

    http://www.bfro.net/leiterman/stigmata.htm

    http://www.tracone.com/the_unexplained/bigfoot_sasquatch_sightings/california_mud_springs_bigfoot_scares_up_believers_october_30_1999.htm

    http://www.sasquatchonline.com/content/view/39/29/

    http://www.farshores.org/bfoot17.htm

    http://www.oregonbigfoot.com/journal/mns1.html

    Bio On John and Montra Freitas

    Bluenorth.com is the website of veteran bigfoot researchers, John & Montra Freitas. It is their goal to investigate, prove or disprove the existence of undocumented creatures, delve into and record unexplained phenomena, and inevitably, find the truth. For years these explorers into the unknown have witnessed and experienced phenomenal activity while conducting expeditions and field training. With techniques developed by John in the early 1990's, along with multiple lures, pheromone chips and the assistance of like-minded and sane researches, John and Montra continue to seek scientific proof of the elusive creatures in the darkest regions of remote forests. Come along and face your fears with the BlueNorth team as they walk stealthily into the shadows...

    Almasty Eyewitness at Weird Weekend

    Scientists Need Your Help: Identify This

    Let's Talk Bigfoot Tonight...

    Melissa and Teresa's guest will be Dan (known as SquatchCommando on Bigfoot Forums) at 10:00 EST/9:00 Central at http://www.letstalkbigfoot.com Please tune in and support great research.

    Cryptomundo Headlines

    The Coming Army of Yeti


    Sasquatch Scientific Names

    Monday, July 30, 2007

    Review: Squatch Detective Radio 7-30-07/New Blog on the 40th Anniversary of the P/G Movie

    This was a great show, with filmmaker Pat Holdbrook (Bigfoot: An Encounter With Reality) who discussed his project, as well as the Patterson/Gimlin Movie, along with sightings and habituation reports. Don Keating and I called in, as well as Billy bringing Bill Green on to discuss the latest in Bigfoot. I asked Steve and Billy if they had ever been to an area with no history of reports, but yet looked "Squatchy". I told of going through East Mississippi last weekend, in Sunflower, Leflore and Tallahatchie Counties and seeing isolated, wooded areas with a lot of water resources and food sources. It was a wonderful show, full of great info. Next Monday, Steve and Billy will have William Dranginis of Virginia to discuss technology in the world of Bigfoot research. That show starts at 9:00 EST/8:00 Central and can be found at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/TheSquatchDetective As always, please tune in and support great research.

    ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I have established a new blog about the Patterson/Gimlin Movie celebrating the 40th Anniversary. It is located at http://40thanniversaryofpatty.blogspot.com/ Hope you all enjoy it and visit it often.
    http://www.bigfootlives.com/facts.htm

    The Last Few Posts are courtesy of the Bigfoot Discovery Project Newsletter

    Mythbusters TV Ad “Controversy”
    The following is a blog reprinted from our
    new blogsite called “Confessions of a Bigfoot
    Junkie.” (http://hairybiped.blogspot.com)
    Thereʼs a major ripple going through the
    bigfoot community (people who try to keep
    track of the latest BF knowledge) caused by
    the Mythbusters promo that's currently being
    aired on TV. Youʼve probably seen it... a guy
    in a sasquatch suit speaking with a French
    Canadian accent reporting that no myth is safe
    (including him.) In case you havenʼt seen it:
    http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/
    videogalleries/promo_02.html?clik=fsmain_b
    annerleft
    The BFRO contends that the Mythbusters will
    NOT attempt to debunk bigfoot, but they are
    shamelessly furthering another myth with the
    promo - the myth that bigfoot has been proven
    to be a hoax. The program centers on two
    Hollywood special FX types who systematically
    test various myths or apocryphal tales by
    using technology and scientific experiments
    that either debunk or authenticate the “myth”
    of the week. They pretty much stay away from
    tales involving animal sightings because itʼs
    pretty difficult to prove a negative. (And even
    if a particular photo of Nessie or Bigfoot is
    proven fake, the existence of the animal
    remains possible.)
    But in the case of bigfoot evidence, there IS a
    current myth that has been perpetrated by a
    number of individuals via the sloppy work of
    the media. The fact is that the Patterson/Gimlin
    Film has never been debunked, even though a
    number of pretenders have made claims to the
    contrary, and the press has been remiss in
    pointing this out. This is the single best piece
    of evidence for bigfoot and it is this footage
    (along with hundreds of footprints) that has
    gotten science to take a second look at the
    subject of sasquatch.
    So hereʼs a challenge to the Mythbusters that
    is “well suited” to their techniques (pun
    intended). All they have to do is get a 1967
    vintage gorilla suit and attempt to “recreate”
    the P/G Film by modifying the costume
    utilizing Pattersonʼs skill set and the tools and
    techniques available to him at the time the
    film was shot. (Donʼt make a state-of-the-art
    2006 Bigfoot suit and have a guy walk with
    an exaggerated arm swing and say thatʼs a
    match.) When they try to recreate what
    Patterson is supposed to have done 38 years
    ago, and fail, theyʼll put an end to the “Itʼs a
    man in a suit” myth once and for all. Whatʼs
    more, with a tiny bit of research they can
    easily come up with evidence to debunk the
    Wallace and Chambers claims as well.
    Ronald McDonald and Bigfoot
    McDonaldʼs Corp. has launched a group of
    quirky TV commercials that will hopefully
    make mascot Ronald McDonald appear more
    “hip” in an attempt to target the 20-something
    market. Since that age group has fewer big
    expenses, they have more willingness to try
    new products with their disposable income.
    In the McDonaldʼs commercials, a variety
    of characters encounter a plastic statue of
    Ronald McDonald sitting on a park bench. In
    one version of the commercial, Bigfoot finds
    the bench in his forest and mimics Ronaldʼs
    position. A man in a hamster costume tells the
    plastic Ronald what a great football mascot a
    hamster would make in another ad.
    McDonaldʼs USA Chief Creative Officer
    Marlena Peleo-Lazar, says the ads aim to
    appeal to consumersʼ emotional attachment to
    Ronald while also expressing “hipness.”
    “(Ronald) is cool,” Peleo-Lazar said. “By
    putting him into these things ... we just widen
    the berth of his coolness.”
    Christmas Came
    Early This Year
    Over the River and
    Through the Woods…
    to John Green’s
    House We Go
    By Tom Yamarone
    John Green is a great inspiration to
    me…Heʼs the reason Iʼm out looking for
    bigfoot…Heʼs the reason I attended the
    International Bigfoot Symposium in
    Willow Creek, California in 2003 –
    apivotal event in a personal journey. So,
    when the email came across asking if
    Iʼd like to join a group of folks planning
    on a Saturday visit with John Green, the
    decision did not take too long. “Carpe
    diem,” was all I thought.
    Iʼd like to share some of the moments
    from this trip in words and photographs.
    It was quite a large group that made this
    trip, so there wasnʼt a whole lot of 1 on 1
    time with John Green. On the other hand,
    this wasnʼt a trip made with any
    intentions other than to talk bigfoot, visit
    with friends and spend the afternoon
    together. The people making this journey
    are a group of researchers who are active in
    the state of Washington. I met some of
    them on the BFRO Olympic Peninsula
    Expedition in August 2004. We met up
    again at the Sasquatch Research Conference
    in Bellingham, WA last May as well.
    Bob Gimlin will be joining the group for
    this trip and I was excited to get to spend
    the weekend with him again.
    December 2, 2005
    The group meets in the Seattle suburbs
    and begins the 3 hour trip north to
    Canada. The backroads out of Bellingham,
    WA are very scenic. Snow covered the
    terrain on this day in stark contrast to the
    verdant green I experienced here last May.
    Our caravan snaked along the state
    highways leading to Mount Baker and
    then veered north towards the border. We
    arrived in the Fraser Valley after dark and
    had dinner in Harrison Hot Springs. The
    Sasquatch Store was closed, but we knew
    weʼd make a stop there the next day. We
    all retired to our bed and breakfast and
    watched bigfoot documentaries in the
    home theater well into the night.
    December 3, 2005
    We arrived at the home of John Green just
    after 10 am and were greeted by John, his
    wife June and their friend and fellow
    researcher Thomas Steenburg. It took a
    while for introductions to be made and to
    settle in, but soon the group of 14 was
    down in the garage/basement looking over
    the reverse copy of the Skookum cast.
    Richard Noll works closely with John on
    several projects relating to this lower body
    impression and also the Patterson-Gimlin
    film. We stood around and talked about
    the importance of this cast as well as other
    topics. John shared his stories and was
    very amiable about answering the groupʼs
    many questions.
    Above: Provincial forest road in Sasquatch Provincial
    Park, British Columbia
    Below: 17 inch tracks found near the Skeena River
    in British Columbia by Bob Titmus, 1977
    Right: Tom Yamarone and Thomas Steenburg
    2
    We gathered again around the warmth of
    the wood-burning stove and I played a
    couple of songs. It was special to share my
    latest song, “John Green” with the group.
    The subject of the song had some
    recommendations for “lyrical modifications”
    —and that was great to hear.
    We then got a chance to look at a small
    portion of his footprint cast collection.
    Each had a very descriptive paragraph
    written on the back of the cast. (Note to
    self and other researchers: this is a good
    practice.)
    Later in the day, we took a drive to
    Sasquatch Provincial Park. The stark
    scenery was beautiful – I canʼt imagine
    what it would look like in summer. The
    area surrounding Harrison Hot Springs
    would seem to be prime habitat for the
    sasquatch even today. Dramatic, forested
    mountains rise sharply from the broad
    valley floor. Within a short time one can
    be well into the forest outside of town.
    Our day included lunch at a nearby tavern,
    a short stop by the Sasquatch Store for
    some souvenirs and dinner in town. It
    was well worth the trip and I would
    recommend Harrison Hot Springs, British
    Columbia as a destination for anyone
    interested in the bigfoot phenomenon.
    There are many interesting historical areas
    nearby that we didnʼt get a chance to see
    in our short, weekend visit including Yale,
    BC (site of the “Jacko” story) and Ruby
    Creek, site of a famous 1940s incident.
    There is an excellent interview with John
    Green at the website of my friend Gerry
    Matthews.( http://www.westcoast-sasquatch.
    com/ ) Check it out! GCʼs
    interview with John Green…on the right
    when youʼre at the main page.
    I hope you enjoyed the photos and notes
    from this special, pre-holiday trip…my
    present to you all. Hereʼs to a productive
    and eventful New Year 2006!
    A Look Back in Time...
    Bigfoot Stories from the
    Historical Archives
    By Tom Yamarone
    As the year comes to an end and the
    field research I participate in is on the
    back-burner due to the holidays, family
    time and conditions that make the
    mountains inaccessible, itʼs a good time
    to just relax, recharge your batteries and
    enjoy a good story. Iʼm fortunate to have
    a copy of “Big News Prints” by Scott
    McClean. Scott has found newspaper
    articles in an on-line archive that include
    references to hairy, man-like creatures. He
    has shared these fascinating accounts for
    over a year on the internet at bigfootforums.
    com in a thread entitled, “Historical
    Archives” (in the Media section and the
    subsection of “Newspaper Articles” for
    those familiar with this website.) Earlier
    this year, he assembled these stories into
    a hard-copy volume in which they are
    presented chronologically and sorted by
    the state (in the U.S.) and nation in
    which they occur.
    Scott has invested hours of research into
    this project and continues to collect stories
    as the archives are updated. He has placed
    “Big News Prints” onto a CD in the PDF
    format and is offering it to the public for
    the modest sum of $20. To obtain a copy,
    go to McClean.org – itʼs a “must-have”
    for anyone interested in this topic.
    I want to share with you a few of the
    stories from California. There are the
    “classics” that we know about from
    John Greenʼs books. The 1870 Antioch
    Ledger article details a man hunting in
    the region between the Pacheco Pass and
    Mt. Hamilton and having his campfire
    disturbed while away from camp. He
    eventually hides and observes two bigfoot
    creatures that enter his camp “play” with
    the logs of his campfire. Itʼs a fascinating
    account. The other two classics from our
    state are the Jerry Crew front page article
    from 1958 and the October 21, 1967
    article about the famous Patterson-Gimlin
    film event entitled “They Filmed Mrs.
    Bigfoot.” These wonʼt be reprinted in
    this issue.
    Upon conferring with Scott, he suggested
    the following articles. The first is
    an 1891 account from the Woodland Daily
    Democrat. Woodland lies in the western
    Sacramento Valley. Scott expressed the
    following observations about this piece:
    “I think that one is important because it
    mentions the men actually witnessing
    really interesting behavior first hand!
    He says they watched the thing rip up
    and break trees-brandishing a 5 inch
    sapling like a club (confirms tree twists
    and crude tool use), actually make screaming
    noises (confirms that Sasquatch makes
    the noises), seeing it standing up in a
    tree, eating game, running on all fours,
    and beating itʼs chest with itʼs fists! He
    then describes it standing slightly bent
    over (matches most descriptions), itʼs
    general features and muscle structure. All
    in all a very detailed account. Anyway, I
    think itʼs important and unknown for the
    most part.”
    Wo o d l an d D aily D e mo c r at
    Thursday Evening, April 9, 1891
    “What Is It?
    - An Unheard of Monstrosity Seen in
    the Woods Above Rumsey”
    Mr. Smith, a well known citizen of
    Northern Capay Valley, called upon us
    today and tells us the following strange
    story which we would be loth (sic) to
    believe if it were not for the fact that he is
    an old acquaintance of this office, and has
    always borne a spotless reputation. Several
    days ago, Mr. Smith together with a party
    of hunters, were above Rumsey huntlog
    (sic). One morning Mr. Smith started out
    early in quest of game, he had not gone far
    when his attention was attracted by a
    peculiar noise that seemed to come from an
    oak tree that stood near by. Looking up Mr.
    Smith was startled to see gazing at him
    what was apparently a man clothed in a
    suit of shaggy fur. Having heard of wild
    men, Mr. (sic) he naturally placed upon his
    guard, but thinking that he would see
    “what virture (sic) there was in kindness,”
    he called to the supposed man to come
    down, as he was filled with nothing but the
    kindest motives. This speech did not have
    the desired effect, rather the opposite, for
    the strange thing gave grunts of
    unmistakable anger. Believing that
    discretion was the better part of valor, our
    informant stood not upon the order of his
    going, but went at once in a bee-line for the
    camp. After placing some distance between
    himself and the strange creature, the hunter
    turned around just in time to see it descent
    the tree. Upon reaching the ground, instead
    of standing upright as a man would, it
    commenced to trot along the ground as a
    dog or any other animal would do.
    Smith then realized that it was no
    hermit he had see, but some kind of
    monstrosity, such as he had never heard of,
    much less seen before. The hunter stood
    amazed and spell-bound for a moment, but
    soon gathered his scattered senses again
    and was soon making his best speed to
    camp, where in a few breathless words,
    was telling his companions of what he had
    seen.
    They were disposed to laugh at him at
    first, but his sincereness (sic) of manner and
    his blanched cheeks soon proved to them
    that he had seen something out of the usual
    order of things.
    A hasty council was held, and the party
    decided to go in search of the monster, so
    taking their guns and dogs they were
    piloted by Mr. Smith to whom they soon
    2
    came in sight of the unnamed animal. In the
    meantime it had commenced to devour the
    contents of Mr. Smith’s game bag that he
    had dropped in his hasty retreat. The
    creature would plunge its long arms or legs
    into the bag and pulling forth the small
    game that was in it, transferred it to its
    mouth in a most disgusting manner. An
    effort was made to set the dogs upon it, but
    they crouched at their masters heels and
    gave vent to the most piteous whine.
    The whines attracted the attention of the
    nondescript, and it commenced to make the
    most unearthly yells and screams, at the
    same time fleeing to the undergrowth, some
    half a mile distant, upon which the whole
    party immediately gave chase. They soon
    gained upon the strange beast, and it, seeing
    that such was the case, suddenly turned ,
    and sitting upon its haunchs (sic),
    commenced to beat its breast with its hairy
    fists. It would break off great branches of
    trees that were around it, and snap them as
    easily as if they had been so many
    toothpicks. Once it pulled up a sapling five
    inches through at the base, and snapping it
    in twain, brandished the lower part over its
    head, much after the same manner a man
    would sling a club. The hunters seeing that
    they had a creature with the strength of a
    gorilla to contend with, beat a hasty retreat
    to camp which soon broke up, fearing a visit
    from their chance acquaintance.
    Mr. Smith describes the animal as being
    about six feet high when standing, which it
    did not do perfectly but bent over, after the
    manner of a bear. Its head was very much
    like that of a human being. The trapezie (sic)
    muscles were very thick and aided much in
    giving the animal its brutal look. The brow
    was low and contracted, while the eyes
    were deep set, giving it a wicked look. It
    was covered with long shaggy hair, except
    the head, where the hair was black and
    curly.
    Mr. Smith says that of late sheep and
    hogs to a considerable extent have
    disappeared in his vicinity and their
    disappearance can be traced to the hiding
    place of the “What Is It.” Among those who
    have suffered are Henry Sharp, Jordan
    Sumner, Herman Laird and J.C. Trendle.
    Here is a chance for some energetic
    young man to start a dime museum and
    acquire a fortune within a very few years.
    Anyone wishing to learn more about this
    peculiar monstrosity can do so by calling on
    our informant who will no doubt take a
    delight in piloting them to the dangerous
    vicinity of the late scene of action.
    The second article suggested is one of a
    strange scream heard in Yosemite National
    Park two years prior to the Jerry Crew
    incident.
    The scream followed by the moan and then
    the crashing of the brush…unusual indeed!
    It kept them up by the fire and Iʼm sure it
    would have the same effect today on any of
    us. Hopefully, someone in camp would
    have recorded the sounds.
    Yes, these stories from the past show us
    that mysterious, hair-covered entities have
    been written about since the pioneer days.
    Native tribes have their own stories and
    names for these creatures. The stories
    contained in “Big News Prints” by Scott
    McClean are interesting and thought
    provoking. I hope you enjoyed them. Keep
    on the track and weʼll see you next year!


    M E D I A / P O P C U L T U R E
    Look! In Mentor! Bigfoot!
    by Curt W. Olson
    COlson@News-Herald.com
    July 2005, Mentor, OH-- Area native Bob Gray
    set to debut low-budget film starring many local
    residents at Mentor Lagoons Marina.
    Bigfoot is known to have a home in the
    Mentor Marsh.It will soon be seen in the
    Mentor Lagoons. The world premiere of Gray's
    new "Bigfoot" movie will be shown outdoors
    beginning at 9:30 p.m. Friday at the Mentor
    Lagoons Marina."It's our gift to the city," Gray
    said of the first showing of the movie that was
    made on a low budget and has a cast of many
    area residents. (We have the movie in the museum)
    The fun for area residents and fans of "Bigfoot"
    will begin much earlier Friday when actors and
    actresses attend the movie's premiere and take
    time to sign autographs. Additionally, the city
    of Mentor reports the Flagship building in the
    Mentor Lagoons will be turned into a miniature
    "Bigfoot" museum. The items will be on display
    from Friday through the Mentor Lagoons
    Festival, which will take place 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
    July 9. The featured item will be the stuffed
    7-foot-tall Bigfoot costume Gray used to shoot
    the film.
    Gray soon left Mentor after graduating in 1984,
    spending most of his time in Hollywood, Calif.
    Gray said he returned to Mentor in 1992 for his
    mother's funeral. While driving in the Mentor
    Headlands area, Gray said a herd of 12 deer
    came straight at him as he drove down the
    road."Maybe a Bigfoot was chasing them," he
    recalled saying at the time.From that moment,
    two or three times a year he would think of a
    scene for the movie and wrote it down on a
    card.
    "As a kid I was fascinated with Bigfoot," Gray
    said. He said he was glued to the television
    when the program "In Search Of..." was being
    shown. While he is captivated by Sasquatch,
    especially those images on TV tabloid news
    shows that are barely noticeable, he wanted to
    create his own Bigfoot. Bigfoot fans from the
    Northwest, South and even Ohio say Sasquatch
    would never hurt a human being, according the
    several Web sites. But, being a "huge 'Predator'
    fan," Gray wanted to make a mean Bigfoot - so
    much for "Harry and the Hendersons."
    Gray said he was pleased with cooperation he
    received from Mentor leaders.He is hopeful his
    "Bigfoot" debut will get wide distribution in the
    foreign film industry as a sci-fi thriller. He also
    hopes purchases of DVDs will prove profitable.
    That is because Gray, who does a lot of work
    for the Cleveland Cavaliers and ESPN, will
    shoot "the deuce" - Bigfoot 2 - with much of the
    same cast.Gray said he only wishes he could
    have had more money for Bigfoot.
    He also wishes he could have "killed" more
    than seven people and two animals in his first
    movie on the yeti legend. He guarantees things
    will be much different with a planned eight
    Sasquatches for "Bigfoot 2."


    M E D I A / P O P C U L T U R E
    HIGH POINT, N.C., Dec. 20 /PRNewswire/
    Kleeberg Entertainment is bringing to the big
    screen a family's personal story about a man who
    had a secret obsession with Bigfoot that no one
    in his family knew about until he died."Bigfoot:
    A Family Adventure" (http://www.themovie
    bigfoot.com ), is scheduled for release in late
    2006 and will also incorporate a montage of
    stories and images from other individuals willing
    to share their tales of Bigfoot encounters. After
    his wife passed away, a grandfather became
    obsessed with Bigfoot.The family found over
    1,000 Bigfoot-related items in their grandfather's
    out-of-the-way cabin ranging from newspaper
    clippings to plaster castings of big feet.
    "The most remarkable thing we learned is how
    the grandfather's obsession indirectly affected the
    entire family," said Daniel Kleeberg. "For
    example, the family realized that some of their
    most memorable vacations were actually a way
    for the grandfather to visit Bigfoot attractions
    like the Bigfoot parade in Willow Creek, CA.
    and Happy Camp, CA., which holds an annual
    Bigfoot Jamboree. This movie is not just about
    the grandfather's paraphernalia, it's about the
    family's adventure learning about a man they
    thought they knew."
    "The man saved hundreds of newspaper articles
    about Bigfoot encounters along with stories,
    letters and correspondence from others who had
    Bigfoot encounters," said Zack Kleeberg. "The
    family found 100 journals in which he recorded
    his observations and sketches of his and other
    people's Bigfoot sightings. In his comments, he
    frequently offered opinion about which stories he
    believed to be real and/or hoaxes. It was wild.
    "The Kleebergs are seeking input from citizens
    worldwide who may have stories, photographs or
    film footage detailing their Bigfoot encounters.
    They will pay $1000.00 for footage of Bigfoot or
    a re-creation of a Bigfoot encounter, $500 for a
    photograph of Bigfoot, $250 for a video taped
    testimonial and $100 for a written story or
    drawing of Bigfoot. The producers will be
    accepting items until January 31, 2006. For
    details on where to send the information, please
    visit: http://www.themoviebigfoot.com. "Bigfoot:
    A Family Adventure," will be 90 minutes long
    and feature 15 minutes of montage using the
    elements contributed from the general public.
    Contact: Daniel Kleeberg or Zack Kleeberg,
    336-688-1106
    This release was issued through The Xpress
    Press News Service, merging e-mail and satellite
    distribution technologies to reach business
    analysts and media outlets worldwide. For more
    information, visit http://www.XpressPress.com .
    SOURCE: Kleeberg Entertainment LLC
    Web Site: http://www.themoviebigfoot.com
    38th Anniversary
    Patterson/Gimlin Film Expedition
    October 20-22, 2005
    by Tom Cousino & D.
    On the morning of Oct. 20th at 6am we
    started our drive to Weaverville, CA. to
    meet up with Sean Fries, Don Monroe, &
    M.K. Davis, our final destination was to
    arrive at Louse Camp where Roger
    Patterson and Bob Gimlin camped during
    their expedition into Bluff Creek that
    historic day on Oct. 20, 1967.
    As we left Sean's house that afternoon we
    headed towards Willow Creek on our way
    to the Willow Creek/China Flat Museum
    so Don and M.K. could see the Bigfoot
    collections donated by Bob Titmus,
    Dr. Grover Krantz and John Green. Al
    Hodgson also donated a plaster track he
    discovered himself as well as various other
    researchers. Upon our arrival into Willow
    Creek we contacted Al Hodgson, the
    curator of the museum, who met us there
    and gave us a private tour.
    Don and M.K. were very excited to say
    the least at being at the Willow Creek
    Museum. M.K. traveled all the way from
    Mississippi to join in the expedition, he
    met with Don at the Boise, Idaho
    International Airport where they headed to
    California. All of us have been at the
    museum except Don and M.K. but every
    time we go we always find something
    interesting and different that we didn't find
    on our previous visit.
    After approximately one hour of touring
    the museum we departed and headed down
    the road to Louse Camp. With daylight
    fading we knew it would be close to dark
    before we reached camp. As darkness fell
    we were about three miles before Louse
    Camp there was a pile of newly logged
    trees stacked up on the side of the old
    logging road. As Sean stopped cutting
    wood with his chainsaw M.K. started
    hearing what he thought was wood
    knocking coming from his left slightly
    down an embankment. M.K. then heard a
    loud, snap as if a tree had been snapped in
    half. D. walked over to M.K. and
    picked up a stick and intermittently started
    knocking it against a nearby tree. D.
    and M.K. continued to listen hoping for a
    return but instead heard nothing but silence.
    After loading Sean's truck with wood we
    arrived at Louse Camp a short time later.
    We started setting up camp while Sean
    started a campfire. When we finished we
    all sat around the campfire discussing our
    plans for the following Friday morning. In
    between our discussion M.K. decided to
    relate a true story involving himself and an
    aggressive batam hen and a very fat
    Vietnamese pig. While M.K. was lying on
    his stomach he was a few feet from this
    hugely overweight crinkled faced pig
    attempting to take a few pictures when this
    batam hen rushed over and started pecking
    at a silver filled tooth in M.K.'s mouth
    loosening it. M.K. started chasing this hen
    back and forth to no avail. The next
    morning he was eating eggs and bacon
    when he swallowed the tooth. He then
    went to the dentist and eventually paid
    $1,500 to get his tooth repaired. As M.K.
    told the story he made it sound so hilarious
    we we're all rolling in laughter by the time
    he was finished.
    As the night progressed we slowly
    retreated to our tents well after midnight
    thinking of the possibilities that lie before
    us with the new day. At dawn we awoke
    and after having breakfast and gathering
    our gear we headed out in Sean's truck to
    Bluff Creek (Bat Boxes) up-stream from
    the Patterson site.
    From this location Tom and Sean chose to
    go up stream looking for any signs of
    bigfoot activity at which time D.
    guided Don and M.K. to what he believed
    was the area where the Patterson/Gimlin
    site is. The reason for D.'s decision
    was that D. had been to this area back
    in the fall of 2003 during the Willow
    Creek Sasquatch Symposium on a field
    trip that the Symposium had conducted.
    Members of the museum and a Park
    Ranger from Six Rivers National Forest
    drove everyone down to the Bat Boxes
    and proceeded up stream about 50 yds.
    to what they believed was the Patterson
    /Gimlin Film Site.
    D. had a discussion with Daniel Perez
    and several other researchers and decided
    that this was not the actual site. At this
    time he chose to break from the group and
    walk down stream. He did not feel that the
    area they took everyone too was the site.
    After walking approx 45 minutes to an
    hour he came upon an area where the
    embankments of the stream widened
    considerably and the contours of the
    hillsides leveled out. Walking further he
    noticed several distinctive landmarks and
    a portion of an old Logging Road to the
    right of the creek and a high Bluff area
    down stream on the left. Some of the
    landmarks are three stumps, tall trees with
    one leaning tree and a large fallen tree.
    All these landmarks can be seen in the
    Patterson/Gimlin Film. D. pointed
    these out to M.K. at which time he started
    taking photographs to have M.K. compare
    these with the original film. Don and M.K.
    proceeded to discuss the film and
    land-marks that we were looking at. At
    that time D. proceeded to walk to the
    left of a group of cottonwood trees
    towards a slight embankment near a
    marshy area. At closer observation he
    noticed what he believed was a possible
    Sasquatch print. Don was behind D. by
    a few yards and when D. noticed the
    print he called out to Don to come and
    look at the track. At that time with M.K.
    they all agreed it was a Sasquatch track.
    Don Munroe, Tom Cousino and D.
    A "Bat Box" suspended at the end of a shiney pipe.

    Don immediately took off his pack and
    started preparing plaster in order to cast
    the track. At the same time D. continued
    to walk in the area looking for any
    other evidence. D. found another
    track in a sand bar about 30-40 yards from
    the first. This track had distinctive toe
    impressions that were longer and narrower
    than humans. Don was called over again
    and determined that the track was
    unsuitable for casting. But, Don did
    outline the track in the sand with his knife
    to show the overall size. Pictures and
    measurements were then taken of all the
    evidence. While Don was waiting for the
    plaster to dry M.K. found a tree break not
    far from the prints.
    Sean and I had backtracked and came
    upon the plaster in the ground drying.
    Sean called out and Don finally heard us
    and came over to where we saw the print.
    All three showed us what they found as we
    waited for the plaster to fully dry.
    At this point we all started taking are own
    field documentation including pictures and
    video. M.K. took all these landmarks in
    mind and with the video clips that he has
    enhanced with hours of comparison on the
    Patterson Film concluded that this was the
    original Patterson/Gimlin Site.
    We all hiked back to the truck and
    returned to Louse Camp. Once we arrived
    we changed out of our wet clothes from
    hiking down the middle of Bluff Creek
    and placed them close to the fire.
    Don then took out of his car two plaster
    casts that he poured from prints he found
    from the caves in Idaho to show us in
    relation to the track that D. found.
    Surprisingly, Don showed the similarities
    between his two casts and the one found
    along Bluff Creek. He pointed out that all
    three had a Mid Tarsal Break that was all
    similar in both width and length.
    We were all very excited at this moment
    listening to Don explain the similarities.
    We compared our notes and talked about
    After eating dinner we then discussed
    packing up the camp early the next
    morning and heading for the Hoopa Valley
    to see the Hoopa Tribal Museum.
    Later on that evening while sitting around
    the campfire Mother Nature decided to
    call and I headed for the portable “T”. At
    which time while inside, the camp antics
    began with Sean backing up his truck ever
    so quietly against the door to my office.
    All the time while D. is using my Sony
    handycam to record the event unbeknown
    to me. Soon after I tried opening the door
    to my surprise I could not get out. I could
    hear faint laughter outside the door, I
    called out, “D.”, “D.”, “Sean”, with
    no answer but laughter. Luckily, soon after
    Sean moved his truck. To my surprise I
    saw D. holding my camcorder. Little
    does he know I erased said event!
    About 9pm Don, M.K., and I set out on a
    night hike while Sean & D. stayed back
    at camp playing poker. We stayed on the
    dirt road leading away from Louse Camp
    so as not to get lost on the clear starry
    night. We hiked about a mile all along the
    way rolling football-size boulders down the
    hillside to see if we would get a response.
    When no response was giving Don
    prop-ped himself up along the hillside in
    order to look at the stars. M.K. being an
    amateur astronomer started to tell us where
    the dif-ferent constellations were. After
    about 30 minutes we began to head back to
    camp.
    Upon our arrival D. and Sean said they
    heard distant vocalizations at what they
    thought was a Sasquatch. We were all
    very excited being this was the second
    time we heard noises that are reminiscent
    of Sasquatch activity. In addition we were
    all very thankful for the clear weather that
    we had not to mention it was practically a
    full moon both nights we camped. Again,
    we all sat around the camp fire talking
    about the days events for a couple of hours
    until one by one we started retreating for
    the night into our tents.
    As we arose early Saturday morning we
    had breakfast and shortly after we started
    to break camp. We all followed each other
    as we headed to the town of Hoopa on our
    way to the Hoopa Tribal Museum. We
    were fortunate enough to make it just as
    they were ready to close the museum for
    the night. We all looked at the various
    native artwork and artifacts showing how
    they lived and prospered through out the
    region. During our visit we spoke with a
    tribal member who shared with us stories
    about Sasquatch and the history
    surrounding its existence with the native
    people in this region. They called him,
    “The Old Man Of The Woods” and respect
    its way of life. We were impressed with
    this person's knowledge of the Sasquatch
    and thanked him for sharing with us what
    he knew.
    We then went to Willow Creek and ate at
    Cinnabar Sam's and enjoyed a final dinner
    amongst friends.This was a very
    rewarding expedition and we are looking
    forward to our next adventure in the wilds
    of northern California searching for
    evidence of the existence of Sasquatch.
    Talking Jerry Crew with Willow
    Creek's Bigfoot Ambassador...
    An October Visit with Al Hodgson
    by Tom Yamarone
    I had just spent 4 days in the Bluff Creek
    backcountry with my good friend, Robert
    Leiterman and we had nothing to show for our
    stay but a couple of casts of bear tracks. It
    was all quiet in the Six Rivers National Forest
    that weekend, but that's how it goes
    sometimes. We stopped in Willow Creek,
    California on our way home and decided to
    give Al Hodgson a call.
    Al has been around those parts all his life and
    ran the general store in town. He was there
    when Jerry Crew brought out that first bigfoot
    cast and, as is common in any small town,
    knew of the activities taking place after that.
    Tom Slick's Pacific Northwest Expedition
    came to the area for a couple of years and
    bigfoot enthusiasts were commonplace
    throughout the 1960s. Betty Allen asked him
    to drive her up to the Bluff Creek area so that
    she could see the tracks first-hand. Roger
    Patterson and Bob Gimlin stopped by his store
    to tell him the news of their film in October
    1967. Of course they did! It was Al Hodgson
    who had called Roger Patterson and left the
    message that tracks were being found at that
    time up on Bluff Creek.
    Most recently, Al was instrumental in the
    acquisition of the Bob Titmus collection and
    the Bigfoot Collection addition to the Willow
    Creek-China Flat Museum in 2000. He also
    was the local coordinator for the International
    Bigfoot Symposium in 2003. He's always
    been friendly and accessible to bigfoot
    enthusiasts coming through the area. His
    association with the museum makes him a
    “clearinghouse” for reports and sightings in
    the area and he's an invaluable resource for
    just such information.
    When we spoke with him at his home on
    October 17, 2005, he was overly modest about
    his role in the bigfoot events of the area. This
    is due, in part, to his initial reluctance to jump
    on the bigfoot bandwagon. But ask anyone
    who's been through Willow Creek over the
    years and they'll tell you they sought out Al
    Hodgson - even Patterson and Gimlin. I had
    the opportunity to play two of my bigfoot
    songs for him that morning and, fortunately,
    chose just the right ones - “Roger and Bob
    (Rode Out That Day)” and my newest
    composition “Jerry Crew (He Knew What To
    Do)”. He appreciated the songs and the fact
    that they dealt with the subject without the
    usual sarcasm making light of the bigfoot
    phenomenon.. As I said, I chose just the right
    songs. I did leave him a CD, so maybe by
    now, he's onto me!
    He began to talk with us about Jerry Crew
    and what he remembered about that time. He
    knew Jerry Crew very well and had stayed in
    touch with his widow until she passed away
    last year. I had been working that song for
    the past year with my friend Jimbo “Bobo”
    Fay and I've yet to record it. The first thing
    out of Al's mouth upon hearing that was,
    “I wish Jerry's widow could have heard this
    song - she would have loved it.” From there,
    he went on to tell us what he knew of the
    events surrounding that event. We asked his
    permission to video tape the discussion and
    I'll now refer to the transcript of that tape.
    Al Hodgson (Al): I didn't know all of the
    story until, when? I'm not sure. I didn't
    always know all the story. When he got that
    cast up there, there was two other people
    with him.
    Tom Yamarone (Tom):(interrupts Al) Was
    it on a day they were working or did he go
    back up?
    Al: They went up on a Saturday. There was
    three of them - Jerry Crew, J.Q. Hunter and
    Jess Passel. The three of them went up there on
    a Saturday and found the tracks, but they didn't
    take any plaster with them. They didn't take
    nothing. Well, they come back to Willow
    Creek to get plaster of Paris but it was too late
    to go back up there. So they got the plaster of
    Paris and they went back Sunday, so only two
    of them went back on Sunday. Jess and Jerry -
    the other was a pastor. J.Q. Hunter is still alive
    but he doesn't want to talk about it. Jess was
    killed in an accident out of Bend, Oregon a
    few years ago…quite a few years ago, and his
    widow, I think Jess' widow is still alive…I
    don't know. Anyhow, Jerry's widow lived over
    in Susanville and I communicated with her
    quite a bit and she was going to try to make it
    Jerry Crew's cast launched the name "Bigfoot".

    to the symposium but she wasn't feeling well
    so she didn't come over. And she died about a
    year ago from cancer…her husband died the
    same way.
    Tom: Wow. And where was he (Jerry Crew)
    living at that time? Was he a Willow Creek
    resident?
    Al: Oh yeah. Fact is, he lived out at the Susie
    Q. Actually, it's almost to Hawkins Bar.
    There's a big house on the left they call the
    Susie Q and he lived there. He had a school
    bus and he picked up kids (on Sunday and
    drove them to a place where there) was a
    Christian education (program).
    Tom: They say when they write about Jerry
    Crew, they say he was an active member of the
    Christian community…that he was a pastor.
    Al: He was a member of the Willow Creek
    Bible Church. It's the same Church now just
    with a different name. And Jerry was an active
    member. I knew him well. And the thing is that
    I never talked to him about it. I kick myself all
    the time. And it was just a case where I didn't
    believe.
    Tom: Did he go around talking about it?
    Al: No.
    Tom: He didn't go showing his cast around
    town…?
    Al: No. It was known (around town)…fact is,
    the cast was taken to Bob Titmus and he made
    copies of it and they sold them around town
    here. I wouldn't buy one (everyone chuckles)
    No lie. I told him it was a hoax and I wasn't
    going to have anything to do with it.
    Tom: We know that Ray Wallace and his
    family were eventually hoaxing. But what I'm
    interested in was how soon after (Jerry's find)
    were people coming in with track finds?
    Al: Well, it was shortly right after that that
    they started the Tom Slick expedition.
    Actually, the cast that Jerry and those guys
    made and it got in that paper, there the ones
    that got this whole ball rolling. And of
    course, Tom Slick came in and got this
    expedition together with a bunch of guys that
    never should have been together (chuckles).
    I mean, John Green, Bob Titmus, and Rene
    and uh, I always called him the great white
    hunter…(Peter Byrne) yeah, Peter Byrne and
    they actually put this all together down there
    at the Bigfoot Motel.
    Tom: Did you meet them at that time? Did
    they come by the store for grub?
    Al: (Shakes his head 'no'…) I knew they were
    there but I didn't meet John Green…I didn't
    meet any of them. I guess I knew Peter Byrne
    more than anybody else and I didn't know
    him and I didn't “know him” - I knew he was
    here. I'd see him walk by the store. His
    brother was here with him - I can' t remember
    his brother's name - and he was a nice guy.
    Anyway that's where it all started there and
    got all the publicity going. And that's when
    this lady from across the river - Betty Allen -
    talked me into going up to see the tracks and
    I said, “OK.” I withstood going all this time
    and she said, “You know there's tracks and
    they're trying to preserve them for us (his
    hands demonstrate covering them with pieces
    of bark) and she said, “Will you take me up?”
    And of course she didn't like to go up by
    herself so she talked us into (going) - Frances
    (Al's wife) and I and the two boys who were
    small at the time - and Betty Allen and her
    cousin. And we all found the tracks that were
    covered up with bark and we made some
    casts.
    Robert Leiterman: That's the one you sell at
    the museum, right?
    Al: No that's not the one. The one they sell at
    the museum is the one I made at Bluff Creek.
    They insisted that they knew I was coming
    and they made these tracks.
    Tom: was your cast from near Tish Tang
    Creek?
    Al: No it was from Louse Camp near Notice
    Creek. But you know what we're hearing
    today. We're hearing more actual sightings
    than we hear about tracks. (end of transcript)
    Like I said, this was not a formal interview,
    but rather just a discussion we had that
    morning with Al Hodgson. I got his permission
    to share this with you all because I think it's
    moments like these that have made bigfooting
    so special to me - moments that reveal the true
    down-to-earth nature of some of the people
    involved in this search. Well, that's it for this
    month. I'll look forward to sharing the song
    lyrics to “Jerry Crew” and other tidbits I can
    dig up for next month's newsletter. It's the
    slow time of year “in the field” due to the
    holidays and the need to put family first.
    Please feel free to share with us any field
    information you might have!
    SRI: The Sasquatch Research Initiative
    submitted by Paul Pinkham
    In 1959, millionaire Tom Slick financed the
    first true team of sasquatch researchers for his
    Pacific Northwest Expedition. In the nearly
    half-century since that unsuccessful venture,
    new organizations have emerged with the
    purpose to solve the great sasquatch mystery.
    To date, none have been even remotely
    successful. With the wealth of resources
    available with the Internet, there is now more
    information and opportunities than ever to
    finally lay this mystery to rest. Unfortunately,
    many of these organizations do not take
    advantage of this huge opportunity, and choose
    instead to keep their information closely
    guarded. Much of the research done by these
    organizations has been documented or
    published without guidelines or standards, and
    may include misinformation that could be
    detrimental to their existing databases.
    Furthermore, we believe the lack of success by
    these groups is in large part due to poor
    investigation standards, lack of accountability,
    and poor leadership.
    It was for this reason, and many others, that the
    Sasquatch Research Initiative, or SRI, was
    formed. SRI could best be described as an
    association of independent researchers working
    together to investigate and research Sasquatch.
    SRI differs from those who have come before in
    that:
    1) SRI is the product of itís members. All
    actions and decisions are voted on and agreed
    upon in a democratic fashion.
    2) All members of SRI are held to very high
    standards and a strict code of ethics, insuring
    the kind of professionalism this field
    desperately needs.
    3) SRI will accept no reported sighting at face
    value. Each report will be thoroughly
    investigated. No report will be published until it
    has been investigated to the fullest and has met
    the approval of the SRI membership.
    4) All investigators will be held responsible for
    the work they present and will be required to
    answer for any mistakes that are made.
    5) SRI has nothing to hide. We are about
    sharing quality information with the public and
    creating a database of reliable sightings. We are
    not concerned with the quantity of sightings,
    but rather with the quality. Our primary
    directive is not to entertain the public, but to
    finally solve the mystery of Sasquatch once and
    for all.
    Simply stated, SRI is unlike any other group of
    Sasquatch researchers. Never before has such a
    large and diverse group of independent
    researchers stood together as one to solve this
    mystery. The time for change is now, and SRI
    looks forward to working with researchers and
    the public to bring about that change.
    Visit us at www.sasquatchonline.com.
    Cryptid of the Month
    B I G F O OT E R ' S DAT E S
    Oct 14-16 Texas Bigfoot Conference
    Jefferson. TX
    The Bili Ape
    In the last couple of years there have been two
    discoveries that have rocked the boat of
    scientists and skeptics alike. We've already
    discussed the most impressive paleontological
    find in a long while: Homo floresiensis. That's
    the 3.5' tall "littlefoot" hominids unearthed in
    Indonesia. (see Vol1 No3) The other cryptozoological
    breakthrough is the mounting evidence
    and acceptance by primatologists of a "living
    legend" in the form of a potentially new species
    of anthropoid ape. It resides in the jungles of
    the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in an
    area known as the Bili forest.
    What evidence do we have for this new ape?
    Anecdotal local native reports, plaster casts of
    extra large ape footprints, hair and scat samples
    and a photo or two. The locals having been
    relating stories of large "lion-killer" apes to
    Western explorers since 1908. Michael
    Crichton's novel "Congo" (it was made into a
    movie as well) is based on these local accounts.
    But it wasn't until a primatologist was stalked
    and charged by a group of these extra large
    chimps, that scientific minds finally opened to
    the reality of this cryptid. Shelly Williams and her
    trackers used some hunting tricks to lure the
    mystery apes. "One of my trackers made the
    sound of a duiker, a small antelope, as if it were in
    pain," said Williams. "Four or five of the mystery
    primates fell for the ruse and came running to
    kill it."
    Now, wait just a minute, don't we have the same
    sort of evidence for bigfoot? We certainly have
    stories and tracks by the thousands. We also 
    have hair and fecal samples labelled "unknown
    primate." Then there's the P/G Film. Plus a
    number of people have been stalked an "bluff
    charged" as well. Granted in the case of the Bili
    Apes, it was a primatologist who saw the apes
    run in for the kill, not just an amateur cryptozoologist.
    But the real reason for the reluctance
    of anthropologists to accept bigfoot most likely
    springs from it's bipedal gate. These giant
    chimps are knuckle-walkers and don't upset the
    scientific applecart nearly as much as a North
    American bipedal ape does.
    Nonetheless, the fact that science is now willing
    to "discover" the Bili apes, coupled with proof of
    "littlefoot" in the Indonesian archipelagos, goes a
    long way towards establishing credibility for the
    ongoing study of rumored animals. Cryptozoologists
    can walk a little taller now, and perhaps
    someday soon the study of hidden animals
    will be officially recognized and developed into 
    a disciplined scientific specialty.
    October Ð
    A Special Month
    for Bigfooting
    An Appreciation
    of the Patterson-Gimlin Film
    by Tom Yamarone
    Thirty eight years ago on October 20,
    1967 a very special event took place in our
    bigfoot world. Roger Patterson and Bob
    Gimlin obtained the best piece of evidence
    yet in the form of a short, shaky film of a
    bigfoot. There have been other significant
    events since then, but none so dramatic or
    memorable. In the last two years analysis
    of the P-G film has produced some excellent
    images. Doug Hajicek’s work in the
    documentary Sasquatch: Legend Meets
    Science (LMS) and M.K. Davis’ computer
    based analysis have taken the P-G film to
    new evidentiary heights. I’ve spent the
    first days of October looking through my
    books and watching the P-G film on my
    LMS DVD. My goal was to review the
    different treatments the Patterson-Gimlin
    film has received and give a short
    summary of each. Two publications stood
    out above the rest in this regard: Chris
    Murphy’s Meet the Sasquatch and Daniel
    Perez’s Bigfoot at Bluff Creek.
    Meet the Sasquatch by Christopher
    Murphy in association with John Green
    and Thomas Steenburg (Hancock House
    Publishers, 2004) is the best collection of
    bigfoot information under one cover. The
    author has assembled most of the significant
    tales and discoveries of the sasquatch
    phenomenon and highlighted these with an
    excellent array of photographs and diagrams.
    Herein, the Patterson-Gimlin film
    receives an extensive 56 page review and
    analysis. This is as good a place as any to
    commence our annual bigfoot Octoberfest.
    You’ll find a copy of the original Eureka
    Times-Standard newspaper article next to
    a photograph of Roger Patterson holding
    the two footprint casts he and Bob Gimlin
    made at the film site that day. A nice
    collection of photos and still frames from
    the second roll of film showing the footprints
    in the sandbar of Bluff Creek
    follow. There are 12 still frame
    enlargements of the creature from the
    now-famous Cibachrome prints made in
    the early 1980’s. You’ll not find a better
    collection in any other publication (that I
    know of…). Having been to the film site
    area along Bluff Creek in 2003 and 2004, I
    enjoy the 1971 photograph taken from the
    hillside overlooking that stretch of creek.
    It’s an “aerial” view that depicts the
    scoured, wide-open creek bed with a
    person walking through the frame for scale
    – a scene that no longer exists today as the
    forest has reclaimed the canyon.
    The analysis continues with Chris
    Murphy’s own re-creation of the location
    in the “film site model.” Utilizing the
    maps and measurements made by Rene
    Dahinden, John Green and Bob Titmus,
    the reader is treated to an analysis of the
    film that gives a greater understanding and
    appreciation of those shaky 59 seconds.
    Other books, such as the excellent tome
    Big Footprints by Grover Krantz, attempt
    this analysis, but this rendition is much
    more accessible to the layperson. The
    author’s site model along with the use of
    photographs and diagrams from many
    sources achieve this as none before have.
    This is a chapter that doesn’t end here, but
    includes all of the historical analysis done
    by different individuals over the years. So,
    if you can’t pick up a copy of Meet the
    Sasquatch at the museum store, find one in
    a friend’s house, ask your library to obtain
    a copy or come by the museum and
    indulge yourself in the Patterson-Gimlin
    film, our favorite Squach-toberfest treat!
    For those of you who prefer to watch
    (rather than read, that is!), there is a
    documentary that stands head and
    shoulders above the rest. I’m speaking of
    Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science
    (WhiteWolf productions, 2003). Herein,
    the Patterson-Gimlin film is taken and
    transferred to high-definition video. It’s
    the clearest rendition of the film that’s
    available and the whole 59 seconds is
    contained in the additional features of this
    DVD. Needless to say, it’s a “must-have”
    in your home
    entertainment
    collection and a
    “must-see” if you
    don’t have it. Find
    someone who does
    and arrange a
    viewing. This is
    the show that takes
    “Patty” and
    digitalizes her so that we can view the
    “walking skeleton” of the creature. We
    then discover the gait involves a strange
    pattern of the knees moving in a way not
    normal to human locomotion. There is
    also a bulge that appears on the right thigh
    of the creature that seems to be a hernia of
    that muscle according to doctors that
    comment on the film in the documentary.
    That’s our second round of indulgence
    here at bigfoot Octoberfest. If you have
    access to the DVD set that documents the
    2003 International Bigfoot Symposium in
    Willow Creek, California, you’ll want to
    watch Doug Hajicek’s presentation all
    about this treatment of the Patterson-
    Gimlin film! He gives an outstanding talk
    with excellent slides that illustrate the
    process that he undertook. Check it out!!
    I would be remiss if I didn’t direct you to
    another excellent publication that deals
    with the Patterson-Gimlin film. Daniel
    Perez’s BigfooTimes Bigfoot at Bluff
    Creek (1992) was written to commemorate
    the 25th anniversary of the film. He seems
    to have personally researched this event
    more than anyone else and has come up
    with many unique sources of information
    regarding the film and the subsequent
    events surrounding it. The bibliography –
    seven and a half pages long – attests to
    this fact. The copy I have is a reprint from
    2003 that he made available at the Willow
    Creek bigfoot symposium. It contains
    outstanding interview excerpts from all the
    principal players and has many of the
    same site map diagrams and footprint
    photos contained in Meet the Sasquatch.
    Daniel’s booklet exudes the emotional
    intensity with which he has pursued this
    matter and depicts the events relating to
    10/20/67 as they have occurred for those
    of us interested in the subject matter. He
    follows the debates regarding the attempts
    to debunk the film and has an answer for
    each of these. “The Patterson-Gimlin film
    has survived through twenty-five years of
    2
    ...continued from page 1...
    he can; answered all the questions posed
    to him.
    He had this to say when asked about the
    significance 10/20/67 has for him.
    “The significance now is actually more
    now than it was in those middle years. For
    a few years, it was terribly exciting. An’ it
    kinda got old shoe there for awhile. And
    now that so many of you folks have gotten
    involved back in this again and (you’ve)
    made it come alive a lot better than it was.
    There was so much negative stuff going
    on there. Now in the last 10, 12 years it’s
    all turned around. I’m excited about what
    you guys are doing.”
    I commented on his cooperation with
    investigators after a time and how much
    that’s meant to those investigating both the
    film and the phenomenon. He stated:
    “I always did as much as I could. (I
    cooperated with) John and Rene and Bob
    Titmus, and especially Grover. When
    Grover was alive, I did as much as I could.
    When Grover would call me and ask me to
    come over, I would. I didn’t even know
    Dr. Jeff Meldrum in those days. I may
    have met him, but I didn’t really get to
    know him . So, with guys like that
    involved, like Bindernagel and all them,
    they really have been putting some effort
    into it. And M.K. Davis sent me a great
    disc of his work.”
    He’s resigned to the debate about the film
    and the existence of bigfoot.
    “The people that want to believe in it, do
    believe. The one’s that are on the borderline,
    they don’t give a hoot. And the one’s
    who’ve never believed, never will. They
    could see one and they’d think it was a
    guy in suit. That’s kinda the bottom line:
    you can’t control what people think.”
    He is such a proponent of the search for
    bigfoot. Here’s some final words of
    encouragement for those who devote their
    time to this end. “If you’re not out there,
    you can’t see one. And if you don’t have a
    camera, you can’t prove what you saw.
    Eventually, it’s going to happen (that we
    prove the existence of these creatures.)”
    So, now it’s up to us to move on and see
    what discoveries lie ahead. The film will
    always be there for us to appreciate and
    this is the perfect time of year to do just
    that! Get the popcorn and a favorite
    beverage ready and keep that finger on 
    the rewind button! Familiarity with the
    “pause” and “slow motion” features of
    your player will be very handy, too! Enjoy
    the Patterson-Gimlin film for what it is –
    the real deal…a living, breathing,
    walking bigfoot
    for all to see!
    Editor's Note:
    This list would
    not be complete
    without mentioning
    the latest Hancock House title The
    Bigfoot Film Controversy. This book
    combines a reprint of Patterson's book Do
    Abominable Snowmen of America Really
    Exist? with an updated report on the P/G
    Film and its aftermath, including some of
    the claims of hoaxers. The conclusions of
    several scientists and researchers are also
    provided. Russian Hominologists Bayanov
    and Bourtsev; J Glickman (North
    American Science Institute); and several
    biomechanics experts including Grover
    Krantz.
    Hopefully our museum's policy of free
    admission, and obvious willingness to
    share information will enable us to avoid
    some of the "dissing" that other fulltime
    searchers have received. We want to solve
    the mystery and make people aware of the
    rights of these and other forest creatures;
    and hope to pay the bills with income
    generated by art and craft sales, classes
    and events related to bigfoot.
    How can you help? Tell folks about the
    museum and the arts, crafts and gifts
    available here (more to come soon).
    Volunteer to help setting up events to
    edutain and generate funds. Make use of
    the museum's library of reference
    materials, and encourage others to do so
    (we have free wireless internet). Recruit
    new members and sponsors, and keep on
    the track!
    ---Michael Rugg
    time and is probably destined to go on
    forever as the real McCoy,” he writes.
    And, indeed, here we are 38 years after 
    the event and its impact hasn’t lessened
    one bit.
    Enjoy these sources and others for your
    annual October appreciation of the
    Patterson-Gimlin film. It’s an inspiration
    to continue the search – and so are the
    men that were there that fateful day and
    the others who have worked tirelessly to
    prove its authenticity. I say “Thank You”
    to all of you!
    A Few Words from Bob Gimlin
    I don’t often ask Bob Gimlin about the
    events of 10/20/67. We talk about
    sightings, expeditions, outings and our
    day-to-day world primarily. I did,
    however, take a few minutes this week to
    ask Bob what this anniversary means to
    him. Of course, in the first ten years or
    more after the event, it was a bitter pill to
    swallow. He was overlooked by Roger and
    Al DeAtley as they promoted the film.
    Too bad that it had such a negative effect
    on their friendship. Years later, the
    principal investigators of this event
    realized the significance of Bob Gimlin’s
    involvement. Of course! The ups and
    downs for him came full circle in 2003
    with his attendance at the Willow Creek
    symposium. I heard John Green once say
    the best thing about that weekend was how
    Bob Gimlin was treated like a rock star!
    Nothing could have been more well
    deserved. Bob continues to support the
    search and activities of people in this
    endeavor. He’s generous with his time
    when he can be. He’s just about said all

    he can; answered all the questions posed
    to him.
    He had this to say when asked about the
    significance 10/20/67 has for him.
    “The significance now is actually more
    now than it was in those middle years. For
    a few years, it was terribly exciting. An’ it
    kinda got old shoe there for awhile. And
    now that so many of you folks have gotten
    involved back in this again and (you’ve)
    made it come alive a lot better than it was.
    There was so much negative stuff going
    on there. Now in the last 10, 12 years it’s
    all turned around. I’m excited about what
    you guys are doing.”
    I commented on his cooperation with
    investigators after a time and how much
    that’s meant to those investigating both the
    film and the phenomenon. He stated:
    “I always did as much as I could. (I
    cooperated with) John and Rene and Bob
    Titmus, and especially Grover. When
    Grover was alive, I did as much as I could.
    When Grover would call me and ask me to
    come over, I would. I didn’t even know
    Dr. Jeff Meldrum in those days. I may
    have met him, but I didn’t really get to
    know him . So, with guys like that
    involved, like Bindernagel and all them,
    they really have been putting some effort
    into it. And M.K. Davis sent me a great
    disc of his work.”
    He’s resigned to the debate about the film
    and the existence of bigfoot.
    “The people that want to believe in it, do
    believe. The one’s that are on the borderline,
    they don’t give a hoot. And the one’s
    who’ve never believed, never will. They
    could see one and they’d think it was a
    guy in suit. That’s kinda the bottom line:
    you can’t control what people think.”
    He is such a proponent of the search for
    bigfoot. Here’s some final words of
    encouragement for those who devote their
    time to this end. “If you’re not out there,
    you can’t see one. And if you don’t have a
    camera, you can’t prove what you saw.
    Eventually, it’s going to happen (that we
    prove the existence of these creatures.)”
    So, now it’s up to us to move on and see
    what discoveries lie ahead. The film will
    always be there for us to appreciate and
    this is the perfect time of year to do just
    that! Get the popcorn and a favorite
    beverage ready and keep that finger on 
    the rewind button! Familiarity with the
    “pause” and “slow motion” features of
    your player will be very handy, too! Enjoy
    the Patterson-Gimlin film for what it is –
    the real deal…a living, breathing,
    walking bigfoot
    for all to see!
    Editor's Note:
    This list would
    not be complete
    without mentioning
    the latest Hancock House title The
    Bigfoot Film Controversy. This book
    combines a reprint of Patterson's book Do
    Abominable Snowmen of America Really
    Exist? with an updated report on the P/G
    Film and its aftermath, including some of
    the claims of hoaxers. The conclusions of
    several scientists and researchers are also
    provided. Russian Hominologists Bayanov
    and Bourtsev; J Glickman (North
    American Science Institute); and several
    biomechanics experts including Grover
    Krantz.
    Lights! Camera? Action!
    A Summer of Sightings and Sounds...and
    Still, No Picture to Show the Family!
    By Tom Yamarone
    Summer’s gone and hunting season is starting
    this weekend in my section of the Sierra
    Nevada Mountains. No problem. There’s
    always the Coast Range and starting in on the
    local area investigation. It was a very good
    series of summer outings beginning with the
    BFRO Sierra Expedition in late June and
    continuing on through the first week in August
    as short outings with friends. No sightings were
    to be reported but on two occasions we
    recorded return calls to our call blasting and, on
    another two occasions, we heard loud, clear
    “wood knocks” in a location where we were
    quite alone and isolated. It was thrilling!
    We were camped at the spot of a reported
    sighting in late June near the crest of the
    Sierras along Hwy 108 in Tuolumne County.
    When we first arrived, we hiked a quarter mile
    to a nearby meadow and began circling the
    meadow just within the tree line. It was 6:00
    pm and hours away from sunset. My friend
    grabbed a large branch and knocked it against a
    large rock formation. Within 30 seconds, a loud
    knock came from the direction of our camp in
    response. That night we call blasted without
    any return calls, but the next morning while I
    was taking a walk back down towards the
    meadow, another loud wood knock came from
    the direction of camp again. It was 6:22 am and
    I called back to camp on the radio. I got no
    response. When I returned to camp, my
    companion was fast asleep so I woke him to
    ask if he had done a wood knock ten minutes
    ago. He said he was sleeping. Wow! Something
    was around camp.
    We moved camp to a higher elevation meadow
    for Sunday night and did some call blasting. On
    our third attempt at 10:30 pm we had a return
    call from a ways down the meadow. It was
    barely audible but clearly a “howl” of 5 seconds
    changing to a sound like the Klamath scream.
    My friend recorded the event on a mini disc
    system using a high quality omnidirectional
    microphone. We had no further return calls and
    no unusual events that night. We listened to the
    playback of the call from earlier in the evening
    and were lucky to hear it. It was quite dim at
    our location and we probably would not have
    heard it if we were moving around in camp.

    There were sightings of bigfoot reported
    throughout the central Sierra Nevada
    Mountains and up into Siskiyou and Trinity
    Counties this summer as well. These were the
    ones we heard about – certainly, there were
    sightings throughout the mountains most
    everywhere. The BFRO database listed one up
    along Hwy 108 in Mono County on August 21,
    2005. It was a clear sighting in the late
    afternoon by a family of four who were
    returning to their vehicle on a trail out of the
    back country.
    I know of another that occurred on the 4th of
    July in the Sierras near the Feather River. A 14-
    year old girl was exiting a motor home around
    midnight to get a blanket from the tent pitched
    beside the vehicle. As she stepped down and
    began to walk towards the tent, a figure caught
    her attention at the edge of the campfire’s light.
    It was squatted down watching her and when
    they made eye contact, it bounded away into
    the forest. She said it looked like a “gorilla” but
    was “light colored with hair all over except in
    the face” and it jumped on two legs to get into
    the forest. She estimated it was nearly 5 feet tall
    while she observed it squatting and it moved
    with great agility. No unusual smell was
    noticed and it made no noise. She was quite
    disturbed by this encounter and its close
    proximity to their camp. They stayed the night
    in the motor home without any further incident.
    It’s exciting to hear about these events. The
    urge to get out in the woods is stoked by these
    accounts. Unfortunately (or fortunately,
    depend-ing on your point of view), I spent
    some quality time with my extended family in
    August. During this vacation, a relative
    inquired about the current events in our bigfoot
    world. I regaled her with the aforementioned
    stories and she was excited to hear about these.
    She is interested enough in the subject to watch
    a documentary or two, but won’t be out
    camping with me any time soon. I relate this
    interaction because the first response she had
    after hearing about these events was, “Did
    anybody get a picture of one?” I didn’t dance
    around that one. “No,” I answered, “it’s disappointing.
    It’s not easy and not everyone is ready
    with a camera.” But we sure wish they were.
    And so into the Fall and Winter we go, and it’s
    time once again to encourage everyone heading
    out to search for our big, hairy friend to equip
    yourself with some means of capturing an
    image or documenting the event. It’s not easy.
    It’s not cheap. You will certainly be annoyed to
    be bothering with your camera at every stop
    and having it out whenever you’re “in
    country.” It’ll be getting dirty, dusty and likely
    to shorten it’s operational life-time. But that’s
    what you have to do if you hope to be ready
    should that rare and exciting event take place –
    a daylight bigfoot sighting.
    I’m starting to doubt whether my Canon digital
    camera would even get “into play” quick
    enough to capture the moment. That several
    second pause – even after it’s turned on –
    before it snaps the photo might prove to be
    quite frustrating. I’m starting to think that I
    should be carrying a disposable camera with
    400 speed film in my leg pocket for just such
    an occasion. Sure, it won’t do much good
    unless your sighting is under 50 yards or so,
    but that could be the case. Should you happen
    upon a different set of circumstances that allow
    you to get the camcorder on and recording, or
    to get out your digital camera, turn it on, zoom
    in and snap the photo, GREAT! That’s the goal
    – to come home with something to show the
    family and friends. But think about it. Maybe
    having that back-up point-and-shoot disposable
    camera will do the trick someday. I think so.
    Well, enough said. I’m off to the store to spend
    $5 to $9 for what may be my most cherished
    piece of field equipment! See you soon!
    A N N O U N C E M E N T
    On the way in early 2006, is the Authorized
    Biography of Roger C. Patterson. This book
    will be chock full of many never before
    published photos and documents – well over
    200 in total. This book will be penned by first
    time author David L. Murphy who has traveled
    over 5,000 miles tracking down witnesses and
    those who knew Roger as well as close to 200
    hours of research directly in the home of
    Patricia Patterson. Having interviewed more
    than 45 individuals who had contact at some
    stage in Roger's life and having recorded over
    100 hours of taped testimony, David Murphy
    has a unique insight into this amazing man's
    life. You will learn about Roger the family
    man, rodeo rider, cowboy, acrobat, and yes,
    bigfoot hunter. You will read word-for-word
    transcript testimony of those individuals that
    Roger interviewed on tape, including Fred
    Beck of the Ape Canyon incident. You will also
    learn of the little known accomplishments of
    the man whose life was cut short by Hodgkin’s
    disease at the young age of 38.
    Not to be ignored, you will read little known
    facts and information in a chapter devoted
    solely to Robert E. Gimlin, Roger's equal in the
    P/G Film.
    Those interested in getting a copy of this book
    which will tell more about the life of Roger
    Patterson than all previous publications
    combined, should send a self-addressed,
    stamped envelope to:
    Roger Patterson Book 2006
    9115 Gunn Ave.
    Whittier, CA 90605
    or Raiders85@charter.net
    Those who respond before the book is released,
    will be notified and offered a pre-release copy
    approximately two weeks prior to the official
    release date.
    Above: Twilight sky by Little Grass Valley Reservoir; Below: Sierra Crest Highway 108
    3
    4
    C O N S E R V A T I O N
    Subject: Can The great Apes Survive 
    (UK, Independent)
    Treaty offers world's last chance
    to save great apes
    Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor
    The agreement sets targets for slowing the loss
    of great apes and their forest habitats by 2010,
    and for securing their future in the wild by 2015
    They are man's closest cousins and they are
    staring into the abyss. But in one of the most
    important environmental treaties, hope has been
    offered to stop the headlong slide towards
    extinction of humankind's nearest relatives, the
    great apes.
    The agreement signed in Kinshasa, in the
    Democratic Republic of Congo, is on a par with
    the 1982 whaling moratorium and the 1997
    Kyoto protocol on climate change. It offers a
    real chance to halt the remorseless jungle
    slaughter of gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos
    [pygmy chimpanzees] and orang-utans, which
    on current trends is likely to kill them all off
    within a generation.
    If it succeeds - a big if - it will be the most
    significant move yet to counter the greatest
    environmental problem facing the world after
    global warming, the mass extinction of living
    species. Increasingly, the great apes are being
    seen as the flagship example of species that
    have become endangered. Last year, the African
    conservationist Richard Leakey said their image
    should replace that of the giant panda as the
    international icon of threatened wildlife.
    The agreement in Kinshasa between the nations
    where the animals occur in the wild, the "range
    states", and a group of rich donor countries, led
    by Britain, publicly recognises, for the first time
    at the international diplomatic level, the unique
    cultural, ecological and indeed economic
    importance of the four great ape species, which
    share up to 98.5 per cent ofour DNA.
    It commits its signatories to a comprehensive
    global strategy to save them, which involves
    setting up much new legal protection and
    protection in the field, and widely clamping
    down on the illegal hunting, logging and other
    practices which are destroying their habitats and
    their populations.
    Furthermore, it sets two ambitious targets: the
    first of significantly slowing the loss of great
    apes and their forest habitats by 2010, and the
    second of securing the future in the wild of all
    species and subspecies by 2015.
    These are enormous tasks. At present the
    gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos of Africa,
    and the orang-utans of Asia, are under merciless
    assault from deforestation, war, illegal logging
    and mining, the captive-animal trade, hunting
    (they are increasingly killed for food in some
    parts of Africa and sold as "bushmeat") and now
    from emerging diseases such as the Ebola virus.
    As few as 350,000 of all the great apes, which
    once numbered in their millions, may now exist
    in the wild, and populations of some subspecies
    are already down to a few hundred.
    Some conservationists such as the chimpanzee
    specialist Jane Goodall believe they may be
    extinct in the wild outside protected areas in the
    next two decades.
    Certainly, if current trends continue, the
    specialists who compiled the Atlas believe that,
    over the next 25 years, 90 per cent of the gorilla
    range will suffer medium to high impacts from
    human development, as will 92 per cent of the
    chimpanzee range, 96 per cent of the bonobo
    range, and no less than 99 per cent of the
    orang-utan range.
    S P E C U L A T I O N
    Giant Creatures Wiped Out by Hunters,
    Not Climate
    Ker Than
    LiveScience Staff Writer
    LiveScience.com
    Weapon-wielding humans, and not warming
    temperatures, killed off the sloth and other giant
    mammals that roamed North America during
    the last Ice Age, a new study suggests.
    The arrival of humans onto the American
    continent and the great thaw that occurred near
    the end of the last Ice Age both occurred at
    roughly the same time, about 11,000 years ago.
    Until now, scientists were unable to tease apart
    the two events.
    To get around this problem, David Steadman, a
    researcher at the University of Florida, used
    radiocarbon to date fossils from the islands of
    Cuba and Hispaniola, where humans didn't set
    foot until more than 6,000 years after their
    arrival on the American continent.
    The West Indian ground sloth, a mammal that
    was the size of a modern elephant, also
    disappeared from the islands around this time.
    "If climate were the major factor driving the
    extinction of ground sloths, you would expect
    the extinctions to occur at about the same time
    on both the islands and the continent since
    climate change is a global event," Steadman
    said.
    His findings are detailed in the Aug. 2 issue of
    the journal for the Proceedings of the National
    Academy of Sciences.
    This could also explain why more than threefourths
    of the large Ice Age mammal species --
    including giant wooly mammoths, mastodons,
    saber-toothed tigers and giant bears -- that
    roamed many parts of North America became
    extinct within the span of a few thousand years.
    "It was as dramatic as the extinction of the
    dinosaurs 65 million years ago," Steadman said.
    O B S E R V A T I O N S by Mike Rugg
    On a recent trip to my local bank, I had
    occasion to wear my cap, which is adorned
    with a pin announcing “Bigfoot Lives.” The
    teller glanced at the pin and asked if I was
    associated with the Bigfoot Museum. “Yes,” I
    said. “Have you ever seen one?” she asked. 
    “I think I did when I was about six years old,” 
    I told her. “Well I definitely saw one when I
    was six years old,” she affirmed.
    She told me that at the time she was camping
    with her parents on the Klamath River in
    Northern California. While walking in the
    woods she observed what she described as a
    “strange looking stump.” She said she had a
    tough time taking her eyes off the stump, as
    there was something peculiar about it, but she
    couldn’t quite figure out what it was about it
    that was strange, “until two eyes suddenly
    blinked open” in the middle of the stump!
    Apparently the bigfoot was hiding in plain
    sight, by kneeling down, closing its eyes and
    holding perfectly still. Once the eyes were
    open, and she made eye-contact with it, the
    ruse was up so the bigfoot stood up to its full
    height and walked into the woods. “If it hadn’t
    opened its eyes, I would have walked on, and
    probably would have forgotten all about the
    incident.”
    This is one of several stories I’ve heard now of
    a bigfoot hiding in plain sight. Another story,
    which is also listed on the BFRO web site, was
    reported by a man living in the Aptos area near
    Nisene Marks Park. He came into the museum
    several weeks ago and described in detail his
    bigfoot sighting.
    The property he lives on is adjacent to his
    father’s, and they share a private dirt road. One
    day as he was driving in from the highway, he
    glanced over the fence next to the road and
    noticed what registered in his mind as a “slash
    pile” in the field. He explained that when his
    father cuts down a tree, he is usually the one
    who gets to strip the tree of limbs, bark and so
    forth, which is typically thrown into a pile for
    burning or to be hauled away. This is a slash
    pile, and that’s what he thought he saw lying in
    the field. But when he asked his dad which tree
    he’d cut, and why he didn't ask for help, his
    father said, “What tree?” They both went
    immediately to the spot where the “slash pile”
    had been, and it was gone! Realizing he had
    “misread” what he saw, and thinking back, he
    now believes that he saw a bigfoot lying facedown
    with its hands clasped behind its neck, its
    arms covering the sides of its head. The
    sighting was also mentioned in the last
    newsletter in an article by Tom Yamarone.
    The point here is that bigfoot is capable of
    hiding in plain sight. By holding its body in a
    certain position and staying absolutely still, its
    capable of causing us to misinterpret what we
    see even when we look right at it. --MR