How to: Find Bigfoot
Posted by: Craig Woolheater on September 22nd, 2013
I recently spoke with Tyler Bounds, investigator with the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) and outdoor technician for Animal Planet’s Finding Bigfoot.
For Tyler, ‘squatching — tramping through the woods on the look out for Sasquatch — is about seeing the world differently. “It’s camping with a purpose,” he explains. “You go out and you pitch a tent, you do your thing, but now you’re paying attention to other things besides what you usually pay attention to.”
It’s about where the journey takes you, too — even if you come back empty handed. “I’ve been all over the States and seen some amazing things — landscapes and sunsets and hills and mountains,” Tyler says. “Even when nothing happens, you’re still in the woods. You’re still out in it.”
And, lastly, it’s about being open to unseen possibilities. As Tyler says: ”There’s something to be said for the unknown, the unsolved mysteries of the world.”
Tyler shared his personal philosophy on ‘squatching — his raison d’yeti, if you will — as well as some tips for newcomers interested in going on their very own DIY expedition.
Here are the Basics to get you Started
Where to go:
Though the Pacific Northwest is a flashpoint for Bigfoot sightings, you can go ‘squatching almost anywhere — at least in the U.S. “There are reports from every state except for Hawaii,” Tyler says.
It helps to pay attention to reports (which are available on the BFRO website). You can visit areas where there have been reports of sightings, but remote areas where there haven’t been sightings might be active, too.
What to do when you get there:
‘Squatchers don’t agree on a right or wrong way to ‘squatch. Some favor stealth, while others simply try not to attract suspicion. Tyler says he always recommends doing what campers do: laugh, talk, giggle, sing, cook food. Have fun.
The bottom line, he says, is just being there, open to the experience, and ready to record if anything should happen.
What to look and listen for:
Evaluate the food supply, water availability, and shelter in a given area to determine if it would be possible for a large omnivorous mammal to survive there. Look for signs of animal life — footprints, scat, claw marks on trees.
At night, Tyler recommends listening for animal communications — hoots, hollers, screams, whistles, the sound of knocking on wood. Again, he emphasizes the importance of familiarizing yourself with local wildlife, so you can begin to eliminate possibilities with some degree of certainty.
Read the rest of the article here.
Co-founder of Cryptomundo in 2005.
I have appeared in or contributed to the following TV programs, documentaries and films:
OLN's Mysterious Encounters: "Caddo Critter", Southern Fried Bigfoot, Travel Channel's Weird Travels: "Bigfoot", History Channel's MonsterQuest: "Swamp Stalker", The Wild Man of the Navidad, Destination America's Monsters and Mysteries in America: Texas Terror - Lake Worth Monster, Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot: Return to Boggy Creek and Beast of the Bayou.
Now that you have told us how to find Bigfoot…why don’t you do just that. Fact is, nobody “knows” how to find Bigfoot and most “reliable sightings” not a great number anyway, I suspect, seem to be chance happenstances. I have a gut feeling that this will happen in one of two ways. One; a Bigfoot is killed either by hunters or a motor vehicle. Two; a game/trail cam will take definitive images and lead to further verification. The first option will decide the matter quickly and unequivocally. The second will take longer and be questioned at every step of the way. It is obvious that stalking Bigfoot like regular game doesn’t work because if it did, the matter would be settled already.