Les Stroud… More Credibility
Posted by: The Discerning Man's Squatch on October 3rd, 2013
For years I have enjoyed Les Stroud and his Survivor Man series. I live in a wooded area and love the Rocky Mountains which are literally my back yard, so any show that takes us into the boscage and teaches us how to use what is there to survive and then make it out again, has always had a place close to my heart.
Les is the only one I know of who actually does all of his own camera work and it is no easy task considering what he takes on. He goes solo, and with the immensely painstaking process of setting up his multiple cameras, hiking away from them sometimes thousands of yards over steep terrain to get the shot he is looking for, then, once satisfied backtracking just as perilously to pick up his cameras and do it all over again. He shows more integrity and commitment to his show and skills than any other survivor type program I have seen. Quite frankly I personally would find it a real drag to make progress on a torturous trail that could take my life and then be forced to go back, grab my gear so I can set up for the next leg. Thankfully he does it all for us and with a smile.
You might wonder why he does this (solo) and the answer is, he is showing us true survivor skills with the same resources we would have if lost in the woods. He does not have the luxury of having a camera man, who would have rations and a long distance communicator as well as just a helping hand in any emergency… and that is the whole point of the show. He in fact is taking real risks with his own life and I have sometimes feared that one day we will read in the papers that he never made it back from filming one of his episodes. He is for real and he is really putting himself out there.
It is with my great pleasure that we have a two part special on the Science Channel that has been given the go ahead that takes on two of my favorite subjects. Surviving in the wilderness… and Bigfoot. The episodes titled Survivorman: Stalking Sasquatch, will take us the viewer, on a precarious journey with Les as he goes in search of the wild man of the woods with plenty of high quality cameras in tow.
We can expect to see the same kind of dangerous terrain that he usually undertakes, but instead of focusing on getting out, he will be focusing on going big. As in Bigfoot. A quote from the Hollywood reporter: “Stroud goes deep into the territory of the infamous Bigfoot to survive with few supplies and even fewer rations, “smack dab in the middle of the monster’s hotspots.” He also will delve into the truth behind the legend as he investigates the whereabouts of this infamous creature.”
The fellow known lovingly as Survivor Man has on at least two instances given his take on the legend of Bigfoot and has had relayed some personal experiences that indicate that he believes there may be some truth to this creature. Here is a man that knows what it is like being as remote as possible on the outskirts of where humanity dare not go and has impeccable knowledge of the flora and fauna. If anyone has a chance of having an eyewitness encounter with Sasquatch and then being credible in his report, it is Les and quite literally in his minimalism approach, Les is more.
For me it is a win-win situation as I love his show anyway, but with him keeping an ever keen eye out and camera for something that will bring us closer to an age old question, I find that this special will be extra special… for anyone with an interest in Sasquatch.
Show is set to premier the first quarter of 2014
Ready, set… Bigfoot!
About The Discerning Man's Squatch
Gordon Ambrose from Golden, Colorado is an enthusiast of things that go bump in the night. The strange, the unexplained and the manufactured imaginings of the human species. Believing that the human monster can be the scariest of them all, Gordon likes to tackle these questions with a philosophical slant that digs deep into the human psyche.
“There are reasons we tell tales of the creepy kind Gordon believes, and they come from not only the darkness under our beds, but in the recesses of our minds, especially when the sun goes down and we are left with only our unprotected, naked selves.” Specifically for Gordon, Bigfoot is a fascinating and profound subject, and has the distinct possibility of being one of many real boogeymen that we have been warned about in myth and legend. “That is why it has captured almost everyone’s imagination, he says, both believer and skeptic.”
Gordon considers himself a skeptic, but warns that does not mean he doubts anything for doubts sake. Both sides have blinders on Gordon thinks, as skeptics can use the same faulty logic to come to conclusions as those who see our planet teeming with Bigfoots, UFOs, Sea Monsters and Ghosts. Critical thinking is our friend and the best tool in our tool box and always our justly prerogative.
One question Gordon gets asked a lot is, “Do you think Bigfoot exists”? His answer is not a straight forward one, because he, like most of us, has not had a personal encounter. He believes it is a possibility and even a likely one though. “Unfortunately we sometimes share this hobby, with those who use very little critical thinking and I am not a fan of that, he says. We have made leaps and bounds since the Dark Ages and I for one don’t feel the need to go back there in my search for an answer. The truth is out there and it resides in the real world. The place I like to hang my hat”.
Gordon has a Facebook fan page named “The Discerning Man’s Squatch” where he first began to ponder and speculate not only the existence of Sasquatch, but what it means to us and how it relates, to our understanding of ourselves. “These are the questions that many don’t ask and I feel compelled to ask them” he says.
Majoring in both History and Philosophy, he has a unique perspective that those subjects have brought to him and likes to remind himself of the phrases “Those who do not remember history are doomed to repeat it” and” I think therefore I am”. “We do have an inherent need for a boogeyman” he states. The need arises from our persistence to survive and keeps us from being careless when there are real dangers out there. Colorful stories keep those things close to our breast and help us to remind future generations to look before you leap, because there are real things out there with sharp teeth.” “That being said, he reminds us, that does not mean the colorful stories do not represent the real deal on occasions and in the case of Bigfoot, the deal has gotten a little more real for me, by doing some deep exploring into the topic.”
“I am lucky to live in the mountains of Colorado. An area where I can look out my window and see miles of thick trees that cover the hills. There have been sightings not far from my home and I absolutely love that! There is almost nothing more exciting to me, to think that the big guy with big feet could be lurking in my very own backyard. However it also has the secondary consequence of making me a little more jittery when I go camping solo with just my dog.”
I know it’s a play on his name, but it ends up sounding like “Less Stroud, More Credibility”, which sounds like in order for more credibility, there would need to be less Les Stroud in the show….
Thanks Craig. Always liked your site, so great to have an article posted here!
Man it’s going to be a long wait till this airs. Unlike Finding Bigfoot Season whatever, I’m actually looking forward to this one.
‘I know it’s a play on his name, but it ends up sounding like “Less Stroud, More Credibility”, which sounds like in order for more credibility, there would need to be less Les Stroud in the show…’
Person’ly Craig it’s exactly the sort o’ pun I love an’ I feel almost disappointed in meself you got to it first!
At least with Les we won’t be subjected to a breathless…”that’s a squatch!!” every time a twig breaks…
Never heard of Les and have never seen him. Hopefully, Les will take just enough rations so as he is not preoccupied with feeding himself vs. finding Foot. Is Les the type of guy that while out hunting a partridge in a pear tree, Foot finds his way into Les’s base and rifles through his packed underwear?
@G de La Hoya. Les is a no nonsense survival expert and the exact person we would want on a jaunt like this one. I doubt Les even wears underwear after the first day because he will use it to fashion a water filter or use the elastic waste band to slingshot a squirrel. All joking aside, I couldn’t think of a better man looking for Sasquatch.
@ G de La Hoya. Wow, I thought everyone has heard of Les by now. He’s a survival expert who goes out into different types of wilderness all over the world with cameras, a leatherman and very little else to survive for a week and films it all himself unlike Bare Grilz. This guy is the real deal. Google his name along with Bigfoot and hear his stories. They are only class B sightings but very interesting.
P.S. If you ever get lost in the wilderness (anywhere in the world) this is the guy you want to be lost with.
Les will do this the right way – in the DEEP woods; no film crew; alone for a least a week.
As opposed to team squatch who are driven to the edge of the suburbs by their producers and a film crew; set up and shoot off a script for one night; then retreat to a steakhouse and sign autographs…