[poll id=”11″]
This is a another very difficult question to answer. It is something we will never know for sure but still interesting to think about. The amount of reports of questionable activity is very high compared to someone actually seeing a squatch. Please vote!
When I first came to the general location of what I now call my Main Research Box back on September 2, 2002 I was greatly disappointed. The area was surrounded by farms and croplands, with patches of woodlots interspersed. The terrain looked rather mundane to me- rolling countryside at best.
I had come on a second-hand rumor of possible Bigfoot activity in the area. I was a bit embarrassed for myself. Somehow I thought the location would have small mountains, deep river gorges, large crags, rocky bluffs, and numerous ravines. I had forgotten that this was the American Midwest- not the Pacific Northwest.
As I parked my car I thought to myself: “Bigfoot here? No way.”
It had been a long drive, so I decided to take a look-see as long as I was there. Bigfoot wasn’t even a blip on my radar screen at that time in my life. I had heard of Bigfoot being in Ohio, and I remembered the television reports of MOMO back in the 1970s. Otherwise I knew very little about Bigfoot, with only a passing interest on the subject.
Certainly I was no scientist, and knew very little about the outdoors and wildlife. I hadn’t been camping or hiking for about a quarter-century. In other words, I was a complete novice and my mind was a blank slate in my knowledge on the subject of Bigfoot. To many folks that may have seemed to have been an initial disadvantage, but I think it gave me an edge in that I didn’t have any preconceived notions of these bipedal creatures living in our midst. Basically I wasn’t carrying the baggage of prejudiced ideas of what I should expect. Nor did I know any of the signs of Bigfoot’s presence I should be looking for.
I managed to find a hiking trail, and little did I know that in about a half-hour’s time my life would be changed forever. I stood in awe when a massive bulk thrust itself down a giant oak tree. There, only about 60 feet away from me, stood a Bigfoot. It paused for a few moments before it twirled itself through some bushes behind the tree, disappearing from my view.
In what was only intended to be a half-hearted mini-adventure that day, turned me from being just a believer in Bigfoot, into knowing Bigfoot did exist. I left those woods that day thinking: “That was easy. What’s so hard about finding Bigfoot? The next time I come here, I’ll have to get a photograph of a Bigfoot.”
Never did I imagine I would become a Bigfoot researcher.
As the weeks, then months progressed after my initial encounter, I kept expanding my research area. Even before I had my second visual encounter with another Bigfoot 16 months later on January 7, 2004, I was realizing that it was futile for only one person to cover many square miles of territory. Gradually I came to concentrate on one small area where I had the two visual encounters. I drew a box on an aerial photograph of the location. The box was roughly a quarter of a square mile. This is what I now call my Main Research Box (MRB).
I know to most folks my MRB is an incredibly small area to research Bigfoot, but hear me out.
Besides the two visual encounters within my MRB, I’ve also had many sounds and signs of Bigfoot activity. I’ve seen numerous footprints, and have heard whistling, hand slapping, whooping, mumbling, grumbling growls, and very recently rock clacking. In the summer of 2003 I found a den with two apples inside it. The kind of apples I had been leaving out for the Bigfoot. Also at that time I discovered a shingle oak tree that had most of its limbs and branches ripped off its trunk, and placed in a large pile next to it. The pile measured about 20 x 12 feet, and was over three feet in depth. I simply refer to it as the Bed, although it never showed any signs of anyone ever sleeping on it.
I had established what I call my Food Drop between the Bed and the 2003 Summer Den quite by accident. Before I had been leaving food out for the Bigfoot at various locations. One day during that summer I couldn’t hike any further because I was worried my stitches were going to break from a recent appendix operation, so I dumped the food and left hidden in the nearby brush a hammer and trowel. The hammer and trowel were intended for use in erecting a food stand in the area. When I came back several days later the hammer and trowel were gone, as was the food. So I decided to start leaving the food there ever since. About a week after I lost my hammer and trowel, I found a small, smooth stone at the Food Drop. I kept it as a gift.
It took me about a year after I started going to the location that I could never out fox the Bigfoot family, or troop, there. So instead of camouflaging my HI-8 cameras, I decided to leave them out in the open, mounted on tripods. My hope is that over time the Bigfoot there will become accustomed to my cameras and tripods, and realize that my equipment is non-threatening. At first I don’t think the Bigfoot were too thrilled with the cameras. In September 2003 I had left a camera on a tripod near the 2003 Summer Den. Just before nightfall a large tree limb can be heard off-camera being snapped, followed by the sound of a couple loud thumps of someone(s) hitting the ground.
For the most part, I stay inside my MRB when I’m at the location. As small as it is, you get to learn which trees have recently fallen down, and what is out of place.
You don’t have to deal with these Bigfoot too long, to learn a poignant perspective. It’s not so much me observing them, as they are observing me.
[poll id=”9″]
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of names for Bigfoot/Sasquatch. Most regions and Native American groups have their own name for this giant biped. I could not include every local name is this poll but please vote for your favorite out of this listing.
As an active field researcher I must be careful not to attribute human characteristics to Bigfoot. Yet I believe there should be some room for being imaginative in trying to gain some insight on how the Bigfoot behave. It’s like a bit of a juggling act being performed on a skinny tightrope- trying to be objective in collecting Bigfoot evidence- while not overlooking something that seems insignificant at first glance. So here I go…
Recently I found a small hole in a grassy clearing about 50 yards from the area I call my Food Drop, where I leave the Bigfoot food at my Main Research Box. It looked as if the freshly dug hole had been made by someone scooping the dirt out with their hand. The hole was about the size of a peanut butter jar. Inside the hole I found a small handful of ripe corn kernels.
A few more kernels on the ground led to an ear of corn about 25 feet away. The ear was less than five inches long, and its husk had been peeled away. And a small pile of kernels lay next to it. Rows of kernels were still uniformly intact on the ear of corn. Someone had very neatly started on one end, and was picking off the kernels and was working their way to the fat end of the cob. My immediate impression was that I had interrupted someone at work.
I was a bit baffled as I tried to reason out a possible scenario: Did a squirrel do this? A raccoon? A deer, or another critter? A person? Bigfoot?
The big why was why weren’t the kernels eaten? Instead they had been plucked off.
If it was a Bigfoot, why would it be attempting to bury just the kernels? Why not the whole ear? Or a whole bunch of ears, like the Indians who used to inhabit this area did? Plus it was late September and the feed corn crop was fully mature, just waiting to be harvested, why bother going through with the tedious task of picking kernels off a single ear? Especially if arm loads of ripen ears could be easily grabbed just a few feet away?
The following Sunday I returned to the site and found the small hole still uncovered. All of the kernels of corn had been removed, and replaced with a handful of leaves. I recovered the small cob I found a week earlier. There were only a few kernels left on it.
During the week I had given some thought to what I had stumbled on the previous Sunday. It finally dawned on me that I was thinking too much like an adult. I realized what I found was the workings of a child at play. It made sense to me- I envisioned a child idling away its time as an adult(s) stood watch. I remembered my childhood when I would spend countless hours playing with Lego pieces or Lincoln Logs. There was no aim in my play- just having idle fun.
In 2003 I first noted a small Bigfoot print only about seven inches in length. The last time I had seen a similar print was in the late summer of 2004, and it was then eight and a half inches long. So I knew I was dealing with at least one juvenile inside my research box. On several occasions I’ve heard what sounded like kids playing inside the woods.
At the base of a nearby ridge I found a small pile of stones in September 2003. I was a bit bewildered how a pile of small stones happened to be placed there. They seemed out of place. Then in the springof 2005 I discovered another pile of small stones placed atop some leaves, further down the same ridge. I placed one stone in my back pocket, and moved on. Gradually I began to realize that the small stones I had seen reminded me of how I used to play with marbles as a kid. Even how on family trips my mom used to let me take some of my marbles with me, so I could idle away the time playing with them in the backseat of the car.
A few weeks later I returned to find the second pile of stones I had discovered. I looked very intensely for over an hour for the pile of stones, but couldn’t find them. I still have that small stone I had put in my back pocket. It’s roughly the size of a marble- but in no way is it perfectly round in shape. It is very smooth in texture when I rub it with my fingertips.
After I had found the small hole empty of corn kernels, I placed two cookies inside it and covered it back up with leaves. I was really hoping to make some type of personal connection with a juvenile Bigfoot by sharing the stash hole.
When I returned the next Saturday I found the two cookies still inside the hole, but crawling with insects. I was disappointed. But nearby at my Food Drop a small ear of corn was laying on the ground. Half of its kernels were neatly picked off by rows, and a pile of ripe kernels lay next to the ear.
I’m always telling people how the Bigfoot surprise me in the things they do. I have to remind myself that I think like a human. The Bigfoot do what they want to do, when they want to do it. Bigfoot is its own unique species.
Recently while doing some Spring cleaning my wife came upon this artwork. My wife was in an art class back in 1979 and used our two sons as models.
[poll id=”8″]
I hear about many sightings and suspected bigfoot activity. Many of these folks just want to get some feedback about their experiences. They do not want to formally submit their reports. To submit a report seems to mean that the witness has come to some sort of grips with their own experience. They no longer can brush it off as being nothing or an over active imagination.
But the importance of a published report also is that other readers are able to compare notes and perhaps be persuaded to post their own sighting. Especially important is a report from a new county. New county reports often bring other reports from the same area.
When I started my research in 2004 my first local contact was with a fellow who had been doing intensive investigations in an area close to my home. We soon became good friends and he unselfishly shared not only his area but also his knowledge and experience. Over the next two and half years we discussed many ideas about our research. He had had two daylight sightings and many footprint finds and recorded many vocalizations. When I started my website I encouraged him to let me set up a blog for him to share his findings. He was very enthusiastic about doing so and was a talented writer. He preferred to stay anonymous because his primary concern was always to safeguard the location of his research. He decided to use the name Argosy Project and so out of respect I will continue to do so.
It was with great sadness that in the Spring of 2007 he went to be with the Lord. I was at his bedside several days before he passed away. He spoke about the things he wished he had shared with me and of the articles that he still wanted to write.
I still maintain his blog at The Argosy Project and his video and audio recordings at Argosy Project – Audio and Video. To highlight his eight blog posts I will be posting them over the next few months. – Stan Courtney
Project Goals by Argosy Project
The Argosy Project is a field research effort to collect as much photographic, audio, and physical evidence of the Midwest hominid, generally referred to as Bigfoot.
A concurrent emphasis of the Argosy Project is to educate the public about the behavior and traits of Bigfoot. Bigfoot is a unique species, and there are many inaccurate myths perpetuated by the media, and some Bigfoot researchers..
The ultimate goal of the Argosy Project is to get local ordinances passed, and laws enacted at the state, and federal level to protect Bigfoot as a treasured species.
A Matter of Trust by Argosy Project
I know many people will question why I don’t go charging into the woods when ever I hear a Bigfoot nearby. When I’m at my main research box I consider myself a mere visitor, and I respect the Bigfoot who frequent this locale.
After four years of studying them, I would say it’s been only the past two years that the Bigfoot family has come to accept me enough to acknowledge my presence. The Bigfoot will often pound on wood, or let out a whoop to signal me. So there is a certain comfort level of familiarity where the Bigfoot will let their guard down when I’m around. I’d like to think of it as a matter of trust.
I strongly feel that if I get too heavy-handed with my research techniques, the Bigfoot will think I’m being too intrusive, and simply have nothing to do with me. Another researcher recently called my work there “slow and methodical.” To me, that’s a compliment.
Our society is geared for big results- done quickly. My belief is the Bigfoot have been around a very long time, most likely longer than us. So they don’t really need us, but they are probably as curious about us, as we are about them. I’m dealing with three Bigfoot individuals, and two more possibly, and it’s my obligation to respect them.
Two years ago another researcher asked me if we could ever study these creatures in a Jane Goodall-fashion. I flatly said, “No.” I couldn’t envision that possibility then, but my experiences with the Bigfoot there these past two years has altered my view. In the meantime, I will still feed the Bigfoot family cookies and leftover pizza. The Argosy Project continues.
[poll id=”7″]
Knowing that everyone has obligations with work and family I thought it would still be interesting to see how much time researchers try to get out and look for evidence.
Recently I came across this quote from Teddy Roosevelt. I think it appropriate to remember those field researchers who quietly go about their business of recording sounds, casting footprints and looking for evidence. Many of these individuals are unsung heroes not spending much time on the forums, chats or facebook. Instead they spend their spare time and vacations in the great American outdoors knowing that whatever they find or uncover will ultimately move the discovery of the last great mystery one step forward.
The Official White House portrait of President Theodore Roosevelt
John Singer Sargent — American painter – 1903
“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy course; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt
“Citizenship in a Republic,”
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
[poll id=”6″]
Writing by Minister_of_Information
Pongid Bigfoot
Pongid Bigfoot is the prevailing paradigm, that espoused by John Green, Rene Dahinden, Grover Krantz, and Jeff Meldrum. The characteristics of Pongid Bigfoot are:
* Descendant of Gigantopithecus blacki, generally a more distant relation of mankind than chimpanzees and bonobos
* Extremely rare, presumably endangered
* Restricted in range to the montane Pacific Northwest (including portions of Canada)
* Solitary
* Ape-like in intelligence and behavior
* Share few behavioral traits with humans
* Incapable of language or proto-language
* Generalized omnivore with heavy reliance on forage
* DNA samples from hair and scat are difficult or impossible to obtain
* Elusiveness explained by extreme rarity, nocturnal lifestyle, and a retiring temperment
* Preferred method of scientific documentation is capture or kill
* Genuine evidence of Bigfoot is rare, with hoaxing both ubiquitous and insidious within the body of evidence
* Supporters of this theory tend to be more skeptical of new evidence and less certain that Bigfoot exists
Hominid Bigfoot
Hominid Bigfoot is a minority view, espoused by Bayonev et al. The characteristics of Hominid Bigfoot are:
* Part of the hominid line, perhaps as closely related to mankind as Homo heidlebergensis
* Cunningly elusive rather than rare
* Ubiquitous across North America
* Social, but with solitary periods during the life cycle, especially for males
* Human-like in intelligence and behavior
* Share many behavioral traits with mankind with the notable exception of a technological culture
* Capable of language / proto-language, often thought to speak Native American tongues
* Specialized omnivore with heavy reliance on socially cooperative hunting
* DNA samples from hair and scat closely resemble human “contamination”
* Elusiveness explained by human-like intelligence and cunning, nocturnal lifestyle, retiring temperment, and possible culture-of-concealment which includes the active concealment of sign
* Preferred method of scientific documentation is habituation
* Genuine evidence of Bigfoot is more common than assumed by the Pongid camp, and hoaxing is a minor annoyance rather than a signficant problem
* Supporters of this theory tend to be less skeptical of new evidence and more certain that Bigfoot exists
Paranormal Bigfoot
Paranormal Bigfoot is a minority view, espoused by Jon-Erik Beckjord et al. The characteristics of Paranormal Bigfoot are:
* Uncertain lineage accompanied by possible alien genetic manipulation
* Extra-dimensional rather than necessarily rare
* Ubiquitous across an unknown range
* Social but with unknown aspects
* More than human intelligence
* Share behavioral traits with alien “grays”
* Capable of language and mental telepathy
* Unknown survival economy
* DNA manipulated by aliens
* Elusiveness explained by ability to shift dimensions and/or interact with UFOs
* Preferred method of scientific documentation is recognition that Bigfoot is a higher order being than mankind and the question of documentation is irrelevant
* Difficult to quantify the attitudes of the supporters regarding new evidence, except that they feel that the other camps are extremely misguided
Psychic / Imaginary Bigfoot
Psychic / Imaginary Bigfoot is a minority view, albeit one which seems to occupy a lot of space within the old guard of mainstream science. The characteristics of Psychic / Imaginary Bigfoot are:
* Not a physical entity
* The phenomenon is psychic or imagined in origin
* Reports are evidence of mass delusion
* BF characteristics are projected reflections of our ‘inner wildman’
* Physical evidence is wholly hoaxed or the result of wishful thinking
* Preferred method of documentation is evidence of mental instability and/or charlatanism among witnesses
* New evidence is yet more fakery or wishful thinking