Written by Randy "Rebelistic" Savig, MABRC Missouri State Director
I’ve become fascinated with the Bigfoot TV shows and all the Facebook groups make it looks so easy so I’m going to start my own group! I’ve got a perfect location and I’m sure nobody is doing it there or it would be on Facebook right? And I’ve got a ton of ideas that I’ve came up with! I’m so excited to get into the woods and find their signs, collect audio, and most likely get one on video or a picture. Wow this is going to be cool!!
If I had a dime for every time I’ve seen or heard this, I’d be able to buy a ton of equipment to take into the woods. I think Bigfoot research has become what ghost hunting has. Let me explain a bit. If you just watch the TV stuff and think it is really what happens out there you need to reconsider your thoughts. Folks, this is for entertainment. PERIOD! Not every spooky looking house in the world is haunted by evil ghosts or demons. The ghost hunting shows made it look so easy that everyone wanted to try it. You could go on the internet and buy all types of fancy ghost hunting equipment to guarantee you’d find a ghost. And when folks went out there, they showed them with a camera filming themselves running out of a house screaming because the old floor creaked which they knew was a demon or evil ghost coming to inflict all sorts of ills upon them, just like they do on TV. Tons and tons of natural things became ghosts because well, it had to be. I mean they were out ghost hunting, right? Video and camera artifacts automatically became normal things posted as true and real ghosts. Every sound recorded was a ghost saying this or that. People wanted it so bad that they actually went out of their way to hear things in what was actually natural sounds or recording artifacts. So, what has happened? Something that I feel should be truly researched and documented and could have some real discoveries won’t be taken serious by science because of all the garbage out there.
So now that very few people think ghost are real and science won’t even look at the actual evidence of potential ghostly activities, it has pretty much fallen to the side of being a joke. All the serious researchers and even scientists that were involved in long time research have seemed to disappear. Some of the places that did have what appeared to be legitimate haunting activities have closed access because of all the negative experiences they have had from all these “groups of real ghost hunters” that came in. Some were even destroyed just to avoid the harassment and trespass that was going on. All that potential evidence gone forever.
Sadly, this appears where Bigfoot research is going if not already there. It seems like everyday we see or hear of a “new” bigfoot group that has all these “new” ideas and all these fuzzy, grainy pictures and shaky videos of the”real” bigfoot that are out there. Auto focus and facial recognition stuff in cameras is great stuff ain’t it? When looking for faces you will find them even if they aren’t there. All the audio that is collected out there that just has to be bigfoot because this “new group” is out there looking for it, so it must be. And the sad fact is people who want to believe in Bigfoot ooh and ahh it as absolute proof and stroke the egos of these “new group’s new ideas” that work every time they hit the woods. And folks wonder why people are wanting to hoax things so that they can be an expert? They want the oohs and ahhs too. Folks that strive for attention can sure get it when saying bigfoot no matter how outlandish it is. We constantly see pictures repeat themselves over and over that is supposed to be taken yesterday by a buddy’s game cam of a real bigfoot. Whether it is the one who posted it that was hoaxing it or one of his buddies is trying to trick him, the results are the same. Arguments, hurt feeling, name calling, and it usually ends with something to the effect of if you were got out and looked you’d know. It’s a complete waste of research time. I think that a lot of folks that want to do honest research are driven away because of this sort of thing.
Now don’t get me wrong, we need people out there to help solve this mystery and I’m all for that. But like ghost hunting, folks are doing it without researching what is already out there. The invent of the internet has really been a double-edged sword. One side is it’s a great tool for learning what groups have done and using their experiences adding to the knowledge base. The other side is unfortunately where egos and popularity seem to be more important than anything else. Attention hungry people love to dazzle people with whatever they can pass off as real or get them the attention they seek. Facebook has not been beneficial to any type of mystery in my opinion. It’s only on Facebook where you can go from ghost, to bigfoot, to alien, to telepathic being, to interdimensional entity, to inner earth being, all in the same post by all who are self-professed experts in the situation. And the scary part is that they all have followers that will tear you to shreds if you dare ask how they came up with those conclusions. It’s really amusing of how the answer “I just know” seems to be acceptable in those cult-like situations. God help you if you dare question the Bigfoot gods of these groups! It seems real troubling to me that the search for what appears to be an undocumented animal has turned into a religion! WOW.
As far as these great “New” ideas that seem to recirculate with just a little research you can find out what results have been done in the past with them. One that was put out there again recently was the “Crying Baby” recording being played in the woods to attract a possible response. Yep. Its been done and definitely had results. The original poster had this thought that it may attract a female bigfoot through her maternal instincts. It sure could if one was in the area. However, with a little research you’ll also find out that the audio is very close to a fawn in distress, so it also could bring in predators looking for an easy meal. Bears, wolves, coyotes and even possible bigfoot could be drawn to your location so, IF you use it you had better be prepared for the outcome!
I recorded some vocalizations a few years back that I really think would draw them in, but I honestly am afraid to use it as it appears by the situation to be a territory dispute. I may be fairly gutsy out there, but I sure don’t want to challenge them to territory! So, as of yet we haven’t tried it.
Another recent “New” idea was walking with a camera mounted to see behind you. This gal went absolutely ballistic when she was told that it has and is being done as part of research. It was sad and comical all at the same time to see the responses on that post from folks. The ornery me wanted to post “yep, it was her New Idea that the captured interdimensional sasquatch we got last week was used to transport us into the future and steal that New Idea and transport back years ago and implement just so she couldn’t take credit for it!” I seriously fear that someone may have believed it as a fact! At the MABRC we have used for years the saying of thinking outside the box, but I think that has been taken as a challenge by some folks who don’t know what a box is.
So, if you aren’t into bigfoot to try and make a name for yourself, seek attention, or stroke your ego and just want to help try and prove the existence of an undocumented critter, what should you do? Join a group? If so what group? These can actually be easily answered. Do your research. How long has the group been around? What possible evidence have they shared? Are they close enough for you to easily participate? Do they have enough people to help with analyzing possible evidence you collect? What is the group’s goals in research? Don’t look for the perfect group because there are none. Each has folks with egos. Each has some members that don’t get along with members of other groups. Do they have info on their websites that shows what they do? What they have found? When you find one that seems to fit for you, humbly join it. My personal advice would also be to stay off Facebook unless you look at it the same way you do the TV shows, as entertainment! Don’t get me wrong there is some actual good information there, but you usually must wade through two tons of bull crap to find it and for me it is not worth my research time to do it.
What is wrong with a new group? Actually, nothing really, except that you’d be starting at ground zero just like every group out there did. Having the support and knowledge with a group of more seasoned researchers can be a huge asset to you. You can just get a quicker understanding of what seems to work best. You have other eyes and ears to help you understand what is what. Not every person can have a good understanding of possible tracks, tracking, possible structures, photo analysis, video analysis, audio analysis, etc., and so on. Another thing to consider. Is a group already actively researching the area your “new group” wants to research? The MABRC and APES holds a Fouke Expedition every year, that is one of those hot areas that a lot of folks want to research. It is one of the areas that anyone wants to experience where the Fouke Monster was as their curiosity of Bigfoot began from the famous movie. To keep from having contamination of the possibility of recording other researchers call blasts as possible evidence a lot needs to be done to try and assure it least likely to happen. Planning, research areas less travelled, being able to control access to the area of research all play part of making it a hopefully contamination free expedition.
Here’s a scenario that would be devastating to the bigfoot community. Let’s say two groups both want to research X river basin. Most likely it happens on a Friday or Saturday evening. Each set up on opposite sides of the river. Just over the bank and into the woods where neither can see the other. Both do some vocals and knocks. Each think that they are interacting with a possible bigfoot, but in reality, they are interacting with the other group. Both post it as a highly active weekend and what a great place they found. Did either hoax anything? Nope. Is any possible evidence collected over the weekend valid? Sadly, no unless the two groups can meet and compare all the evidence the other has and anything that isn’t the exact sounds as they both did could be bigfoot related. But what would most likely happen is both groups would bad mouth each other making a mockery out of the others and themselves. Tempers would flair and anyone in the scientific community that had a fleeting interest in either of the groups would run for the hills laughing at the amateurs now convinced that they are no bigfoot, just bigfooters making other bigfooters believe in bigfoot. I know it has happened before. A “New” group came into an area of another group and started the one up’em routine. Not only did bad mouthing and tempers flare, but deliberate misrepresenting possible evidence and even try in hoax the other so they could discredit the other group. And folks wonder why science doesn’t take Bigfoot research seriously. Why would they?
There are a lot of groups out there that have been there for a long time. New blood in older groups is a great thing. Different perspectives from new folks helps keep the old timers on their toes. More ears, eyes, boots and equipment on the ground can take a mediocre expedition with minimal possible evidence and make it excellent just by adding fresh ideas. If you want to ask an old timer why they think the way they do, you can ask, question, and even challenge their ideas. It really is acceptable to do that. If you want to be respected, remember, respect is a two-way street. You have an idea. Share it. New ideas are always wanted. New possible evidence is always wanted. But it is paramount to be willing to change your perspective and thoughts if the evidence is there. Even if it is different than what you were expecting. Just because I think I know something doesn’t make it fact. Fact is based on available evidence. And proving the existence of an undocumented animal doesn’t happen by what we know, it happens on what we can prove as fact. And the reality is that facts don’t care about feelings.
So you still want to start a “New” Bigfoot group?
