2017 Arkansas Bigfoot Conference

Join the Arkansas Primate Evidence Society (APES) next month for the Arkansas Bigfoot Conference in Vilonia, Arkansas.

So far, speakers have been announced as Lyle Blackburn, noted Bigfoot author who will talk about his new book, Beyond Boggy Creek, and show the documentary The Boggy Creek Monster by Small Town Monsters.  Randy Savig discussing audio recordings from the woods.  Jim Whitehead will speak about what to look for in the woods.

Mark Newbill will talk about being a relative new comer and how to get involved, and myself, Darren Lee, speaking about finding a research group to belong to.

This has become a very nice event to attend, and of course, you can also get a copy of Laughsquatch Robert Swain's books too.

Come join the fun on April 22, 2017.

Animal Eyeshine

One of the more interesting discussions that appears to pop up in discussing Bigfoot is the eyeshine that many researchers encounter while out in the woods at night.  There is a lot of debate about what color of eyeshine Bigfoot displays, or if Bigfoot even has eyeshine at night.

Let's discuss eyeshine first, and it's so much easier for me to refer to an article posted on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website about it.

"Until primitive man discovered fire, making it possible for him to light up the night, he probably was unaware that certain animals have eyes that seem to glow in the dark. Imagine how frightened he must have been the first time he looked beyond the comforting circle of his campfire light to see a pair of shining eyes watching him from the darkness. With his limited knowledge, he didn’t know the glowing eyes were the result of reflected light—not the work of demons or supernatural creatures.

Perhaps you shared his twinge of fear the first time you saw glowing eyes in the woods, especially if you were sitting around a campfire telling ghost stories or listening to those strange night noises that stir the imagination. Even though some of you may not have had the opportunity to see a wild animal’s eyes shine, you probably have caught a glimpse of this reflected glow in the eyes of a pet dog or cat.

Animals that display the brightest eyeshine, such as the bobcat, have more rods (light receptors) and fewer cones (color receptors) in their retinas than animals with no eyeshine. As a result, they have excellent night vision, but most are color-blind.

Eyeshine occurs when light enters the eye, passes through the rods (light receptors) and cones (color receptors) of the retina (image surface), strikes a special membrane behind the retina, and is reflected back through the eye to the light source. This special mirrorlike membrane, called the tapetum (ta-PEA-tum), is not present in the human eye. We have dark-colored cells behind our retinas, which absorb light rather than reflect it.

The majority of animals displaying eyeshine also are nocturnal animals.

Most of the animals with eyeshine are night hunters, and their ability to use the available light twice, once on the way in and again on the way out, gives these nocturnal animals additional light to see by. The majority of these glowing eyes belong to mammals, but spiders, alligators, and bullfrogs are a few other creatures with reflecting eyes. Some night birds also have eyes that glow in the dark, but their eyes do not have a tapetum layer. Scientists are still trying to solve the mystery of their source of eyeshine.

An interesting sidelight is that animals with the brightest eyeshine generally have more rods and fewer cones in their retinas. As a result they have excellent night vision, but most are color-blind.

Eyeshine coloration varies from the glowing reddish orange of the alligator to the yellows and greens of the deer and cat families. Just what causes these color differences has not been documented.

Although eyes with eyeshine are said to glow in the dark, they actually do not glow – they reflect available light. Light enters the eye, passes through the retina, and strikes a mirrorlike membrane called the tapetum. The tapetum reflects the light back through the eye to the light source. Eyeshine coloration varies with the species, amount of light, and the direction from which the light strikes the eye. Alligator eyeshine may vary from a bright reddish orange to an iridescent pink.

Because eyeshine is directed back to the light source, you must be in the right spot to be able to see it, usually directly behind the light. To increase your chances for seeing eyeshine, watch the roadsides carefully when riding in a car at night. The headlights often are reflected in the eyes of animals by the sides of the road. While walking at night with a flashlight, shine it in an arc around you and try to catch its reflection in the eyes of night creatures just beyond its circle of light. At times dozens of spiders’ eyes will reflect from patches of tall grass. Notice the eyes of your pet dog or cat as it approaches a lighted patio area, and you may be at the right angle to see its eyes reflect.

Those of you who have a cooperative cat might like to try this experiment. On the back of a small hand mirror draw a one-quarter-inch circle. Remove the silver from the circle to form a peephole. Get as close to your cat’s eye as possible while looking through the peephole. The reflective side of the mirror should face the cat. Turn off all lights except for one small lamp located across the room from you or let a friend shine a small flashlight in your direction. Tilt and adjust the mirror until the light from the lamp or flashlight is reflected into the cat’s eye. Since the light striking the eye comes from the mirror, rays from the tapetum will be reflected back to the mirror. Through your peephole you should be able to see the red blood vessels of the retina against the sparkling surface of the tapetum.

Cat eyes vary from yellowish gold to bright green.

Information on eyeshine is very sketchy, but perhaps one day further research into the subject will reveal some of its secrets. In the meantime we can but wonder about eyeshine, another mystery of nature.


Additional Information:
Ilo Hiller
1983 Eyeshine. Young Naturalist. The Louise Lindsey Merrick Texas Environment Series, No. 6, pp. 40-42. Texas A&M University Press, College Station."


So now that you have read up about eyeshine in animals, let's talk about how it affects Bigfoot research.

One of the most spoken comments I hear from people who report seeing eyeshine is that "it had red eyeshine and it was 10 feet up in the air, no animal can be that high and have red eyeshine."

Most people will adamantly stand their ground and claim that it was Bigfoot, even when you try to get them to understand, that it could possibly be a small animal sitting on a branch of a tree at that height.  I personally have nearly gotten my head knocked off by people who were completely believing that what they saw was a Bigfoot standing in the dark, and all they could see was it's red eyeshine.

Well, let's take a look at the following chart about what color certain animals have when the light hits there eyes.

From the chart, we see that the following animals have red eyeshine, Owls, Whip-poor-will, Black Bears, Opossums, Porcupine and even domestic cats sometimes have red eyeshine.

Now let's step back for a second, and think about each of these animals, they all tend to either be in trees, or climb in trees.

See, animals that reflect red eyeshine do indeed climb up in trees and go out on branches, even the porcupine climbs into trees.

If they are in trees, that could mean that they can get up over 10 feet from the ground, and the smaller animals can get out on branches away from the trees to appear as if they are in mid-air.

As researchers, we have to debunk everything we can, before we can even say it's "possibly" or "probably" a Bigfoot making the eyeshine, or whatever else we encounter.

Unless you can shine your flashlight on the animal making the eyeshine and confirm that it is a Bigfoot standing there, all you can do is assume what is making the eyeshine.  And we all know what assume means, "When you ASSUME means that you make an ass out of you and me".

The skeptics will and do tear you apart when you ASSUME anything in this field of research, you literally have to take the scientific approach, investigate your claim, try to debunk your claim, and when you have exhausted all avenues, then, and only then, say "possibly" or "probably".  Being absolutely definitive about anything will come back to bite you.

Anomalist's Books & Brews Bigfoot Speakers Feb. 25

As members of the MABRC, I know both Jim and Carl really well, they both know their stuff.  This will surely be a good event to attend.  

For tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/presentations-by-jim-whitehead-and-carl-hartline-regarding-bigfoot-tickets-31575967569 

Starting your own Bigfoot Research Group.....Part 3

Wow, a lot of time has elapsed since part 2 of this series, and I apologize for the delay.

I was going to discuss how to find research areas, but I will hold off on that as it's own separate article.

Randy Savig wrote an excellent article last week about why you should go on an expedition, I would recommend you read that article too.

Let's discuss how to plan for an expedition for your group now.  For the MABRC, it's a lengthy process that begins with setting a date for the expedition and the location.  This is usually done several months in advance so that people can begin making plans to attend and begin putting the resources together to be used on an expedition.  There is also two different types of expeditions that the MABRC holds, one is the general expedition, where everyone that wants to attend may.  The other is the specialized expedition, in which, those members with special skill-sets are asked to go along and not opened to the general membership.

Always remember the following!!

MABRC expeditions on the whole, usually consist of from 10 to 25 people, and the detail that goes into planning an expedition ensures that the expedition goes smoothly, and that anyone can step up and take the lead knowing what the overall plan is.

Let's walk through the process.

A MABRC member wants to have an expedition in one of their research sites.  By default, they are now the expedition leader unless they ask someone else to be the leader.  They then post on the MABRC Message boards in the Expedition Planning area that they want to hold an expedition along with the preferred date for it.

Other MABRC members then post whether they can attend or not, and an idea is put together how many will be attending.

Now the planning can be done, based on perspective numbers of attendees.  

An Expedition Briefing Summary is then put together to distribute to all who will be attending, including those independent researchers and members of other groups who are invited to attend.

What does the Expedition Briefing Summary contain?

• Summary of the area
• Summary of the objective
• Sunrise/set data
• Moonrise/set data
• Moon phase data
• Weather outlook, must be updated starting 10 days prior to the expedition from weather.com and must be posted on the forum thread for the expedition planning.
• Site selection
• Background information for area, including any suspected Bigfoot activity.
• Topo maps/aerial photos of the target area.
• Primary objectives
• Secondary objectives
• Standby objectives
• Personnel requirements/skill sets needed along with role determinations for participants.
• Equipment requirements
• Expedition rules/land-owner rules.

Shown below is an expedition summary from Memorial Day 2013, as an example.

As you can see, it's better to contain too much information than not enough.  With this information, anyone in the group can step up and lead the expedition should the expedition leader get injured or is unavailable for whatever reason.

Within 10 days of the expedition, weather updates begin to be posted on the expedition planning thread, this gives the members of the expedition enough advance warning to pack the type of gear they will need.  For example, if rain is in the forecast, members can pack rain gear, bring tarps to hang up over the common areas where people will be sitting, and also to bring protective coverings for their equipment.

If the expedition is going to be a large one, with people coming in from different states, the MABRC will have an online meeting where they will discuss the expedition.  Some of the slides below show parts of a meeting.

As some will note, we cover over in more detail about the Briefing Summary, and discuss between all the attendees.  This is a good time for attendees to also bring forward anything they would like to try while on the expedition.

Once the whole plan is in place, we always refer back to Murphy's Law.

No matter the amount of planning will ever take into account every situation, but it will give you an edge and let you adapt and overcome most situations if you have a basic game plan in sight.

Most folks who have served in the real military, (Sorry Air Force :)  ) you know that most plans go out the window when the first shot is fired.  It's always safe to assume that this is true for Bigfoot Expeditions.  Just be able to adapt to the situations, but always try to stay true to the original plan.

One main rule that I have as the Executive Director of the MABRC, is that when I plan an expedition, I am always the first in, last out, sometimes there will be members who beat me there, or stay longer, but they know that it's on them when they are there without me.

Once the expedition is on-site, copies of the briefing summary are available for anyone who wants one, (usually most folks will print it out before arriving and bring it with them.) and maps of the overall area are where they can be viewed.

The MABRC also maintains a strict Zero-Trace policy where we make sure to pack out all of our trash, and return the camp area back to it's original state as much as possible.

I hope that this helps someone out on planning their own expeditions.  The MABRC has held over a hundred plus expeditions, not counting specialized expeditions, and this has worked for us many times over.

Why Is Going On Expeditions Important?

An article written by 

Randy "Rebelistic" Savig, MABRC Missouri State Director

I've been asked by a lot of folks why do you go on expeditions?  Don't you get enough activity in your own research area?  Why spend all that money and time to just sit around a campfire with other folks?

First lets talk about what an expedition is.  I've only attended expeditions that the MABRC (Mid-America Bigfoot Research Center) and APES (Arkansas Primate Evidence Society) put together so I can only talk about those experiences.  An Expedition is a gathering of new and seasoned researchers to compare methods, test hypothesis’s, and gather possible evidence of an unknown primate.  There is day hikes and deployment of equipment.  Night hikes are one that seems to be a favorite for a lot of researchers as there does appear to be more that activity after the sun goes down than when it is out.  There is a lot of knowledge shared about the different kinds of technology used in research, none of which is specifically designed for what we want them to do in the woods.  There is a big learning curve of how we can take off the shelf technology and adapt or modify it to withstand the weather and environmental conditions we use them in.  Being able to have a hands on experience with the different types of technology before spending money on it is worth the time in my opinion.  You can also learn a lot about what type is good and not so good and why.  What kind of evidence gathering technology can you add to what you already use?
   
We all know that evidence is hard to collect, let alone collaborate possible evidence with the different equipment to make the evidence stronger.  There are very few researchers out there that can afford ALL the different equipment and become proficient in its use.  One other thing is the review time needed to review for the possible evidence collected for each of the types of equipment.  And that is where expeditions can be so useful.  Most researchers seem to adopt and excel in the use of one or two types of technology and become proficient in it's use, limitations, and analyzing the data collected.   There are no experts in this field, but there are those who have taken the time to gain the knowledge to become somewhat of a "specialist" with the equipment they have to where they understand its use and to effectively analyze the data collected.  The first time I looked over the shoulder of someone with a thermal imager I thought we were surrounded by bigfoot as there were heat signatures everywhere.  Just to find out that they were rocks from being heated from the sun during the day.  With the small screens on them it is really hard for me to comprehend the sizes of the different heat signatures.  The same can be said for photograph and video cameras.  Without working with them a lot it is easy to see things in shadows that aren't really there.  With audio there is a whole lot of headphone time to try and identify possible sounds with the distortions that happen with audio in the woods. I know for me I've come away from a 3 day expedition with 36+ hours of audio from each of the 5 audio recorder setups I deployed that expedition to review.  It takes a lot of time to listen to it and compare notes of what happened on the other recorders for the same time periods.  The fun in the woods is always less than the time needed after the woods.

During expeditions you can bring together all the "specialists" that know the technology they are proficient with that can lead to some of the best evidence collection.  For me I think the ideal scenario would be to have several pieces of equipment recording the same event to collaborate each of the other's.  Lets take a hypothetic situation.  Lets say a possible bigfoot is moving to the northeast of camp.  Someone sees the movement.  A camp audio recorder is running and records the movement.  Someone with thermal experience sees a heat signature and records it.  Someone with night vision experience also sees it and is recording it's movement.   Then someone with video experience gets the camera ready.  Everyone else at camp gets their brightest flashlights ready.  When the thermal and night vison folks gives the go, all lights light up the subject so that you have four pieces of equipment recording it and what it does that is backed up with multiple eye witnesses.  That would be the ideal collaboration of evidence and make a very strong case to help prove it does exist to the scientific establishment.  This type of thing is not possible if you don't have the proper equipment and people in one place as no one piece of technology will ever prove the existence.

Expeditions are also a great place to expand your knowledge.  Take tracking for instance.  I am not a very good tracker, but there are those that are good at it that are always willing to share what they know with you so you can improve your research abilities.  The more eyes, ears, and knowledge you have the more likely you are to be able to collect evidence because you have a lot of ideas from folks with experience with the different equipment of where to set up for the best chances of evidence collection.  Experience counts a lot, but so does new ideas so nothing is off the table when it comes to expeditions.  Some of the recent experiments that has found to be beneficial that were tested during expeditions are The Silent Hills Project that showed how far knocks and vocals can be heard in woods, and The Ghost Post that was able to verify where a travel route when following people out of the woods at night in a researcher’s area.  None of this could be done without a group of people working together to try and figure out what is actually happening.  This is also a time where researchers can push the envelope they wouldn't normally do as they know there is others there that have their back.  If the expedition is at new place to be explored as to whether it would be a productive area of research or from a possible sighting, the more boots and equipment on the ground can give a better chance of getting possible evidence and answering that question.  Having an expedition in a researcher's area can give data to the researcher of where he/she can spend more of their time to better gather possible evidence with the time they have for researching. It is also a great way for a researcher to get a lot of data that would take them months to get if they researched it by themselves.

For myself, working with audio I find it very beneficial to compare possible vocals from other areas with what I collect in my own area.  That way I can try and figure out if vocals change with the seasons, better identify patterns, and try to figure out what the context of the vocals is and why they may be using them.  For me the more the data the better the understanding of them we can get.  Collaborating evidence with the different kinds of technology we use in the woods make it easier it is to verify that there is something in the woods!  We all like to hear the stories of the experiences a researcher or witness has in the woods.  That is a cool stuff to hear.  But if there is collected audio of the vocals they heard during the experience it puts more weight to the experience and is even better in proving the experience.  And if there is pictures, video, or a thermal with the audio and experience now it comes alive and there is less to dispute of the authenticity of the experience.  Even if the subject's vocals, video, and thermal turns out to be a known animal it does verify the experience and all the parties can learn from the collected evidence on what to listen or look for if it happens again at a later time.  And who knows it may help prove that a thought to be exterminated or extinct animal that is alive and well.  No that isn't the target species that we are looking for but real interesting data none the less.  It also helps a bunch to know what known critters are there as a way of knowing what resources in the area that might help sustain a bigfoot. 

If you are curious in an expedition with any group out there you should first do your homework.  Look at the groups procedures and protocols when it comes to expeditions.  I avoid expeditions that charges money when there a lots of groups who don't charge.  Don't be afraid to ask questions about how a group does expeditions.  It is our hard earned money getting us there and the expenses of being in the woods so I want as much of a bang for my buck as I can get.  I've heard horror stories of people being charged to go on expeditions and have it cancelled for whatever reason and losing their money or going to an expedition site to find it was empty and no one there.  Look for a group that has posted results of their past expeditions.  Was there new stuff being tried and what were the results?  What possible evidence have they found?  Is there more than one kind of evidence being collected?  Ask people that attended an expedition from the group you are interested in about their experiences when they attended.  Was it all hype or a spooky story telling session rather than boots on the ground and actual fieldwork?  Did attending the expedition help with their personal research?    Expeditions should be a learning experience for newbies and well as the old-timers.  If it isn't why spend the time and money to go?

I really enjoy participating in expeditions and go on them whenever I get a chance.  It can be a very fun and fulfilling time for you so I’d say give them a try. 

Starting your own Bigfoot research group....Pt 2

In the previous article, we talked about the ground work you should do before even starting your own Bigfoot research group.  Now let's talk about staffing your group.

At the MABRC, we created our own online presence, through a website and a message board.  This allowed us to post our evidence, techniques, policies, procedures, and to allow members to communicate with each other.

We also created an online application and sighting report forms, for the public to join the organization or turn in sighting reports.  Now you may not want to go this route, you may be thinking you only want a small group, nothing like the huge mega groups like the BFRO, GCBRO, MABRC, etc., but you should really think in the long run, that the group may grown, and you need a way to communicate to your members.

Let's go through the process of how a new member is brought into the organization.  They first have to fill out the online application (we have paper copies that we use at conferences and other events) and they will hit the submit button.  Here is a list of items on the application that we ask.

*Full Name:
*Street address:
*City/Town:
*State/Province:
 *Zip Code:
*Home Phone:
Cell Phone:
*E-mail address:
Website address:
*Why do you want to join?
*What experience, skills or qualities do you feel you will bring to the MABRC?
*What equipment do you have that is beneficial to field research?
*Describe briefly what sparked your interest in Sasquatch?
*Are you affiliated with any other Sasquatch Research groups, organizations, etc.?
If so, which one(s). Please note, you can be a member of other organizations
Besides just the MABRC.
*How much time do you have to devote to MABRC, active field research or witness
investigations?
*Do you believe Sasquatch have any special abilities beyond the abilities of known
animals? If so, please explain.
*Have you developed any theory or hypothesis on the origin of Sasquatch, Sasquatch
Behavior or research tactics? If so, please explain.
*Do you believe Sasquatch is a flesh and blood creature? If not, please explain.
*Do you have much experience with work in a wilderness setting?
*Would you have interest in being an active field researcher? Or in a support role?
*Have you joined the MABRC forum yet?
*When is a good time to call for an interview?

All the items marked with an "*" is considered necessary items, failure to answer those items usually means the application is put in file 13.   Missing just one, is alright, but you would be amazed at how many people will fill out this application and not put any information on how to contact them.

However you use a membership application, via the web or in paper form, you need to keep copies of everyone that gets turned in to you.  Because somewhere down the road, someone will contact you about a membership application that they thought they turned in, and make a fuss.  This way you can go back and check into it.

I admit, I have misplaced several applications over the years, so now they are all copied onto the forum/message boards under the MABRC Organizational Members only area, like a file cabinet.

Next thing on the agenda is an interview.  Sometimes this isn't necessary because the person is being sponsored into the group by an organizational member, and is brought in on their recommendations.

The MABRC has a rule, that we will attempt to contact an applicant 3 times on the times they give us to call, if they don't answer, then we file 13 that application.  (We don't throw it away, we simply move it to a folder where we put other "dead" applications at.)

Once we do contact the applicant, the interviewer will talk to them for a little while, covering a lot of questions about the person's bigfoot beliefs, what abilities they think Bigfoot has, what theories or hypothesis they have about Bigfoot, and really go into depth about some of the answers they gave on their application.

There will even be questions about the background of the person, in terms of experience, skill sets, and even if they have had an encounter with a Bigfoot.

The interviewer is always a senior member of the group, who knows what type of person will fit in with the group.  If the person is a braggart, a know it all, or generally just a cranky person in general, it will come out in the phone interview.

You don't want over-bearing individuals coming into your group and raising a ruckus, so that is the purpose of the interview, to weed those type of people out.

Now if the interviewer decides that the person will be a good fit in the group, we bring them in on a 90 day trial probation, we've just never told anyone that they were on probation, because we don't want them to be on their best behavior because of it, we want them to hit the ground running with us, that is the only way to see how a person will end up being.

We also have them join the forum/message board, and they begin to have access to the MABRC Organizational Members area where all investigations, expeditions, evidence, tactics, procedures and more are discussed before being posted to the public side of the forum/message board for everyone to see.

They are encouraged to interact with the older members of the group, in order for them to get acquainted with the newbies.  This also aids in weeding out those folks who managed to get through the interview process and not being a good fit in the group.

The old timers if they are close enough to a new member, will invite them along on investigations, expeditions, and just general research, and get to know the member in the field.  If the new member is too far from other members to participate, it's not a requirement that they have to travel far to do things with other members.

We have had new folks travel 400 miles or better to attend an expedition to meet others in the group, and those folks have become quite an asset for the group.

Now you are probably thinking, okay so these are folks who are researching in the field, what about those who can't.

Well, the MABRC was the first organization that included arm-chair researchers into the group.  Except we gave them a special title, Analyst.

Our analysts in the MABRC do a lot of work in the background to help keep the researchers in the field gathering evidence.  They review audio, video, photos, and comb through reports and articles looking for information that can be used by the researchers.  Some analysts also do equipment reviews, design equipment in the field and more.

Just because someone can't get into the field, doesn't mean they can't be useful.  Everyone can put effort into your cause.  Just because someone may be in a wheelchair, doesn't mean they are not a valuable asset to your group.

Once a person is also brought into the group, we give them a copy of our Jr. Researcher Handbook, that explains how the MABRC works as a group, our different levels of leadership, and a lot of tactics and procedures to use in their own research.

We also have levels that researchers/analysts go through as they learn more, and become better at researching/analyzing.
All start out at the Junior Researcher/Analyst position.  As they begin to grow in knowledge and skill, they get promoted to Researcher/Analyst.
From there, they are watched by Senior Researchers/Analysts for their progress.  Once they achieve a higher level of training, skills and more, then they are promoted to Senior Researchers/Analysts.

Now a lot of folks will no doubt post snide comments on Facebook about how the MABRC does things, but I post this here for anyone really serious about starting their own groups, as a place to refer to for any ideas of their own when it comes to creating a good solid group.

Currently the MABRC has well over 500 members across the globe and although we have taken hits in the past from people, we still continue to grow.  When I started the group, I figured we may have about 100 people at the most in the group.  Always expect growth in your group if you do the right things.

The next article will deal with finding research areas and conducting expeditions for your group.

Starting your own Bigfoot research group....Pt 1

So you have decided you want to start your own bigfoot research group.  Folks have asked me quite a few times, D.W. how do you start a bigfoot research group.  First off, I have to say like Mr T.

I thought long and hard how to write this article, and decided to write it in several parts.

The very first thing I would suggest anyone doing before they seriously consider starting their own bigfoot research group is to read Steve Hyde's excellent article "Six things a new Bigfoot researcher should think about" by going to the following link.

Because this also fits into what to expect when you try to start your own bigfoot research group.  

So let's go down the list here, along with my recommendations.

1. BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE, HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF EXACTLY

WHAT IT IS YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH.

What do you want to accomplish with this group?  There are so many groups out there already, what makes you think your group will be needed?  When I was investigating ghosts back in the 90s, there wasn't many groups around to investigate the paranormal, then "Ghost Hunters" came on the air, and suddenly everyone started their own groups.  Before you knew it, there were too many around, and serious infighting began as people strived to stake out their territory and find places to investigate.

The same holds true now with "Finding Bigfoot" on the air, everyone wants to start their own group, basically you are seeing that the Bigfoot community is being saturated with different groups, each with their own different views, beliefs, theories, etc.  Each group tries to maintain their presence in the community, with many soon falling by the wayside because they can't make an impact on the community.  

The best advice I can give you, is to decide what will make your group stand out in the community.  Give yourself and your group a clear mission statement that outlines what you want to accomplish.  Stay away from blanket comments like "WE ARE NO KILL" or "WE ARE PRO-KILL", that should be left up to individual members on where they stand.  You can say that no hunting of Bigfoot while conducting organizational events, i.e. witness investigations, expeditions and so on.

The MABRC mission statement  is placed here for reference of what I am talking about.

“To be the best in research, by freely providing information to MABRC members and the public, through the various means at our disposal, to lead the way in protocols and procedures, to maintain the highest level of ethics in the Bigfoot Community.

The MABRC will also not become embroiled in the politics that hinder the Bigfoot Community, and become the showpiece of what a Bigfoot Research Organization should be. We will always maintain professionalism under all and any circumstances, show kindness and consideration to others regardless of their stature or what their circumstances may be.

While continuing to think outside the box, the MABRC will continue to lead the way so that others may follow.”

Now I will state quite clearly before anyone points it out, that in the MABRC mission statement, is says we won't get embroiled in the politics.  No matter how much you try, you will always find your group getting pulled into the politics, it's something your group will not be immune too.

You should also decide upon a clear concise name to go by, as many groups out there already exist, you need to do a Google search on every name you come up with, to see if it's already being used.

Creating a logo is also necessary to give your group it's identity.  There are lots of free logo makers on the Internet to create you a logo if you don't have someone with good digital artist skills.

And creating the guidelines for how your organization will work is important too.  The MABRC created the "7 Golden Rules" that is the fundamental rules of the group,  I post those here for reference for anyone wanting to possibly create their own.

The MABRC is guided by 7 fundamental rules that are referred to as the “Seven Golden Rules”. These rules have remained unchanged since the inception of the MABRC and will not be modified unless by unanimous vote of the MABRC.

1. We share information with each other freely although some witness ID and location may be withheld due to witness request.

2. We don’t intrude on each others research areas or witnesses without contacting each other ahead of time.

3. No-Kill/Pro-Kill is left up to the individual researcher; we don’t endorse either way as a group.

4. Each researcher’s evidence and research belongs to him (or her) although we do encourage sharing of information among researchers in the group.

5. Each researcher may voice their opinion or belief without fear of condemnation or abuse from other members.

6. You contribute what you can; no one is expected to do it all.

7. Be the best researchers we can be, by thinking outside the box.

Every member has a right to say what they think about anything that may come up or need to be talked about.

Breaking of these rules can lead to expulsion from the MABRC, and should not be taken lightly.

It is expected that all MABRC Researchers and Analysts will present themselves in a professional and courteous manner no matter where they are. As a MABRC Member, you represent an organization striving to become the foremost research group in the world today.

By creating this fundamental foundation to work from, you will find attracting like-minded individuals will be easier.

Now for the next item.

2. BE WARY OF PEOPLE. YOU WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT HUMAN
NATURE THAN YOU EVER WILL ABOUT BIGFOOT.

This couldn't be farther from the truth.  You will learn more than you ever thought you would about human nature.  People will come and go throughout your organization's existence that will cause you more grief than you can imagine.

You will have people attempt their own agendas against the organization, for their own gratitude.

In the early days of the MABRC, we had an individual who considered himself a "Facilitator" between the group and other groups, scientists, academics, etc..  Yet the bottom line was, it had to be his agenda regardless or he would try to destroy the organization.  When he was removed from the group, he attempted to destroy the MABRC by contacting everyone that he had ever contacted and made up lies about the group in order to destroy it.

His agenda went against the "7 Golden Rules" of the MABRC, and it took years to repair the damage he inflicted between the MABRC and other researchers.  I once got to sit down and talk to Craig Woolheater at a MABRC Expedition that he came to as a visitor.  He gave me the best advice he could for the leader of a Bigfoot research group.  Your group will always have enemies trying to destroy you, but your biggest threat will come from those ex-members you have to purge from your group.

He was correct in that assessment.  As members come and go, you will find that those who you either remove or quit due to fundamental beliefs, etc., will sometimes become your worst enemies.

Another important piece of advice I give to anyone wanting to start their own group, you better have a very, very, thick skin.  Because as the head of your organization, you have the bullseye on your back.  You will catch the heat, you will catch the criticism, and you will always, always, be given the blame for anything that goes wrong.  You can do 100 things right, and only one thing wrong, and people will always remember the wrong thing, never the good things.

3. BE OBJECTIVE. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A THEORY AND
A BELIEF.

This one is a no-brainer, always be skeptical of all the evidence, witness reports, and even when your best friend in the group tells you what they saw, maintain a level of skepticism.  That is how you build credibility, when you don't accept everything as Bigfoot, and you try to debunk everything.  When you can no longer can debunk evidence, then you can say "possibly" or "probable" that a Bigfoot might have done it.  When putting evidence out there, always maintain the attitude that its a "possible" or "probable" Bigfoot.  That will always put you in a good light with other researchers, because if you don't do your best to debunk your own evidence, when you release it to the public at large, others will debunk your stuff.  And a lot of them won't be gentle with what they say.  Once again, you better have a very thick skin for it all.

4. ALWAYS QUESTION YOUR ASSUMPTIONS.

Did I mention, that you should always be skeptical??  Even if you have seen a Bigfoot on multiple occasions like I have, you maintain your skepticism on the amount of evidence being presented these days.  Create policies and procedures on how to do your research, how to do analysis on your own.  The Bigfoot Field Guide series of books that you can order from here is a great start on how to do your own analysis of your evidence.

5. BE SKEPTICAL, OBJECTIVE AND REALISTIC ABOUT EVIDENCE AND
KNOW ITS LIMITATIONS.

By adhering to scientific protocol, following what the evidence shows, not what you assume it to be, is key to presenting valid evidence that many in the Bigfoot Community will accept.  I've been doing this since the early 90's, and let me tell you, I have been through the ringer on evidence when I presented it, I earned my stripes from being assailed by many of the other researchers over my evidence, I quickly learned to go through it with a fine tooth comb before I let it go out to the public.  And I had a tough skin.  I understood that many of those researchers weren't being mean or hateful to me, they wanted the same thing I wanted, good evidence to come out, and they were trying to show me the way to do it properly.

6. THE BIGFOOT MYSTERY IS SOLVABLE, AND YOU CAN BE THE ONE
WHO SOLVES IT.

It's been tossed back and forth between many of the old timers in the Bigfoot Community that the Bigfoot mystery will more than likely be solved by either a logging truck smacking into a Bigfoot crossing the road, or by some young kid out hunting who blasts a Bigfoot in the woods.  While this may appall many folks who are die-hard No-Kill, the truth of the matter is, only a body will totally solve the mystery.  Now that doesn't mean that if you get the ultimate video or photograph of one, that you may solve the mystery, but you have to remember, the multitude of photo and video software out there that can be used to manipulate evidence makes that type of evidence moot.

Now that we have those out of the way, we will do part 2 tomorrow.  We will talk about how to structure your group.