Bear? Bigfoot? St. Bernard?

I'm gonna have to go back and check the dates, but I'm pretty sure it was July 15, 2012. I decided to take the long way home from Target. I was alone so there wasnt anyone there to argue the detour. I drove up the road and made a left onto another rd. around 7:20 pm. It was super hot so I had all the windows down.
I passed the fire station and the pumpkin patch. I was enjoying the ride while always cautious of the fact a deer, or several, could be lurking around the next bend. While rounding the last bend before descending into the next town. I saw the hindquarters of a large brown coppery animal disappear into the brush right at the end of the guard rail. I'd say I was 50-60 yds. Away.
I don't remember slowing down, but I do remember saying out loud, to myself "What the f* was that?" as I rolled up the windows. Upon approaching the exact spot I had spotted whatever it was I was too fearful to check the side it was on but instead checked the side it must've come from. There was a house there.
Bear, was my immediate thought, but even that seemed far fetched. A very, very large dog, I tried reasoning. The whole way home I tried to rationally decide what I had seen.
When I arrived home I jokingly updated facebook that I thought I had seen a bear, possibly a baby bigfoot. I immediately searched bear sightings in PA. The first thing that came up was the Jacob's photo being identified as a bear with mange. it was the closest thing i could find that resembled what I'd seen.
I had been somewhat enthusiastic about Bigfoot for a few years before this day. No research or anything. Just thoughts and and interest.
A friend I spoke with confirmed a bear had been sighted in that area that evening, but I always wonder. I'm attaching a pic of the Jacob's photo and also my location of the sighting. The picture is from yesterday, so over 8 mos. from the time. Even if it was a bear, It's still a good sighting, I feel.

On My Way 2

This is the video I spoke of in my post titled 'On My Way'. It was a 2 minute film that ended up over 7 minutes once I edited it. I, myself, haven't actually watched it in its entirety.
My idea wasn't to actually find something, but rather get a feel for filming and editing.
It was March 9, 2013 around 12:30 pm. We were on route 22W, I believe, and I filmed for about 2-4 miles. Guaging distance and noting landmarks aren't my strong points, but I'm making an effort. I do recall passing a sign for the state gamelands and I also recorded an exit sign naming whichever area we were close to. I know we were not far from the PA/WV border.

If anyone actually watches this I will be greatly surprised. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Do Bigfoot Like Apples?

If there is one thing I've learned since joining the bigfoot community it's that the group as a whole are a passionate people.
Whether they are passionate that:
they think bigfoot isn't real  
they think bigfoot is real 
they saw a bigfoot and want you to believe them
they captured a bigfoot (on film, in a net, in a parallel dimension, in a dream). We are a passionate bunch.
Even people with the same belief can be brought to a disagreement over something bigfoot related. I see it everyday. And it doesn't only apply to the bigfoot community I guess. But it's the only place I've ever been where there is not enough knowledge/proof/concrete evidence one way or the other to solidify your belief or back up your claims. People with sightings and encounters can tell their stories til they are blue in the face and there will always likely be a handful of people who will not credit their account.
Example
Guy 1."Nope, I don't buy it. You know why? Bigfoot do not eat apples. They hate them."
Guy 2. "I beg to differ. My grandfather fed a whole family of bigfoot apples for years."
Guy 3. "The apples were gone. That is all I'm saying."
Guy 4. "Guy 1 is right. They never eat apples."

Overall, most want the final outcome to be that bigfoot are recognized by science as a living, breathing species. I'm not sure what takes place after that. I've heard some hope for civil liberties, rights as americans. I've heard others hope for protection and conservation. I'm leaning more toward the latter.
If there ever is a final word on the subject I do hope the findings are brought forth in a respectable, harmless manner. Nature, regardless of demand, deserves respect.

Curiosity Killed the Cat

I've seen more photos and videos of stacked rocks, foot prints, bent trees and bigfoot than I care to admit in public. I've listened to audios of alleged bigfoot and even gone as far as to listen to barred owl recordings at length in hopes that i may be able to rule them out if I'm ever in a situation where I may need to differentiate between the two.
My only problem with these pictures and videos is I'm not an expert. I don't know what stacked the rocks, left the prints or bent the trees. I don't know what that blurry blob standing in the trees is. I pretend I do. I'll stare, rewind, speed up and pause. Sometimes I spend more time than I'd like to admit in public on one piece of evidence that I find fascinating. I know I'm not the only one. We all have our favorite aspects of Bigfoot.
One of my favorite pieces isn't evidence at all. It's a picture that I took myself in my own backyard, literally. I went on my back porch one night and my prescience scared a neighborhood cat who was lounging in the snow. I found it strange he was comfortable there. Anyway the next morning I noted the print the cat left strongly resembled all of the prints I had spent so long looking at. Upon closer inspection I found it was complete with toe prints. One of the best Bigfoot foot prints I'd ever seen and it was left by a cat.
I'm definitely not saying all photos of suspected Bigfoot prints were left by cats. I'm just saying maybe every Bigfoot print wasn't left by a Bigfoot.

On My Way

Over the weekend we made a trip to WV for the day. I decided I'd pull out my phone and record a bit of the woods/countryside/whatever along the highway as we went. Now, the only thing that stuck out to me before that was trees, large and small broken or completely uprooted every 30 ft or so. I see so many people claim these are bf actions and in this case I believe that, unless there was an army of bigfoot that spanned a couple miles wide that charged the highway, the broken trees were cause by acts of nature.
Also, when I got home my video was sideways, too fast and the children were doing a wonderful job butchering a great Adele song in the background. I found a program where I could rotate, remove sound and slow down the speed. Obviously there is nothing there, but I'm sure if you really wanted to find something you could. It may seem silly that these are the methods I'm starting with, but the nice thing about bigfooting is there are no rules. I'd like to start by being familiar with typical natural occurances and rule them out immediately when I come upon them rather than wasting my time trying to attach bigfoot to every overturned rock or broken limb. I may not be well on my way, but I'm on my way.

Possible Design Features

I was wondering about the Bigfoot design and how some of the reported characteristics might aid in their natural habitats.
Long/short fur. Maybe a matter of the region they live in, or simply a matter of coats. Maybe their winter coats are long and thick and summer coats are short and scant. I've heard reports of white haired Bigfoot on the east coast. Either they are old and graying or certain Bigfoot are equipped to blend into their environment like the arctic fox or rabbit. (I'm aware the east coast isn't considered the arctic).

No visible ears. I'm sure they have canals, just maybe not the outer ear. The inner ear would be needed I think to balance those large bodies on those large feet. If the outer ear is there maybe it's mesh with the side of the head and completely covered with hair.

Shortened/lack of a visible neck. Maybe also a protective design incase the inner ear putters out. Imagine a Bigfoot moving stealthily through the woods when suddenly an unexpected obstacle pops up. Even the most graceful creatures stumble from time to time. But most aren't taking a tumble from 8 feet up. That's a break neck height.

Elongated arms. Several reports claim Bigfoot may break or twist tree limbs high up in trees to mark routes. I don't think this is entirely true as I feel they probably have an innate sense of their surroundings and territories. I do feel you should check the area with twisted branches for rocky or rough terrain. Maybe they're using those branches and limbs for leverage.

Big feet. While big feet and long legs are good for covering a lot of ground in a shorter time I'd imagine they're also good for tripping you up from time to time. I'm not sure exactly how the bigfoot feet and leg joints hinge or unhinge but I'm sure it works to their advantage for the most part.

I know I've more or less described a clumsy Bigfoot that contradicts most beliefs. It's only my simple thoughts. Not fact. But I keep in mind how fluid in motion I am if I'm scared and attempting to flee what I perceive as danger. I've scaled chain link fences with ease and ran barefoot through the woods in the dark unscathed lol. Maybe their defense mechanisms are the same and that's why they appear to move so quickly once they're spotted.

Dr. Todd Disotell on Ketchum's DNA Research

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enZ6B1E981I

I liked it. I thought the guy was answering the questions to the best of his knowledge. I agree a few of the questions were lost in translation causing him to veer off in a different direction. Some points were missed because bigfoot didn't seem to be the topic of the show. Although it was called monster talk. Still interesting, even if my head aches a bit.

Offensive Prescence

Assuming we're the top of the food chain leaves us at an anvantage. The unknown of what could possibly exist leaves us at a more than real disadvantage. Where we are free to explore our surroundings and the world around us, we're not always free to impose on others land/territory. Whether this other be a bear, mountain lion or another human being. Depending on the being determines whether or not respectability plays a role in your prescence.

Now if you are out in the middle of the woods and come across a 'No Tresspassing' sign, you'd be best to abide by that sign and not advance any further. But in most cases if you accidentally impose on another human's land I'd assume they'd be forgiving assuming you are respectably passing through.

Now if you stumble upon a wild animal's habitat in the middle of the woods you may not get off so easy. I don't believe a simple "Just passing through." will get you off the hook. It's a not so unlikely scenario either. When in nature we come in contact with many different animals. Some are unbothered by our prescence and some are downright offended. Even if we mean no harm. I don't believe wild animals have a sense of what our intentions are. Most are wary of humans and run/fly off at the first inkling we are near and others attack.

My question is where does a bigfoot stand among this scattered list. Some err on the side of more human. So are they unbothered by us. Do they accept our respectable claim of  "Just passing through"? Are they able to sense our intentions? Whether we present harm?  

Some err on the side of more animal, perhaps ape like. Do they flee upon hearing us enter their domain? Are they downright offended at our prescence? Are they curious? Do they attack?

We Summer There

 It is said that bigfoot travel in groups. Are there stragglers who venture off on their own and leave the group? Are these stragglers the ones who end up being spotted on the side of highways? The ones who wander too close to populated areas? Or are they simply spotted while passing through an area making their way to another? I could see where a group of or a single bigfoot might tap out an areas resources and need to move on, even if they plan to return to the original spot at some point in the future. Perhaps they have several areas they inhabit based on seasons. Maybe the resources in location A are richer in the summer and the resources in location B are richer during the winter and the resources connecting the two locations can sustain them during travels in the spring and fall.

Flacco and the Flir Truck

When I heard about Joe Flacco being signed for a 6 yr contract worth $120m leaving him the highest paid QB in NFL history a friend and I had a conversation about what we'd do with that kind of money. "The Flir Truck!!" left my mouth so quickly I surprised myself. My friend had no idea what I was rambling about.

I saw the Flir mobile tracker truck thingy on an episode of Finding Bigfoot a couple months ago. They were investigating the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. I found it impressive at the time, though, not much findings were brought forth from that episode in particular. They were able to scan quite a distance and toggle views. Too much fun!

Sadly I cannot find a link or video promoting this vehicle. But, apparently Flir mobile can outfit your personal vehicle with infrared imaging. Or you can get a monocle style imager. I may have to settle for that instead because I'm sure I'll never become the highest paid quarterback in NFL history. Besides I don't believe the Flir truck came equipped with a coffee machine.

Patty

I think the perfect piece of footage to start with on this blog is Harry and the Henderson's, as I'm pretty sure that is where my affinity for bigfoot started. But I won't start there because we are all adults. I'll save Harry for another day. Today we're gonna look at what is probably the most controversial, most intriguing piece of evidence to date and it is over 40 yrs old. Seems strange that in this day and age given the technological advances we've had that this is still the best we have. I'm not at all surprised. Whatever intelligence humans possessed 40 yrs ago has decreased significantly since. Regardless of where we stand techonologically you have to step back and think about who we're putting in charge of these oh so smart devices. The device is only as smart as the person handling it.

Anyway, today's piece is the Patterson/Gimlin film shot October 20, 1967 in the Bluff Creek area of Northern California. I'm not sure about the rest of you but I've watched this clip numerous times and I'm not convinced it can't be real. << (I hate when people word sentences in such a way that after reading it four times you're still not sure what it said).

http://youtu.be/uZi_gtqMvmg

I like the film. I'm sure we've all heard that there was a friend who claimed to have worn the suit, that Universal Studios said that they could try but don't believe they could recreate such a real suit or even train an actor to walk that way, that if it were a suit we wouldn't be able to notice the quadricep so well. More recently a slight bulge has been noted on the creatures right upper thigh, thought to be a possible hernia or dislocation. The bottom of the feet were white, the way that the foot flexes and appears to separate at a point where not only human feet don't, but a monkey suit never would. The broken down study of the stride, all the way down to observing the fact that certain joints seem to unhinge and produce a very unhuman like stride. Oh, and SHE has boobies. I applaud all of the researchers, scientists, skeptics and nobodies (me) who have spent countless hrs. examining this evidence.

According to Robert Gimlin they were on horseback and that explains the camera's shaky angle to begin with. I'm sure Patterson's own nervousness, anxiety or pure terror could have also aided in the shakiness. (Don't be too harsh, I've seen plenty of shaky, blurry, half assed recordings since and remember, we're way more advanced today). Also according to Robert Gimlin is that at the time she produced the famous money shot he was across the creek bed on horse back perhaps closing in a little too quickly.

I personally feel as though she was keeping her composure neutral, watching her back and getting as much space between her and them as possible. She wanted nothing to do with them and from what I hear that seems to be the trend.

Discoveries

Maybe the existence of bigfoot isn't so far fetched afterall. Just a few of the discoveries of new species or species that have made a comeback after 80 million years. These are just a few.

March 11, 1869 Giant Panda discovered. I also have a date of November 9, 1927 as the date of the Panda's discovery. I wasn't alive during either of those years so I cannot confirm the date. According to other reports the pandas were known about even long before 1869 and sometimes kept as pets by the ancient emperors.

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/giantpandas/pandafacts/default.cfm

October 18, 1902 Mountain Gorilla discovered.
 
http://www.gorilla100.com/30-Discovery.html

http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/mountaingorilla


December 23, 1938 Coelacanth (pronounced see-la-kanth) discovered. And another population in Indonesia in 1997
 
My personal favorite as this fish was the most prized fish you could catch in the video game animal crossing: city folk, for the wii. At that time I didn't understand why it was so hard to catch. I now have a better understanding and can appreciate the thrill of the chase, not that I didn't at the time.

http://www.dinofish.com/discoa.htm

http://www.dinofish.com/INDOC.HTM

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/coelacanth/coelacanth1.html


There have been many more discoveries and even more recent than these.   

Synopsis

The idea of these creatures existing is fascinating for some and terrifying for others. Some enjoy the research and learning aspect where others were thrust into the world of bigfoot with otherwise no warning. Imagine minding your own business while trekking through the woods one day only to stumble upon....... well, you're not really sure what you've stumbled upon. A bear? An ape? A very hairy, very tall man? Whether the encounter be short or you get a good long look, if it's not what you were expecting I wonder how that would make most people feel.

It seems to me a lot of times these people go through a bit of a phasing process. Maybe it's denial at first. Then no, they're absolutely sure that's what they've seen. So they tell a spouse, friend, coworker, sibling and maybe they're ridiculed or laughed at. The next phase may be self doubt. Maybe they try to push the idea out of their heads. Maybe they can't. Maybe the images play over in their heads daily. Maybe the thoughts cause them to lose sleep. The next phase is possibly split. Some may take:

route a.) and abandon the woods and their favorite trail for good and err on the side of caution. Not taking any chances seems like the best case and they're not up for a second round with the creature. They may still be curious, but not enough to delve any deeper.

route b.) and drop the subject completely. Afterall, their friends and family are right, they couldn't have possibly seen what they thought. They are well rounded, level headed people and it's a ridiculous thought to entertain. These people don't need anyone thinking they're insane.

route c.) and move on full speed ahead sifting through whatever information they can find pertaining to what they are certain they saw. While also level headed they are more curious and can't dismiss the fact.

Regardless which route individuals choose I'd guess it's a struggle. How do you come to terms with witnessing something that doesn't exist?

Bigfoot ABCs

 
 Aboriginal-  of or relating to the people and things that have been in a region from the earliest time.

Bigfoot- A very large, hairy, humanoid creature reputed to inhabit wilderness areas of the U.S. and Canada, especially the Pacific Northwest.

Bipedal- two legged, describes an animal that has two legs or feet.

Blurry- lacking definition or focus.

Cryptid- Any creature that may or may not exist. Sightings of various cryptids have been reported, but their reality has not been proved.

Cryptozoology-the study of and search for animals and especially legendary animals (as Sasquatch) usually in order to evaluate the possibility of their existence.

Ego- the opinion that you have about yourself.

Elusive- hard to find: difficult to find or catch.

Embellish- to decorate by adding special details and features: to make more appealing or attractive.

Evidence- sign or proof: something that gives a sign or proof of the existence or truth of something, or that helps somebody to come to a particular conclusion.

Expedition- organized trip by group: a trip made by a group of people for a particular purpose, e.g. to explore unknown territory, to do scientific study, or to achieve a military objective.

Folklore- traditional customs, beliefs, stories and sayings.

Genome- the full complement of genetic information that an organism inherits from its parents, especially the set of chromosomes and the genes they carry.

Hoax- deception: an act intended to trick people into believing something is real when it is not

Hominid- member of primate family including humans: a primate belonging to a family of which the modern human being is the only species still in existence.

Hominin-  any of a taxonomic tribe (Hominini) of  hominids that includes recent humans together with extinct ancestral and related forms.


Honesty- a. fairness and straightforwardness of conduct.
                b. adherence to the facts.

Humanoid- having human characteristics or form; resembling human beings.

Inconclusive- not decisive: not producing a clear-cut result, firm conclusion, or decisive proof of something.

Legend- a story from the past that is believed by many people but cannot be proved to be true.

Mitochondrial DNA- DNA molecule outside cell nucleus: a small circular DNA molecule found in the mitochondria of a cell. Mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the mother.

Obsession- the state in which someone thinks about someone or something constantly or frequently especially in a way that is not normal.

Omnivorous- eating many foods: eating any type or many different types of food, including both plants and animals.

Passion- a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something.

Piebald- spotted with two different colors (especially black and white)

Pongid- any of a family (Pongidae) of apes that includes the chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan.


Quadruped- an animal having four feet.

Research- careful study that is done to find and report new knowledge about something.

Sasquatch- a hairy creature like a human being reported to exist in the northwestern United States and western Canada and said to be a primate between 6 and 15 feet (1.8 and 4.6 meters) tall —called also bigfoot.

Witness-  attestation of a fact or event