It seems like it’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about the legendary creature known as Bigfoot.  Now a new video has surfaced that supposedly shows the creature roaming the mountains of Utah.

(Press Ctrl and click on the link to view the video)

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/watch-hunters-claim-bigfoot-sighting-in-utah-mountains

According to Fox News, “Hunters in Provo, Utah claim to have spotted ‘Sasquatch’ in the mountain range.  The video, which does not offer any kind of definitive proof that it is ‘the missing link,’ does show something walking around in the trees.”

I’ve never heard Bigfoot described as “the missing link” before, nor do I believe it should be.

Be that as it may…, let’s continue.

‘“Okay, seriously look how big it is,’ a man’s voice on the video can be heard saying. ‘It’s just chilling.’”

‘“This is the coolest thing ever!’ a young child responded in kind.”

‘“I don’t think it’s a human, I think it’s a Sasquatch,’ the man added.” ‘“Because look, he’s on the mountain, way far back on the mountain. But look how huge he is!’”

“The sighting has not yet been reported in [the] Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) database, which lists reported sightings of the creature.  The last reported sighting was in November 2018 in Arkansas.”

“Bigfoot had a pretty busy 2018, with reported sightings in New York, New Jersey and a host of other states across the country.

In late 2017, Bigfoot was reportedly spotted in Northern California, where he tried to steal a pig from a farmer near Avocado Lake!

Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch or a Skunk Ape in the U.S. and Canada, and as a Yowie or Yeti in other parts of the world) is the name given to a mythological ape-like creature that is said to inhabit forests, mostly in the Pacific Northwest. In North American folklore, , Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, ape/human-like being.  The term Sasquatch comes from the Native American word sásq’ets.

Scientists typically discount the existence of Bigfoot and consider it to be a combination of folklore, mis-identification, and hoax, rather than a living animal, because of the lack of physical evidence. Occasional new reports of sightings sustain a small group of self-described investigators. Most reports of sightings are attributed to being other various types of animals, particularly black bears.

Just be aware that other creatures were believed to myths too.

As famous as gorillas are today, there was a time in which they were no more than a myth. Explorers would return from African jungles and tell stories about hairy, giant man-beasts of terrible strength and temper.  Such stories were dismissed by scientists as nonsense as well, and as a result, the gorilla was unknown to science until quite recently. As for the mountain gorilla, a different, larger species, it was believed to be a myth until 1902!

Today, Pandas, these mostly vegetarian, black and white bears are among the most famous animals in the world.  However, they were practically unknown for centuries, even in China!  Indeed, although Chinese artists have constantly depicted black bears and bamboo forests since ancient times, the giant panda was never depicted until the 20th century! Rumors and reports of a strange “white bear” found in Chinese mountains were regarded as myths.  Giant pandas were finally seen alive by a European in 1916, German zoologist Hugo Weigold.  It was only then that pandas were finally accepted by scientists as a real animal.

One of the most famous mythical sea monsters is the Kraken. Legends of this “monster” of the sea, armed with powerful tentacles and strong enough to sink a ship, were told in Norway and Iceland and according to modern scientists, were based on sightings of the giant squid. Since the giant squid prefers to live in extremely deep parts of the ocean, it is almost never seen alive by humans.  Even though giant squids were reported by early Greeks and Romans, the stories seemed so fantastic that even later scientists had trouble believing in their existence.

In 1861, the crew of the French steamship Alecton had a close encounter with a giant squid, and even managed to get hold of a piece of the animal’s tail. However, they were ridiculed by scientists, who told them that such a creature was “against the laws of nature!” Even today, the giant squid maintains its semi-legendary status. We all know it exists now, but it has been called “the most elusive image in Natural History.” It was only in 2004 that the giant squid was finally photographed in its natural habitat.  The first video was taken two years later, in 2006.

Bigfoot is usually described as a large, hairy, muscular, bipedal (walks on two feet) ape-like creature, roughly 6-10 feet tall, and covered in hair described as black, dark brown, or dark reddish.

Individuals claiming to have seen Bigfoot describe large eyes, a pronounced brow ridge, and a large, low-set forehead.  The top of the head has been described as rounded and crested, similar to that of a male gorilla, with a strong, unpleasant smell.  The enormous footprints for which it is named are claimed to be as large as 24 inches long and 8 inches wide.

The Bigfoot figure is common to the folklore of most Northwest Native American tribes.  Native American Bigfoot legends usually describe the creatures as around 6-9 feet tall, very strong, hairy, uncivilized, and often foul-smelling, usually living in the woods and often foraging at night.  Native American Bigfoot creatures are almost always said to be unable to speak human languages, using whistles, grunts, and gestures to communicate with each other.  In some Native stories, Bigfoot may even be said to have supernatural powers, like the ability to turn invisible, for example, but they are always considered physical creatures of the forest, not spirits or ghosts.

That is where the inter-tribal Bigfoot similarities end, however.  In the Bigfoot myths of some tribes, Sasquatch and his relatives are generally shy and benign figures.  They may take things that do not belong to them, but they do not harm people and may even come to their aid at times.

Sometimes Bigfoot is considered a guardian of nature in these tribes.

These more benevolent Bigfeet usually appear alone or in a small family unit, and may exchange gifts or use sign language to communicate with Native American communities.

But Bigfoot legends from other tribes describe them as evil creatures who attack humans, play dangerous tricks on them, or steal children; they may even eat people. These more dangerous Bigfoot monsters, known as Stick Indians or Bush Indians, are sometimes found in large groups or even villages, which engage in warfare with neighboring Indian tribes.

One early account was recorded by Reverend Elkanah Walker. In 1840, Walker, a Protestant missionary, recorded stories of giants among the Native Americans living near present-day Spokane, Washington. The Indians said that these giants lived on and around the peaks of nearby mountains and stole salmon from the fishermen’s nets.

Local stories were compiled by Indian Agent J. W. Burns in a series of Canadian newspaper articles in the 1920s recounting stories told to him by the Sts’Ailes people of Chehalis and others. The Sts’Ailes maintain, as do other indigenous peoples of the region, that the Sasquatch are very real and take great offense when it is suggested that they are legendary. According to Sts’Ailes eyewitness accounts, the Sasquatch prefer to avoid white men.  It was Burns who first borrowed the term Sasquatch from the Halkomelem “sásq’ets” and used it in his articles to describe a hypothetical single type of creature reflected in the stories.  Halkomelem is a language of the native people in what is now the British Columbia, Canada area.

In the Northwest, and west of the Rockies generally, Native American people regard Bigfoot with great respect.  He is seen as a special kind of being, because of his close relationship with humans.  Some elders regard him as standing on the “border” between animal-style consciousness and human-style consciousness, which gives him a special kind of power.  It is not that Bigfoot’s relationship makes him “superior” to other animals; in Indian culture, unlike western culture, animals are not regarded as “inferior” to humans but rather as “elder brothers” and “teachers” of humans.  But tribal cultures everywhere are based on relationship and kinship; the closer the kinship, the stronger the bond. Indian elders in the Northwest refuse to eat bear meat because of the bear’s similarity to humans, and Bigfoot is obviously much more similar to humans than is the bear. As beings who blend the “natural knowledge” of animals with something of the distinctive type of consciousness called “intelligence” that humans have, Bigfoot is regarded as a special type of being.”

Similar stories of Bigfoot type creatures are found on every continent in the world, except Antarctica.

About one-third of all claims of Bigfoot sightings are located in the Pacific Northwest, with the remaining reports spread throughout the rest of North America.

As Bigfoot has become better known and a phenomenon in popular culture, sightings have spread throughout North America. In addition to the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes Region and the Southeastern United States have had many reports of Bigfoot sightings. The debate over the legitimacy of Bigfoot sightings reached a peak in the 1970s, and Bigfoot has been regarded as the first widely popularized example of a kind of science unto its own in American culture.

Since the early 1950s, there have been over 5,000 (about 75 a year) sightings that have been reported and documented.

The Bigfoot Research Organization claims this 2007 trail camera photo of an unidentified animal is a “juvenile Sasquatch.”

There are several organizations dedicated to the research and investigation of Bigfoot sightings in the United States. The oldest and largest is the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO). The BFRO also provides a free database to individuals and other organizations. Their website includes reports from across North America that have been investigated by researchers to determine credibility.

Using data from the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, the Travel Channel has compiled a list of the 8 best states in the U.S. to see the legendary Bigfoot.  As a precursor to upcoming Bigfoot related programming, The Travel Channel said, “A combination of terrifying eyewitness accounts, recently uncovered anthropological evidence, and a possible government cover-up of a Bigfoot being held in captivity prove that we still have a lot to learn about this mysterious creature,” Travel Channel wrote in a March 29 blog post. “These new findings lead to a hunt for the legendary primate using the most cutting-edge science available, which produces shocking DNA evidence of its existence.”

Washington state tops the list with 2,032 sightings and counting, making it the “world’s most active region,” the blog post stated.  Of particular note are the Blue Mountains and Okanogan County, which the Travel Channel wrote is “the locale of one of the most aggressive Bigfoot encounters ever recorded.”

Home to 1,697 sightings, California is second on the list. The state is the location of the most famous purported footage of Bigfoot, the Patterson-Gimlin film, as well as the Jerry Crew sighting, which gave the legendary creature its name.

“He made casts using some of his construction equipment, and eventually the story reached the media,” Travel Channel wrote in the post. “The newspapers named this new creature ‘Bigfoot.’”

Following California is Pennsylvania with 1,340 sightings and Michigan with 1,131 sightings.  Rounding out the list are New York (1,068 sightings), Ohio (1.024 sightings), Oregon (1,009 sightings) and Texas, which has reported 806 sightings.

“East Texas is home to many reported sightings, the blog post stated, including one particular encounter from a hunter in Panola County.”

“The witness claims that while he was hog hunting, he watched a Sasquatch leap out of the woods, grabbing one of the hogs. The report states that the Bigfoot began making loud whooping noises, which were met with more howls from somewhere off in the distance.  Before walking back into the woods, the creature stared directly at the hunter and growled.”

What do you think about the possible existence of a “Bigfoot” type creature?  Please email me and let me know!

I am one who tends to believe that where there is smoke there’s a fire…, and in the case of Bigfoot we have a lot of smoke!

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