In mid 2016, I began preparing this series of research videos addressing various aspects of sasquatch research in which I have been involved for some 50 years.
These research videos are intended to augment my two books on the subject: The Sasquatch: North America’s Great Ape: A wildlife biologist examines the continent’s most misunderstod large mammal, published in 1998 and The Discovery of the sasquatch: Reconciling Culture, History, and Science in the Discovery Process published in 2010.
Video presentations provide opportunities to more fully illustrate and explain documented evidence supporting the sasquatch as an existing North American mammal in the form of color photographs, video clips, and even audio files. They also provide an opportunity to report on work-in-progress, uncompleted research projects of possible interest to other investigators.
The split screen format used here facilitates narration similar to a conference presentation.
Since most of my proposals to speak on this subject at professional and scientific conferences are rejected, these research videos constitute an available source of research results.
Although attempting to attract the attention of professional and scientific colleagues, these research videos may be of equal interest at this stage in the discovery process to scientifically-minded members of the public, to sasquatch eyewitnesses seeking informed scientific comment. They may also intended to encourage collaborators seeking affirmation of their efforts to document sasquatch evidence in the context of the discovery process.
The discovery process is proposed as the most appropriate context for the evidence illustrated. Unfortunately, evidence supporting the sasquatch as an existing North American mammal is not widely perceived as contributing to an important scientific discovery and has been ignored or even dismissed as scientifically irrelevant. It is anticipated that these research videos are helpful in amending this perspective.
In summary, I hope that my efforts encourage and affirm the efforts of the many collaborators who have shared their evidence with me, and similarly affirm the observations of the many people who have observed sasquatches or sasquatch tracks, or who have experienced near-encounters otherwise unexplainable.
I look forward to receiving—and responding to—contributions of evidence from eyewitnesses willing to share their observations or experiences at johnb@island.net.
1-Sasquatch tracks photographed and cast near Sayward BC
An excellent example of documentation of sasquatch evidence by amateur investigators
2-Recent vocalizations attributed to sasquatches
Audio recordings of Alert Bay, BC and Norway House MB vocalizations with spectograms
3-Sasquatch trackways as an important component of sasquatch track identification
The value of snow as a substrate for documenting mammal trackways . Four sasquatch trackways are illustrated.
4-Addressing common misinterpretations of sasquatch (bigfoot) research
Responding to widespread public misperceptions of the sasquatch as revealed in a 2016 Wisconsin letter-to-the-editor.
5- The discovery of the sasquatch as a prolonged discovery process
How the philosophy of science sheds light upon this prolonged scientific discovery and resisted discovery claim: Thomas Kuhn’s insight regarding such discoveries as apt and helpful.
1-Sasquatch tracks photographed and cast near Sayward BC
The history of tracks and track casts is an integral part of the sasquatch discovery process. This video presents and discusses recently-acquired sasquatch track evidence from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, documented in photographs and as track casts.
2-Recent vocalizations attributed to sasquatches
The intent of this research video is to provide audio clips and spectograms of a series of loud nocturnal vocalizations recorded on a small coastal BC island in the fall of 2016. These vocalizations have been attributed to the North American sasquatch. The calls were recorded during the hours of darkness, but occasionally in the evening, over a period of about two weeks in late September and early October. The island, Cormorant Island, supports the village of Alert Bay (population approximately 1000). In addition to the village, the island supports areas of old growth and second growth forest, a substantial wetland, and a marine shoreline. It lies at the western end of the Broughton Archipelago, a large group islands lying between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland. Two juvenile grizzly bears which appeared on the island in 2106, are considered to have swam via the nearest adjacent islands, the Pierce Islands, located approximately one and a half kilometres to the east. There is a history of sasquatch observations and sasquatch tracks by island residents. The recorded vocalizations are compared with similar vocalizations recorded in central Manitoba in 2106. Spectograms of both sets of vocalizations provide an acoustic signature as a graphic means of comparison and also as a means of determining the fundamental frequency (400 to 500 Hz) and the presence of overtones (up to 1500 Hz). It is hoped that the results of this preliminary research are sufficient to attract the interest of bioaccoustic specialists better qualified to categorize the sounds.
3-Sasquatch trackways as an important component of sasquatch track identification
Although snow has often been considered a poor medium or substrate for registering animal tracks, clear mammal tracks can sometimes be observed in moist, shallow snow as illustrated in this research video. More importantly, snow ground cover provides a record of mammal trails or trackways, showing the sequential arrangement of foot placement and providing opportunities to measure both stride length and straddle (or trail width). Experienced trackers recognize that mammal trails (or trackways) can be just as important as individual tracks and often depend on them for identifying the mammal species responsible for the tracks and trackway. Not uncommonly, the characteristics of the trackway by itself may be sufficient to establish the identification of the mammal species responsible.
Seven examples of sasquatch trackways in snow are illustrated as a guide to identifying them and to differentiating sasquatch tracks and trackways from those of bears and humans. Attention is drawn to the consistency of the two most conspicuous features of the sasquatch trackway: the long stride length and the lack of straddle or trail width.
The tracks and trackway of a juvenile sasquatch in BC’s Coast Mountains documented by investigator Randy Brisson is noteworthy. This may be the first documentation of the trackway of a juvenile sasquatch. Similarly, the recent (February, 2017) documentation by investigator Paul Graves of a sasquatch trackway consisting of several hundred tracks in central Washington is significant. The exceptional length of the trackway is of obvious interest and importance (approximately 5184 feet or 0.98 miles). In addition, the several exceptional leaps (up to 13 feet) among the already long stride length (4 ½ to 6 feet) appears to corroborate a published 1851 published historical account, in which similarly long leaps (12 to 14 feet) were reported.
4-Addressing common misinterpretations of sasquatch (bigfoot) research
In the following video, I discuss and illustrate how the unfolding discovery of the North American sasquatch (or bigfoot) is hindered by the absence of informed scientific comment, and its resulting treatment as almost exclusively a subject of entertainment. Consequently, it may have been inevitable that many members of the North American public — affirmed by scientists unaware of the evidence supporting the discovery claim - have dismissed the unfolding discovery as tabloid material and pseudoscience. A recent letter to the editor of a midwestern US newspaper provides an opportunity to address some widespread misconceptions.
5- The discovery of the sasquatch as a prolonged discovery process
How the philosophy of science sheds light upon this prolonged scientific discovery and resisted discovery claim: Thomas Kuhn’s insight regarding such discoveries as apt and helpful.
6- A professional biologist updates his professional colleagues regarding the legitimacy and necessity of sasquatch research
This illustrated presentation was prepared in late 2016 and early 2017 for presentation at the 2017 annual conference of a society of British Columbia (Canada) biology professionals. I have been a member of this professional society since 1994, and have tried to adhere to its professional standards.
A similar paper was submitted for presentation at the 2013 annual conference. It was titled: The sasquatch in British Columbia: Are there moral and ethical obligations for biology professionals to examine the evidence for its existence? That paper was rejected.
Because a large amount of additional evidence has been documented and published since 2013, I submitted this second paper 3 years later. It was deferentially titled: The unfolding discovery of the North American sasquatch: understanding and addressing social and scientific deterrents to professional participation in the discovery process. I anticipated that it would be not just acceptable but welcomed for inclusion in the programme.
One reason for my optimism was the conference theme, titled, in part, Bridging social…and scientific worlds in professional biology.
Pointing out the necessity for increased involvement of biology professionals in sasquatch research appeared timely and relevant to the conference theme. Surely, I thought, my professional colleagues would be grateful to hear how far we have progressed in this unfolding discovery and understand the need for us to participate in this discovery process of special relevance to British Columbia. Indeed, BC sasquatch evidence has played a significant role in the discovery process to date, and continues to do so.
Consequently, I completed my presentation, which included over 80 illustrations, some prepared specifically for this paper.
Spoiler alert:
The conference gatekeepers decided to reject my paper on this subject, citing the sasquatch as subject of cryptozoology, a genre of investigation widely dismissed by most scientists as pseudoscience.
Because preparation of the paper was so advanced by the date of notification of rejection, I decided to record it and make it available on my website as a Research Video. As such, it provides an opportunity for my professional biology colleagues to hear and see what they missed: the perspective and research results of a professional colleague attempting to enlighten them regarding an admittedly controversial scientific discovery, and one which has admittedly been appropriated as a subject of entertainment.
My concern:
Among the consequences of continued unawareness of this evidence and its relevance to professional biology, is the unwillingness of British Columbia biology professionals to provide informed professional and scientific comment. This based on their inability to do so, a consequence of their continued unawareness of pertinent evidence. Such comment is required by—and deserved by—members of the public and collaborating amateur investigators.
Perhaps more importantly, the absence of such comment appears to affirm the sasquatch as a scientifically-taboo subject, not warranting our attention and scrutiny. I suggest that our professionalism and claims to professional responsibility are at stake. We biology professionals are being widely perceived as having abdicated our responsibility to become informed, and to consequently provide informed scientific comment on a subject of considerable interest and concern to members of the public. We need to do better, and, as this presentation illustrates, we can.
7- The absence of the sasquatch from North American mammal field guides: implications and consequences
The absence of the sasquatch from North American mammal field guides is a powerful statement affirming that the sasquatch (or bigfoot) is not an existing North American mammal.
As such, it is an omission in need of correction. Its absence from such field guides effectively but erroneously limits the options or choices available for sasquatch eyewitnesses trying to identify a mammal observed more frequently than is commonly assumed. This omission denies sasquatch observers the option—or opportunity—to follow-up a sasquatch “sighting” with a legitimate possibility to confirm—or disconfirm—what was observed.
I alluded to this deficiency in my first book in 1998 and included there a draft of what a sasquatch field guide entry might look like. I included it, with minor modifications, again in my 2010 book.
My sense that the absence of such images was important in limiting the options or choice of sasquatch observers has been confirmed by Cornell University sociologist Thomas Gilovitch. His definition of “seemingly-fulfilled prophecies” appears to apply to this situation, as discussed in this video.
Having discussed and illustrated this shortcoming in my two books, I have introduced here why a more complete field guide entry for the sasquatch is necessary for inclusion in authoritative mammal field guides.
In this presentation, I have briefly described and illustrated the most conspicuous sasquatch physical features, comparing them with those of an upright bear. I have also described and illustrated the most common sasquatch foot shapes as revealed in tracks. Several examples of eyewitness drawings are included to illustrate the basis for the proposed field guide entry.
A detailed treatment of the anatomical features of the sasquatch, as described in eyewitness descriptions and depicted in eyewitness drawings, is the subject of a research video currently in preparation. Similarly, a detailed treatment of the sasquatch foot, as depicted in track photographs and track casts, is the subject of another research video currently in preparation.
A detailed treatment of the sasquatch trackway has already been completed as a research video titled Sasquatch tracks and trackways in snow, one of a series on this website