Guest squatchrider Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 PT, approximately how far from the Bigfoot were you when you went past it on the path? Were you able to see any details about its physique or was it just a shadow in the woods? Your encounter is quite fascinating. I'm not sure I would have had the courage to walk down the path knowing it was standing there even though one of my biggest hopes is to see one live in the wild someday. Thanx for sharing with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Squatchrider, that would be the third of four visual encounters of mine. However I've had many non-visual encounters. When I returned there a few years later (to confront my demon so to speak), I measured the distance out at 22'. It was dusk during that encounter and he was waiting in patch of heavy timber, so somewhat darker. There was still some light however and I could make out lines such as his mouth, eyes, arms, legs, etc. I couldn't see individual hairs or all his facial detail. So it was much more then a shadow but less then a daylight view. But at 22', there is little room for misidentification when you can also hear (and feel) him breathing, and just heard him crashing through the woods on two feet. This is also the first time I've smelled one during a visual encounter. As I've mentioned in the past, he didn't smell bad at all. More like a wet elk really. Just a musky scent. The last visual encounter I had was a shadow. I was on a solo elk hunt in NE Oregon and was pulling my gear out of the camp trailer for morning hunt. It wasn't let light out but there was moonlight and maybe a little dawn light illuminating as well. I noticed this dark object just over a hundred feet away between trees in an open patch. I do a double-take and the shadow begins walking, I could now see legs. My camp is on the dead end of a road on the top of a ridge so nobody else was around. I went back inside to get my spotlight (my mistake and I knew better) but he disappeared and didn't see him again. That one was just checking me and my camp out. I've had a few encounters during elk hunts here in the past. Got followed one time after interrupting his digging for grubs at the end of the afternoon hunt. I had friends camped about 5 miles away across the canyon and relayed things to them as they were happening. He stopped following after a few hundred yards. Another time when a friend and I were camped about a mile away we got visited late one night. That was exciting as it was kicking around one of my empty plastic gas containers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest squatchrider Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 PT, very cool! Thanx for responding. I am fascinated with this entire subject but have to admit that it is much more thrilling to hear acounts first hand of actual sightings than reading about possible signs of a bigfoot having gone thru a day or two before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WV FOOTER Posted January 15, 2011 Admin Share Posted January 15, 2011 Pt that was an awesome story. Kinda helps prove the curious nature of these creatures. Took some serious balls to head in the direction of a waiting beast. Thanks for sharing your encounter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vilnoori Posted January 15, 2011 Share Posted January 15, 2011 Great accounts! I agree that the best thing to do is to be calm, don't look one in the eye (which represents a challenge to dominance in most primates including a lot of human cultures), don't smile with teeth bared. Speak quietly, keep walking forward. If you assess that there is no threat then perhaps sit down casually and appear to groom or examine vegetation. Make smacking sounds with your mouth or clicking with the tongue. Saying "hello bigfoot," shouting and waving or freaking out is not gonna do the trick. LOL If you are threatened though, with no escape and your vehicle is not handy and you have no weapon, climb a tree, jump in water, and if there is no other option, crouch down with your hands over your neck rather than run. If you have a weapon, have it ready but it might actually not do you any good anyway. If it does, then yay, bring in a specimen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rockinkt Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Any decent handgun trumps a black bear. Even a big one. But you have to have the attitude. Brown bears differ. They're tough. You have to have the handgun and the attitude. Not really. Actually hunting a brown bear is a whole lot different than being stalked by a brown bear. As far as I'm concerned, once you have the first clue that he's stalking you, you should start stalking him. That makes the difference. Ditto other humans, hominids, higher primates, etc.............. I would NEVER question your own personal experience in the field, Huntster. Excellent post. However, I would say that some others may have had different experiences with black bears in BC. Based on research by Shelton - black bears stalking and killing humans is far more common than brown bears doing the same. In the field in my area - not yours - I have found that to be the case through personal experience. I think black bears in this area might also be larger than yours and our browns smaller. I know our blacks are certainly larger than any I have encountered in the Yukon. Plus - due to Disney trained government officials in BC- black bears are far less afraid and far more aggressive to humans than they were 40 years ago. Our Browns are more aggressive as well - but they just don't seem to have people on their menu like blacks do. Either way - I agree (for what it's worth) - that it is attitude that counts in any life and death confrontation and that turning the tables on anything that is stalking you is the right way to go. No aggressive animal should be taken likely. IMHO. Arm yourself adequately and be prepared (mentally and physically) to all repel boarders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tracker Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) Pt you had one kicking around your gas can in camp, thats great. I would be tempted to join in and pass it back to him. Some members have commented about running which is usually not a good idea. I personally don't recomend it, I can't run very well so i would be the sacrifice, but? What about in a situation like that report with the solo prospector was chased all the way back to his canoe by a group of them snarling and screaming . Can someone help me out with the name of that one. I think the local was BC or Alaska? greatest story ever told book or is that the bible? oops. Ok so here's another, what about if the wife and kids bolt upon being scared should dad follow and stay together or remain behind and become separated from his family and see what happens? The Bf might chase after them out of instinct. Also, let's talk about the hide scenario. if you wanted to observe one while it's eating berries or fishing thats okay. what about if you wanted to elude one? What are the chances of that working if you had a moment when the line of sight was broken if one was following? Okay so a couple of bad examples but there's always a scenario not covered in the survival books. I think about these kind of situations when out searching alone And no i didn't write any book since I kinda come off as know it all maybe with outlandish claims and theories? Imagine that. Oyea that reminds me I better start putting these in or I'll get in trouble (again) JMO. by tracker. Edited January 16, 2011 by tracker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vilnoori Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I would NEVER question your own personal experience in the field, Huntster. Excellent post. However, I would say that some others may have had different experiences with black bears in BC. Based on research by Shelton - black bears stalking and killing humans is far more common than brown bears doing the same. In the field in my area - not yours - I have found that to be the case through personal experience. I think black bears in this area might also be larger than yours and our browns smaller. I know our blacks are certainly larger than any I have encountered in the Yukon. Plus - due to Disney trained government officials in BC- black bears are far less afraid and far more aggressive to humans than they were 40 years ago. Our Browns are more aggressive as well - but they just don't seem to have people on their menu like blacks do. Either way - I agree (for what it's worth) - that it is attitude that counts in any life and death confrontation and that turning the tables on anything that is stalking you is the right way to go. No aggressive animal should be taken likely. IMHO. Arm yourself adequately and be prepared (mentally and physically) to all repel boarders. I totally agree. And while it used to be that we didn't have to worry about grizzlies around here, they have introduced them into the Baker Mt. foothills area now. That means that soon they will be crossing the border up into our area south of the valley. And as you know it is illegal for us to carry handguns while in the bush. So I guess its a flimsy trust in pepper spray. I don't even know if we can carry a shotgun outside of hunting season. I don't think so. And even in season we'd have to have all the permits and a tag to take a deer or something, wouldn't we? It all adds up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest uprightchimp Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 well, youve got to realize that no human could everout run a bigfoot, so inless you are in a vehicle of some kind, just forget it-youd never get a way. now about the direct stare eye contact, well it most likly does apply to bigfoot & let's not forget that they (BF) can & does throw rocks with considerable accuracy-enough to put Sandy Kofax(former pitcher for the L.A. DODGERS back in the late 50s, early 60s)to shame & come to think of it I really think (on the side here) that they could be taught to play somthing like baseball, they are that intelligent & boy if you want to see an upright bipedal primate RUN the bases!!?? man, what a show THAT would be!!! (but thats just dreaming @ this stage now is it not!!?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vilnoori Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 http://www.igbconline.org/html/ncascades.html There is a report linked from that site that is a bit of an eye opener. This is one reason (or excuse maybe) why they are limiting motor vehicle access to the wilderness in these areas on both sides of the border. Quite frankly this is a bit Big Brotherish to my liking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 (edited) Well it was late at night and we were tired after moving our camp that evening. It was also near zero that night and frankly I had no interest going out there in the dark with what i knew it was. But yeah it was cool having the empty container being kicked around and hitting trees. The funny thing is, as I mentioned in another thread was that at that low temperature, there was no damage to the container. But we heard him hit it then it would bounce off a tree, hit the frozen ground, then he'd walk over to it and do it again. With my Face to Face, that's just what it was, and I was definitely looking right at his eyes. No there wasn't enough light to see eyelashes, but that wouldn't matter to him. I could still see his eyes and made direct eye contact as I approached him. So while eye contact is a factor when confronting many different animals, and is generally considered proper behavior with the great apes, it didn't impact my situation. Maybe because they are more like us then most people realize? Of course there were a few more things going on in my situation too. I had my German Shepherd with me who did just growl a bit. I had my rifle pointed at his body. I was talking to him. I was approaching him after he just intended to scare the hell out of me. But I was also treating him with respect, and I suspect that this will always play a role in things. If I am afforded another opportunity in my lifetime to come in contact with this or another Sas at close range, I am certain that I will again look at him, talk to him, and hopefully be able to sit with him in peace. And if he responds, well lets just hope I've got a recorder going. But of course there will be plenty of people who would call it a hoax right? lol I see all those prior encounters I've had as serving an important purpose of desensitizing me from the shock of their presence. With each encounter I've had, I improve my own self control and understanding of their behavior. That's what makes it a well earned life experience. So maybe talking to them calmly should be another option in this thread? Edited January 16, 2011 by PragmaticTheorist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest vilnoori Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rockinkt Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 I totally agree. And while it used to be that we didn't have to worry about grizzlies around here, they have introduced them into the Baker Mt. foothills area now. That means that soon they will be crossing the border up into our area south of the valley. And as you know it is illegal for us to carry handguns while in the bush. So I guess its a flimsy trust in pepper spray. I don't even know if we can carry a shotgun outside of hunting season. I don't think so. And even in season we'd have to have all the permits and a tag to take a deer or something, wouldn't we? It all adds up. Outside of specifically designated areas, a BC resident may carry a non-restricted firearm for self protection outside of hunting season. Just carry your FAC, or PAL, or POL. Personally, I prefer a 12 gauge with slugs as it has been my experience in shooting bears that the double ought - or SSG (British designation) does not have the penetration needed at distances over 10 yards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Knuck Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 Well it was late at night and we were tired after moving our camp that evening. It was also near zero that night and frankly I had no interest going out there in the dark with what i knew it was. But yeah it was cool having the empty container being kicked around and hitting trees. The funny thing is, as I mentioned in another thread was that at that low temperature, there was no damage to the container. But we heard him hit it then it would bounce off a tree, hit the frozen ground, then he'd walk over to it and do it again. With my Face to Face, that's just what it was, and I was definitely looking right at his eyes. No there wasn't enough light to see eyelashes, but that wouldn't matter to him. I could still see his eyes and made direct eye contact as I approached him. So while eye contact is a factor when confronting many different animals, and is generally considered proper behavior with the great apes, it didn't impact my situation. Maybe because they are more like us then most people realize? Of course there were a few more things going on in my situation too. I had my German Shepherd with me who did just growl a bit. I had my rifle pointed at his body. I was talking to him. I was approaching him after he just intended to scare the hell out of me. But I was also treating him with respect, and I suspect that this will always play a role in things. If I am afforded another opportunity in my lifetime to come in contact with this or another Sas at close range, I am certain that I will again look at him, talk to him, and hopefully be able to sit with him in peace. And if he responds, well lets just hope I've got a recorder going. But of course there will be plenty of people who would call it a hoax right? lol I see all those prior encounters I've had as serving an important purpose of desensitizing me from the shock of their presence. With each encounter I've had, I improve my own self control and understanding of their behavior. That's what makes it a well earned life experience. So maybe talking to them calmly should be another option in this thread? It's my opinion, from my own personal experience with Sasses, that the eyes are, like with us, part of the communication tools nature gave them and us. Other animal's eyes are mearly for sight. While we and these complex creatures use the eyes in communicating with each other. I feel that when in direct communication with a sas, looking him/her in the eye is the best method. I beleive we perceive looking away while talking as a sign of deception. I think they perceive that also. In my own direct contact experiences, I have never had an adverse reaction to looking them in the eye.JMO, Sorry but I won't elaborate on the open forum.-Knuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tracker Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 There are ways to look into their eyes without it being a challenge. I would do that to try to get a read on it's intentions. Look then avert and look back, It also has to do with body language and other factors. Hey what about trying to hide on them to elude and then follow after they pass by? That's my next trick if i can pull it off. I've been successful doing that with other creatures that have good sight, hearing and smell. I don't know, maybe that would be testing their friendly limits too far? If you stop seeing posts from me you know the answer. JMO and all that cya stuff. tracker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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