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Technically, a scientist is anyone who applies the scientific method when investigating a hypothesis. There were scientists long before there were scientific organizations, degrees, and scientific awards. Is an amateur astronomer who discovers an asteroid barreling toward Earth any less an astronomer than someone with a PhD in the science? The amateur is probably using a better telescope than Galileo had. On the other hand, is Bill Nye, the "Science Guy", really a climate scientist? After all, he only has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering. The real question is: "What does society currently accept as reasonable qualifications for a "Scientist"? And the answer may vary from field to field, subject to subject, and political viewpoint to political viewpoint. Unfortunately; advanced degrees, experience, and resources are accompanied by a healthy portion of hubris.

Thanks for clarifying your original post (must have lost some context, or overfocused on an element); yes, without a doubt, intensive outpost duty does have a place in BF research. I had the luxury of a ton of daily daylight research every few days for years in one location. I also had the luxury of living close enough to hoof it around my research areas day and night. It is the Sherwin Williams approach to BF research that you espouse and I am a member of the choir to whom you preach. The hairier members of "my choir" brought it on home often for a few numbers of years which makes the chase pretty cool and rewarding. Saturation bombing is alive and well; if you've got the time, BF's got the beer. The kicker was one day when i ridgewalked a line to allow me to capture early morning snowy tracks in a hot zone valley---end result: after a good sized hike, I was "cut-off" descending into the target zone by unmistable tree crashes, not unlike others I had experienced in the area but this one much more demonstrative in terms of intent and timing. Yours truly was up and out of there and on a major detour home.

Your mule threw a shoe. This discussion was about scientist, not "experts". "Self proclaimed experts" were not part of the topic. A person who walks out with a new science degree is far from being an expert in his chosen field of study, and - if truthful - would admit that. He/she has simply been educated by people who have more knowledge and experience than he/she in their chosen field.. The opinions of graduates in any field of science are absolutely worth no more than that of a layman or self-educated scientist during a discussion about Bigfoot/Sasquatch simple because that graduate has never been taught about them. In their minds, those animals do not exist, because none of their biology professors even mentioned the subject. A modern brain surgeon is unquestionably an expert in his/her field, but you and your equine tools probably would fare as well in your shop at that chore as a newly graduated biologist (scientist) intending to study South American fruit bats.

Since my last post a month ago, our group has made a day trip every weekend, trying to get to some remote valleys, but found our route blocked by snow still lingering in the high passes. This weekend is a holiday in Canada (Victoria Day on Mon.), and Thomas and I were invited to join 3 of the 4 witnesses from the Jan. 28th sighting near Harrison to examine the hillside where it occurred in further detail, including a night visit with FLIR. Of course we jumped at the chance to use some high end gear, and hear their sighting story again while on the location. We met them for lunch at the Sasquatch Inn on Hwy 7, then convoyed to the site near Harrison. We spent a couple of hours hiking the hillside, looking for any remaining evidence in the very mossy, leaf littered terrain. Winona, the native lady with amazing tracking skills, found a number of large impressions in the forest duff, of appropriate size, spacing, and general shape, but the ground cover couldn't allow any fine detail, such as toe marks, so inconclusive at best. We then proceeded to a favorite mountainside lookout of Thomas and I, well off the main forestry road, which was quite busy with weekend campers, and found peace and quiet for the remainder of the afternoon and evening. With camp chairs circled, our WA. guest, Dave, gave us some lessons in operating his FLIR equipment, and we all compared our field experiences while enjoying Winona's fresh made sandwiches and some cold drinks. Shortly after that evening snack, Thomas had to leave to get to his night shift job, so he missed out on the actual after dark FLIR use. As the sun set, the temperature dropped quickly, so jackets were donned, and the FLIRs fired up again to scan the extensive older clear cuts nearby, with no luck in spotting any large living creatures. After an hour of scanning the area, we convoyed back to the original sighting spot, and spent another hour scanning that hillside, while listening to what sounded like a barred owl conference going on in the treed slope to our rear. I left their company at about midnight to get home to my bed for a good night's sleep in preperation for another investigation with Thomas of a report of trees very recently pulled down, not cut down, across a hiking trail near Stave Lake, in the District of Mission. I met Thomas at his home in Mission at 11AM today, allowing him a few hours of beauty sleep after his night job, only to hear that the sighting reporter had postponed meeting us till 2PM, so we waited till 1, then headed out to meet him at the trailhead that he had described. He arrived on time, with his 2 huge dogs, a Rottwieler/Lab cross and an even bigger Great Pyrenes, both very friendly, and very eager to hit the trail. We set of up the trail and soon came to the first of many small groups of from 3 to 5 trees down across the trail , from both sides. These were 6 to 8 inch diameter young fir and hemlock, with the root balls folded up out of the ground, but not completely uprooted. After seeing a half dozen similar sites along about a mile of trail, Thomas and I both came to the conclusion that these were the result of micro-burst wind events that would have occurred during some thunderstorms that passed through the area about 3 weeks ago. There was nothing at all to indicate that they would have been caused by any deliberate action, by bipeds of either the Sasquatch or human variety.

A lawyer has to pass a bar exam on top of his law degree....your making my point for me. Boiled down to brass tacks? You do not like the answer the experts are giving you, so you seek to discredit them.

A science degree doth not an expert make. That degree is based on the knowledge and expertise of others that was passed down to a student. As JDL stated, laymen who study subjects in the natural field in a scientific manner can, by definition, qualify as being a scientists; even experts in specific fields.

I think there are a fair number of reports by hunters in deer stands in trees. Usually they are in camo and, obviously, lying in wait. I think that approach will catch a sasquatch that is en route between locations unless your odor or restlessness clues it to your presence. Call me crazy but I've always believed that moving about will raise the flag and alert them. No doubt their senses are infinitely more attuned to the surroundings. it's a game we can't win. We can disappear into the landscape by means of camouflage and outsmart them...maybe.

^^^^ Not a particularly relevant connection. Think it through. Once you take money from someone, there's liability. Depending on their special use permit, it may be a requirement for the permit. It may be a requirement of their insurance carrier. Lots of reasons which apply to them, with paying participants, that you, on your own, don't have to worry about. MIB