Leaderboard

I submitted a paper to RHI last November, but it's still in peer review. In the meantime, here is a YouTube video of my presentation at the Kiamichi Mountains Bigfoot Conference in May: The first few slides, omitted here, were about DNA and the microphone was not on and so were not recorded. Nothing new in them that you probably don't already know.

Agree. Agree BUT .. Agree BUT !!!! ... I think the quality and detail of information on the non-forum platforms is somewhat lacking. Or maybe you could say the signal to noise ratio is lower. So while forums may be perceived as old fogey stuff they're still where to go for better quality. The others are fine if you're primarily there for entertainment but if you are trying to do research .. nah.

I just looked back at all of the posts I made this year. There are nearly zero posts in any actual bigfoot discussion. I do read most of the threads, but rarely react. It may seem as though I've lost interest, but I haven't. I just don't participate in the discussions. About 90% of my posts are about BFRO or John Green incidents. 9% are stupid memes in the tar pit, and maybe 1 % are a reply to any actual discussion. My thing here is the SSR. I have a bunch of BFRO reports to classify, but I have very little time in Spring and Summer, so they remain unclassified. It's a Winter project for me... I did just share some new audio though. I recorded some interesting sounds in Oklahoma. As far as Noobs go... I find that it's best to wait it out when a new member comes along that really tries to engage in discussion. Too often they showed up just to be a disruptor.

One of the things about many noobs that frustrates me is they don't do their research before posting, they throw stuff up that has been rehashed countless times as if it has to be new and startling to others merely because it is new and startling to them. There's a significant component of narcissism and entitlement there. I'm old, tired, and short-fused when it comes to that level of disrespect .. and it may be that a lot of long established members are in the same boat choosing to disengage rather than react to it.

I tried guys, even had researcher of the year contests with $3000 prizes, advertised on google, reprinted research papers with permission, etc and it kinda of worked. But new members wouldn't stick around, they showed up for the buzz and then leave. I agree that the problem is a lack of new discoveries. Even hoaxes would get the forum busy, remember Biscardi?

Several years ago, when I was active on the JREF/International Skeptics Forum, I ended up betting that Sasquatch would be scientifically proven by X date, which was a couple of years in the future. In the negotiations, I was able to talk them into giving me odds of 50,000 to 1, so I put up $50. That X date came and went and I paid $50 to a charity of his choice. It was fun and added something to the back and forth banter that I dealt with on that site. I wasn't ever going to collect $2.5 million if science finally proved they exist, but I was willing to put my money up for the cause.

This is a drawing of my first encounter. Late 70's, so no cell phones. I have explained it before, but thought a drawing of it would help. I will post the drawing and then post an explanation a little later.

I was a pretty prolific member for a while. I still check in semi-regularly, but don’t feel the desire to post much anymore. For me, it’s the overwhelming negativity on a topic that is supposed to be enjoyable. The overall Bigfoot community is growing larger every day, but it’s also becoming more fragmented every day as well. Even this thread, which is about why is the forum dying, is filled with complaints about pretty much everything under the Sasquatch sun. TV shows, YouTube, rehashed topics, etc. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes, but there is a constant complaining that permeates the Bigfoot community that often turns into outright hostility when what are relatively minor differences arise. People who believe or have an interest in Bigfoot should have a great deal in common, but instead those minor differences of opinion cause a lot of discord. Don’t like Mountain Monsters or Expedition Bigfoot? Don’t watch it. However, shows like that plant a seed of interest in a new generation, insuring that there is a fresh crop of enthusiasts who will hopefully carry on the search. TV executives don’t really make shows geared towards real life Bigfoot researchers. Maybe just be glad that the subject has enough mainstream acceptance to make its way onto television in any form? Tired of a topic that (for you) has been beaten to death? Scroll past it. Are you a flesh and blood proponent irritated by the Woo? Are you a Woo supporter who hates the Apers? Well, at the end of the day you both have more on common with one another than you would have with a skeptic. Not to mention that we are dealing with almost zero proven facts about the phenomenon, so you both have a good chance at being somewhat correct. A lot of the members here want a more active forum, with more active participants. You can’t have that with multiple filters put into place. Anyway, I would like to see the forum become more active again. But, to do that you need new members who stick around. They need to enjoy the place to do that. Maybe start there?

For me? The problem with new members is that many of them are trolls. You never know if they are asking a question in good faith, or are setting up a gotcha moment. So I would say I have become somewhat jaded with new members unfortunately. Back to the forum in general. I do not possess the tech saavy to run this forum. But as long as Gigantor sticks around for the tech stuff? I pledge to keep the lights on one way or another. Just like the jet boating forum Mean Chicken, this forum is a repository of knowledge that I do not want to see extinguished.

I was also encouraged by this episode of Expedition Bigfoot. These samples may be the first of their kind for Bigfoot. I will be glued to the screen when Season 7 begins. Christina Burns is the DNA Profiling Facility Manager at the International Forensic Research Institute of Florida International University. She should be well qualified to do the DNA sequencing. Her human-like preliminary results are what I found in aquatic eDNA, which, however, is less definitive than a blood sample and more extensive sequencing. https://case.fiu.edu/about/directory/profiles/burns-christina.html

True. But the Smela case followed Backdoc's suggested scenario almost to a T, only failing because Smeja and his partner failed to take and distribute pics immediately. Which is the precise reason cited by Smeja as to why they left the scene immediately. This should be no surprise, especially in the current litigious society, and especially with a creature that might very well be a feral human or human subspecies.

Real or Fake? Is it a biological life-form? Or a rubber dummy stuffed with pig guts? I can say with complete conviction that it doesn't matter. Why? No physical evidence. And that video has made the rounds on social media. It did not matter.

It is now proven that government didn't need to silence Patterson and Gimlin. All they needed to do was place tighter controls on access to the Bluff Creek area. BTW, the area is closed all winter long, when tracks in the snow can tell their tale. Every year. You really don't have to "cover it up". All you have to do is officially ignore it and occasionally make a silly joke to make believers look stupid. Your scenario is fine, and if it went that way, it would essentially out the squelches. But, like I wrote, that's essentially what happened with Smeja, but without the videos and body parts, but of course, that's because he figured he'd be arrested...................and he was right................... I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

and I was told this forum was dying. great thread. thanks all.

If anyone goes they should come see me in Newport! I am still healing up from surgery.

Probably the appraised auction value like with antiques because of all the fossils we have here we call members, speaking for myself in the antiquarian sense too

Ive watched your videos with you and your wife doing research together. Quite frankly with a Discovery camera crew? You guys are every bit as good as any other TV show out there. And maybe thats the secret to the BFF? It needs a media front to funnel people back to the forum. And same goes for the WV crew and Lane County crew. Also a shout out to everyone that posts in the Field Trip section. Looking at pictures and video of beautiful mountains and forests and possibly evidence is always a highlight for me personally.

I haven’t posted in ages and rarely comment, but I am watching. Willing to bet there’s a lot of others on here doing the same. Casual lurkers make up sizable chunks of any forum

Thank you for sharing. No matter what that impolite poster said.

I feel like this person(s) has 10 more sock puppet accounts loaded in his gun.

Well, I did do an online business lookup of the Bigfoot Forums which revealed that this site is worth over $1,000,000!!! Amazing how fast those $20 contributions to the cause add up. Also amazing? How wrong online business lookup sites can be.

Any audio, video or photos posted here are stolen by internet keyboard warriors. Posting is a choice. Keep in mind that this forum is an internet message board, not a research site. I think that newbies visit expecting instant answers. There are a lot of smart people on the BFF and there is no expectation to post daily, weekly, monthly or longer. Just keep checking back. There will always be haters. Trolls self destruct on the BFF, some sooner, some later.

Do you think contributing to this forum is making posts about hoaxes, circle jerks and insulting researchers? And this question also goes to our members that liked his post? Or where do we draw the line with “Troll derangement syndrome” as Foxhill put it? Why do you do it? Why can’t you be amicable?

@norseman Cool. I'm down in that country (north of the border) for the first time in my life this week - the last part of BC I haven't spent time in. A few days of work in Cranbrook and Fernie, about 100 miles north of Kalispell. Man, it is beautiful down here.

For the record, Reddit is a dump, designed to elicit one word replies and ruled by leftist statist trolls who would as soon set you on fire as entertain your opinion if you don't strictly follow the populist zeitgeist. R/Bigfoot is thus a cesspool of short attention span theater with constant repeating deluge of AI garbage, repeated photo posts and people who can't be bothered to Google something. It's fine that it exists, it keeps that kind of idiot off here.

I agree many online communities can be described this way. it's certainly true of open source software development communities. But if we look at bigfootforums.com as a 'brand' that people hold a certain impression toward, we can look at the site's direct competitors for members -- say, r/bigfoot -- and see if ChatGPT gives us the same or similar description of that online community (prompt and response pasted below). Of course, this is ChatGPT and its pulling mainly from reddit for its response; there's certainly bias here -- actually, it reads like an advertisement for r/bigfoot. I'm not saying one brand's impression is better than another. Brands (including online communities) should be positioned differently to stand out as unique and attract certain customers or members (e.g., Ford vs Toyota vs Tesla). Go to X if you want this kind of experience; go to Y if you want that kind of experience. I guess my point is that bigfootforums can fix stuff internally (server crashes, search capabilities) but the external image might also need to be considered. This would depend on what image BFF wants to have among its competitors... and what kinds of members it wants to attract and retain. "Come to BFF if you want some good ole American in-your-face confrontation and arrogance. Go to r/bigfoot if you want European civility and kindness... and then kindly **** off." That's just as an example of course. Back in my marketing research days there was a story about Coca-Cola many people would paraphrase. It went something like, "The CEO of Coke once said that you can take away all of the company's facilities, equipment, people, and other assets. Just leave me the brand name and I'll be just fine." ------------------------ ChatGPT on r/bigfoot Prompt: Can you give me a description on current attitudes and perceptions people hold toward the r/bigfoot subreddit as an online community? Response: The r/bigfoot subreddit is a vibrant and inclusive online community dedicated to discussions about Bigfoot and related phenomena. Established in December 2009, the subreddit has grown to become one of the most active platforms for Bigfoot enthusiasts, researchers, and skeptics alike. Community Atmosphere and User Experiences Members of r/bigfoot appreciate the community's openness to a wide range of perspectives. The subreddit encourages civil discourse, allowing both believers and skeptics to share their views. A recent post highlights this inclusive environment, stating: "Believers and skeptics alike are welcome here, and friendly discussion is highly encouraged." reddit.com This approach fosters a respectful and engaging atmosphere where users can discuss various aspects of Bigfoot lore and research. Moderation and Governance The subreddit maintains a clear set of rules to ensure constructive discussions. The primary rule emphasizes civility:reddit.com "Please keep all discussion civil. First infraction you will get a warning. Another incident will result in a ban." reddit.com This policy helps maintain a welcoming environment for both new and long-standing members. Content and Discussions r/bigfoot hosts a diverse array of content, including personal encounter stories, analysis of audio and video evidence, discussions on folklore, and debates on the authenticity of various claims. For instance, users often engage in critical evaluations of purported Bigfoot sightings, discussing factors that may contribute to misidentification. One user questioned the tendency to label certain evidence as fake, prompting a thoughtful discussion on the criteria used to assess authenticity. lirias.kuleuven.be+1reddit.com+1reddit.com Additionally, the subreddit features lighter content, such as Bigfoot-themed art and humor, contributing to a well-rounded community experience. Overall Perception Overall, r/bigfoot is perceived as a supportive and engaging community that balances open-mindedness with critical analysis. Its inclusive nature and emphasis on respectful dialogue make it a valuable space for anyone interested in exploring the mysteries surrounding Bigfoot.

In a previous life I worked in market research, mainly conducting attitude surveys regarding brand names in various product/service categories. So when I think about changing interest levels in bigfootforums.com, I wonder about the site's brand image. In the absence of a full-blown marketing study, I just asked ChatGPT to tell me. (response pasted below, screenshot attached). Looks like there *might* be a few issues that deter new members from joining and/or sticking around. It's helpful to keep in mind that if a new (or even a long-time) member feels slighted here, they could go over to Reddit and bad-mouth bigfootforums.com. -- that one slighted member has turned off possibly hundreds of prospective members. ------------------------- ChatGPT prompt & response Prompt: Can you give me a description on current attitudes and perceptions people hold toward bigfootforums.com as an online community? Response: As of mid-2025, BigfootForums.com appears to be inactive or offline, with users reporting difficulties accessing the site since mid-2024. reddit.com Community Atmosphere and User Experiences Historically, the forum was known for its stringent registration process, requiring new members to post an introduction and limiting them to one post per day until reaching a certain threshold. This approach, while intended to deter trolls, was often described as convoluted and discouraging for newcomers. Long-time participants observed that the forum tended to be dominated by a small group of regulars who were often skeptical of outsiders. This led to perceptions of the community being grumpy, combative, and resistant to differing viewpoints. Moderation and Governance The forum's moderation was perceived as heavy-handed by some users. There were instances of users being banned without clear explanations, leading to frustration and, in one case, a user threatening legal action over their banning. thelaw.com Content and Discussions Despite these challenges, the forum hosted in-depth discussions on various Bigfoot-related topics, such as audio recordings and field studies. However, the overall tone of the community may not have been conducive to open and inclusive dialogue. Current Status Given the reported inaccessibility of the site since mid-2024, it is unclear whether BigfootForums.com will resume operations. For those seeking alternative platforms to discuss Bigfoot and related phenomena, communities like the r/bigfoot subreddit may offer a more inclusive environment.

Guilty as charged. For me it probably does come down to my feeling that I have expressed my opinions as frequently as I have wanted, and absorbed a huge body of opinions and facts to the point of satiation. For that I am grateful to the BFF and all who keep this thing up and running…Norseman, Gigantor, et al. Thank you! I wouldn’t say that I have moved on, exactly. It is more about freeing up bandwidth for more/other interests. Speaking of…OT shameless plug for my son’s band: The Mountain Grass Unit Jam Grass and BF just seems to pair nicely. They are right now rolling from Gainesville, FL to Sanford. Told them to keep their eyes peeled in the Ocala NF, don’t you know?

reddit is run by fascist dictator moderators who ban anyone they don't agree with politically. given that most conservatives are banned, and given that most hunters are conservative, they have priced themself right out of most of the encounters.

I have been watching forums die a slow death for years. I.e. The old jet boating forum Mean chicken is gone. Along with it all of its extensive knowledge. The younger crowd doesn’t do forums for some reason. They stick with social media. And then cry about censorship, etc. I just don’t get it. I find forums like these much easier to navigate and interact with.

Interest in many things comes in waves, ebbs and flows. Is it possible your time of joining the forum coincided with one of the peaks? I know this to be true of my own. Thinking of a parallel .. no athlete runs 4 minute miles 7 days a week. It is true of our interest here. I think the period we are in now with less interest, less bright shiny things to draw our attention, is more representative of bigfootery over the long haul. There is also a change of medium when it comes to information exchange. There are TONS of small bigfoot groups on facebook. Lot of people trying to monetize their interest which I think distracts from the larger communities like this one. There is not much to do but get out there and do your own thing in the woods.

I still check BFF occasionally to see if there are any recent topics of interest. However, a lot of the material and debates in BFF seem to go through repeat cycles. For field research topics of interest and in my region (CA, OR, and WA), I have moved on to Facebook and interact with non-anonymous field researchers in private Facebook groups. I find it more rewarding to deal with folks who I have actually met in the field, many who have more years of field experience and/or that have focused on particular aspects (like audio recording or thermal imaging or other technical aspect) and are willing to share their expertise.

My name is Shelley and I recently had an encounter on a BFRO expedition. I have always been interested in this subject, but this experience has motivated me to learn as much as I can about this subject. I appreciate being added to the Bigfoot Forum and I hope to learn from some of the experienced researchers here. Cheers!

^^^ i think Bill Miller’s scenes in Bigfoot’s Reflection are in that area I plan to watch this documentary tonight. Thanks for posting

Odds Bigfoot exists? For those gamblers out there, I thought this might be interesting. I am not a gambler, so I don't know what -225 or +150 really mean. When people tell us what they think, they may speak of pure passion but not on fact. Example might be "The Jets are winning the Superbowl" But when we bet it more telling what we really think will happen. When money is on the line it clarifies and makes our opinion more honest. Thus, the guy who says the Jets will win the Superbowl are more likely to say, "The Chiefs or Eagles will win it" if betting is on the line. For what is worth I stumbled across this....... Does Bigfoot really exist, or is it all an urban legend? Is there any chance of the mystical creature ever being found? We are examining the latest betting odds that Bigfoot exists and making some wacky predictions on whether Sasquatch will be discovered. Online bookmakers have released intriguing Bigfoot prop bets on the prospect of finding the elusive creature, so let’s dive in below to see different perspectives! Odds That Bigfoot Exists: What the Bookies Think The following Bigfoot betting odds are courtesy of BetUS: PROP BET ODDS Bigfoot to Be Found in the US -225 Bigfoot to Be Found in Canada +150 Bigfoot to Be Found in 2025 +30000 The best entertainment betting sites have released a number of betting markets on the discovery of Bigfoot. Currently, BetUS has three prop bets available, which give bettors an opportunity to cash in on Sasquatch’s whereabouts! According to the latest odds of finding Bigfoot, the species is most likely to be found in the United States. With a price of -225, there is a 69.2% implied probability of Bigfoot being found on US land. Despite Canada having a large landmass, the odds of Bigfoot existing in Canada isn’t as high at +150. In other words, BetUS has tabbed Canada as having a 40% implied chance of finding Bigfoot. In addition to having a larger landmass, Canada has 9% of the world’s forests (362 million hectares), while the US has 8% (304 million hectares) coverage. If Bigfoot exists, the creatures are more likely to be hanging out in the forest, far away from human civilization. Although the North American Bigfoot Center is in Boring, OR, the best value is on Bigfoot being found in Canada’s Pacific Northwest! It’s highly unlikely the creature would be setting up its home near any national center dedicated to itself. With this in mind, if you are interested in betting on this unique Bigfoot prop bet, I recommend Canada at +150. As an aside, at +30000 odds, there is just a 0.3% implied probability of Bigfoot being discovered in 2025. While a lot of crazy events have been happening around the world, I’m not optimistic about humans finding Bigfoot in 2025. You can find the most up-to-date odds of Bigfoot being real at BetUS by navigating to Sportsbook > Novelty > Mysteries > Big Foot.

Regarding Bob Lazar........ (In his defense. ...)

I gather a set-up akin to a bowfishing rig on a crossbow with low power draw and tipped bolt that has a stop, like the business end of a ski pole or somesuch. I'm sure it's doable, it's getting it into the hands of a prepared individual, in the right place, at the right time--the usual wrench in the works...

It wasn’t mean to degrade you in anyway. Your opinion is a popular one, trust me. What would it change? Much. Well for starters it would shut up all the nay sayers that make fun of the topic. It would also be a stark warning for anyone that ventures outdoors. 411 books? Don’t hike alone. Don’t wear bright colors. Etc. I also think it would be profound for humanity to suddenly realize we are not the only species in our genus. If it plays out that way. That a bipedal relative still shares the planet with us? Science would study this for the next 100 years. Official scientific recognition would also bring about profound changes in resource extraction on public lands. There would be environmental impact studies that would come about because of this discovery. A 800 lbs primate in North America would make the spotted owl pale by comparison. And the bottom line is that it would expand human knowledge. If science can miss this? What else are we missing? What’s in our oceans? Our cave systems? Under the poles? Our jungles? Maybe this discovery would light a fire in humanity’s belly to get out and explore Mother Nature. We have become a species of electronic alternative reality. And it’s not a good thing IMHO.

You posted: That is opinion, not fact. I stated my experience. You can accept it or not, but you cannot claim your opinion as fact. But I consider it arrogant that you would publlcly post that I'm seeing things that are not actually there and is all in my head. That does not say that they disregard potential existence like what you claimed. There's nothing in the statement that demonstrates that they're discouraging the possibility that it exists like what you claimed. But that statement, too, is factual: It is not opinion. The U.S. Forest Service: 1) Does not confirm Bigfoot's existence 2) They maintain open spaces and wildlife habitat therein 3) And those lands could potentially include habitat for such a creature should it exist Isn't that true?

What does Tom know about paranormal bigfoots? We do have a section on UFO reports and I haven't snooped around there yet. If you go to a 'Flash of Beauty' and find two fellows from Coquille, Oregon. One has a blue shirt and a slender man has a red shirt and they speak of a paranormal bigfoot that they ran across on a mountain road.

Not "completely human" but human-like with some distinguishing characteristics (i.e. mutations), according to my research in eDNA.

When I drew this, I drew it from memory. Then today, I thought why didn't I google it so I could see the area. So I wrote in the drawing that the tree twists went in a line on the north east of the road, when in reality it was along the south east, running up the road to the north and I figured a half mile, however, on the map, it is around a 1/4 mile.

Great backstory. Unfortunately, I'm a terrible aficionado of art, so when I first saw your drawing I thought you encountered a Bigfoot face down in a creek somewhere.....

This one is kinda long, so I will do it in chapters. I don't like long typing sessions. Chapter one: The area and events leading up to the encounter The events occurred near the extinct townsite of Valsetz Oregon in the east side of the Oregon Coast range 16 miles from the nearest town, which is Falls City. It was in the early 90's and I was bow hunting with several different people over a period of time. On more than one occasion, we would hear wood knocks frequently above the townsite on the south east slope of Sugarloaf mountain and near the cliffside of Rooster Rock. Wood knocks were becoming common in our hunting area. We had not heard them before that we could remember and we had no idea what was making them. The incident I will relate happened to the south east of Rooster Rock about maybe three miles away on what is known as the Valsetz Flats. There are old logging roads that had grown over and was now basically wide ways with a well worn game trail down the middle. My brother and I were bowhunting and decided to walk up a gated logging road that would take us from the Flats to Fanno Ridge. We hadn't been on this road in many years, so we wanted to hunt up it and it's side roads more for nostalgic reasons than anything, though, at that time, elk were abundant in the area.

Could be worse, my wife claims I fell out of the ugly tree, climbed back up, and fell down through it again. Or, as GeorgeM alluded two, maybe some of the old retired guys could start paring through stuff to find the golden nuggets to highlight and to pack off some of the other stuff into a second Archive. Is it time to create BFF v3.0?

r/bigfoot is god awful. avoid at all costs unless you want to infect yourself with redditor disease. infact, most of reddit is pathetic and terrible. I get a lot of info and different perspectives from this forum. I think more people are watching youtube channels for info on the subject. I love it here and don't miss the extra people.

After days of heavy rain, we finally got a nice sunny weekend, so my son Steve and I headed out for the high country. I wanted to go to a waterfall that I'd never seen before, about 4 hours from home. We set off at 11am after fueling up the Hummer and drove about 2 hours up the Fraser Canyon to Boston Bar, where we turned off Hwy 1 onto the Nahatlatch River FSR, and continued for another40 km to Grizzly Falls. The road had been severely washed out in our 2021 "atmospheric river" floods and landslides, but has since been made passable, though still a bit sketchy in places. Along the way we passed through a very large stretch of the valley that was burned out 2 years ago, but eventually got past that into the forest again, with nice views of the Nahatlatch River and lake, finally reaching the falls we were seeking. The sight and the sound made the bouncing on the potholed road worth while, and we had lunch in the cool windblown spray from the cascade. We saw no large animals along the 80 km run up and down the logging road, but did see some grouse and a beautiful red tailed hawk in flight right beside us for about 30 seconds.