Is The"defensive Freeze"....defensive?

[hiflier]

Hello All,

 

Does anyone think that the defensive freeze is a universal trait? Would it not be better to use a different term? What the thread title suggests is might the technique be considered something else at times? A moment before aggression? A pause to think perhaps? Weigh options? Consider risks? Hide? Stealth? Is it ONLY used for defense as in "Man, I hope it doesn't see me"? 

 

I don't expect this thread to be a long one but if anyone has witnessed this trait in the field (or even in themselves) then the floor is now open. This doesn't have to be a Sasquatch oriented discussion but if the freeze mechanism has been observed in the creature, which I think it has, then please feel free to add an acecdote or experience as you see fit.  

Edited December 2, 2013 by hiflier

[MIB]

Oh, I think there's some weighing of options / consideration of risks.   Most of the other things  you mention fit in there ... flee?  Freeze?  Hide?  ... are evaluated.   As is "do I know this particular little pink monkey?" and "what does his body language say he's about to do?"  

 

I've never seen serious aggression from them, so suggestions of a pause before aggressive action falls on deaf ears.   They may bluff but they flat out do not want direct confrontation with us.   I'm kind of sick of "scary monsters" talk.  

 

MIB

[hiflier]

Hello MIB,

 

As far as aggression goes, I can't entirely rule it out with Sasquatch. At least in the initial phase? It would seem that once they assess us then for the most part I agree with what you say. I don't know how it plays out with ones we have brought harm to. In that case the defensive freeze may be wholly defensive if there was a pain memory of some kind perhaps.

 

Since we too are animals it's always interesting to see how some characteristics of archetypal behavior never leave but remain shared across the animal kingdom. It's in discussing these traits that we can possibly get into the mind of Sasquatch. It's really what my last three or four threads have been about..

[Guest]

Well hiflier the "Defensive Freezy" technique works well for the protection of both squatch and human. It keeps conflicts down to a minimum. They oft love their privacy.

[Guest]

I was jogging on the trail and saw a deer from peripheral vision. When I looked at it in the eye, it jumped and ran. I could see it for about 5-7 seconds peripherally before it ran when I looked it in the eyes. It was close, 60 feet or so.

 

In WW1 when pilots shoot at ground troops, the running ones are the easiest to see. Freezing is normal, I just walked up on a rabbit in the yard (10 feet away) didnt see it until it ran away.

[BobbyO]

Hiflier, I've never actually heard that term regarding Sasquatch to be honest.

Have a look at this though, if this is what you're talking about.

http://bigfootforums.com/index.php/topic/32134-unique-sighting-report-ability-of-bf-to-hide-in-plain-sight/?hl=unique

[Guest Cervelo]

I've seen it done by every animal I've ever encountered at some point.

Its a most effective strategy to use on humans, I use it all the time when in the woods....just step off the trail and stand still you'll be amazed at how few people will notice you.

It works with many animals as well, but you've got to go in the woods sit down and be quiet for at least a 1/2 hr......most folks can't do this.

The stealthiest folks I've ever hung around with are turkey hunters, they experience nature in a way most never will....but yes being still is a great defense and sometimes an awesome offense.

Also don't stare at your target avert your eyes every few seconds

Edited December 2, 2013 by Cervelo

[Guest thermalman]

Agreed Cerv. Take new born baby deer for another example. How someone might actually step on them, as they are curled up motionless in their bed.

[Guest JiggyPotamus]

Personally I think it is possible that sasquatch process information much faster than humans. So for instance, they can look at something for a much shorter period of time than a human, yet still gain the same information. So when thinking of their options, if their actions are anything other than pure instinct, which would be instantaneous, they would not need much time at all. Such processing power would not be strictly associated with sasquatch, as this same thing is seen in some other non-human primates.

 

But if this is true, what could account for such "freezing" behavior? I am not certain as to the percentage of reports where such behavior occurs, so I don't know if this happens quite often, or is more isolated. If it did not happen all that much, then it would be easier to explain away as individuality or something. But if it is more prevalent throughout the population, any explanation will have to have a strong logical or behavioral reason behind it, even if it is just some sort of instinct.

 

So if they are not weighing their options in such a situation, what else could they be doing? The first thing that seems to make sense to me is that they are attempting to judge whether they themselves have actually been observed. They would attempt to determine whether the person was paying any attention to them. In fact, this would coincide with the idea that sasquatch wait for the most opportune moments to escape when they are being watched. But there are countless cases where they just leave the area while being observed the entire time, so it is hard to say what exactly is going on in their minds.

 

So even though they may not need this much time to size up the situation, they could possibly take this extra time because they need it to observe. The first thing they see when observing the human could easily not provide enough information for them to gauge whether they've been spotted. Some would probably say that they are smart enough to know that, if they're in the open, they have likely been seen. But I would say this is definitely not true. Why? Because sighting report evidence suggests that sasquatch utilize the tactic of hiding in plain sight.

 

Sort of like the T-rex in Jurassic Park, who couldn't see you if you didn't move, sasquatch likely know that movement draws attention, and by remaining absolutely still, they could be overlooked. I think that the evidence for such behavior, in the sighting record, is ample enough to conclude that this is a common behavior, but whether the "pause" exhibited by sasquatch can be explained by this hiding in plain sight tactic, I don't know.

 

And again, the hiding in plain sight would go hand in hand with attempting to judge whether the person has seen them, since obviously IF they move, they will likely be seen. So by remaining still, there is more of a chance that they will be overlooked, if they haven't been spotted yet.

 

I think an explanation along these lines is better than the idea that they are thinking about what to do. I believe they will already have determined what they are going to do, but they just need to see what the person is going to do, as this could potentially alter the plan that has already been conceived.

Edited December 2, 2013 by JiggyPotamus

[Guest]

Interesting idea Jiggy.

[hiflier]

Hello All,

A thought just struck me regarding the OP which, even though I've been doing a lot of joking around lately, is not a joke. Think about this for a minute or two if you will, please. The freeze, when a full sized Sasquatch sees a Human, just might because of our general size. We're smaller. So does the creature freeze because once it sees how we stand and walk like they do that they could very well think that we are juveniles? It may sound odd but I can see why that just might be a reason they don't just come after us. Could we be overall about the size of say a 6 or an 8 year old Sasquatch? If so our children might by the same token seem close to being infants ot toddlers. It could be why they seem so attracted to children.

Edited December 3, 2013 by hiflier

[Sunflower]

I think that they are taught how to react to us hairless ones from infancy or thereabouts.  The little ones that congregate by the rock outcropping where I leave gifts, etc. knew enough that to sit absolutely still in those tangled vines was the thing to do. 

 

We turned to leave and someone stepped on a small twig and got caught.  We did not turn around but I put my arm in front of hubby and gave him the camera and told him to take the pic by just setting it on his head without turning around to look at them. He did and it worked.

[southernyahoo]

I think the freeze tactic is just the first option towards not being seen.  They more than likely will observe us using this tactic and wait until we are distracted well enough from an opposite direction or we move on. Once they feel like they have not been detected they'll move on or follow / flank and escort occasionally.

[Branco]

When I saw the "teen age" BF in 2010, he had to have been aware that I was walking a trail that would carry me within full view of him, and that I would be able to see him clearly from his head to below his hips. I was walking in pretty open timber with a lot of small dead-fall trees badly cluttering the trail, so I was not watching anything but the trail. When I got a break in the dead-fall stuff, I glanced to my right. He was dead still and looking me in the eyes. And guess what; I froze in my tracks. From where he was standing he would have certainly seen and heard me coming for 300 yards. I believe he wanted to see me up close and wanted to see how I would react. And, that is exactly why I froze; I wanted to know how he would react. I was carrying a backpack but no weapons, and I'm sure he was fully aware I posed no threat to him.

 

So I think we and they both freeze during encounters. As others have said; it's a natural reaction of most animals.

[Sunflower]

Branco,

 

Who moved first???