Knowing What You Now Know, How Would You React To A Close Daylight Sighting?

[MNskeptic]

Read this forum or any of the other BF sites and you learn a lot about BF behavior. Seems to me they are almost always docile creatures to their homo sapien cousins and even when behaving aggressively they invariably turn out to be 'all blow and no show', as they say.

So, armed with this knowledge, let's assume a hypothetical close range and chance encounter in broad daylight. How would you react? Would you freeze in petrified and gripping fear as is the case with the more uninformed, non-believing public? If so, could you overcome the fear and maintain presence of mind enough to, say, pull a cell phone and give chase as the BF inevitably retreats? What about their incredibly effective, but invariably harmless, intimidation tactics? Would your thinking mind allow you to get control of your emotions enough to stand your ground and get the most out of this one in a million event?

My wife once asked me this question as we were riding along the wooded backroads of N. Minnesota. Of course I told her I would stop the car and give chase with cell phone video in hand, but not sure she believed me. Not sure I believe myself!

MNSkeptic

[MIB]

Yeah, well, there is that difference between planning from the safety of the couch and implementing nose to nose, isn't there?   

 

IMHO the wildcard is infrasound. 

 

Minus infrasound, I'm going to try to establish communication ... whatever that takes.   If pictures / vid can be obtained in that context without terminating the "encounter" earlier than it otherwise would end, I'll try them.   Essentially, that requires conscious cooperation .. a real leap forward in communication.  

 

I've experienced two effects from infrasound so far ... different specific frequencies I suppose.   One is a multiplication of fear, the other is a sort of mental lethargy.   I think I can manage the multiplication of fear ... not certain, but think.   If so, I'd attempt to do the same thing I would w/o any infrasound effects.   With the other, I reckon I'd probably just sit there calmly thinking all was normal, completely forget the things I meant to do, and not realize what I'd missed until it was too late.  ... 'cause that's how that works.

 

MIB

[Cotter]

I think that instinctively you would be gripped with fear.

 

If I could overcome that (depends on how close and the situation of course), then I would sit back and observe.

 

If I was armed, and a shot presented itself and I was not deep in the backcountry...well.....

 

Otherwise, I'd sit tight and gaze at the wide wonder....

[1980squatch]

I would try to enjoy it this time...

[Midnight Owl]

For the skeptics and doubters, don't waste your time reading my entry because you won't believe it anyway...but here goes.

 

I have been within 15-20 feet of these subjects and the emotional overload is extremely intense, which clouds your mind and any clear thinking.  Everything you thought you could, would or might do becomes clouded in a blur of mixed feelings that are extremely difficult to sort out.  There are other things going on I don't fully understand and have a hard time putting into words.  It is experienced based and those that have been there know exactly what I am referring to! 

 

Some folks react by hyperventilating, feeling dizzy, sick to their stomach or even passing out.  Others run with the fight-flight instinct kicking in.

 

Until you have been there and done that, there is no way you can plan what you will do, that is based on my personal experiences.

 

The powerful, dominating presence I felt was likened to standing under a high voltage electrical transmission line snapping and popping with power.  As far as the subjects, they knew the land owner and were not the least bit threatening.  I couldn't imagine what I would have done with charges and growls!!

 

For those of you who read this and think this is a line of _ _ _ _, just consider it to be in the fantasy section of reading...but it really is no-strings attached truth regarding my experiences that I wanted to share.. 

[Terry]

 

For those of you who read this and think this is a line of _ _ _ _, just consider it to be in the fantasy section of reading...

 

Done and done!

 

t.

[Guest]

I would be quite intimidated, as with any large predatory animal. But given my background with animals, I dont think I'd be scared irrational, to the point of not being able to calculate my actions... I would likely act submissive and non threatening and maybe try and snap a crappy cell cam picture for everyone to debate. xD

[daveedoe]

turn walk away with much anxiety, now  knowing this creature is real because I have seen it with my own two eyes. 

[Cotter]

For the skeptics and doubters, don't waste your time reading my entry because you won't believe it anyway...but here goes.

 

I have been within 15-20 feet of these subjects and the emotional overload is extremely intense, which clouds your mind and any clear thinking.  Everything you thought you could, would or might do becomes clouded in a blur of mixed feelings that are extremely difficult to sort out.  There are other things going on I don't fully understand and have a hard time putting into words.  It is experienced based and those that have been there know exactly what I am referring to! 

 

Some folks react by hyperventilating, feeling dizzy, sick to their stomach or even passing out.  Others run with the fight-flight instinct kicking in.

 

Until you have been there and done that, there is no way you can plan what you will do, that is based on my personal experiences.

 

The powerful, dominating presence I felt was likened to standing under a high voltage electrical transmission line snapping and popping with power.  As far as the subjects, they knew the land owner and were not the least bit threatening.  I couldn't imagine what I would have done with charges and growls!!

 

For those of you who read this and think this is a line of _ _ _ _, just consider it to be in the fantasy section of reading...but it really is no-strings attached truth regarding my experiences that I wanted to share.. 

 

Thx for sharing.  My pal had a daylight sighting in SE Wisconsin.  Surprised the creature (my pal was 17, walking home from the school bus drop off and looked over the edge of a bridge and the thing was bent over drinking), according to him, the creature's eyes nearly popped out of its head (same as my pal), and they both turned and ran opposite directions.

 

Apparently it was as scared of him as he was of it.

[Guest]

Midnight Owl said:

The powerful, dominating presence I felt was likened to standing under a high voltage electrical transmission line snapping and popping with power.  As far as the subjects, they knew the land owner and were not the least bit threatening.  I couldn't imagine what I would have done with charges and growls!!

 

Susi says: Plus 1 to you!

 

I understand what you are saying plus feeling. I was within 5-7 feet of a Dogman, and I am too frightened now to do any research in the woods.

 

I know what is "Out There" and I have no wish to get close to anything like that ever again. I just sincerely wish a body could be displayed for the world to see so that laws can be passed, and people will be aware of the dangers in our woodlands.

 

I fear for the people who do not know, and could find themselves up against something like I witnessed:(

I think that instinctively you would be gripped with fear.

 

If I could overcome that (depends on how close and the situation of course), then I would sit back and observe.

 

If I was armed, and a shot presented itself and I was not deep in the backcountry...well.....

 

Otherwise, I'd sit tight and gaze at the wide wonder....

 

 

Susi thinks:

 

If you are deep in woods, and cannot carry a body out, take a **body** part**, and mark the location with your GPS.

 

Then return quickly with LOTS of us researchers and perhaps policemen and enough firepower to take down 2 or 3 Rhinos and remove the body if it is still there..

 

I'm not kidding about the firepower being needed for safety..

Edited July 9, 2014 by SweetSusiq

[Guest JiggyPotamus]

I completely understand the mixed emotions part, as that is the best way to sum up what I experienced. There was fear to be sure, almost a primal fear, but I did not experience any "strange" sensations or sounds or anything. I think something that must be mentioned is the possibility that the feelings one has upon contact with a sasquatch are internal and not externally generated. Seeing as how this goes beyond the experience of most individuals, and many are not prepared for what they are looking at, it is not out of the question that the mind reacts in a strange manner, and one's emotions go crazy.

 

I definitely believe that was the most probable explanation for what I felt during my encounter. I was not thinking, "what am I looking at," which is what most people would likely think first. Of course I had to process what I was seeing, but it took a very short amount of time to come to the realization that this was a sasquatch. That is precisely because I was familiar with the animals to some extent. Strange sounds in the ears could be brought upon by dramatically increased blood pressure, coupled with some emotions that have likely never been felt before by many. What I felt was definitely unique to that particular experience, but there was nothing to make me think it was anything external.

 

I honestly do not know how I would react in the same situation. One can plan all day long, but the truth of the matter is that certain things must be experienced if a thorough understanding is to be garnered. Even having that one experience I cannot be certain how I would react. There is no way I would just nonchalantly reach for a camera, lol, like "oh, its just a bigfoot." If other encounters are like mine then there truly was not enough time to take a picture. There is likely always going to be an initial shock during an encounter, first of all. This will take up a small amount of time before one even thinks about taking a picture. But if the animal does not immediately move away, or if it will take it some seconds to get into cover, then I do not see why I could not take a picture if I found myself in that situation. My encounter lasted probably less than 10 seconds for sure, but probably less. It was like I saw him walking across a field and then he was in the treeline.

 

Another thing is that I would not chase one. It is pointless. The only situation I can imagine chasing one is if there is little to no cover. But if there are woods, I would not. First of all you could not get a clear picture through the trees anyway, and it moves through the woods for a living. I am not saying it is impossible, or that one should not try, but I would estimate that over 95% of the time it would prove fruitless.

 

If I was in a situation where I was being intimidated by a sasquatch, I probably would not see it to begin with. They always seem to do this from concealed positions, at least when vocalizing or making loud noises in various manners. You maybe could surprise one in an instance like this. Just try to run upon it as fast as you can. It probably wouldn't be expecting that. But I believe that bigfoot, like certain other non-human primates, process information much faster than we do. So it can take in a situation and react to it with lightning quickness. I don't know how observant they are, but this is probably where their weakness lies. They would not use a single sense to pick up on the presence of a human or other animal, but various senses. In certain situations some of those senses are next to useless. Obstructions block vision, loud sounds like running water limit hearing, etc...That could be used to one's advantage I'm sure. Even if they are highly observant, which is likely, there is no getting around physics. Unless...Nope, not touching that one.

[JDL]

Having been in this situation, at age 12, my first instinct was to run, even though my first impression was that it was just a freakishly tall black homeless person.  Kids disappear in the Northwestern Nevada desert, and putting distance between yourself and any strange adult was standard pre-adolescent procedure. 

 

What caused me to stand my ground was that one of my companions was rooted to the ground in shock within the bigfoot's reach.  I wasn't going to abandon him, so I sttled my stance and met the bigfoot's eyes until it began to dawn on me that he wasn't a man.  The realization must have shown on my face, because that's when it turned and left.

 

I didn't know what it was then, so my lack of knowledge was a factor.

 

I did pursue a "kid" into a draw the following year, until I got a good look at its backside.  Then I slowed down and proceeded more cautiously, but it had disappeared.

 

The year after that I did actually wave at, call to, and attempt to approach a pregnant female.  She left.  Shortly after three males stalked me, one to within fifteen feet.  I skirted the copse of trees in which it was hiding, went to the campfire, picked up the axe, then turned and addressed it, asking if it needed help and if not telling it to leave me alone.  I went back to the where I had been fishing, with the axe and set it down on the bank.  The bigfoot left, but left behind a massive steaming pile of human-like feces.

 

Two nights later one reaching into our tent trying to catch our puppy woke me up, and I had a staring match with what I was sure was a bigfoot, then convinced myself it was just the shadow of a boulder and laid down, at which point it stood up and walked away.

 

A couple of days later I approached a stand of bushes where one was making calls trying to scare a woman away from the food she was preparing in the neighboring campsite.  I did the same a nine years later at Fort Lewis, when one was making the same calls trying to scare a couple of privates away from the C-Rations they were cooking.

 

Today, I would hold my ground, make eye contact, then attempt to address it when the initial tension had passed.

[Incorrigible1]

JDL, your recountings are among the most compelling reasons I give credence to reports of bf. Among all the chaff, your postings ring true. FWIW

Edited July 9, 2014 by Incorrigible1

[JDL]

Thanks, I1.

[Trogluddite]

... let's assume a hypothetical close range and chance encounter in broad daylight. How would you react? .... 

 

 

 

 

I think that instinctively you would be gripped with fear.....

 

How would you react if, with some training and experience, you jumped out of a plane and the chute wrapped around your leg?  That's generally considered an unpleasant situation.  How would you react if you had no specialized training and the car in front of you suddenly spun out and was directly in your path, broadside, and slamming on the brakes could cause you to lose control?

 

I'm gonna' go way out on a limb here and take the position that very few people can truly predict how they will react to a stressful situation, the instant hypothesis included. And frankly, to react normally (e.g., turn and run the other direction, screaming in abject fear) to a close encounter with a large, dangerous-looking animal that by the way is not supposed to exist, is, well - normal.  Maybe 80% of folks will do the exact same thing, no matter how well they think they would hold up.    

 

You can prepare yourself by gaining book knowldedge on a topic.  The more important, and more effective way, to train for a stressful situation is thru simulated exercises - for example, a mass casualty training event for firefighters, EMTs, and hospital staff.  Even with this kind of training, some people will fail when the real event occurs. 

 

I just hope that in any training/preparation that you do for such an encounter you include consideration of whether the Pualides/411 books are accurate!   :-)  (500 smileys and there's no basic smiley???)