US snow levels/Bigfoot

[BobbyO]

We are still adding BC BigTree so can't look at that yet but it's absolutely of course on the list for this very reason.

 

86% increase in South Cascades reports from 2010 to 2014 compared to the previous five years, with a 71% decrease in Eaterrn WA which where the SSR is concerned runs from just east of the Cascades and the start of the arid land from BC, down all the way to the Columbia.

 

Will be good to see if the trend is bucked in a few years for this period we are currently in where the South Cascades is concerned taking in to consideration the 2014 fires.

 

Interesting to note that in that time frame and the five years previous too, the North Cascades have seen increases in reports too as opposed to decreases in the previous two five year periods.

 

Movement will equal reports, or should do anyway.

[BigTreeWalker]

I have to wonder about the decreases in the Olympics during those same periods of increase in the southern Cascades. Because there were no major fires there. There are so many variables to look at. One thing I also know, at least in the last few years, with the exception of this winter, we have had some very mild winters in the southern Cascades. That would mean more people in the woods year round. Unless those high percentage increases occurred during the spring, summer and fall months. 

[BobbyO]

Yeah I have to look in to it much more for sure, and I will imminently.

 

The Olympics seem to be in a world of their own where numbers are concerned in general, honestly.

 

I talked to Tom Baker who is the data Guy for the Olympic Project when he was on a London visit recently and I was kind of relieved he was finding the Olympics to be tough to nail down regarding any type of trend or pattern too from the numbers they collate.

 

One of the only things I've found to date that makes any real, of what we'd interpret to be sense where the Olympics are concerned, is the high % of reports from home owners in the winter.

 

Aside  from that it's all over the place but I guess it can be given that it really is an Eco-system that is pretty unique and could really be thought of of being on its own out there anyway.

 

 

 

Going back to that chart though, the South Cascades > Eastern WA are the ones to look at IMO as they swing both ways in every five year period, unlike the Olympics and the South Cascades.

 

More digging for sure though especially with the most recent time period listed as that is the one with dramatic decreases in two zones that sandwich the South Cascades which has its highest increase, by some distance too.

[BigTreeWalker]

BobbyO, the homeowner sightings in winter in the Olympics would seem to support the hypothesis stated by several people here that they move into the lower elevations with snowfall. The Olympics would be an excellent place to observe this behavior because the whole range is surrounded by lower elevation, more human populated areas. But even around the Olympics there's a lot of country where they could move into and never be seen. 

[BobbyO]

Yeah I'm with you.

 

I've always viewed it as humans equals food via farms etc, hence these reports.

 

Found these two.

 

 

[Guest WesT]

Interesting graphs BobbyO. It looks like in the first graph that Illinois and Washington state have the same trend of higher homeowner sightings in winter. Illinois is flat as a pancake, no higher elevations there as opposed to Washington. Maybe something else is driving them to private land. Maybe privacy? because there aren't as many, or any, people randomly trampling about in the woods?

[BobbyO]

It's damn cold though Wes, i know that first hand. Lots of snow too, just like Wisconsin in the other graph and unlike the other States in it.