Bigfoot Follows Waterways

[Guest]

IMHO the idea of any animal (including us) using a waterway or any other cleared or semi-cleared corridor (i.e. game trail) in the wilderness for movement just makes sense from a speed, ease of movement and energy burn perspective. If you are a predator then using waterways should also put you in close proximity to the game you hunt as prey animals will need to seek out water to drink. Even if you are adapted to forest dwelling and movement, using natural,animal or man-made cleared corridors would be more efficient than bushwacking. Just my $0.02.

[Guest wild eyed willy]

From all I have read over the years, the most logical place to set up a camera trap would be on a bridge crossing a river or stream. One with a good field of view and lots of fish. I don't know if anyone has ever tried this. I think it would be easier to hide the camera in plain site attached to the man made bridge supports. It might be dangerous putting it up or taking it down though. It would make sence to me that BF would drink from the running water in a stream over standing water in a pond or lake. If I was to invest in some camera traps, thats where I would try and set them up.

[Branco]

From all I have read over the years, the most logical place to set up a camera trap would be on a bridge crossing a river or stream. One with a good field of view and lots of fish. I don't know if anyone has ever tried this. I think it would be easier to hide the camera in plain site attached to the man made bridge supports. It might be dangerous putting it up or taking it down though. It would make sence to me that BF would drink from the running water in a stream over standing water in a pond or lake. If I was to invest in some camera traps, thats where I would try and set them up.

In just a six mile stretch of a local river, there have been five people who have found BF tracks during the past 2 month or so. (The latest tracks were found yesterday; a young one and a grown one.) Older residents and some young hog hunters swear the critters walk the river itself at night, especially during the hot months. In two cases, the tracks came onto the river bank from the river.

This statement may not apply to other areas, but as far as I am concerned, it is a dead certain fact that in the South, during the very hot, dry summer months, these critter WILL bed (or lay up) during the day within just a few minutes walk (for them) of good, clean cool water. And they dang well don't like it when a person prevents them from going to that water source in the heat of the day. They visit those watering holes often during hot days.

The only time I thought I was going to get my a-- royally kicked by a big, fit-throwing male was when I tried to ambush his family group at a mountain spring and got caught in the act. A learning experience of the first order.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Branco

[Guest]

The only time I thought I was going to get my a-- royally kicked by a big, fit-throwing male was when I tried to ambush his family group at a mountain spring and got caught in the act. A learning experience of the first order.

I would like to hear more about this if possible.

[Guest wild eyed willy]

In just a six mile stretch of a local river, there have been five people who have found BF tracks during the past 2 month or so. (The latest tracks were found yesterday; a young one and a grown one.) Older residents and some young hog hunters swear the critters walk the river itself at night, especially during the hot months. In two cases, the tracks came onto the river bank from the river.

This statement may not apply to other areas, but as far as I am concerned, it is a dead certain fact that in the South, during the very hot, dry summer months, these critter WILL bed (or lay up) during the day within just a few minutes walk (for them) of good, clean cool water. And they dang well don't like it when a person prevents them from going to that water source in the heat of the day. They visit those watering holes often during hot days.

The only time I thought I was going to get my a-- royally kicked by a big, fit-throwing male was when I tried to ambush his family group at a mountain spring and got caught in the act. A learning experience of the first order.

I would like to hear some details also

[Branco]

I would like to hear more about this if possible.

It was in the summer of 2005 I believe. In the Ouachita Mountains. For nearly three years I camped in a particular area ever chance I had. Most camping was done during the hottest and the coldest parts of the year. There were two small family groups in the area. I saw one of the large males and saw the tracks of two others traveling with him. The other group bedded on another mountain a mile or so from the first. They took bait, came around the camp often, and nearly always made their presence known when around my camper.

In late July or early August all the creeks and even a fork of a river dried up in the area. I knew the first group watered at a very small spring below their bedding area, but I could never get to the spring without them seeing me. I decided to find where the other group was getting water, and walked all the hollows until I found it. I walked in from the east, and the spring was at the base of a steep sandstone/quartzite bluff on that side of the hollow. I found it about 9am one morning, and carefully walked around the rock bluff to look for tracks. There were tracks of two grown animals and a small one in the damp earth just below the spring. I immediately left quietly.

The next day I went back about 10am, but stayed on a ridge out of sight of the spring, hoping to see them approach it. No luck, heard and saw nothing.

The next day I decided to slip in and use the big rock outcrop as a shield. The top of the outcrop was on a small ridge that was cut by the hollow drainage. As I slipped toward the outcrop, and nearly to it, the group male had apparently been watching me from a higher ridge on the other side of the hollow. He suddenly starting screaming and roaring, and began breaking limbs or trees. I could plainly hear that he was barreling down that ridge toward me. I caught glimpses of movement for a few seconds, but the thick growth of timber and brush growing around the spring concealed him. He stopped breaking timber, maybe 150 or yards away, and began making very loud and agressive sounding ape-like hooting sounds. Anyone within two miles could have heard the sounds. He would briefly stop hooting and roar or scream. I began hearing large rocks falling, but I do not think they were being thrown. During all this I heard more than one animal running up the hollow. When those sounds died away, he starting crashing down toward the spring like a bullet. I had started backing out when he first screamed, and I did that more quickly as he neared the spring. (In my minds eye I could visualize him scrambling up the other side of that outcrop and pop out right in my face.) I never carried a weapon, but did have a Brazilian machete. I took it out, turned and got out of Dodge. He shut up, and I heard no more sounds of movements. That was worse; I had no idea where he was or what he was up to then.

Anyway, I guess he did what he intended to do; get my butt away from his family. It was a long, nervous, head-swiveling walk back to camp. I suppose they forgave me for what I did because they continued to come around camp late at night and mess with me while eating a few bushels of pears and some melons put out of reach of other critters.

A learned a lot from those two groups; but that was the only time one of them became obviously and seriously aggressive toward me.

Edited June 27, 2011 by Branco

[Guest wild eyed willy]

It was in the summer of 2005 I believe. In the Ouachita Mountains. For nearly three years I camped in a particular area ever chance I had. Most camping was done during the hottest and the coldest parts of the year. There were two small family groups in the area. I saw one of the large males and saw the tracks of two others traveling with him. The other group bedded on another mountain a mile or so from the first. They took bait, came around the camp often, and nearly always made their presence known when around my camper.

In late July or early August all the creeks and even a fork of a river dried up in the area. I knew the first group watered at a very small spring below their bedding area, but I could never get to the spring without them seeing me. I decided to find where the other group was getting water, and walked all the hollows until I found it. I walked in from the east, and the spring was at the base of a steep sandstone/quartzite bluff on that side of the hollow. I found it about 9am one morning, and carefully walked around the rock bluff to look for tracks. There were tracks of two grown animals and a small one in the damp earth just below the spring. I immediately left quietly.

The next day I went back about 10am, but stayed on a ridge out of sight of the spring, hoping to see them approach it. No luck, heard and saw nothing.

The next day I decided to slip in and use the big rock outcrop as a shield. The top of the outcrop was on a small ridge that was cut by the hollow drainage. As I slipped toward the outcrop, and nearly to it, the group male had apparently been watching me from a higher ridge on the other side of the hollow. He suddenly starting screaming and roaring, and began breaking limbs or trees. I could plainly hear that he was barreling down that ridge toward me. I caught glimpses of movement for a few seconds, but the thick growth of timber and brush growing around the spring concealed him. He stopped breaking timber, maybe 150 or yards away, and began making very loud and agressive sounding ape-like hooting sounds. Anyone within two miles could have heard the sounds. He would briefly stop hooting and roar or scream. I began hearing large rocks falling, but I do not think they were being thrown. During all this I heard more than one animal running up the hollow. When those sounds died away, he starting crashing down toward the spring like a bullet. I had started backing out when he first screamed, and I did that more quickly as he neared the spring. (In my minds eye I could visualize him scrambling up the other side of that outcrop and pop out right in my face.) I never carried a weapon, but did have a Brazilian machete. I took it out, turned and got out of Dodge. He shut up, and I heard no more sounds of movements. That was worse; I had no idea where he was or what he was up to then.

Anyway, I guess he did what he intended to do; get my butt away from his family. It was a long, nervous, head-swiveling walk back to camp. I suppose they forgave me for what I did because they continued to come around camp late at night and mess with me while eating a few bushels of pears and some melons put out of reach of other critters.

A learned a lot from those two groups; but that was the only time one of them became obviously and seriously aggressive toward me.

If you were just a hiker needing water, would he have attacked you? Or did he know it was you and why you were there?

[Branco]

If you were just a hiker needing water, would he have attacked you? Or did he know it was you and why you were there?

I was being sneaky. He knew me, half-a--ed trusted me, and he was really PO'ed that I was trying to ambush the group. He may have seen me when I first found the spring; I don't know. He had no reason then to run me off. Probably would have just watched another hiker get a drink. One thing I know is: monkeys and other wild primates don't forget a human's face. They can and do pick the one person out of a group that has been mean to them, and they can and do pick out a person who has been around them and not mistreated them. They will carry a grudge until they can get even; or they will approach you without fear or malice if they respect you.

A LOT of folks that visit this forum know that; and know it applies to BF too.

Edited June 28, 2011 by Branco

[Guest wild eyed willy]

I was being sneaky. He knew me, half-a--ed trusted me, and he was really PO'ed that I was trying to ambush the group. He may have seen me when I first found the spring; I don't know. He had no reason then to run me off. Probably would have just watched another hiker get a drink. One thing I know is: monkeys and other wild primates don't forget a human's face. They can and do pick the one person out of a group that has been mean to them, and they can and do pick out a person who has been around them and not mistreated them. They will carry a grudge until they can get even; or they will approach you without fear or malice if they respect you.

A LOT of folks that visit this forum know that; and know it applies to BF too.

If you continued right to the water, what would he have done?

[Branco]

If you continued right to the water, what would he have done?

Don't know. Never for a second considered it. He may have been bluffing, but with his family nearby, I doubt it. I was a way out of his fighting class. Saw the male off that mountain REAL close earlier. Massive.

[Guest TrucknSquatch]

Waterways make the most sense. As a living creature, like ourselves, or other animals, BF would need water. Fish is an added bonus, but as someone pointed out: hides tracks, scent, cools creature off. It also supports theory of many tracks being seen, as well as sightings, near water. Another thing that stands out to me, is that there is terrain where BF has been sighted and when re-enacted, humans find very difficult to traverse, so they would have, shall I say, a home court advantage in take cover, moving, etc. over this type of environment.

Having said that, I found it interesting that MM (or one of his people on "Finding Bigfoot") that they use tall Power lines as some sort of super highway. I may not be looking in the right place (and will admit it), but wouldn't that be a bit more obvious for a creature that tends to hide from us--that is a pretty broad area to expose itself to if that were the case.

[Guest wild eyed willy]

Don't know. Never for a second considered it. He may have been bluffing, but with his family nearby, I doubt it. I was a way out of his fighting class. Saw the male off that mountain REAL close earlier. Massive.

Has there ever been a report of a squatch actualy harming or killing a person?

[Guest CaptainMorgan]

"I found it interesting that MM (or one of his people on "Finding Bigfoot") that they use tall Power lines as some sort of super highway. I may not be looking in the right place (and will admit it), but wouldn't that be a bit more obvious for a creature that tends to hide from us--that is a pretty broad area to expose itself to if that were the case."

I've heard everyone BUT MM say it, and it's a mainstay in research areas for some groups. The theory isnt that they walk up and down those clear cuts, but approach them to look for anything else in it, and then chase them down. I find deer scat etc in these clear cuts so I know they get used, I just don't like being under or near the for any length of time.

"Has there ever been a report of a squatch actualy harming or killing a person?

"

I've heard from several sources that there were people killed, but it's always 2nd or 3rd hand and on NA land, and can't be verified etc. According to the stories I've heard, hunter and NA men were just crushed and bashed, like they had been slammed in to trees like a cartoon character.

.

Edited June 29, 2011 by CaptainMorgan

[Guest Chewie]

An online community of some 400 Bigfoot researchers nationwide, the BFRO investigates sightings and looks for patterns. One pattern, Luffman says is clear — where there’s water, there’s Bigfoot.

This makes sense. All animals need water but like someone else already said people are usually around the waterways too. Are there a lot of people seeing BF going for a swim?

[Guest BFSleuth]

This makes sense. All animals need water but like someone else already said people are usually around the waterways too. Are there a lot of people seeing BF going for a swim?

Oh yes! Some sighting reports note some pretty outstanding swimming ability. It makes sense with the length of their arms and the size of their hands and feet, and their powerful shoulders and legs. Add to that an enormous lung capacity and you have a pretty ideal swimmer.

They apparently can hold their breath quite well and swim very capably. Here's some of my favorites... enjoy...

http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=14646

http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=7382

http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=2549

http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=179