How dangerous is it to be BiGFooting alone?

[norseman]

2 hours ago, wiiawiwb said:

Now that Spring is here, I hope everyone is starting to get out and explore the woods.  I've been out a few times already; one to retrieve a trail cam. Much to my chagrin, it was unceremoniously removed by an unknown third party.  It's replacement is on it's way and back out it goes to hopefully provide more information about what is routinely coming through the area and when.

 

I'm looking forward to a productive Spring and am mindful to put myself out in situations where something might approach.  There is one place in particular I go that has had sightings/encounters that I will do overnights with a friend. This place is very spooky/creepy and wildlife noises are always absent at night.  It is also a place where a person has gone missing without a trace. It is the only place I go that I have not gone alone but always willing to go with a buddy.  I've never had a good feeling going there and have never been reluctant to go alone before to any place. The irony is it the best place to trigger a sighting/encounter but there's something not quite right there.

 

My instinct tells me to buddy up but I may thrown caution to the wind one of these nights. I keep telling myself that if I use a perimeter security system (keychain alarm and fishing line) and have my thermal at the ready,  I should be fine.  We'll see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Madison5716]

Be safe. It doesn't do you or anyone else any good to get A+ in-your-face experience with the species if you don't survive the encounter. 

[Madison5716]

"^^^^ Yes. Being dry is critical. I watched both videos. Good information. I am in the PNW.  I am not around dense stands of deciduous trees. I am around thin layers of wet, decaying leaves. The 'long fire' looks nice. The persons in the videos had 'fat wood'. We don't have that except in the stores for kindling.  Fat wood is loaded with pitch and is easy to light, burns hot and fast.  The firewood in the videos looked dry. The ground was dry. The leaves were dry.  No snow. All the actors were wearing coffee cups. And that bacon?  No thank you, I don't want to invite a bear into an emergency shelter unless of course the bear is having a bacon emergency.  A You Tube presentation with everything being soaking wet would be helpful."- Catmandoo

 

I was thinking about this while camping 2 weeks ago. Good info provided here. My friend and I want to try this in our PNW weather. Gotta find a place that'll let let us...

[Guest Rob]

I'm relatively new to Hiking and the Sasquatch world, especially emigrating from the UK to BC Canada nearly 3 years ago.  

I live minutes aay from the Chilliwack LAke Valley and not far from Harrison Hot SPrings/Mills.  Had an odd episode the first month we were here and since carry a Bear Spray at all times.  2 years encountered a Cougar and following this upgrade my buck knife to a Kukri.  Wished I'd never read the Missing 411 Books as this really put the frighteners on me and I'm very reluctant to go off trail.  Previously I'd go exploring off trail but I think thre was a degree of naivety on my part which is never good.

[BC witness]

Hi, Rob, nice to see you posting here. We chatted via PM a while back.

 

I was up in the Chilliwack Valley on Sunday, on the Bulbeard Creek/Slesse Creek roads,

When the salmon are running, the woods around there are crawling with black bears, I've seen 4 in a one hour walk on the spawning channel trail.

 

On Fri./Sat. one of my buddies was camped in a valley N of the Fraser, between Mission and Hope, and had a cougar walk right up to within 40' of his camp in daylight on Fri. evening. Only a shotgun blast into the trees above it got it to leave, and even then it only went about 80' into the timber and crouched near a fallen tree, until JC approached again with the shotgun, while blowing a whistle. I saw the tracks, and his video of the initial encounter, when I visited his camp on Saturday. Needless to say, we were both armed when we hiked the area that afternoon and evening.

[MIB]

^^^^ That is why, since my state's cougar season is year around, I buy a tag and keep it in my pocket at all times.   I don't have to put up with that.   If one acts "hinky", I don't have to wait for it to do something dangerous to justify shooting it as self defense, instead I just shoot it, slap a tag on it, and go on about my business.   

 

MIB

[BC witness]

MIB, I had a copy of the BC hunting regs with me in my SUV, and we checked the season, It runs from Apr 1 to June 15 in the spring, and Sep 10 to Mar 31 in fall/winter, so almost year round here, as well. I'm picking up a tag this week, as I also had a close up cougar encounter last summer, on the east side of Harrison Lake. I was in my vehicle then, so no safety issue, but they seem to be getting much more common, and seem to be quite fearless around people.

[SWWASAS]

12 hours ago, MIB said:

^^^^ That is why, since my state's cougar season is year around, I buy a tag and keep it in my pocket at all times.   I don't have to put up with that.   If one acts "hinky", I don't have to wait for it to do something dangerous to justify shooting it as self defense, instead I just shoot it, slap a tag on it, and go on about my business.   

 

MIB

I need to check into Washington State rules myself.    Cougars are becoming bolder and problematic in the state so a tag would avoid legal issues if one needs to be shot in self defense.   

[SWWASAS]

The Indian army claims it has "photographic evidence" of the mythical yeti. Members of the army's mountaineering expedition team snapped photos of what appear to be footprints near the base camp of Nepal's Mount Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world, on April 9.

The decision was then made to release the photos as "they matched earlier theories," per the Times of India. If they do show footprints, they belong to something big.

The army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information describes the prints as 2.5 feet long and more than a foot wide (32 inches by 15 inches) in a tweet, adding, "This elusive snowman has only been sighted at Makalu-Barun National Park in the past." In fact, there have been no confirmed sightings of a yeti, per CNN, which notes this latest claim is "at odds with scientific findings." 

The yeti myth has persisted for 350 years, ever since a holy man ventured to a cave high in the Himalayas.

Local folklore suggests he was aided by Yetis while living there and kept evidence of their existence, per CNN. The Times reports that Japanese climbers also claimed to have seen yeti footprints in western Nepal in 2008.

But a 2017 study of 24 samples said to have come from yetis—including hair, skin, feces, and bone—showed they actually came from bears and a dog.

The Indian army's Monday announcement has therefore been met with "jokes and disbelief," per the BBC. "With all due respect, institutions such as yours should be more responsible and careful before going ahead and declaring the sighting of any footprints as 'Yeti's'!" one user writes.

The army counters that the photos will be "handed over to subject matter experts."

 

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This article originally appeared on Newser: Indian Army Claims 'Photographic Evidence' of Yeti

[Huntster]

36 minutes ago, SWWASAS said:

.........The army counters that the photos will be "handed over to subject matter experts.".......

 

I wish them luck finding one of those. Talk about a mythical beast........

[SWWASAS]

I don't know.    Meldrum has been to that part of the world so someone may be aware of his area of study of footprints.  

[RedHawk454]

It seems to me there is without a doubt some kindof government cover up in the US with the fedcoats and state gubments

 

other governments across the globe seem more "likely" to be transparent on the issue, but only a little

 

check this out

 

 

it seems some local/state governments or factions of them may be open to a little bread crumbing to the general public 

 

read between the lines, and believe in the Big Ape

 

 

https://mil.wa.gov/the-legend-of-bigfoot

Edited May 2, 2019 by RedHawk454

[Hikingcoyote]

I plan on spending some time around the Holy Cross Wilderness of Colorado this fall, and will be alone. I use a PLB and bear spray if I feel I need it. Typically 2 to 5 nights in the backcountry. Rather not be doing it alone but I dont know anyone with the time or effort to get out there. I've always felt pretty safe but don't get me wrong...theres been a few panic attacks. 

[wiiawiwb]

Bear spray is a good idea.  Nowadays, amongst many different threats, you could encounter a rabid coyote or fox and need to protect yourself against a bite.

 

How and where do you carry the bear spray?  Sounds strange but a friend of mine would carry it in his backpack. I told him it wasn't going to do him any good there. Mine is carried in the right-side pouch of my backpack where it can be accessed in a second.

 

A PLB is also an excellent idea. You never know when you need to call the cavalry and a PLB will get the job done.

 

 

[hiflier]

I wear bear spray on the belt at my right hip. Draw pahdnah!. And I don't need a count