Thoughts/Feedback on BFRO Expeditions?

[BeesKnees]

There’s one scheduled next summer in Minnesota (where I’m currently located) that I’m curious about.  However, I don’t know that I’m curious enough to drop $300-$500 on it.  Has anyone ever attended one or heard feedback about how well they turn out?  

[MIB]

That is a good question.  

 

I went on one in 2017.    It met my expectations.  I feel I got good value for what I spent.    Whether you would feel the same .. is anyone's guess.   Each trip is going to be different, not just different organizers in a different location, but also different attendees.  

 

MIB

[ShadowBorn]

@BeesKnees

I have never been on one of their trips. But if you are looking for the experience then yes this might be for you. It is always good to get the views from others and from what I have heard they do teach you things. Things that might take you longer to learn on your own. So yes, this might be worth paying the money that they are asking for. I am only saying in case that you feel un- comfortable going out into the woods on your own. 

 

You might find that maybe a few of us might be against this. Since it is a form of commercializing Bigfoot in a whole. But again this is just opinion. After all it is all how you feel about spending you hard earn money.  You will get what you put into it.  

[Redbone]

2 hours ago, BeesKnees said:

There’s one scheduled next summer in Minnesota (where I’m currently located) that I’m curious about.  However, I don’t know that I’m curious enough to drop $300-$500 on it.  Has anyone ever attended one or heard feedback about how well they turn out?  

Bob Barhite is a friend of mine, and he has run good expeditions that I have attended. I'm not sure they can have the same good experiences as his expeditions in Iowa or Wisconsin have provided, but they do a good job of scouting areas beforehand. In Minnesota, you are very likely to run into many of my friends and you will enjoy the experience. I recommend it if you have not done one. I am unlikely to do official BFRO expeds anymore because of the non-disclosure agreement. I want to be able to share location, should I have more encounters. The first time fee is higher to discourage the less enthusiastic participants. It'll be cheaper as a repeat attendee at future expeditions. The fee never bothered me. I like to think of it as an affordable vacation with great friends.

[wiiawiwb]

I have never attended A BFRO expedition. I have attended a few from other groups. That said, I would go on one if you are not confident about being alone in the woods. My background came from backpacking so the two dovetailed together nicely.  Being outdoors and listening to the symphony of sounds was not new to me. Fifteen years ago, I went on several expeditions and it was a blast.  I learned a lot about what to encounter, how to prepare, and what to expect. I'm not sure I would have known what to do without that and it's a good idea to have someone show you the ropes. 

 

A lot depends on your confidence of being outdoors alone.  That was right up my alley as I had wilderness survival and wilderness navigation training. If you are new to the woods, or if you've never been sasquatching, I'd sign up with BFRO in a second. You develop friendships and see how an expedition is conducted.  Those friendships pay dividends.

 

Unless you have alternate source who can bring you out on an expedition, I'd sign up in a New York minute. You'll have a blast.

Edited January 2, 2021 by wiiawiwb

[BeesKnees]

1 hour ago, Redbone said:

Bob Barhite is a friend of mine, and he has run good expeditions that I have attended. I'm not sure they can have the same good experiences as his expeditions in Iowa or Wisconsin have provided, but they do a good job of scouting areas beforehand. In Minnesota, you are very likely to run into many of my friends and you will enjoy the experience. I recommend it if you have not done one. I am unlikely to do official BFRO expeds anymore because of the non-disclosure agreement. I want to be able to share location, should I have more encounters. The first time fee is higher to discourage the less enthusiastic participants. It'll be cheaper as a repeat attendee at future expeditions. The fee never bothered me. I like to think of it as an affordable vacation with great friends.

I did look up Bob Barhite beforehand and was impressed with what I found. I’m glad you can confirm my original impression of him was on the up and up. This would be my first experience and a group outing is what drew me in in the first place.  I’ve heard both good and bad things about the BFRO (good to know about the NDA, thank you) and wanted to be sure that it was a decent investment.  I know that nothing sight-wise is guaranteed, but at this point, knowledge and experience is what I really need.  I’ll have to keep an eye out if he should do another Iowa expedition—I was born and raised there and would be interested in that as well.  Thanks!

[BeesKnees]

1 hour ago, ShadowBorn said:

@BeesKnees

I have never been on one of their trips. But if you are looking for the experience then yes this might be for you. It is always good to get the views from others and from what I have heard they do teach you things. Things that might take you longer to learn on your own. So yes, this might be worth paying the money that they are asking for. I am only saying in case that you feel un- comfortable going out into the woods on your own. 

 

You might find that maybe a few of us might be against this. Since it is a form of commercializing Bigfoot in a whole. But again this is just opinion. After all it is all how you feel about spending you hard earn money.  You will get what you put into it.  

I didn’t think about the commercializing angle beforehand, so I can understand how some people would be against that.  I’m okay with paying it [at least] once to gain some experience and meet fellow enthusiasts, although there’s no guarantee either will be positive in the end!  

[BeesKnees]

59 minutes ago, wiiawiwb said:

I have never attended A BFRO expedition. I have attended a few from other groups. That said, I would go on one if you are not confident about being alone in the woods. My background came from backpacking so the two dovetailed together nicely.  Being outdoors and listening to the symphony of sounds was not new to me. Fifteen years ago, I went on several expeditions and it was a blast.  I learned a lot about what to encounter, how to prepare, and what to expect. I'm not sure I would have known what to do without that and it's a good idea to have someone show you the ropes. 

 

A lot depends on your confidence of being outdoors alone.  That was right up my alley as I had wilderness survival and wilderness navigation training. If you are new to the woods, or if you've never been sasquatching, I'd sign up with BFRO in a second. You develop friendships and see how an expedition is conducted.  Those friendships pay dividends.

 

Unless you have alternate source who can bring you out on an expedition, I'd sign up in a New York minute. You'll have a blast.

I’m definitely in it for the knowledge and experience and to meet others in my region.  It seems like it will be a good thing to try based on the feedback I’ve gotten so far.  Thank you!

[BeesKnees]

4 hours ago, MIB said:

That is a good question.  

 

I went on one in 2017.    It met my expectations.  I feel I got good value for what I spent.    Whether you would feel the same .. is anyone's guess.   Each trip is going to be different, not just different organizers in a different location, but also different attendees.  

 

MIB

Thank you for your feedback!  If you don’t mind my asking, what was your experience level prior to going? 

[MIB]

16 minutes ago, BeesKnees said:

Thank you for your feedback!  If you don’t mind my asking, what was your experience level prior to going? 

 

Knower.  Multiple-witness.   Boatload of non-visual "events", some cautiously interactive.   I found a track line in '74 and had my first sighting in '76, extended, unambiguous.   I already took for granted that they were there, just never expected to see one.   I didn't really do anything in the way of research 'til about 2007 when weird stuff was happening on a mountain I was trying to hunt.    Trying to sort that out lead me to getting involved with a regional group about 2010.  I'm deliberately not naming them.  Eventually the group founder and I became like siblings.   By 2015 or so I was investigating reports for the site and by 2016 or so I was assisting with forum moderation.   The group had somewhat stagnated and I was unwilling to stagnate with them.   I was providing most of the research reports, doing a lot of work, and not getting anything back.  That was the situation when I went on the BFRO expedition ... looking for new horizons.   About 2 years ago, the group founder and I parted ways on bad terms over political differences, nothing to do with bigfoot, but that chapter is closed.    I've been researching one location since about 2007 and another since 2011 plus poking into other areas farther away as it fits into my time/schedule.    I don't precisely "research bigfoot", rather, I do a lot of hunting, fishing, backpacking (with a significant amount being off-trail, cross country wilderness treks) with my senses alert.   I run audio essentially full time.   I watch for tracks when I'm hiking and fishing.   There is a lot more going on than most people realize, it's just subtle, and yet there is also a lot less going on than some others claim .. IMHO.

 

I guess the short way of saying that is I was fairly well immersed in the topic, in the community, etc already.

 

MIB

[masterbarber]

If it weren't for BFRO expeditions, we wouldn't have the "discovery" of Area X.

Fall 2001 - Southern Oklahoma - Ouachita Mts.

[Arvedis]

I would be interested to know who the search leaders are for an expedition I was participating in. If all they are doing is hiking around and wood knocking then why bother. If they are more innovative than their public persona implies then it may be worth it IMO.

Edited January 20, 2021 by Arvedis

[Henry Stevens]

Sounds like a business to me.  So do all the youtube sites where the weekly or monthly program is over an hour.  An hour?  Fifteen minutes is plenty of time to relay facts.  Does BFRO know anything you don't know?  Is their track record for finding BF any better than yours?  

[wiiawiwb]

What is it supposed to sound like...a charity? Do you expect they should donate their time to show the public how to go sasquatching?

 

If the notion of charging a fee is distasteful, then let those folks make arrangements for an upcoming expedition of their own. Don't charge a penny and do all the work necessary to pull it all together. Nobody is discouraging you from doing that. 

 

An expedition is either a group of friends getting together to enjoy a similarly-minded activity or its an endeavor where one person, or a group, makes all the arrangements, conducts it, and gets paid to do so. If it is the latter, that person or group may have to register with the state as a business, possibly file and pay monthly state or local sales tax, carry an insurance policy, file a tax year-end Federal and state income tax return and pay professionals to do all of that.  If you build in the layer of costs as well as adding on a fee for your time, there is a fair amount of money to properly organize and conduct an expedition.

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by wiiawiwb

[BlackRockBigfoot]

6 hours ago, wiiawiwb said:

What is it supposed to sound like...a charity? Do you expect they should donate their time to show the public how to go sasquatching?

 

If the notion of charging a fee is distasteful, then let those folks make arrangements for an upcoming expedition of their own. Don't charge a penny and do all the work necessary to pull it all together. Nobody is discouraging you from doing that. 

 

An expedition is either a group of friends getting together to enjoy a similarly-minded activity or its an endeavor where one person, or a group, makes all the arrangements, conducts it, and gets paid to do so. If it is the latter, that person or group may have to register with the state as a business, possibly file and pay monthly state or local sales tax, carry an insurance policy, file a tax year-end Federal and state income tax return and pay professionals to do all of that.  If you build in the layer of costs as well as adding on a fee for your time, there is a fair amount of money to properly organize and conduct an expedition.

 

Agreed.

 

I have softened in my previously harsh stance on BFRO expeditions.  A large part of that is due to a few of the members here who have laid out their own reasons on why these outings have some value to many people.  Reasons that made sense to me.

 

These paid outings aren't for me; but if someone has an interest in the subject, but does not have the time to scout out their own locations nor the ability to go out safely by themselves...then the price might very well be well worth it.  

 

As far as youtube channels go...no one is forcing anyone to watch them.  A lot of people enjoy the subject, like to discuss it, and like to listen and watch shows on that subject.  I find the majority of Bigfoot groups and channels to be a bit cringey, but I am not their target market.  If they want to post hour long videos about Bigfoot, have at it.