Odin603 Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 I have read that some folks think that bigfoot can see infrared light which might be why they always seem to find trail cams. I am interested in other opinions, Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIB Posted July 11, 2021 Moderator Share Posted July 11, 2021 This is a good question. I am of mixed mind. Based on personal observation, there is something "funny" about bigfoot vision. Seeing into infared would account for those observations. The problem, though, is that trail camera triggers do not use projected infared. The only time a camera produces anything infared that could be seen is when the IR flash goes off and the picture is being taken. The only way that could alert a bigfoot to the presence of the camera is if bigfoot happened to see the camera flash when it takes a picture of something else. I do not think seeing infared accounts for them avoiding trail cameras, not by seeing anything the trail camera is producing anyway. I have another notion. In the way of an experiment, I set up two trail cameras facing each other, one inert, the other active, then triggered the active camera to take a picture which I observed. The inert trail camera was not camouflaged under the IR flash, it was a solid color rectangular box. If bigfoot is truly seeing cameras and avoiding them, then it might be because though the cameras are camouflaged to us humans, they are out of place solid color boxes to bigfoot eyes. If that is the case, then we need to completely hide the camera within some natural material so that the plastic is not visible. I don't have any cameras out right now, but when I do, I cover them with tree bark, burlap, leaves, or the like, and I attach them to trees with black wood screws and thin black wire rather than wide straight straps which are eyecatching. Hmmm .. one of my friends has one of those rock cams .. a trail camera built into an artificial rock. I'll ask him if he has a regular IR trail camera and if so if he could take a picture of his rock under IR with that camera to see if it is hidden or stands out in some way. MIB 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinwalker13 Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 While its possible they could see IR @MIBb@MIBbrings up a few good points about that thought. Personally I think they can hear and smell the cameras. Prior to taking a picture theres a high pitch whrrrr that is generated as the camera powers up. This is why animals are looking dead into the camera quite often on the forst 1 or 2 frames they are captured. Theres also an ionized air smell due to the electronic components around the camera, all of that stacked on top of the fact that this is anbrand new object in a very old familair place to them. So there's way more than one factor going into play here beyond just the possibility to see the IR blink. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arvedis Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 4 minutes ago, Skinwalker13 said: While its possible they could see IR @MIBb@MIBbrings up a few good points about that thought. Personally I think they can hear and smell the cameras. Prior to taking a picture theres a high pitch whrrrr that is generated as the camera powers up. This is why animals are looking dead into the camera quite often on the forst 1 or 2 frames they are captured. Theres also an ionized air smell due to the electronic components around the camera, all of that stacked on top of the fact that this is anbrand new object in a very old familair place to them. So there's way more than one factor going into play here beyond just the possibility to see the IR blink. I would add that the electronics cause heat, ever so slightly to heat the camera casing. Animals and creatures with finely tuned olfactory senses probably pick up that unusual out of place scent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRockBigfoot Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 I will have to brush up on my science, but if memory serves warm blooded animals cannot see in infrared. The seeing and smelling of the cameras make more sense. However, there is something to the accounts of people ringing their property with it cams and moving the creature’s activity back. Like most other things on this field, it’s a mystery. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCBFr Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 As usual, you are correct. Very few animals can see in the IR spectrum. Mainly snakes, fish, amphibs, and a few insects. Very small number. I doubt it is IR if BF is based on earth-bound evolution. One of my shepherds has a fear of our home stereo. All I have to do is turn it on and somehow he senses it and runs from the room. I have tested him with it a couple of times and have yet to figure out how he knows it is being turned on. Not sure if he senses the EM or maybe hears the circuits warm up but he notices something that we cannot as soon as it turns on. He can be lying down with eyes closed and he will notice and bolt. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin603 Posted July 11, 2021 Author Share Posted July 11, 2021 Thank you all for all of your input, this is all great information for my research. I look forward to absorbing much knowledge from you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incorrigible1 Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 Put on some Steely Dan. He'll thank you! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twist Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 I’d guess it’s the smell most likely. The plastics may smell out of place. I’m of the opinion that BF are migratory so while there are definitely scenarios where BF has an advanced knowledge of its territory but I wonder about BF when on the move. They should occasionally walk into an area with a cam set up. It’s hard for me to fathom how they could always avoid trail cams. Some BF have to be careless at times. I can’t see them being infallible. A mystery indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redbone Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 4 hours ago, NCBFr said: One of my shepherds has a fear of our home stereo. All I have to do is turn it on and somehow he senses it and runs from the room. I have tested him with it a couple of times and have yet to figure out how he knows it is being turned on. Not sure if he senses the EM or maybe hears the circuits warm up but he notices something that we cannot as soon as it turns on. He can be lying down with eyes closed and he will notice and bolt. 1 hour ago, Incorrigible1 said: Put on some Steely Dan. He'll thank you! My dog is terrified of thunder, but apparently loves loud metal music. While I was cranking a Steely Dan (on topic?) metal cover from Leo Moracchioli and Mary Spender yesterday, and my old hound dog came downstairs to relax on the comforter I have set up behind me. (the beagle will have none of that. This picture was taken during a quiet morning) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAfooter Posted July 11, 2021 Admin Share Posted July 11, 2021 I have heard anecdotal stories that BF can see IR light. I have not a clue if they can or cannot. However, I believe that there are other reasons that they avoid trailcams. 1) They probably saw you put it out 2) They know the area so well, they can discern out of the ordinary changes very quickly and accurately 3) They can smell it 4) They can smell the people, and their trail, who put it out 5) They can hear it when it snaps images of other animals Question for folks, do trailcams emit noise when NOT taking an image? That is when they are just sitting there and doing nothing. I am guessing they do not, but again have no clue about it. The electronics are still working, but in a passive mode. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinwalker13 Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 39 minutes ago, VAfooter said: Question for folks, do trailcams emit noise when NOT taking an image? That is when they are just sitting there and doing nothing. I am guessing they do not, but again have no clue about it. The electronics are still working, but in a passive mode. We've recorded them emmiting RF and EMF while they are inactive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Explorer Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 (edited) NAWAC did a study on sounds emitted from game cameras back in 2013 and published their results in the link below. https://www.woodape.org/index.php/camera-test/ Below is a quote of their summary: "After measurements from testing indicating no detectable levels of either low frequency (infrasound) or high frequency (ultrasound) sound waves, we must conclude that sound frequencies that are undetectable to humans are not responsible for the seeming avoidance of our game cameras by any animal species, including the North American wood ape." Nonetheless, it appears that the test was conducted only with one game camera (Reconyx HC600). Thus, I am not sure if they can draw a conclusion for all game cameras. Maybe the internals of these game cameras are all basically the same and they can draw such conclusion. NAWAC did struggle with lack of BF detection with both their game camera traps and their night vision video cameras. They were looking for different hypotheses to help explain their lack of capture. Undetectable sounds to humans was one of the hypotheses they wanted to test. On the idea proposed above (that they can detect the scent of humans or plastic in game cameras and that triggers an avoidance response of the area), that might be one way of getting a signal but it does not explain why they approach campgrounds with plenty of scent of humans and plastics (but no game cameras). I recall reading a chapter in Thom Powell's book The Locals, whereas some BFs were approaching a house near the forest and grabbing food from an outside freezer, and then right after they placed game cameras and NV monitoring equipment, the visits stopped. That behavior is not just due to avoidance to human or plastic scent. There must have been something else going on that alerted the BFs not to approach the house again. I don't know. Maybe the RF and EMF emissions (proposed by @Skinwalker13 above) is the cause. However, houses are full of RF and EMF emissions with all their electronics, wiring, and utilities being used. So not sure, what these BF detected in the house that told them to stay away from detectable range. Edited July 11, 2021 by Explorer 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackRockBigfoot Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 4 hours ago, Skinwalker13 said: We've recorded them emmiting RF and EMF while they are inactive. I am using the same EMF detector as you. I will have to test mine out if curiosity now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incorrigible1 Posted July 11, 2021 Share Posted July 11, 2021 Apes aren't known for having a remarkable sense of smell. Just a general observation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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