It’s winter time!

[norseman]

In areas that receive significant amounts of snow fall? This is the best time of the year to go out looking for snow trackways. I feel this is the holy grail in our pursuit for Bigfoot. Because snow is our biggest ally…. Unless Bigfoot sprouts wings! We can now especially in snow vehicle technology follow tracks to their conclusion!

 

Here is a video of the late great John Bindernagel!

 

 

 

 

[hiflier]

I sincerely thank you for this. It's a well-timed posting and a classic Bindernagel video that I have watched on more than one occasion. What a character he is in his style. I call such individuals "local color." The idea of winter trackway evidence has been a pet interest of mine for good reason. You and your father encountered one in which your Dad, a seasoned hunter, would not follow. The man knew, and you've never forgotten it. Winter is a critically important time of year because trackways don't get up and walk away and can be present for a long time if conditions are right, long after a creature has left the area.

 

So not omly can the evidence of a Sasquatch passage be documented, the possibility of securing genetic material, even weeks later, is possible. And of course, as you say, with today's machines available, following such a trackway is certainly within one's capabilities. You've had some early snowfall. Good luck and be safe.

[Catmandoo]

I met John and his wife Joan years ago when they visited Washington State for a presentation. He signed one of his books for me. He was pleasant to talk to. One of the areas that we  talked about was cat tracks in snow. Bobcat, Lynx and cougar in the ways of paws, straddle, stride and tail dragging. We talked about track following  with cross country skiis and snowshoes. Cross country skiis being faster on suitable terrain. Both methods are relatively quiet. If you can walk, you can use snowshoes.

 

Cost of ownership of snow machines is high. They make a lot of noise.

2 hours ago, norseman said:

We can now especially in snow vehicle technology follow tracks to their conclusion!

Time will tell. How do you feel when someone or something is following you?

I will post again: Sasquatch find you, you do not find them.

1 hour ago, hiflier said:

Winter is a critically important time of year because trackways don't get up and walk away and can be present for a long time if conditions are right, long after a creature has left the area.

Western Washington has wet sloppy snow.  If conditions are not correct, animal tracks can be obscurred quickly. A track / way would have to be pounced upon quickly ( no cat pun intended ).

Edited December 6, 2021 by Catmandoo
grammar

[norseman]

12 minutes ago, Catmandoo said:

I met John and his wife Joan years ago when they visited Washington State for a presentation. He signed one of his books for me. He was pleasant to talk to. One of the areas that we  talked about was cat tracks in snow. Bobcat, Lynx and cougar in the ways of paws, straddle, stride and tail dragging. We talked about track following  with cross country skiis and snowshoes. Cross country skiis being faster on suitable terrain. Both methods are relatively quiet. If you can walk, you can use snowshoes.

 

Cost of ownership of snow machines is high. They make a lot of noise.

Time will tell. How do you feel when someone or something is following you?

I will post again: Sasquatch find you, you do not find them.

Western Washington has wet sloppy snow.  If conditions are not correct, animal tracks can be obscurred quickly. A track / way would have to be pounced upon quickly ( no cat pun intended ).

Times? They are a’ changin….

 

How would I feel? I would try to hole up in tight timber. Or rocky terrain that makes it hard to follow.

 

But these new snow bikes are not a 1974 440 Cheetah. Where these guys are taking these bikes is mind blowing. 
 

And yes, the time window is between storm fronts. But these bikes can cover 50 miles in a day easy.

 

Thanks for sharing your story about John. I never met him personally but he seemed nice.

 

Tight trees:

 

Crick bottom:

 

 

 

[Catmandoo]

You have previously posted videos about snowbikes. The videos are almost hypnotic. The riders are skilled bikers. I used to work with a guy who lost a little pinky ( hand ) to a small, frozen, non-bending tree.

 

Does your snow machine have a mount for a 45-70?

[norseman]

25 minutes ago, Catmandoo said:

You have previously posted videos about snowbikes. The videos are almost hypnotic. The riders are skilled bikers. I used to work with a guy who lost a little pinky ( hand ) to a small, frozen, non-bending tree.

 

Does your snow machine have a mount for a 45-70?

Right now I have a old 2005 Yamaha 660 Grizzly on Tatou tracks. And yes it does. Although I have 2 Idaho Wolf tags so Ive been taking my Tavor instead. The starter is going out. Need to address that. Here my daughter show cases it for me:

 

 

[Patterson-Gimlin]

Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed the video. 

Snow tracks not so much. 

[norseman]

34 minutes ago, Patterson-Gimlin said:

Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed the video. 

Snow tracks not so much. 

Its THE most important piece of the puzzle. Trying to track in a mossy floored rain forest sucks.

 

But your not out looking anyhow…

[Patterson-Gimlin]

13 hours ago, norseman said:

Its THE most important piece of the puzzle. Trying to track in a mossy floored rain forest sucks.

 

But your not out looking anyhow…

Agree. The best tracks are from soil not rain forests or snow.

I actually did spend a lot of time looking in Florida and California. I have seen tracks but assumed they were human . Still do.

Bad back, feet and knees hamper my outdoor activities. I did lose 70 pounds and that helped. 

[norseman]

12 minutes ago, Patterson-Gimlin said:

Agree. The best tracks are from soil not rain forests or snow.

I actually did spend a lot of time looking in Florida and California. I have seen tracks but assumed they were human . Still do.

Bad back, feet and knees hamper my outdoor activities. I did lose 70 pounds and that helped. 

The best tracks are in snow. Because snow will register every single step the creature makes. And if the track way is doggedly followed? Will result in finding the creature. So long as the snow field holds out and it doesn’t snow another large amount obliterating the trackway.

 

Im not talking about what medium makes the best plaster cast or shows the most detail. In any given forest the amount of substrate that holds a track is limited. I suppose there are some trackers out there that could follow a track way through a forest and across rock beds and cricks and the what not. But it would seem the creature walks faster than a tracker can track…..

 

Which is another boon for winter track ways. The creature isn’t going to out pace a snow bike.

[Patterson-Gimlin]

No worries. I understand. We were talking about two different things. Snow tracks in my opinion are easily misidentified. Melting Snow and ice distort tracks, but so does everything. 

 

I actually like some Snow tracks in hard ice that requires great weight to make. Such as the ones made by the Yeti according to the sherpas. 

 

[norseman]

Did some plowing and trail clearing today. 
 

Only saw deer and rabbit tracks.

[Patterson-Gimlin]

Awesome pics. Thanks for sharing. Early white Christmas. 

[norseman]

Also, I love this little saw. You rip it off your rig and you pull the trigger.

[Patterson-Gimlin]

Most impressive.