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Dark Sky Places Correlation to BF Sightings


bipedalist

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https://www.darksky.org/our-work/conservation/idsp/

 

 

How many have had sightings at times of darkness, no moon and minimal ambient light, what does the SSR, BFRO and other databases show? 

 

Many dark sky places in Oregon, Washington and Maine for example. 

 

I know there has been discussion about equal sightings during daylight and night-time hours but this has not been my experience.   

 

Can people who have histories of sightings weigh in on their direct experience with low light or darkness sightings? 

Sort of like what @BugMaster did here with land cover 

 

 

 

Edited by bipedalist
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Well, my SIGHTINGS have always been in enough daylight to SEE.   Funny how that works, right?  :)    

 

I've had a couple (+) instances where camp was entered or approached.   All of those have been in full darkness .. qualified.   They were in the dark part of nights where there was 3 hours or more of darkness even if there was a full or near full moon for the rest of the night.    It's a 100% hit rate for me.    I have bumped into them wandering around on full moon nights but only when I was down in a shadow where there was no light .. deep canyon or the like.

 

My theory is they can see us and they think, incorrectly, that we can see them much better in darkness than we really can.    (Kinda accounts for the nocturnal tree peeker at Bumping Lake, right?)

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All of the eyeshine, tree-knockings, and tree toppling-incidents I've seen or heard have been at night between 9pm - 11pm.

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Most of the knocks we've heard have been during daylight hours. I think because primarily that is when we are out searching. Of the three that we have seen, one sighting (of two individuals) was at night (which just happened to be a full moon), and one was during broad daylight.  I am of the same opinion as MIB -- they can see see us in the dark and they think we an see them in the dark also. 

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7 hours ago, NorthWind said:

they can see see us in the dark and they think we an see them in the dark also. 

 

Animal vision has evolved to use starlight at night. Many animals wander around in what humans perceive as total darkness. Starlight reaches terrain at about 550nm and that wavelength has been hitting us for billions of years. Human night vision is limited and that is the price we pay to have 3 cones for color during the day and rods for night time.

Averted vision is a minor improvement.

 

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3 hours ago, Catmandoo said:

 

Animal vision has evolved to use starlight at night. Many animals wander around in what humans perceive as total darkness. Starlight reaches terrain at about 550nm and that wavelength has been hitting us for billions of years. Human night vision is limited and that is the price we pay to have 3 cones for color during the day and rods for night time.

Averted vision is a minor improvement.

 

 

Being dark adapted on a moonless night in a hot spot and staying in one place ready and waiting is your friend too!

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Does anyone remember the Nathan Reo video where he talked about finding a dark, north facing mountain slope? He said to start looking for structures and follow them to the next one and keep going etc. and he said you'll have an experience. Can't find that video now, but it was interesting and related to dark spaces, unless I am remembering incorrectly

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20 hours ago, NorCalWitness said:

Does anyone remember the Nathan Reo video where he talked about finding a dark, north facing mountain slope? He said to start looking for structures and follow them to the next one and keep going etc. and he said you'll have an experience. Can't find that video now, but it was interesting and related to dark spaces, unless I am remembering incorrectly

 

Yep. I remember.

 

Mr. Reo went through some personal issues, and ended up deleting his videos. A shame, because some were very good, IMHO.

 

18 hours ago, Jennifer said:

Exciting! Hopefully one day, I too can see or hear one.

 

Welcome, @Jennifer.  Just get out into the woods. It is very possible you'll hear a knock or two, and maybe more. Not sure where you are located, but @Madison5716 and I hear things fairly regularly. Including two wood knocks last Saturday. We're in Oregon, and get to the forest often.

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On 6/14/2023 at 10:19 AM, NorCalWitness said:

Does anyone remember the Nathan Reo video where he talked about finding a dark, north facing mountain slope? 

 

I believe it was to seek for evidence on the north sides of mountains in summer, because it's cooler, and the rest is correct.

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On 6/12/2023 at 1:34 PM, bipedalist said:

How many have had sightings at times of darkness, no moon and minimal ambient light, what does the SSR, BFRO and other databases show? 

 

We have found that we find prints are left in mud, most times on the new moon. Someone likes playing in mud under cover of darkness.

 

Our 2020 FLIR sighting of two was under the full moon.

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North sides of mtns in summer would make sense as I found evidence suggesting southside use and travel routes toward in winter. 

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