I have been out a total of 3 times, all 3 times i have camped out within a mile or so of carbon river and i have been within a few miles of large groups of people. First time out i had a few vocalizations, second time nothin, third i found tracks(this happend yesterday) Why is this? It seems to me that most people try to get as deep in the woods as possible. Each camp site i have been at i thought there was no chance of any activity....but each spot has turned up with somethin. Im starting to think that they like areas that have been thinned out by logging in the past. Last friday I was literally camping on the side of the road in a turn around spot cause it was dark, I just wanted to get camp set up. I have never had a more uneasy feeling while in the woods, I felt like i was being watched all night. The next mourning i found tracks! How deep in the woods do you go? What do you do to draw attention to yourself? How many people do you usually go with? Basically im trying to figure out what im doin differently. Im curious if its just dumb luck or if im on to somethin. Feel free to ask whatever Q's you want regarding my experiences.

I've heard they are curious of people. I don't know if that's true but it would likely mean they'd be closer to camps than not. If they are like bears they might like to look through people's food scraps when they leave and that too would likely mean they'd be closer to camps than not. However, also like bears they likely don't need humans for any reason and therefore could be found deep, deep, in the woods.

I found footprints in a location near an old skid road where logging had been done long ago. That was somewhat near a road that I don't believe gets used more than a handful of times a year. It's almost impassable, actually is now due to downed logs, and I then took an overgrown skid road a little bit and then walked in a little farther.

Then, I found a track near a creek in a turnaround spot. I imagine if they didn't come near where people were there wouldn't be tracks or vocalizations, or any other "evidence" for that matter. If a BF falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it... Anyway, I don't think you're any luckier than anyone else that finds stuff. Putting yourself out there is the only way to find anything, and they may be near the road or in the middle of nowhere, but you'll only find "evidence" if you put yourself out there.

I'd say the thing you're doing differently is getting into the field and looking. I know "outdoorsmen" that don't see deer when they're driving around in the woods, hiking, etc. The only time they see anything is if they are specifically looking for it, and they never see any of it if they aren't out there in the woods.

if you could walk there in less than an hour its not far enough

I think i must be luckier then most or just be in the right area. I havnt been into this for that long ive already had experiences, dont people do this for years and years and never find a thing? Or do they just talk about it but never actually do it? It just seems to me that if its this easy to find evidence then why is this subject laughable to most? Not that i actually have any evidence, the tracks were matted down pine needles and twigs, the vocalization i heard would have been the best out there but didnt have a recorder at the time.

I find nothing at all strange about having activity close to the road or other people. Most published reports are of that type. Campgrounds are frequented in many areas of the country by squatches. There are thousands of reports on-line and in books. By going through all the reports you can get an idea of what type of areas people are having encounters. The concept of going into the "wilderness" to have an encounter does not stand up to what most reports show.

Stan

I don't believe this statement for a minute...

More sightings are and have been around homes/roads/campgrounds and while out hunting and fishing. Do you think for one minute that all those people were that far in the woods?

how deep do you go in woods?
Depends on how nice she is

OH!!!!!

I kinda figger,,,,if BF is so close to being human, then use the,,,,,,what would I do, if I had to live out here? Would you go through heavily underbrushed areas, or through a clear cut, or down a logging road. Would you go in a straight line over the top of a mountain, or go through the valleys for an easier trek. If you want to find your way down a valley, you walk along a stream bed, always downhill. Basic camping/boyscout training, would, in my mind, be exactly what a BF would live. Lower elevations, flat land, streams, rivers, more open forest than choking undergrowth. Gee, just what humans like, hehe. Indians lived where it was easiest, and always lived within BF contact. Bf wants an easy life too, and just happens to over lap human compatible areas. Don't need luck to bump into one. Just ask yourself how you would handle an area you want to research.

IMHO you are absolutely correct, 'StanCourtney'. Most people who are not aware of the BF phenom (because they haven't researched it) would be shocked to learn just how close they really are or might have been, from time to time throughout their lives, to actual BF activity. Whether BF are seasonally migratory or not, there is no doubt -- based on the report record -- that BF are widely distributed across the entire North American continent, not just in wilderness, but in rural, suburban and even urban areas as well. I am always astounded by their stealth capabilities and their penchant for roaming adjacent to human habitation. Got a local garbage dump? Not a bad place to start hanging out. Depending on where you live, just keep clear of the bears. You never know what you might see.

People frequently roll their eyes at my opinion; but here in Ontario, at least, I do not know of any areas of this huge Province where Sasquatch haven't been reported or encountered, including built-up urban areas. Contrary to the urban mythology of our day, here no one has to go to the wilderness to find them. One simply has to be cognizant of the type of sign to watch for; then hang out (pitch camp) and make yourself available.
Dudlow

I was talking about preference, not enounters, so lighten up.

How deep in the woods do you need to go? I don't think very far at all.

May depend on how much contiguous forest is behindthe fringe. As I look out my window, I know I can go for 10's of miles, probably many more, the whole time in very thick woods. 2.1 million acres of White River National Forest.

Well I personally want to go deep enough that I'm not encountering other people. When I hear a bipedal walk it most likely is the big guy in the area I typically would go to, especially if no boats, planes or vehicles are parked nearby.

If you're finding bona fide tracks, the reason is that you're in a bona fide hot spot.



Then we will be expecting great things from you.

I found tracks once in my life. Once. Never seen a sasquatch, never heard "vocalizations" (don't know what they sound like), never smelled one (don't know what they smell like), nothin'.

I've come across potential tracks 4 times:

first time: compelling and backed up by other occurrences as potentially the real deal
second: human upon closer inspection
third: human upon closer inspection
fourth: moose

Oh snap!

Click to view attachment

i've had 1 sighting and two "camp visits", i guess you'd call them? the sighting happened on a forest service rd with campers everywhere and a road construction crew about a mile away in the middle of a very sunny day. the "camp visits" where quite far in, maybe 5 miles on very old logging roads and happened at night. personally, i like getting back into the bush as far as i can get simply because that's where i really feel connected to the outdoors and really start to enjoy myself. lets face it, there's no hard and fast rules for where, when or why those who get encounters, get them! if anyone tells you they know exactly when and where to go to see a bf, for god's sake go! but more than likely, they're full of ****!

most sightings take place where the people's is because you needs people's to see the BF! if BF farts and there's no one around to smell it. did BF fart?

cheers

or how ugly!!!!

I feel safe around other people while camping. On weekends at the trailer park, it's full almost and that suits me just fine. I'm not much of an outdoors person like most here.

redneck7,

I have to agree with Hunster -- you're in a hot spot, especially if you mean the Carbon R. on the west side of Mt. Rainier Nat'l Park.

And, I agree with Stan -- most sightings of bigfoot and its spoor are not in the wilderness, undoubtedly because most people (you need a person and a bigfoot for a sighting) are not in the wilderness.

Your theory of them perhaps liking clearcuts is ecologically sound. Edge habitats give critters more resources to exploit -- the best of both worlds: e.g., the food of a productive, sunny clearcut and the nearby darkness of the woods should it be necessary to quickly retreat and hide.

G. canadensis

Stay close to the rivers year round and the lesser used camp sites, just to isolate yourself from other people. When I hear the tree knocks, I know I've got a real fine place to do research. Oh, and I agree that it is not a rule that results come from the deepest woods, researchers would just prefer that they find things there, to rule out other human activity.

SY.

HOT SPOT! HOT SPOT! HOT SPOT!

Personally, I'd prefer a bald top clearcut, as a base camp, with a view of everything in all directions. You can call blast, use parabolic mics and focus in on where it is, you're up high for the advantage, a great spot for using thermal at night over great distances. I haven't tried it yet, just thinking about it. Being surrounded by thick, dark trees, gives me the willys whether somethings there or not.

Well, if you're finding tracks so easily, where are your photos? It wouldn't even make sense that you never had a camera, as you're out there to hopefully have a sighting or find evidence. Maybe the first trip you may have forgotten it, but you'd surely have a camera or videocam as a top priority after an initial encounter. It's too easy to call BS on a story if the simplest actions weren't taken to capture evidence. Especially tracks. They're not running away. Tons of time to photograph, measure, show scale, depth, everything. There are too many stories of seeing tracks with no photos to accompany.
I'm not saying your report is untrue. I'm just curious why there are no photos.
Here in the Okanagan, there are so many reports of people seeing the Ogopogo. But very few ever have photos. And if they do, they're blurry, out of focus, or shaking. Or the best of all, awesome footage of a wave moving across the lake, which I have seen a million times.
I know myself, I always have my camera bag over my shoulder or in my pack every time I'm out hiking, hunting, and fishing.

5-10 miles. Do not want some berry picker or butterfly catcher mucking up things!

I now know that I really don't have to travel that far. Outskirts of the city is sufficient. Dudlow is right and I'm glad I now know this from first hand experience. It's opened up a whole new world for me. I'll never be bored again

I did have a digital camera turns out its a real pile of $hit! I even had plaster to make a cast....but i didnt think it would work considering the track was in 3 to 4 inches of pine needles, twigs, and such. The only reason i dont have proof is the due to inexperience. If i would have mixed plaster a little extra thick i bet i coulda got a track. As far as the camera goes im s. o. l. Im in no way bs'ing anybody, the only reason i got into this was to prove it to myself, just so happens that was done after my 1st one nighter at this location. Now im stuck on how to get some substantial evidence. I know that if theres one in the area of my camp it will check out my camp quitly until it wants to be heard. All i have to do is get out there stay quiet and listen. Fact is i would like to tell everyone exactly where to go but I dont want some dick weed shooting one to prove it to the world. The worlds 75% a-holes anyway...........and people think its polution making tacoma smell so bad. I will tell ya if you want results go investigate IN THE NEXT 2-4 WEEKS!! salmon should be making there way up the river by then.

If I was living in the woods and hungry, I'd hang out near campgrounds. Alot of people are slobs, so food can be found all over the place. I checked into Myles Standish State Park a couple years ago, and there were 3 hamburgers still on the grill at the site.
I don't know whats better, going deep into the woods and being in their territory, or trying to catch a glimpse when they come into ours?
Thing is, with people being around, that could make any potential evidence questionable. That right there might be the best reason to go in deep.