When watching wildlife documentaries on TLC or Discovery, I try to take note of what triggers instinctual responses in animals. Obviously, a mother with her young is a given. A male pursuing a female in season will always trigger an instinctual response as well. This is something that I have thought about for a while.


So, in regarding these issues, I was wondering what would trigger an instinctual response in a BF that would overcome their natural shyness?

I have often wondered if a field researcher, using the call of a young/juvenile BF in distress, in conjunction with a decoy of a small BF, could trigger an instinctual response in a mature female BF and lure her out into the open - even in daylight?

I have seen deer hunters using a fawn bleat almost get run over by a doe rushing to the aid of the distressed fawn - even when they had their own fawns with them. I am assuming that the fact that the bleat was artificial and that their own fawns were with them did not inhibit that instinctual response to defend or aid a fawn in danger.

I have also seen bucks approach a plastic doe decoy and even try to mount it because they were overcome by their instincts.

I have never done any field work, but I think that this type of research may be worth looking into.

Does anyone else have any thoughts or opinions on this subject?

Boy, is that a loaded question!

Thanks

C

I think I was approached in the middle of the night at Bluff Creek. It doesn't meet the standards of a credible report because when we heard the foot steps approaching, we panicked and dived in the car and skidadled.

Anyhow, I was being bitten on the finger by a grasshopper mouse and I jumped up and started screaming and stomping in the bushes. I think it was my genuine panic and the fear in my voice that cause whatever it was to come in for a closer look. I think a sound like that might be hard for them to ignore.

I am a firm believer that the best way to draw one out is to try and illicit a instinctual response. How to do it?

I use the smells of female and male sex hormones. I use the call of a young male calling to his mommy. I use the cries of a human infant. And my favorite, I use four hot chicks out just strolling on the road at midnight....

Generally, I get responses. Can't tell you what is responding, but something is!

Sasquatches are shy animals...they aren't looking to have contact with us. I believe one of the few ways to draw one out into the open for a good picture would be to catch it off-guard in reaction to its territory being invaded; its baby being in danger; its sexual urges being stirred....etc.

Sasquatches are shy animals...they aren't looking to have contact with us. I believe one of the few ways to draw one out into the open for a good picture would be to catch it off-guard in reaction to its territory being invaded; its baby being in danger; its sexual urges being stirred....etc." - Hairyman






OK lets see- "catch it off guard in reaction to its territory being invaded." Ah, no thanks.
"its baby being in danger;" Sorry, no way, nope not me.
"its sexual urges being stirred...etc." No friggin way, definitely not me! My luck I'd get one with bad eyesight. But I've always wanted to try the baby crying sounds, with a lifelike doll that moves, placed in the middle of a field.

Wimp!

Actually, I should have been more specific.

I don't actually stand there and try to lure an angry sasquatch in.

What do you think newbies are for???

Oh Tom!

Tom?

Tom?

I've heard that the sound of children playing often attracts BF. Perhaps I could record a school yard during recess, and then play it back in the deep woods.

This involves making many assumptions, such as a BF would respond to the sound of a human infant's cry, an "attractive" human female, etc.

Instinctual responses: Food, Water, Protection of young, Self Defense, Fear, Sex,.....Hmm?
The responses to these would either be aggression or flight. Real risky to try. I think food response would probably be the safest instinct to invoke, after all it had success at Skookam. Pheramones I don't think ever worked, not unless you can get the real stuff(who'd want a Sasquatch coming onto you anyway. :pinch: ).Fear is up in the air. Food is the way to a Sasquatch heart!!!

Good one Kathy! Always gets an instinctive response from me!

In 1967, Dr. Adrian Kortlandt conducted an experiment with a small group of juvenile and subadult chimpanzees from a savanna area of West Africa where leopards are populous. Adrian Kortlandt and his associates (Albrecht and Dunnett) conducted a number of field experiments with a stuffed leopard (its head was electrically wired to move from side to side) and the group of chimpanzees in a large enclosure at the Institut Pasteur. The stuffed leopard was places in the enclosure with an infant chimpanzee doll on its paws. The interesting observation in this study was the use of sticks as clubs by the chimpanzees in attacking the leopard. During the attack, one mother chimpanzee carrying an infant on her back grazed the leopard's underside and hit the ground at a speed of 50mph.

With this observation of chimp behaviour, I would be interested in observing a similar experiment adapted to what we know of BF.

Does anyone have any other thoughts on this subject?

Very interesting Counselor.
I think that if the responses that are coming to call blasting and woodknocking are indeed squatch..then that by definition is instinctual to a degree. I was thinking of using the sound of an infant chimpanzee or Gorilla, as well as human infant sounds.
Anyway, very compelling question...I await more answers from those with more experience in this field.

Instinctual Responses? Hmmm!

Sex

A sexual response most likely would be stronger in a male. Females might avoid such encounters as much as possible for it requires a great amount of energy on their part later. I would imagine that female sasquatch, reportedly smaller than males, would also pose a threat to offspring from a different male, who might try to only perpetuate their own genes, thus females would want to limit their involvement with males. Females would not want to hang around unless there was more of a social culture and less sexual dimorphism. Sound might be the key for females to stay away and males to come closer and investigate. Pheromones would attract the gender looking to mate. Abandoned offspring most likely would be killed. I tie mortality to sex here.

Of course we don't know that much and there could be some kind of visual stimulus as well (such as tree breaking and twisting for instance versus something actually on the body, which would not be very efficient for a species that is not too social).

Food

Competing for the same food source would greatly enhance encounters. Here one should look at when the most young ungulates die (this is probably the easiest and least dangerous time to take one down bay hand), berries are ripe (even First Nations tribal members specifically segregate berry field between them and everyone else), fish are at their most vulnerable (especially when it is time for them to go up the really small streams where even I can catch a stealhead by hand), where abandoned fruit orchards may be hidden (the easiest of all pickings).

Territory

Invasion of prime core home range may bring on a defensive behavior. But where is the core home range? Now there is a question. A core home range is the most secure place an animal can be out in the wild. Where it can not be distracted by threatening events and get about it's business efficiently. The home core would not tolerate changes unless a time span and previous experience indicated it was something natural and not threatening. Invasion of the core would bring about an immediate response.

Threat

Destroying prime habitat, such as in road construction or logging could be considered a prime threat and elicit a response. It might just be curiosity, which could indicate that the invasion was not through a core home range.

Serious field work along these lines is lacking to date. Everyone has been concentrating on events where transient mistakes take place and then it gets muddied even further by attributing to much to the event when half of it at least has to do with the human element.

I really don't know why I am telling everybody this stuff. :willies:

Keep talk'n DDA - you talk, we listen...and learn!

I have often thought of what would happen if baby cries (human or primate) were used in an 'active' area. I know gorillas can have a terriffic maternal instinct...hmmmm...

As for drawing them in with sex, are just pheremone bait used or has it ever been tried with a decoy subject near..?

As in.. (yeah, this might sound dumb... just a thought.. hehehe..) have someone dress up in a very life-like gorilla, or sasquatch costume.. spray them with the pheremone (or place the baits nearby).. have the trail cams set up pointed at the individual who would be acting "normal" (picking berries, pretend eating, etc..), ....
They may be too smart for that.. hmmm... just a thought..

Luckily, a horny bigfoot would come along... and well... footage.

WAY off topic but CLASSIC Avatar sachmo!!!!!
More cowbell

You know ML, that might be the ONE way we could make some money off this subject.

Excellent thoughts, DDA. I'm mostly in agreement.

Except:



With bears, it's the male who takes advantage of opportunities to kill cub bears in order to further their own genes.

Did I read you wrong?



Wow, I think you've hit this one right on the head. I'm certain that all evidence points toward a nomadic species (with a core range, and perhaps even an "inner sanctuary"), and the nomadic directions are centered on food availability. Carrion and ungulate calves/fawns in the spring; anadromous fish in the summer; berries in the fall; squirrels, roots, grubs, eggs, lizards, bugs, certain leaves, grasses, clams, aqueous foliage, etc. as they find it.

Further, I suspect that sasquatches tend to co-occupy range more with black bears, and less so with brown bears (in fact, I believe IT'S POSSIBLE that as brown bear populations have been driven back/down by man, black bears and sasquatches have benefited).

I note that Mr. Alley's "Raincoast Sasquatch" indicates that there are more sasquatch sightings in the southernmost area of Southeast Alaska than further north. This coincides with black/brown bear densities & range.