1. My advice as the person who's been on this forum longer than anyone is maybe you should NOT post your encounter here before anywhere else and/or as your first post. Look around and see the temperament of the place. Notice what's gone over well in the past and what hasn't.

2. If you want to post your encounter here, good for you. However, please be aware this is an internet forum, not an investigatory body. You may not be happy with the response and/or questions and/or assumptions that are made by some of the members regarding you, your motives, or your encounter.

3. If you post your encounter and the questions get hot and heavy and someone gets in your face, STAY CALM. Losing your cool will only hasten the inevitable. YOU WILL BE QUESTIONED regarding your story and, since this is not an investigatory body, the questions may not be polite or well formed or even remotely germane.

4. The opinions of some are not the opinions of all. Do not assume the comments of a few represent the thoughts of everyone here.

5. My personal recommendation is that you should report your encounter to the Alliance of Independent Bigfoot Researchers (AIBR) before posting. Inevitably, someone will ask if you have done so (like me).

Note that there are many other national organizations to whom you can report your encounter, including the Sasquatch Research Initiative (SRI), the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), and several others. You may want to do a Google search for an group in your area, as well.

6. If you post your encounter here, please consider following the format of the AIBR report form as closely as practical when doing so. However, I DO NOT recommend you post any personal contact info or extremely specific location details. It's likely that your post will be modified by a forum mod if you do. This is for your protection.

7. This is not an investigatory body. Have I mentioned that yet?

8. We're not mean. It's called 'tough love'.

9. You might also want to read this for more related information.