Finally got around to playing with this stuff. Interesting hotspots. Apologies for the differing scales on east/west maps.

Nice

I just want to say, "Cool maps!"

But VA is underrepresented there.. I have around 45 sitings from various sources, and at least 25 of them are post 1990. In fact, most are from the last 25 years.

I want that map program, but the sucker is $300!!

You'll have to let Mangani know as it's his data.

Also, this wasn't made using the Delorme software - I used ArcGIS with the Spatial Analyst extention. Price is significantly more than the Delorme product.

Looks to me like the price of yours is equivalent..

Cup of coffee at Starbucks: $2.00
Movies with the family: $35.00
All weather jacket from LandsEnd: $199.00

Expensive topo software: no way in hell!

Nice work.

That is pretty darn cool!


Redwolf

YES! Look at that lovely green blob right there in northern Michigan.

Nice work belemnoid. GIS provides some attractive graphical analysis.


The vast majority of the data I am using are from the BFRO web database, with only a few additional sightings from other sources that seem reasonably credible to me. There are less than 10 sightings for VA since 1990 in the BFRO database. IMO Virginia and West Virginia do appear to be very under-represented when you consider the amount of presumably suitable habitat in these states.

So, db, If you think that your additional Virginia sightings are reasonably credible, i.e., interview of witnesses by an objective investigator, or some other test to filter out likely bogus reports. then PM me about sharing your list so I can add the reports to the DeLorme Topo USA map folio.

I think if you squint Stacy you will also see a tiny (at this scale) "hot spot" in our southeast Michigan backyard.

belemnoid,

Would it be possible for you to post larger scale versions of these images somewhere?

Mangani

Sorry, but my list can't pass that test. I only know what people have reported, not how good the information is. But unlike some others, I don't doubt reports without reason.

What point is there in saying you saw Bigfoot in Virginia if you did not? The atmosphere here is decidedly hostile to crackpots and crackpottery, which is what they think BF is, until they've seen one..

Certain well known people in VA are not actually being all that helpful in this respect, since they openly accept the paranormal aspect of BFdom..

I think you have at least partially answered your own question. While there really is no rational reason to make up a sighting, unfortunately there are plenty of irrational people in the world, including attention seekers, the delusional, and those that get a kick from "putting one over" on others. Even some of the reports that BFRO investigators accept are later discredited.

But, that said, if you think you have some reasonably credible reports, I'd enjoy hearing about them.

Yeah, I have bigger versions on line already. If you change the end of the link to "/orig.jpg" instead of "/standard.jpg" you can see them.

These are also scaled to show nationwide hotspots and drop off lots of activity. If anyone had an interest I could do specific states, etc.
The tricky part is deciding what distance to set to make sightings show up as hot spots. Too big and the whole country is a hot spot, too small and they are all individual reports. Too bad we don't know the common range of a BF.

Thanks belemnoid. The larger versions are helpful. (There, Stacy, you can clearly see what I think of as the "Huron River Valley Cluster". Be sure to maximize your browser window if you normally keep it less than full screen, at least if you are using Mozilla Firefox as I do.)

One anomaly stands out though at the higher scale. It appears the software algorithm doesn't know to limit itself to dry land. Or maybe it knows something we don't.

you mean you all don't know that they're amphibious?

I did see that. I just had a little surge of gratification to see that the area our group researches is inside that northern green blob!

I must be really dense..but where again is the link to the full size maps?

It seems that there currently is a problem with the site belemnoid is using as a host, but the URLs to the larger sized images are:
http://www.fototime.com/1DEE2D0F14F4509/orig.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/F763887976ECE54/orig.jpg

No Alaska?

Oh, well. We always get left out of U.S. maps. I remember hearing of a young teacher who actually thought Alaska was an island, because it is always shown in a little box like Hawaii off the coast of California.

Hi Huntster,

Last I heard from Belemnoid his time was being occupied by a new job, and he did not know when he would get back to "GISing" the Bigfoot sighting data. I am continuing to work on the basic mapping project though, and I can assure you that I am as interested in Alaskan reports as those from the lower 48. Here is an up-to-date map of all reports on the BFRO site from Alaska and the Yukon Territory.



Regards,
Mangani

Bigfoot Maps

Do you have a decent database to go by?

I'm not sure BFRO includes Alley's, and vice versa.

It is what it is.

This started as a project to map recent, readily available, investigated reports. i.e. BFRO reports since 1990.

Next it grew to include reports published on-line by other (apparently IMO) credible BF investigative groups. Then I began the effort to fill in earlier BFRO reports, which is slowly, after many hours, approaching completion. The next step in this progression will likely be to add earlier online reports from the other groups.

I enjoy doing this, but only to a point, as it can take a lot of effort to do carefully and can get pretty tedious if I spend too much time at it. Perhaps at some point I may get around to adding reports published in print by authors like Alley, Green, etc., but it likely will not be soon.

Of course, as I posted earlier, I would welcome collaboration from anyone who wants to map (or has already mapped) reports from sources I have not yet included. There are other people here with their own mapping projects. Ideally we could share the load. I have made the data I have collected freely available on-line, and would encourage anyone else with geo data to do likewise.

I appreciate your effort. The resulting maps are masterpieces for researchers.

I just wasn't sure what database of sightings/reports you were using. The BFRO database is about as good as it gets.

Thanks again. Lots of folks here appreciate it.

Thanks for the hard work! I'm going to do a half-hearted job of superimposing roads and towns on top of the map; to better plan any expeditions.

It would be much easier to buy a copy of DeLorme Topo USA and import the mapfolio that I have provided. The roads are already there in the Topo USA software.

Example:
.

Great Maps!!

I had a thought, but not the know-how to implement it. Maybe you could give it a whirl?

Instead of marking the sighting spots with a red circle, could you possible mark them with different colors depending on what season the sighting took place?

For example, you could use Yellow spots for Spring, Green spots for Summer, Orange spots for Autumn, and Blue for Winter.

The purpose for doing this is that it might help to show migration patterms.

It might not work, but...it might.

Thanks!! Again Great Work!!

Thanks for your comment.

That type of analysis is on my to-do list. (See the site log on the webpage.) I have already restructured how the dates are stored to make this more feasible. Unfortunately Topo USA has no analytical database capablity. This means I either have to manually extract and sort/separate the data then reimport to separate draw files for display with different symbols (and even then there are practical limitations for clearly viewing multicolored symbols on one map with this much data, because the symbols are fixed size and the maps get way too cluttered if you try to display a large area) or I need to invest in more costly "GIS" software, which has built-in analytical capability.

The bottom line is that this analysis is not likely to happen quickly, unless someone who already has access to more powerful GIS software lends a hand. I am sharing all of the data I have collected, making it available on line, and I hope that anyone who utilizes it for more sophiscated analysis will also share their results, as Belemnoid already has here.

Truly, Belemnoid has done wonderful things with your lat/long data, Mangani - and the TopoUSA versions are equally intriguing! We all appreciate it very much - both of you! As per our earlier messages, Mangani, I DO have data to share which likely includes additional data point coordinates.

I'm also spitting distance from a BS in using the GIS programs that Belemnoid is using, and I still have access to these programs. He and I are acquainted and I assure you, his degree in the subject is more advanced and his skill is more awesome (in the true sense of the word.)

I promise you, when I've reached a decent comfort level in my new, difficult, mentally taxing job, I'll do much better at contributing to your excellent project. At that time, the three of us should communicate about needs, progress, and plans. At the pace y'all are moving...

Mangani, as I said I would, I'll send my lat/long collection to you right away...that much is too simple not to have done already. In fact, I'll put all else aside in my last hour of wakefulness to follow through on that promise TONIGHT.

Thanks to all who are contributing to this multifaceted project. I'm glad to see it finally happen. Speaking as a lifelong map-freak who discovered GIS, I'm absolutely ecstatic about this long-overdue effort!

Howdy all. Sorry I've ignored this topic for so long but with the new job and new baby I just havn't had much time.
I'll try to download Mangani's latest data this week and check out what he's done about he date format. I can probably get a map symbolized by season pretty quickly. I also have some nice new background data to make the maps look better as well.
Happy mapping.

Here's the very late season map for BF baby. Just the ohio area as that appears to be where he/she lives.



You can view the full sized image HERE

I'm looking to try out an idea I have to bring the data to anyone who wants it in GIS form. I'll be looking for a few beta-testers soon. Anyone interested let me know.