Kentucky Bigfoot Research Group is in the News

An amateur sketch of Bigfoot drawn by a Bullitt County witness, courtesy of kentuckybigfoot.com

"Some people report tracks; (Bigfoot) are opportunistic, so they will go through trash. If you have fruit trees, they’ll eat the fruit off of them..." -- Charlie Raymond

If you ever wondered why it says "for charlie" on the Bigfoot Lunch Club banner next to the foot of the sasquatch, it's for Charlie Raymond, lead investigator of Kentucky Bigfoot Research Group. He didn't like the placement of the big toe, so we had our artist fix it.

We were smart enough to listen to Charlie, because he's doing great research in Kentucky and fortunately his local media has been listening to him too.

The Pioneer News was founded in 1882 and covers Bullitt County, one of the fastest growwing counties in Kentucky. Read the article below as they lead up to Charlie's expertise regarding the Kentucky Bigfoot.

Bigfoot in Bullitt County?
Louisville man on hunt to track down sightings throughout state
By Alex Wimsatt

Monday, October 31, 2011 at 9:36 am (Updated: October 31, 11:00 am)MOUNT WASHINGTON – Mount Washington residents Jim and Darlene Howard recently noticed something unusual when they walked along their property off Bardstown Road.

Roughly half an acre of land beside their home had been ravaged by someone or something and neither could say what.

The earth beneath the ground was exposed in hundreds of spots, indicating that the turf had been pulled back, but there were no clear signs of animal presence.

“We’ve lived here 40 years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Darlene Howard said.

Curious about the mysterious phenomenon, the Howards asked folks around town what could have lifted the sod.

Some speculated it was deer foraging for salt or raccoons rummaging for bugs. Darlene Howard said someone joked that it might have been a Kentucky Yeti or Sasquatch, more commonly known as Bigfoot.

While the Howards scoffed the notion that Bigfoot had tore up their yard, Louisville Bigfoot investigator Charlie Raymond said it’s not impossible to think the legendary creature could be lurking around Bullitt County.

Raymond, who works as a fulltime teacher in Louisville, is the lead investigator and founder of the Louisville-based, non-profit Kentucky Bigfoot Research Group and kentuckybigfoot.com.

For the past 20 years, Raymond has tracked Sasquatch sightings around the state.

Raymond said it’s unlikely Bigfoot uprooted the Howards’ grass because it’s not typical behavior, but he did say he’s received at least 15 reports of sightings in Bullitt and Jefferson Counties in recent years.

Raymond said most of the Bigfoot sightings occurred around the Jefferson Memorial Forest in northwestern Bullitt County and Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in the southeastern part of the county.

All in all, Raymond said nearly 200 sightings were reported to the Kentucky Bigfoot Research Group from around the state, though most of them aren’t posted on the organization’s website for confidentiality purposes.

“People say they see them cross the road late at night…A few hunters have reported sightings and some people will see them in their back yards,” Raymond said.

He said people are often in disbelief when they describe their encounters, adding that many don’t report sightings for fear of ridicule.

Nevertheless, he said many of the eyewitness accounts he’s heard fit the same description.

Raymond said Bigfoot are bipedal and typically have reddish brown hair. He said they stand erect, towering seven-feet tall or higher and they inhabit heavily wooded areas.

Bigfoot are thought to be shy, timid creatures that feed on fruit, nuts and deer, Raymond said.

Hair samples thought to belong to Sasquatch have been collected around the world, and while Raymond said it’s difficult to sequence Bigfoot DNA, he said there are scientists close to legitimizing their existence using DNA research.

What are some tell tale signs of Bigfoot?: Raymond said their vocalizations are unmistakable.

“People who have heard them say it’s like nothing they ever heard before…wild unrecognizable screams,” he said, adding Bigfoot have also been reported knocking sticks against trees and making “whoop” sounds to communicate.

Smells described by witnesses have ranged from rotten garbage and methane to wet dog.

“Some people report tracks; (Bigfoot) are opportunistic, so they will go through trash. If you have fruit trees, they’ll eat the fruit off of them,” he said.

Raymond said people in nearly every state report sightings on a regular basis. The quest for Sasquatch has become so widespread; the Animal Planet channel even has a program called “Finding Bigfoot.”

As a matter of fact, Raymond recently visited Renfro Valley in southeast Kentucky, where he participated in a Bigfoot forum with the cast of “Finding Bigfoot.”

For anyone who would like to report a Bigfoot sighting, Raymond asked that they contact him through his website, kentuckybigfoot.com.

As for the Howards, they’re still not sure what’s been tearing up their yard, but Jim Howard said he’s inclined to believe raccoons might be the culprit.

SRC: The Pioneer News

Award-winning Bigfoot Movie "Paper Dolls" Premiers Online Tonight

"The Scariest Saquatch Movie that has ever been unleashed on the general public."-- Rotten Tomatoes

Looks like we need to add another movie to our Sasquatchploitation list. Sasquatchploitation? Yeah I said it. Sasquatchploitation is an reference to the portmanteau of blacksploitation. Blacksploitation is a film genre that emerged in the United States in the early 1970s when many exploitation films were made that targeted the urban black audience.

We don't judge here at Bigfoot Lunch club; whether Bigfoot is exploited as the monster-of-the-week or a cuddly wookie you would let your kid sleep with (but not your girlfriend). We are all for it. So without further ado check out the marketing piece BadFritter films wrote for us below and tune in to Papar Dolls tonite (Exact time unannounced)

For the first time ever, BadFritter Films is making their award-winning feature, Paper Dolls, available to the masses. A unique twist on the Sasquatch legend, Paper Dolls pits the common myth against a childhood friendship gone awry. The film took home Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director at the Eerie Horror Film Festival ’08, and Best Picture at Shockerfest International Film Festival ‘08, among others.

From IMDB (Internet Movie Database)
Paper Dolls is a smart and terrifying psychological thriller set near the beautiful landscape of Glacier National Park, Montana. Two high school friends, Travis and Nate, are on a road trip to Canada when they're attacked by mysterious and viscious creatures. Nate is stolen into the woods and Travis will stop at nothing to get him back. He recruits Nate's older brother, Chris, to bring an arsenal and wage war against the monsters in an effort to retrieve Nate. Paper Dolls dishes out scare after scare, twist after twist, completely redefining the legend of Sasquatch. This movie will ultimately leave audiences in a psychological limbo divided on their theories of what really happened in the dark forests of Montana. Production of the film was completed in spring 2008 and Paper Dolls is now available for distribution.

Until now, the film has remained as elusive as the legendary creature it uncovers. Catch the full-length film on October 29 streaming live at www.badfritterfilms.com. The event is the grand finale in our “5 Shatterdays of Shocktober.”

AKA Bigfoot World Map updated: La bête noire (the Cajun Sasquatch)

Sure we already have the Honey Island Swamp Monster, but the La bête noire seems to have deeper cajun roots.

In a recent Sun Herald article it recounts tales heard by the staff of John C. Stennis Space Center which happens to be placed between Honey Island Swamp and Devils Swamp. Below is the tale of the Cajun Sasquatch, known by locals as the La bête noire.

Some believe the “Cajun Sasquatch” roams the Honey Island Swamp, which is on the western side of the Stennis buffer zone near the Louisiana state line. The creature is also known in south Louisiana lore as the “Honey Island Swamp Monster” or in some cases la bête noire, which is French for “the black beast.” The creature has been described as hairy, with fur colors ranging from orangey, black, grey or brown, in various news stories and television interviews dating as far back as the early 1970s. Some descriptions say it’s about 7 feet tall and weighs 400 pounds.

“(La bête noire) is what the Cajuns call their Bigfoot,” Giardino said. “Old Cajuns swear that it jumps on their flatboats and also leaves huge footprints.”

Giardino said Stennis officials don’t get as many calls about the beast as they did years ago.

SRC: Sun Herald

View AKA Bigfoot World Map in a larger map

Bigfoot Lives at Oprah.com

We really wanted to title this post "Oprah Endorses Bigfoot," but that wouldn't be entirely accurate. The post is written by one of the staff members at Oprah's Blog "Life Lift". Even still, who would have thought that a blog on Oprah.com would be encouraging in the pursuit of Sasquatch belief and research.

This is also quite the coincidence, this is on the heels of our fake Oprah-esque car giveaway yesterday.

Enjoy the article below.

Bigfoot Lives! Mythological Beasts and the Power of Imagination
Posted: Mon 10/24/2011 09:08 AM | By: Amy Shearn

I’m having a hard time with Halloween decorations this year, because I keep getting quizzed about them by an inquisitive 2-year-old. “Oh,” I found myself explaining the other day, “That’s a, um, spooky kind of witch-scarecrow-thing, with a jack-o-lantern head.” In response to queries about these creatures, where they live, what they say, what they consume, I can only shrug and offer, “They’re not real. Just pretend.” But then my toddler asks, "How does everyone know about the same pretend creatures?" To this, I have no satisfying response.

In part, because I want to minimize the scariness of the holiday, and in part because there’s something appealing about the idea that weird magical creatures might exist. When faced with the specter of werewolves and the Loch Ness Monster and yetis, I channel Fox Mulder: I want to believe. So I was excited to read that Bigfoot, aka the Yeti, aka the Abominable Snowman,has been proven to exist in Siberia. That's from the NEWS, people! According to the Guardian, “a team of scientists say they are "95%" sure that Russia's wintry expanse is home to the mythical yeti, otherwise known as the abominable snowman.” The researchers say they have discovered a cave with a cozy Yeti nest inside, as well as footprints, hairs, and twisted branches which they claim are Yeti territorial markings. Animal Planet has more on the story, including a great gloss of Bigfoot sightings throughout history.

I love that these Russian scientists are completely serious. I love the idea that Earth contains within it mythical beasts, eluding our reach. I love a news story with a dose of magic in it. It's such a welcome escape from the mundane grown-up world of bad economies and wars and laundry piles. Unfortunately — wouldn’t you know it — there are no pictures or videos of the Yeti, but Discovery has a fun video about the creature here. No word yet on the Wolfman.


SRC: Oprah's Blog: Bigfoot Lives

Bigfoot Lunch Club Hits 3000 fans on Facebook!

Dear fans,

We wanted to take the time to thank all of you for making Bigfoot Lunch Club a labor of love everyday.

We would love to return the thanks by asking you to check under your seats for the keys to a brand new car, but we agreed we couldn't afford the cars--not to mention the legal defense fees for breaking and entering into your homes.

4 years ago we wanted to bring to the world a bigfoot website that had the latest Sasquatch news; whether it was pop-culture or inside-information research. We wanted to make it was as inclusive as possible, this meant posting multiple theories and sharing different takes on the Bigfoot phenomenon; including input from skeptics. Along the way you folks have made us even better than I could have imagined or hoped.

There's a few key people that have encouraged Bigfoot Lunch Club along the way and I wanted to make sure I thank them too. In chronological order...

Loren Coleman was one of the first to comment on this blog, he welcomed us to the world of blogging and has always been encouraging.

Toby Johnson of the Oregon Sasquatch Symposium was so inclusive and was key to introducing me to a lot of the bigfooters that are now close personal friends.

Cliff Barackman of Finding Bigfoot has taught me more about field research than anyone could. The man is an encyclopedia and has never hesitated to help me understand the growing consensus of Sasquatch in the research community.

Tom Powell of "the Locals" and "Shady Neighbors" fame, taught me that just because science can't explain it, doesn't mean its not valid. Science is the best tool to describe what we know, but imagination is key to predict what is possible.

Craig Woolheater has allowed us to contribute to Cryptomundo, reaching an audience that is interested in all types of cryptids, broadcasting our message to larger crowd.

And finally Todd Standing, for constantly giving us new material and carrying the torch Tom Biscardi has seemingly passesd to you.

Most of all, thanks to you fans. Keep commenting, emailing, tweeting and facebooking. I really want to make Bigfoot Lunch Club one of your favorite sites that you keep coming back to.

P.S. Thanks to Whales In Space, Ghost Hunting Theories and Doubftful News. These are sister sites that cover Bigfoot and beyond and have supported us as well.

Thank you so much,
Guy Edwards
Co-Founder and Editor
Bigfoot Lunch Club.

Dr. Jeff Meldrum's Presentation at the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Conference

Dr. Meldrum presenting at the Russian conference

Skeptic blogger Sharon Hill attended the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Conference and wrote a detailed article on Dr. Meldrum's somewhat impromptu presentation.

Below is a teaser of the article:

...His presentation, entitled “The Russian Connection”, was not the listed topic on the schedule. He noted that he changed his topic upon advice from the conference organizers after the media storm that ensued regarding the announcement that “scientists were 95% convinced” that the Russian Yeti exists. Along with American scientist John Bindernagle, and researcher Ron Morehead, Meldrum was part of the team invited to Kemerovo region of Siberia to discuss the formation of a scientific commission to study the yeti. Led to believe there was significant scientific interest by the academic institutions in the area, Meldrum expressed his dismay when the press coverage was greater than the public and academic interactions.

In his talk, Meldrum described the players involved in the conference that began in Moscow and ended in Kemerovo. Specifically, he named Igor Burtsev, director of the International Centre of Hominology in Tashtagol, Kemerovo region. Burtsev already holds the belief that yetis exist in the area and are a Neanderthal relic population.

Meldrum showed photographs and described how the local Russian contingent greeted and treated the invitees with much pomp and ceremony but little scientific protocol.

As in scientific conferences, the attendees were taken on a field trip to a cave in the municipality of Tashtagol. Meldrum said he began to get concerned about the event when twisted and broken trees were rather conveniently located near the sites they visited. Reservations about what he had gotten himself into grew when he noticed saw cuts in the trees. The guides pointed to every bent and broken tree as marks of the yeti. From what Meldrum observed, the cave was not remote but apparently visited rather frequently with the trail maintained by the local municipality. The group was told the cave was a probable yeti habitation. Inside the cave, Meldrum notes that “right on cue”, isolated footprints and a “nest” were pointed out by their hosts...

Meldrum at the Yeti nest (click to enlarge)

Read the Rest at DoubtfulNews

If you haven't been reading Doubtful News, your are missing some of the most inteligent and enjoyable reading on the internet. Please read our previous coverage of the Kemerovo Siberian Yeti Expedition.

Kemerovo Gov Offers 30K Reward for Finding Siberian Yeti

Leave it to the Wall Street Journal to report on the economy/financial side of Bigfoot news. The actual reward is 1 million rubles, which is roughly equal to over $31,000. Below, is a great article with a companion video embedded below.

We should mention that the Governor offers to have Tea with the Yeti. This is not the first time he has offered 1 million rubels and a tea party with the Yeti. The governor said the same thing last year in our post, "Tea party with the Yeti?"



And don't miss our previous Kemerovo Siberian Yeti coverage. We covered most of the main stream stuff, plus some exclusives to Bigfoot Lunch Club.

Bigfoot Hunters Detect Signs of the Hairy Beast in Siberia
Officials Host Conference, Offer Reward; 'We Need to Sit Down With Him, Drink Some Tea'

By ALAN CULLISON
October 25th 2011

TASHTAGOL, Russia—Stooping to the damp floor of a darkened cave, Anatoly Fokin picked some thin filaments from a muddy footprint. "I found some hair, some real hair," he said, pulling the strands apart. "And here there are more—maybe it was a girl."

Mr. Fokin crept further into the chill, followed by a horde of television crews and photographers. Cameras illuminated more footprints and a bed of dried brush in a recess of the cavern. "This is unusual and good evidence," said Mr. Fokin, who dropped his full-time work as an architect to spend more time on hunts like this one. "A Yeti has been here."

Throughout the world, lore persists about wild hairy creatures walking upright through woods. In the U.S. they are called Bigfoot and Sasquatch, in Russia the Snow Person and Forest Creature. Tibet spawned the names Yeti and Abominable Snowman.

Dismissed as myth by scientists, Yetis are mainly the province of enthusiasts, and in Russia they've gotten an unexpected boost from the government. Siberian officials this month sponsored nature lovers, scientists and foreigners who claim they have socialized with Bigfoots to attend an International Scientific-Practical Conference on Hominology.

Hominology, a still-unrecognized branch of biology that studies hairy upright walking creatures, is championed by a handful of Russian devotees who hope to spark a revolution in evolutionary theory by contacting one of the many tribes of Bigfoots they say are living undetected in woods around the world, including in North America and Russia.

With government help, that day may be drawing near. Siberian officials issued a press release saying the three-day event this month turned up "irrefutable evidence" that such a creature—known to locals as a Snow Person—has been squatting in a Kemerovo cave 2,000 miles east of Moscow. Field trips into the surrounding mountains also turned up what they said were telltale signs of Yeti wanderings, such as bent and twisted branches, and underbrush that served as a bed.

Local officials say they will now make efforts to contact the beast, who hasn't yet been photographed. They will also begin funding a permanent center for Bigfoot research at Siberia's Kemerovo State University.

Kemerovo Gov. Aman Tuleyev is offering a one million ruble, or about $31,500, reward to anyone who finds a Yeti, telling Russian television, "We need to sit down with him, drink some tea and talk about life." Russian heavyweight boxing champion Nikolai Valuyev, who at nearly 7 feet tall is known as the "Beast from the East," made a foray into the woods last month to look for the creature, but came out saying he only found broken branches and footprints.

Officials say they would also like to drum up some tourism for Kemerovo, a poverty-stricken region known more for its coal mine accidents than alpine beauty. But Vladimir Makuta, the top official of Tashtagol, says he is a genuine believer in "a kind of forest spirit" who has been aiding and undermining hunters in the woods.

The very existence of a Yeti is looked upon askance by mainstream scientists, who say all the upright-walking mammals have long ago been discovered and categorized.

They dismiss evidence compiled by Yeti hunters as a mass of unverified sightings, fuzzy photographs and film clips, and footprints that have been planted by hucksters.

Lately, Bigfoot sightings have been on the rise in the U.S. Once confined to the Pacific Northwest and Appalachia, today they have spread as far as Texas, Florida and New England, says Brian Regal, a Bigfoot debunker and assistant professor of history of science at Kean University in New Jersey.

"Meeting Bigfoot has become the encounter du jour," says Mr. Regal, a native of New Jersey. "You can't spit over here without someone saying there's a monster living in the woods."

That has also made Bigfoot searching a growing business, in the same way UFO-ology became a trade since the 1950s, Mr. Regal says. Today the Internet hosts a range of websites devoted to Bigfoot happenings, while tour guides offer excursions in search of the creature.

Russia's own Bigfoot industry has been a laggard. An early enthusiast was Soviet historian Boris Porshnev, who believed Bigfoots in Russia were a relict strain of leftover Neanderthals or cavemen.

With government funding, Mr. Porshnev launched a Soviet Snowperson Commission that after 1958 trudged through the Pamir Mountains of modern-day Tajikistan and the Caucasus region. The group turned up no snowmen, only alleged footprints whose outlines they cast in plaster.

"They were addicted to this subject in the 1950s and 1960s and blew through a whole program," says Oleg Pugachuyov, director of the Russian Academy of Sciences' Zoological Institute in St. Petersburg. "They never found any real evidence. It was a myth."

But former colleagues of the late Mr. Porshnev still hold a candle for him, along with a collection of plaster casts at the International Center of Hominology in Moscow. Igor Burtsev, the center's director, says that with government support he is hoping he can establish synergy with Yeti hunters in the U.S., whom he visited last year and who "are far ahead of Russia in research."

Mr. Burtsev has visited conferences and gone on hunts in the U.S., staying for a week in rural Michigan, where Robin Lynne, 48, says she has been feeding a family of Bigfoots outside her home for two years.

Hosted by the regional government, Ms. Lynne flew to Siberia for the conference this month, where a tour bus with police escort drove participants to a hunting lodge in the piney outback. There, Ms. Lynne described how the Bigfoots bang on her door, bring her sticks as presents and drink water from a bucket in the yard when the weather is warm. "They love the bucket," she told the group.

Also attending was Jeff Meldrum, an associate professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University.

Mr. Meldrum, who believes Bigfoot may exist, says he favors a "scientific approach" to the subject.

During the trip to the cave, he worried that the footprints they found were only for a right foot, none from a left. They also seemed to be stamped too perfectly, he said.

"I'd like to see progress," he said. "But some of this makes me suspicious."

SRC: The Wall Street Journal, page A1

More Pictures from the Kemerovo Siberian Yeti Conference

Igor Burtsev (center standing) at the kick-off press conference. The 7ft. tall boxing champ Nikolai "beast from the east" Valuev is sitting on the panel (far right.)

As promised here are more pictures from the Kemerovo Yeti Conference provided by Ron Morehead. Morehead is best known for his audio recordings of Sasquatch vocalization, known as The Sierra Sounds. The Sierra Sounds Volume #1 "Bigfoot Recordings" is self-described as a selection of audio clips captured by Morehead, that reveal very clear Bigfoot vocalizations captured on a crisp night at a remote wilderness camp.

Ron Morehead was specifically tapped by Igor Burtsev, director of the International Centre of Hominology in Tashtagol and head of the 'Yeti institute' at Kemerovo State University, to join the expedition. Along with Igor Burtsev and Ron Moreheead, attendees included scientist from 7 different countries gathering in Kemerovo region 3,000 miles – and four time zones – east of Moscow.

The conference took place earlier this month (October, 2011)and produced several headlines that included the words "95% Certainty and Indisputable Proof" of the existence of Yeti.

Below are pictures from the expedition including a picture of the "nest" that was reported as one of the indisputable proofs.

Interesting ten foot tree branch formations on the way to the Kemerovo cave.

A closer look of the tree branch formations suggest these braches became intertwined early on and continued to become woven by nature.

Directly out side the Kemerovo cave

Inside the cave looking out.

Dr. Jeff Meldrum taking a closer look at the Yeti nest, reported as evidence from the expedition.

A cropped version of the above photo with the brightness adjusted for easier viewing (click to enlarge)

This is the size of the crew that was on the expedition taking a lunch break.

Ron Morehead Back with Pictures from Siberian Yeti Expedition in Kemerovo

Bigfoot Lunch Club had the honor of spending the evening with Ron Morehead and Thom Powell in Portland, Oregon last night. Ron had just returned from the huge Kemerovo Siberian Yeti expedition. Not only did he come back with a perspective not told in the mainstream media, but he came back with photos too.

In case you don't know, Ron Morehead is best known for his audio recordings of Sasquatch vocalization, known as The Sierra Sounds. The Sierra Sounds Volume #1 "Bigfoot Recordings" is self-described as a selection of audio clips captured by Morehead, that reveal very clear Bigfoot vocalizations captured on a crisp night at a remote wilderness camp.

We actually have enough content to span several posts. So we will start at the beginning and see how many posts it will take.

When we asked Ron how he was contacted, he mentioned he had met Igor Burtsev, one of the most prominent yeti researchers in Russia, at a previous Sasquatch conference. Igor asked if Ron was interested in doing some investigations in Russia and that conversation led to the most recent expedition.

Once Ron got there he mentioned over and over again how well they were hosted. There is no doubt to the locals whether or not Yeti lived in the area; from Senators to the indigenous tribe of the Shors, they had all seen enough evidence. Therefor Ron and others were given quite the red carpet treatment.

The Picture below is the blessing of the indigenous Shors people. Wikipedia describes them as:

Most of Shors live in the Tom basin along the Kondoma and Mras-Su Rivers. This region is historically called Mountainous Shoria...The Shors were mainly engaged in hunting, fishing, some primitive farming, and pine nut picking. Blacksmithing and iron ore mining and melting were also important (hence, the name "Blacksmithing Tatars"). SRC: Wikipedia

The purpose of the ceremony was an opportunity to get permission from the Shors to investigate the area--and yes there was a mascot there.



Below is a video with RT correspondent Marina Portnaya who was with the expedition most of the time.



Stay tuned for more pics from the cave, tree formations, the nest, and castings from Ron's further adventures after the expedition.

Tonight (October 17, 2011) Ron Morehead will be on the Q&A panel of experts after the screening of "Not Your Typical Movie at the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, Oregon. More event details here.

Siberian Yeti in Kemerovo Attention is in Time for Yeti Day Nov 11th

For you fans that have been with us for a while, you will remember our post last year about the Kemerovo Yeti Day on November 11th. This day marks the beginning of Kemerovo's ski season.

Click the following link to read our entire Kemerovo Siberian Yeti Coverage.

On Nov 4, 2010, we referenced a Russian publication with the following quotes:

"...Several advertising and PR experts said that Bigfoot reports were probably teasers for attracting tourists to the region. Three months after the sensational news tourism agencies had introduced excursions to 'Yeti's Cave.'

'Every year Yeti Day celebrations will mark the start of the ski season with thousands of ski lovers from all over Russia gathering on Mount Shoriya,' Zauervayn said, adding that Kemerovo Governor Aman Tuleyev is likely to take part in the Yeti-dedicated festivities..."

When the sensation in Kemerovo started this year we had added the caveat that this may be similar to last years ramp up towards the tourism and ski season in Kemerovo, but we were still excited about the group of people involved including Dr. Jeff Meldrum and Igor Burtsev.

While the tourism angle has eluded most of the media, it is refreshing to see a St. Louis Paper seems to have gone beyond the press release and talks about the economic motivation of the Kemerovo local government.

...The government of Russia's Kemerovo region said a two-day expedition last weekend by yeti experts had "collected irrefutable evidence" of the yeti's existence. Among the "irrefutable evidence": a couple of hairs, what was presumed to be a den and indistinct footprints.

Exciting though this news might be, it's important to remember that Kemerovo — in remote southwestern Siberia — has endured tough economic times since the collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago. Yeti-based tourism and a government research center are among the Kemerovo government's goals...

SRC: STLToday.com

Do we care that tourism is the impetus of the sensational claims from Kemerovo? No. We think the mainstream attention towards the phenomena of Bigfoot, Sasquatch and Yeti is a good thing. If the attention peaks the interest of one smart person willing to do research and dig deeper, its worth any number of ignorant ones whose minds would not have been changed otherwise.

Michigan Bigfoot Prefers Blueberry Bagels

This is a hodgepodge of several Sasquatch news items from the Discovery News Website. It has some updates from the Siberian Yeti, quotes from Jeff Meldrum and opinions from Loren Coleman and a Michigan story of habituation where a women claims to be feeding a family of Bigfoot.

Yes this story is all over the place, but it has a few updates of the Siberian Yeti Expedition.

NEW BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS: PROOF STILL LACKING
A Michigan woman says she feeds a bigfoot family blueberry bagels; others say a "snowman" roams Siberia.

By Eric Niiler

There are new claims of bigfoot encounters -- in Siberia and rural Michigan -- that will likely add to the debate over whether the creatures really exist, although neither holds the smoking gun of a photograph, tissue sample or other scientific evidence.

A group of Russians claim a living "snowman" roams the cold Shoria Mountain area of southern Siberia. Meanwhile a woman in Newaygo County, Mich., told Discovery News that she has been interacting with and actually feeding a large family of close to 10 Bigfoot-like creatures who live in the woods near her home for the past two years.

"They get fish every day, a bucket of fruit, a bucket of dry dog food," said Robin Lynn Pfeifer, a 47-year-old resident of Newaygo County, north of Grand Rapids. "Their favorite thing is blueberry bagels. If I'm not baking them, I go to different stores to buy them. I tell them they are feeding the wildlife."

She said she has collected casts of many large footprints, but says the creatures are too shy and too clever for her to get a photograph. She describes the Bigfoots as ranging from six to nine feet tall and looking like humans, except for hairy coats and broad noses.

"The biggest one I've sat and looked at for 15 minutes was nine and a half feet tall," Pfeifer told Discovery News. "The large male is all black. Others are beige and white. The biggest footprint is 18 and a half inches long."

Skeptics say that big claims need big proof, and so far that hasn't happened when it comes to Bigfoot. Natural history and evolutionary scientists also ask how these creatures could have survived for so long without being detected, and where the evidence is of their body or bones or DNA.

Loren Coleman directs the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine and has been studying and writing about strange sightings of creatures for several decades. He says he's skeptical of anyone who comes forward with tales of lengthy Bigfoot encounters without providing serious evidence.

"All the Bigfoot contactees -- for some reason they never take photographs," Coleman said. "There's a lot of interest in finding these things, but we have to look of the credibility of the people feeding us the stories. I'm always careful of two kinds of people, the debunkers who have no interest and the true believers who will not bring any critical thinking."

Coleman said he hasn't met with Pfeifer, but is doubtful, comparing her story to people who meet with aliens from UFOs.

"They really believe they are having these experiences," Coleman said. "I don't know if its hallucinations or a psychological state."

Pfeifer, however, is convinced her encounters are real and she said she realizes that most people will not believe her because of the lack of proof, such as scat, hair, tissue or a good photograph.

She says the Bigfoot clan began visiting her home shortly after she and her husband and three children moved into a 10-acre rural property back in November 2009. The creatures also engage in some unusual behaviors, she said. Sometimes they make knocking sounds underneath the family home's crawl space, twist and braid a rope used to tie the family's pony, or construct elaborate stick structures in the woods.

Pfeifer said she's tried to snap their picture, but she has not been successful. When she set up automatic cameras in the trees near her home, the creatures turned them upside down.

"I want people to realize that they do exist," Pfeifer said. "They are not aggressive, they are more human-like than an ape and I'm very protective of them."

Michigan has a history of Bigfoot sightings -- and a network of residents who post their findings on a website.

Pfeifer has been traveling in Russia to meet with other Bigfoot believers -- scientists and amateurs alike -- who gathered in the Kemerovo region recently to talk about the existence of a Russian "snowman" in the cold Shoria Mountain area of southern Siberia.

Igor Burtsev of the Moscow-based International Center of Hominology said that after the meeting, researchers from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Estonia traveled for two days to an area that has reported sightings of a large, Yeti-like creature.

Burtsev said he is 95 percent positive that he has evidence to prove the creature's existence: some hair found near a cave entrance, grasses made into a bed, large footprints, and tree branches that form a certain pattern.

"We were just two days in the forest and we found many things," Burtsev said. "We found a lot of confirmation that they exist there."

Burtsev said that he visited Pfeifer's home for a week in June but did not see any of the Bigfoot creatures. The next step, Pfeifer said, is to record the creatures' unusual vocal sounds.

Jeff Meldrum, professor of anatomy and anthropology at Idaho State University, was at the meetings in Russia and has been sifting through the various claims about both the Russian Yeti in southern Siberia and Pfeifer's story of a Michigan Bigfoot.

"There's no substance to any of her claims," said Meldrum, who is an expert in the evolution of early hominid gait. "If there were 10 to 12 around her home, she should be opening up a museum with all the artifacts."

Meldrum also has questions about what Burtsev presented during the two-day trip to the cave in the Kemerovo region. He says when the group of scientists entered the cave, there were several large footprints along the muddy floor, but strangely enough, they were only imprints of right feet.


(Image provided by Jeff Meldrum)

"He must have been playing hopscotch," Meldrum quipped.

Meldrum says that while he's doubtful about the evidence for this particular creature, he is keeping an open mind when it comes to the possibility of a new species of hominid that could be alive today.

He points out that German scientists found finger bones from a new species of human ancestor known as Denisova hominin that co-existed with both humans and Neanderthals only 30,000 years ago.

That research was published last year in the journal Nature, using DNA sequencing to verify its age and identity. The cave where Denisova was found is 35 miles from the site where Meldrum and the other researchers were taken on their field trip.

SRC: Discovery News

Video News Footage of Yeti Hair From Russia

Click to read our entire coverage of the Siberian Kemerovo Yeti. Or read the latest below...

Finally! A translated video of the Russian News clip of the Yeti News Coverage. We see a lot of familiar faces in there. Dr. Jeff Meldrum is there at the 20 second mark and again in a scene with Ron Morehead of Sierra Sounds fame at about 50 seconds into it.



Below is the article from The Telegraph that goes with the video

Russian footage of 'Yeti' hair emerges

10:59PM BST 12 Oct 2011
The footage of the hair and footprints that are alleged to have come from a Yeti follows reports from Russia on Monday that scientists had found proof of the existence of the mythical figure.

Earlier in the week the Russian coal-mining region of Kemerovo said in a statement on its website that the evidence was found on the research trip to its remote mountains.
"During the expedition to the Azasskaya cave, conference participants gathered indisputable proof that the Shoria mountains are inhabited by the 'Snow Man'," the Kemerovo region administration said.

The expedition was organised after Kemerovo's governor invited researchers from the United States, Canada, and several other countries to share their research and stories of encounters with the creature at a conference.

In the video from Russian television the scientists and enthusiasts can be seen searching the area and examining the fur and markings they come across before returning to a lecture theatre for presentations about the 'abominable snowman' as the Yeti is also known.

Despite the seeming breakthrough one delegate remained unconvinced.
"So long as we do not find the bone remains of this snowman, it is pointless to talk about him." said Valery Kimeyev, a local archaeology professor.

SRC: The Telegraph

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95% Certainty and Indisputable Proof?

At Cryptomundo Loren Coleman is quick to tone down the rhetoric coming from the Seberian Yeti Expedition.

"...while “evidence” might have been collected, there was not “indisputable proof” gained.

No DNA analysis has been conducted. No results have been confirmed or published.

One footprint, allegedly.

One clump of moss said to be a bed, supposedly.

Sorry, such a rush to make a sensational media splash is not even good hominology among my Russian colleagues."

--Loren Coleman

You can read below where Mr. Coleman tells the Huffington Post, "These are not 'proof' that would hold up, zoologically,"

Scientists '95 Percent' Certain They've Found Elusive Siberian Yeti
Lee Speigel | First Posted: 10/10/11 07:34 PM ET Updated: 10/11/11 12:56 PM ET

Has it finally happened? Did scientists find real evidence of the existence of a hairy bipedal creature known as the Siberian Snowman or Siberian Yeti?

Researchers are claiming they are 95 percent sure that the fabled Russian version of the Abominable Snowman or Bigfoot lives in the Kemerovo region of Siberia.

Last week, a group of international scientists met in Moscow and then set out to the remote mountainous area in search of the elusive creature

It didn't take very long for them to issue a statement on the official Kemerovo website stating they had found "footprints, a probable den and various markers that Yetis mark their territory with."

An English translation (from translate.google.com) of the original Russian news report added that the conference researchers "collected irrefutable evidence of the existence of the Yeti in Mountainous Shoria" (the southern part of Kemerovo).

They concluded that the artifacts gave them 95-percent proof of the existence of Yeti in the Kemerovo region, the press release stated.

Some possible Yeti hair samples reportedly found in the region by Russian scientist Anatoly Fokin will be studied in a laboratory to determine their origin.

"This does not seem to be any more than what you hear about from weekend excursions in North America that go out, discovering some hair of undetermined origin, calling it 'Bigfoot hair,' then locating some broken branches and piled trees, saying it was made by Bigfoot, and finding footprints that look like Sasquatch tracks," said Loren Coleman, director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

"These are not 'proof' that would hold up, zoologically," Coleman told The Huffington Post.

It's not the first time this year that alleged Bigfoot (aka Sasquatch) "evidence" has come under scrutiny.

Back in June, creature researchers in California held a press conference soliciting help to get a DNA test that might determine if Bigfoot left physical impressions on the windows of a pickup truck in the Sierra National Forest.

So far, the jury is still out on that case.

Skeptics point out that the area of Siberia that's allegedly home to the local Yeti legend helps promote tourism. In fact, opening day of the ski season there is known as Day of the Yeti -- an attempt to sell many Yeti-related souvenirs and bring in more skiers to the region.

While scientific researchers continue hunting for signs of a Yeti lair in Kemerovo, let's hope they don't discover a cave that contains a set of recently purchased touristy Yeti beverage mugs.
SRC: Huffington Post

Yeti Evidence Found During Kemerovo Expedition in Siberia

Click to read our entire coverage of the Siberian Yeti.

Although the title of the article below is a little sensational, the evidence found was "...footprints, his supposed bed, and various markers with which the yeti marks his territory," the statement said. The collected "artifacts" will be analysed in a special laboratory, it said.

You can read the whole article below from PhysOrg.com

Siberian region 'confirms Yeti exists'

A Russian region in Siberia on Monday confidently proclaimed that its mountains are home to yetis after finding "indisputable proof" of the existence of the hairy beasts in an expedition.

The local administration of the Kemerovo region in the south of Siberia said in a statement on its website that footprints and possibly even hair samples belonging to the yeti were found on the research trip to its remote mountains.

"During the expedition to the Azasskaya cave, conference participants gathered indisputable proof that the Shoria mountains are inhabited by the 'Snow Man'," the Kemerovo region administration said in a press-release.

The expedition was organised after Kemerovo's governor invited researchers from the United States, Canada, and several other countries to share their research and stories of encounters with the creature at a conference.

"They found his footprints, his supposed bed, and various markers with which the yeti marks his territory," the statement said. The collected "artifacts" will be analysed in a special laboratory, it said.

Yetis, or Abominable Snowmen, are hairy ape-like creatures of popular myth, that are generally held to inhabit the Himalayas.

But some believe Russia also holds a population of yetis, which it calls Snow Men, in remote areas of Siberia.

Kemerovo region's Shoria is a sparsely populated territory in Western Siberia that has historically been a territory of coal and metal mining.

The region, the administrative center of Kuznetsk coal basin, has pursued the elusive Yeti for several years as it tries to develop tourism into its mostly industrial economy.

Considering the latest findings, the region may "create a special research center to study the Yeti" in the regional university and "create a journal" dedicated to the science of the Yeti, the administration's statement said.
SRC: PhysoOrg.com

Finally! A Journalist Does Real Research on Tom Biscardi

Before we praise Paul Gackle of The San Francisco Examiner for doing real journalism. We have to give Tom Biscardi accolades and credit. No one can write a press release like Tom Biscardi. Tom Biscardi must be the William Shakespeare of press releases. How else do you explain the newest coverage of his BBC expedition. How can a man claim to have a bigfoot body twice (once in 2005 on Coast-to-Caost AM and then again on CNN in 2008), fail to produce evidence, and then continue to get legitimate news coverage? In all fairness during both cases he claims he was hoodwinked. He was the victim of a hoax.

We asked a similar question in a previous post titled, "Why Don't Journalist Just Google Todd Standing?"

In that post we displayed what Google users think of Todd Standing--or at least what they type when searching for Todd. We showcased Google's well-known feature called "Google Suggest" or "Auto Complete". Start typing in a search, and Google offers suggestions before you’ve even finished typing.

Here are Todd's results (The second suggestion includes the word Hoax):


What are the results for respectable bigfoot researchers?





Now, for Tom Biscardi: (Similar to Todd, the second suggestion is Hoax)



This brings us to a refreshing article by Paul Gackle of The San Francisco Examiner. Mr. Gackle seem to have done more than reprint the press release, he actually respectively asked other bigfoot researchers what Biscardi's story is.

Redwood City Bigfoot hunter hopes to make giant capture
By: Paul Gackle | 10/08/11 4:00 PM
Special To The Examiner

True believer: Tom Biscardi says he’s come close to catching Bigfoot.
If Redwood City native Tom Biscardi is right, one of the world’s most baffling mysteries is about to be solved.

For decades, scientists, adventurers and monster hunters have explored the furthest reaches of North American wildlands in search of undeniable evidence that a species of gigantic, bipedal apelike creatures — known as Bigfoot — exist. Recently, Biscardi launched an expedition being filmed by English documentarians for BBC that he claims will finally put the Bigfoot mystery to rest.

“We’re going out there for a possible capture,” Biscardi said. “I really think this is going to be it.”

Biscardi hopes to finally silence his critics during an expedition that will focus on Arkansas, Florida, West Virginia and Illinois, where Bigfoot-related activity has recently been reported.

But others working to solve the Bigfoot mystery think Biscardi’s latest hunt is just another gimmick.

“It always ends up being nothing,” said Diane Stocking, who has researched Bigfoot sightings for almost four decades and created Stocking Hominid Research Inc. in Oregon. “To the Bigfoot community, he’s a joke. No one takes him seriously.”

In the past 40 years, Biscardi said he’s encountered Bigfoot six times. But while capture has eluded him, the infamous monster hunter, who moonlights as a Las Vegas promoter, has managed to turn Bigfoot into a thriving commercial industry.

Over the years, the founder of Searching for Bigfoot Inc. has produced four documentaries while hosting the weekly radio show “Bigfoot Live” on his website, www.searchingforbigfoot.com, where he sells caps, T-shirts, mugs and doormats, among other creature items.

“You bet I’m in it for the money. I don’t work for free,” Biscardi said.

This isn’t the first time Biscardi has been accused of plotting a hoax. In 2005, he went on the radio show “Coast to Coast AM” claiming he knew the location of a captured Bigfoot close to the Oregon border and would air footage online via webcam for a small fee. But on the day footage was slated to be released, he said he’d been “hoodwinked” by a woman in Nevada.

Then in 2008, Biscardi held a news conference in Palo Alto with two Georgia men who claimed they were holding a Bigfoot carcass in their freezer. Biscardi confirmed the creature’s authenticity, saying he had measured its feet and touched its intestines. But soon after, the Georgia men admitted the pictures were nothing more than a Halloween costume stuffed with animal parts.

British director Morgan Matthews said his documentary, tentatively titled “Of Monsters and Men,” will be a portrait of several men like Biscardi, who devote their lives to chasing mysterious creatures.

“I think Tom has something to prove and that makes it interesting for us,” Matthews said.

“When you’re on top of the mountain, they all want to knock you down,” Biscardi said. “Hopefully this will be the time we put an end to this thing.”

Close encounters

Bigfoot buff Tom Biscardi says he’s had several run-ins with Bigfoot, and he is launch an expedition in hopes of finally capturing the mythological beast.

FIRST ENCOUNTER
WHEN: Late 1960s
WHERE: Near Spokane, Wash.
QUOTE: “I was shocked. I said to myself, ‘What the hell is that?’”

SECOND ENCOUNTER
WHEN: October 1971
WHERE: Near Mount Burney
QUOTE: “It looked at us and had juice from eating chokecherries all over its mouth.”

THIRD ENCOUNTER
WHEN: April 1973
WHERE: Beaver Lake
QUOTE: “It was bathing itself in the water.”

FOURTH ENCOUNTER
WHEN: October 1977
WHERE: Near Mount Lassen
QUOTE: “It was an albino — pure white. It blew me away; he looked like a stuffed animal.”

FIFTH ENCOUNTER
WHEN: July 2006
WHERE: Deer River, Minn.
QUOTE: “We were pretty damn close to catching him. They move faster than lightning.”

SIXTH ENCOUNTER
WHEN: June 2008
WHERE: Lamar Point, Texas
QUOTE: “We tried to jump on it, but it moved too quick.”

SRC: The San Francisco Examiner

Huffington Post: U.S. And Russian Scientists Target Elusive Siberian Snowman

Click to read our entire coverage of the Siberian Yeti.

The news of the Russian Yeti conference has reached mainstream media. This article at Huffington Post quotes author Loren Coleman.

U.S. And Russian Scientists Target Elusive Siberian Snowman
Lee Speigel

Snowmen aren't just playthings children build in wintertime. Some say they're living beings, and an international group of scientists are about to go hunting for one -- specifically, the Siberian Snowman.

Around the world, there have been reports of large, hairy, human-like creatures. Known variously as Bigfoot, Sasquatch, the Abominable Snowman and the Siberian Snowman, none of the elusive animals have ever been captured to confirm their existence.

But cryptozoologists -- researchers who study the alleged existence of unknown animals -- say eyewitness accounts, photographs, films, videos, footprints, hair and even fecal material all suggest the possibility of an unknown species that doesn't seem to want to be discovered.

That may all change, as scientists from the U.S., Russia and other countries come together this week for a conference that will include a trek to the Siberian region of Kemerovo to hunt for the alleged snowman.

An alleged footprint of a Yeti, or Abominable Snowman, appears in snow near Mount Everest in 1951. Now, scientists are setting out to find evidence of a reported unknown, hairy, bipedal creature known as the Siberian Snowman.

"The creatures are generally five and a half to seven and a half feet tall, a lot thinner than what most people think of as a Yeti or Bigfoot," said Loren Coleman, founder and director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.

"They're hearty-looking and have multi-colored brownish-black fur, sometimes with a lighter top to their head and patches of white on their arms, which is unique to the Siberian Snowmen."


Coleman, who is the co-author of "The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates," added that the elusive Siberian Snowman is reportedly not as fearful of humans as are his hairy counterparts on other continents.

"They're sometimes seen at the edge of a forest just staring at people and not really considered as wild creatures, compared to some Yeti reports in Nepal where they reportedly attack yaks or sherpas," Coleman told The Huffington Post.

Sightings of the Siberian Snowmen have increased three-fold over the past 20 years, prompting scientists at Moscow's Darwin Museum to speculate that there may be a small population of these creatures.

Igor Burtsev, head of the International Center of Hominology in Moscow -- which investigates so-called snowmen -- told The Voice of Russia radio that "when Homo sapiens started populating the world, it viciously exterminated its closest relative in the hominid family, Homo neanderthalensis."

"Some of the Neanderthals, however, may have survived to this day in some mountainous wooded habitats that are more or less off limits to their arch foes. No clothing on them, no tools in hands and no fire in the household. Only round-the-clock watchfulness for a Homo sapiens around."

While the Darwin Museum invited Coleman to join its Siberian conference and to give a presentation, he declined, because rather than extending to him the professional courtesy of paying for his trip, "they turned around and said, 'Oh, no, we can't afford that!' And they suggested I go to one of the online travel services to get a cheap flight," Coleman said.

Despite that little inconvenience, Coleman said he thinks the museum is doing serious work in the realm of hominology -- the study of unknown hairy bipedal creatures.

Another reason why it's not the most convenient time for Coleman to be trekking through Siberia is that he's in the process of a major expansion of his museum -- the only cryptozoology museum in the world.

"We're going to have enough space now to exhibit more of the evidence, including my collection of 150 footprint casts and other materials from Yeti, Bigfoot and other hominids from around the world," he said.

As scientists search for evidence of the Siberian Snowman in the mountains of Kemerovo, Coleman will have a grand monster re-opening of his museum on Oct. 30 in Portland.
SRC: Huffington Post

Yeti Institute Director, Igor Burtsev: Around 30 Yetis live in area of Kemerovo

Click to read our entire coverage of the Siberian Yeti.

Yesterday we posted the story "Scientists from Seven Countries Gather in Russia to Discuss Yeti"

Today we have a follow up with the director of the International Centre of Hominology in Tashtagol, Igor Burtsev. Igor is also the head of the 'Yeti institute' at Kemerovo State University.

Below is the full article from the Daily Mail, where Igor estimates the number of Yeti's. He also proposes the Yeti's may be Neanderthals that have survived to this day.

Russian and American Yeti hunters join forces to track down '30-strong Siberian tribe'

International team of scientists to share secret Cold War evidence
By WILL STEWART

Its legend has long haunted the icy wastes of the Himalayas and Siberia.

Yet for all the mysterious sightings and strange footprints in the snow, the Yeti has proved remarkably elusive to those seeking solid evidence of its existence.

Now, however, the Abominable Snowman has an international team of scientists on its trail in a Russian region which one expert claims is home to around 30 of the creatures.

An expedition and conference – the largest of its kind since 1958 – will this week bring together scientists from Russia and the U.S. who have even agreed to share secret Cold War evidence in the effort to prove the humanoid beasts exist.

It follows a rise in apparent Yeti sightings in the Kemerovo region 3,000 miles – and four time zones – east of Moscow.

One of the most recent was reported by 82-year-old Raisa Sudochakova, who claims her dogs howled in fear and ran when they saw the Yeti.

She said: ‘It was still a tall creature, but not giant. It was covered with long brown-grey hair, like a bear. It wasn’t a bear – I have lived all my life in Siberia and wouldn’t make that mistake. This creature walked like a human, or almost like a human.’

Experts speculated she may have seen a young Yeti, as other sightings have suggested the creatures are about 7ft.

This week’s expedition will begin with experts from six nations gathering at the International Centre of Hominology in Tashtagol.

Igor Burtsev, the centre’s director, believes around 30 Yetis live in the Kuzbass coal mining area of Kemerovo, where villagers say they steal sheep and hens. He claims they are Neanderthals who have survived to this day.

The event comes after the most recent expedition to find the Yeti failed, despite the efforts of Russian heavyweight boxing champion Nikolai Valuyev, known as the ‘Beast from the East’.

‘Valuyev did not manage to meet the Yeti itself but on the way he discovered traces such as broken tree branches,’ said a local government spokesman.

‘By the time they reached the Azass cave, the expedition saw gigantic footprints.’

Not surprisingly, there has been a degree of scepticism over the latest hunt – not least from those who reckon it’s just an attempt to boost tourism in Kemerovo.

SRC: www.dailymail.co.uk

Paranormal Adventurers Debut Bigfoot Hunter: Still Searching

Earlier this year, back in august we brought to your attention Who Forted's documentary Bigfoot Hunter: Still Searching. Since then we have been able to view a screening copy.

The story revolves around the central unique character Tim Holmes. Who is quite eccentric, even by bigfooting standards. He is quite comfortable with ballistics and encourages anybody who goes bigfooting with him to be well armed as well.




Also among the professional bigfooters is Becky. She is a no-nonsense field researcher with some loose affiliations with Tom Biscardi. The camera does not hide how Tim feels about her.



Our favorite part of the documentary is the reaction of the Who Forted? team, previously known as Ghost Hunters. The whole adventure starts off after they have some paranormal scary experience and run. They realize they have done this many times before and decide Bigfooting may be different.

If you want to know how to feel or when things are not as they should be watch Nick's face. We didn't know that the expression of "shock" came in so many flavors.



If Nick is how you should feel, then Milton is what your thinking. We wish there was more of Milton, his dry wit and calm delivery adds some stability to the whole outrageousness. He proves humor does not just come from crazy, it also comes from being smart watching crazy.



We have watched the documentary and found it to an amusing observation of a group of people who just happen to be looking for bigfoot. And would recommend it for anyone looking for entertainment.

Who Forted? Just sent us a press release and you can read it in full below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PARANORMAL ADVENTURERS PULL OUT ALL STOPS FOR PREMIERE OF DEBUT FILM THE BIGFOOT HUNTER: STILL SEARCHING

Seasoned paranormal adventurers to debut independent documentary film about New York Sasquatch hunters to sold out crowd in Bigfoot's back yard.

WAVERLY, NEW YORK: THE BIGFOOT HUNTER:STILL SEARCHING, the first feature length film from WF? online magazine, the legend chasing curators of all things weird, returns home to Waverly for a very special world premiere screening filled with legendary monsters, local curiosities, and lots of fun surprises. Not only does the documentary feature the exploits of the Elmira Bigfoot Watch, but marks the second big screen outing of infamous paranormal provacateurs Ghost Hunters, Incorporated.

Shot in and around Elmira, New York in the summer of 2006, THE BIGFOOT HUNTER: STILL SEARCHING follows the members of GHI as they meet Tim Holmes, the eccentric leader of the Elmira Bigfoot Watch, an internationally recognized monster hunting organization. When Tim invites the gang to tag along on a weekend expedition in the hills of the Southern Tier, the group discovers, much to their surprise, that the legend of Sasquatch is alive and well in their own backyard.

The film's creation was a happy accident with an interesting outcome according to director Greg Newkirk (of GHI Presents: The Graveyard Shift). "We took videocameras with us everywhere as kids, so when we found out that there were a couple people chasing down a legendary monster right next door, we just so happened to capture the whole experience on tape," Newkirk said. "Tim Holmes ended up being one of the most interesting people I've ever met, and as we trekked further into the woods with him it became clear that he honestly believes in what he's doing whole heartedly, and furthermore, that there might be good reason for us to believe in it as well. We didn't set out to make a documentary, it just ended up being the natural outcome of our weekend with the Elmira Bigfoot Watch. It was too bizarre, too funny, and too interesting not to share with the world."

It was important for producer Jason Gowin (of A&E's Extreme Paranormal) to stress that this film was as independent as a documentary can get. "Our documentary is an impressive film that was made with a lot of unimpressive equipment," he explains. "We were able to create something out of next to nothing, and when people hear what our budget was they're shocked. I love that reaction because it really goes to show what can be achieved when you just plain love what you're doing. When people see the film, it's really going to drive that point home in more ways than one."

It would appear that fans of the unexplained love what they're doing too. Within two days of it's online annoucement on the Facebook social network, the premiere screening of THE BIGFOOT HUNTER: STILL SEARCHING sold out, prompting the Waverly Opera House to open up a second evening of festivities loaded with never-before-seen clips from the group's previous adventures, door prizes, and even a special question and answer session with the film's star. "The response has been amazing," said Newkirk. "We've pulled out all the stops for this one, and I can say with a good amount of certainty that the paranormal community has never seen anything like this before. It's the funniest film you'll ever see about Bigfoot hunters, but it's also got a lot of heart. We've made sure that this is going to be an event that celebrates strangeness in a way that people haven't seen for a very long time."

THE BIGFOOT HUNTER: STILL SEARCHING screens Friday and Saturday, the 21st and 22nd of October, at 7:30 PM at the Waverly Opera House in Waverly, NY.

For more information on THE BIGFOOT HUNTER: STILL SEARCHING please visit:
www.whofortedmag.com
www.facebook.com/bigfootfilm

For more information on the cast and crew, please contact:
Jason Gowin - gow2099@hotmail.com
Greg Newkirk - editor@whofortedmag.com