Long Lost "Minnesota Iceman" Resurfaces--in Austin, Texas!

Close up of April 1969 Argosy magazine cover featuring the Minnesota Iceman

The Minnesota Iceman has resurfaced and will be on display at the Museum of the Weird in Austin, Texas. Read the official press release below, buy tickets to the Minnesota Iceman grand opening, and learn about the shipping of the Iceman filmed on A&E's Shipping Wars to be rebroadcast this Saturday June 29th 2013.

Promo video below is from the Museum of the Weird Facebook Page.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Long Lost “Minnesota Iceman” Resurfaces… in Austin, Texas!

In 1968 a carnival attraction being billed as “The Siberskoye Creature” began showing up at malls and fairgrounds across America. Also known as “The Creature In Ice,” the exhibit appeared to be the body of a hairy Neanderthal or Bigfoot-like monster frozen in a solid block of ice in a refrigerated coffin.

The “Iceman” soon garnered the attention of scientists, the Smithsonian Institution, and even the FBI, who all wanted to get their hands on the creature. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the Iceman seemed to mysteriously vanish without a trace, and along with it all hopes of ever having the body thoroughly examined.

Over the ensuing decades the enigma of the Minnesota Iceman, as it were later to be called, became the subject of many books, lectures and television shows including Unsolved Mysteries and Animal X. The story grew to near legendary status among the generation that remembered seeing it, and for over three decades the mystery of whatever happened to it became as much an open question as whatever “IT” actually was.

Now, after many years of its whereabouts being unknown, the long enduring mystery of “Where is the Minnesota Iceman?” can finally be answered.

Museum of the Weird owner Steve Busti announced today that the original Minnesota Iceman is currently in his possession, still frozen, and will soon be exhibited to the world once again in his Austin, Texas tourist attraction.  Busti is aiming to have the Iceman set up in his museum and open to the public within a week, with plans for a special Grand Opening event on Saturday, July 13th in cooperation with eminent cryptozoology site Cryptomundo.com.

The Museum of the Weird is an homage to dime museums made popular by the likes of P.T. Barnum, and features everything from real mummies, shrunken heads and oddities, to wax figures of classic movie monsters, to live giant lizards.  They even boast a live sideshow on stage every day, where one can see magicians, sword-swallowers, human blockheads, and even an “elecrticity-proof” man.

In addition to the Minnesota Iceman taking up permanent residence at the Museum of the Weird however, Busti also plans to loan the Iceman for display to Loren Coleman’s International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine (cryptozoologymuseum.com) for a special limited future engagement. You can follow Coleman’s blog at cryptozoonews.com for forthcoming information.

Further details will be announced at a later date. In the meantime, you can find more information at museumoftheweird.com.

BUY TICKETS AT FOR THE ICEMAN GRAND OPENING:

Saturday, July 13th, 2013

(Time to be announced)

Museum of the Weird, in conjunction with the world's foremost website on all things cryptid, Cryptomundo.com, will be hosting a very special event on July 13th at the Museum of the Weird in Austin, TX:

THE MINNESOTA ICEMAN GRAND UNVEILING

Featuring an all-star line up of world famous cryptozoologists, experts and authors, it's sure to be a night of entertainment, intrigue and mystery as we explore the unknown creatures that lurk in the darker corners of the world we live in! Please come out and join us for the grand opening of the Minnesota Iceman!

Speaker presentations, author book signings, and screenings to be announced.

The regular ticket price to the event is $35 and includes admission to the Museum of the Weird and the conference.  Space and seating is extremely limited, so we recommend buying your tickets early!

Click to Buy Minnesota Iceman Tickets

WATCH THE ICEMAN GET SHIPPED ON SHIPPING WARS!

Jennifer meets with the buyer of the Minnesota Iceman and his friends
as they prepare to hunt Bigfoot. Will Jennifer join them on their adventure?

New episodes of Shipping Wars debut every Tuesday 10/9c. You can catch the Minnesota Iceman Episode this weekend on Saturday, June 29 11:31 PM ET and Sunday, June 30 03:32 AM ET. A description of the episode is below.

Marc's buddy, Johnny Chavez finally wins a load, but his day in the sun will be overshadowed when Marc pranks his run. Jennifer hauls a cold, creepy, mysterious load... and that's just the seller, who joins her to ensure the oddity he's shipping makes it to its destination before it unthaws.

Loren Coleman Clarifies His Remarks in New Haven Article

Loren Coleman, left, speaks with host Joshua Foer at the Institute Library in New Haven.

In our previous post, "Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman Speaks about Melba Ketchum's Bigfoot DNA Study" we quoted the New Haven Register article interviewing Loren Coleman. Since our post we received comments regarding a few of Mr. Coleman's statements, in particular his "No data, no discovery" and "Angel DNA" comments. 

Yesterday (January 20th, 2013) Loren Coleman posted an article on Cryptomundo to clarify his remarks to the New Haven Register. Full disclosure: I am a regular contributor to Cryptomundo and a big fan of Loren Coleman's contributions to the Bigfoot community. Read an excerpt from his clarifications below:

In discussing the recent DNA news, I quoted John Hawks, the Wisconsin anthropologist, in my agreeing with his notion that “no data, no discovery” is the stance to take. My attribution to Hawks was absence from the article.

I said that quotes supposedly from the researcher in Texas, saying ridiculous things like “These are angels from heaven,” were released on Facebook, and that does not help the cause of serious research on Bigfoot. Those remarks were denied later as having been said by the Texas individual. The article does not make it clear I was talking about the leakage and not the exacting quotations.

In the solving of the source of the “Montauk Monster,” at my New Haven talk, I was clear to credit myself and others for pointing to a “raccoon in second-stage decomposition,” as what the thing on the beach was. Besides myself and a New York game official, Darren Naish was behind the solution too.

We wanted to cover the two primary topics that were discussed in our comments area, but Loren Coleman also touches upon other aspects of his New Haven interview, and your welcome to read them here. 

Attorneys Offer Opinion In Johnsen vs. Cryptomundo, Moneymaker, & Coleman Defamation Suit

"...there is a real danger that a jury may not believe that Mr. Johnsen has been damaged at all. They may even conclude that you can't hurt a professional Bigfoot hunter's reputation by calling him crazy." -- Popehat.com

Established in April 2005, Popehat.com is written by a group of mostly attorneys. Law is a relative constant focus on the site with a splash of cheeky humor.

Yesterday (June 21, 2012) Popehat resurrected the defamation case between Plaintiff JOHN JOHNSEN and co-defendants CRYPTOMUNDO,  INC,  a corporation, MATTHEW MONEYMAKER,  an  individual and LOREN COLEMAN,  an individual.

On April 23rd 2012, Cryptomundo publicized the case by starting a legal defense fund, stating, "Both Cryptomundo and Loren believe the case is baseless. Mr. Johnsen has demanded that he be given ownership of the website to settle the case. This is simply not acceptable."

The gist of the complaint is in paragraph 13 of the Summons Document

On or about June  8, 2011, Defendant Moneymaker published an inaccurate recitation of  his interactions with Plaintiff, during a wildlife expedition in the Ocala National Forest.  During this characterization of Defendant Moneymaker's interactions with Plaintiff, Defendant Moneymaker defamed Plaintiff by stating that Plaintiff was mentally ill and by accusing Plaintiff of  carrying firearms into the Ocala National Forest.

Click the following link if you want to read more details of the Moneymaker Defamation Case. Although you can get a pretty good review in the Popehat.com excerpt below.

If A Bigfoot Hunter Doesn't Have His Reputation, What Does He Have?

America is an increasingly crass nation, true. But there are still some places where decorum and good breeding are expected and even demanded.

For instance, anyone acquainted with cryptid enthusiasts knows that a gentleman seeking introduction to their society must first build a solid repute for probity. In turn, those admitted to the drawing-rooms and salons of the cryptidologists know that only the most polished among them can aspire to the rarefied circle of Bigfoot hunters, the royalty of the cryptid-seeking community. And yet even Bigfoot hunters — elite as they are — can encounter self-doubt when they ask themselves, "yes, my poise and quality have made me a Bigfoot hunter, but do I possess the savoir-faire necessary to achieve a position amongst the Bigfoot hunters ofFlorida? Can I persevere in that imperial land, where the exacting standards for urbanity and good deportment strain the abilities even of graduates of the finest finishing schools in Tampa and Orlando?"

By necessity, when swimming in these heady waters, a good reputation iseverything. So you see, when one Florida Bigfoot hunter accused another Florida Bigfoot hunter of being crazy, the latter had no choice but to sue for defamation.

Our story takes us to the aforementioned Florida, where Bigfoot is sought by our players. I admit that I — embarrassingly untutored in these things — labored under the naive belief that Bigfoot is a phenomenon of the Pacific Northwest. That, apparently, is an error on the level of believing that Duke is one of the Ivies. Bigfoot-hunting has a rich tradition in Florida. Some say that Bigfoot (never say Bigfeet; they'll wonder if you came in by the servant's entrance) migrated to Florida for its warmer climes and the easy supply of food (particularly in the late afternoon and early evening hours); those prone to unkindness suggest that the migration was a result of a Bigfoot flight seeking refuge from the increasing prevalence of Chupacabra-Americans in their traditional realms in the West.

Read the rest at PopeHat.com

Cryptomundo, Loren Coleman, and Matt Moneymaker Defendants in Defamation Case

Today, April 23rd 2012, Cryptomundo has asked for help in raising funds for it's legal defense. You can make a contribution to Cryptomundo's legal defense fund at the paypal account (legaldefensefund@cryptomundo.com). 

Craig Woolheater has posted:

Cryptomundo and Loren Coleman have been sued for defamation by a member of the site, John Johnsen (click here to see a copy of the Complaint). Both Cryptomundo and Loren believe the case is baseless. Mr. Johnsen has demanded that he be given ownership of the website to settle the case. This is simply not acceptable.

We are not lawyers, but according to the legal document the domain Cryptomundo.com is on the table. below is an excerpt from the legal Summons Document (you can see the document here)

Plaintiff requests judgment against Defendant Cryptomundo for damages, including but not limited to liquidated and actual damages, costs, interest, attorney's fees, and prays for such other relief in equity, including but not limited to transfer or any and all domain names associated with Defendant Cryptomundo, which this Court deems just and proper.

What is all this about? In paragraph 13-15 it describes the alleged act of defamation:

13. On or about Junee 8, 2011, Defendant Moneymaker published an inaccurate recitation of his interactions with Plaintiff, during a wildlife expedition in the Ocala National Forest. During
this characterization of Defendant Moneymaker's interactions with Plaintiff, Defendant
Moneymaker defamed Plaintiff by stating that Plaintiff was mentally ill and by accusing
Plaintiff of carrying firearms into the Ocala National Forest.

14. Defendant Moneymaker published these comments on the website www.cryptomundo.com. a forum for members of the cryptozoological community. See Exhibit 1.

15. The statements disseminated by Defendant Moneymaker were defamatory in nature because they depicted Plaintiff as a crazy, delusional man who carries firearms into national forests, and is "not in the same reality as the rest of us," to quote from Defendant Moneymaker.

What are typical defenses against Defamation? Again we are not experts and we do not practice law. We did visit ExpertLaw.com and found these common defenses against a defamation.

What Defenses Are Available To People Accused of Defamation?

The most important defense to an action for defamation is "truth", which is an absolute defense to an action for defamation.

Another defense to defamation actions is "privilege". For example, statements made by witnesses in court, arguments made in court by lawyers, statements by legislators on the floor of the legislature, or by judges while sitting on the bench, are ordinarily privileged, and cannot support a cause of action for defamation, no matter how false or outrageous.

A defense recognized in most jurisdictions is "opinion". If the person makes a statement of opinion as opposed to fact, the statement may not support a cause of action for defamation. Whether a statement is viewed as an expression of fact or opinion can depend upon context - that is, whether or not the person making the statement would be perceived by the community as being in a position to know whether or not it is true. If your employer calls you a pathological liar, it is far less likely to be regarded as opinion than if such a statement is made by somebody you just met. Some jurisdictions have eliminated the distinction between fact and opinion, and instead hold that any statement that suggests a factual basis can support a cause of action for defamation.

A defense similar to opinion is "fair comment on a matter of public interest". If the mayor of a town is involved in a corruption scandal, expressing the opinion that you believe the allegations are true is not likely to support a cause of action for defamation.

A defendant may also attempt to illustrate that the plaintiff had a poor reputation in the community, in order to diminish any claim for damages resulting from the defamatory statements.

A defendant who transmitted a message without awareness of its content may raise the defense of "innocent dissemination". For example, the post office is not liable for delivering a letter which has defamatory content, as it is not aware of the contents of the letter.

An uncommon defense is that the plaintiff consented to the dissemination of the statement.

We know many of you have your own blogs and your own facebook groups. It is important that we are able to quote third party opinions and not have to fear litigation. You can contribute to the Cryptomundo defense fund. It is easy. Go to this paypal link and type in legaldefensefund@cryptomundo.com as the recipient. For the record we have a made a small contribution ourselves.

Skeptic Assumes Too Much in Cryptomundo Attack

Full Disclosure: Bigfoot Lunch Club is a contributor to Cryptomundo and we have the highest regard for skeptics. Skepticism, in our mind, requires discipline and rigor. We even have a few favorite skeptics we follow, Sharon Hill of Doubtful News and Brian Dunning of Skeptoid.com. These are two skeptics that are very good at articulating arguments and they do their research. 

Then there are those who don't do their homework. This brings me to Myron Getman of The Mad Skeptic and Bobby Nelson from The Bent Spoon Magazine. Recently, Myron created a truly funny post that could have been respected as satire, had it not ventured into unfounded assumptions. The gist of Myron's argument is, "...Coleman and Craig Woolheater's favorite tactics to generate traffic -- SEO tactics and, more specifically, the use of keywords." Myron bases this assumption on his previous experience as an SEO writer. 

To be fair, Bobby only accuses of Loren Coleman using a "Cheap Attempt to get Hits on 9/11" and that Coleman shamelessly plugs his book.

Speaking of shameless plugs, visit our post on Cliff's Barackman's 10 essentials of Bigfooting to get a Coupon for your REI purchases. REI, Gear up for the great outdoors ™

We know that there has already been an exchange between Myron, Bobby and Loren, but when we read Myron's post today we couldn't help but offer our opinion. 

Although this may seem like a Valentine to Cryptomundo, I am hoping I can make reasoned arguments that:

1. Cryptomundo does not need gimmicks like bikini clad women and high-profile keywords to get traffic.
2. The "tactics" Myron accuses Cryptomundo of using to drive traffic don't work and he may not have a current understanding of how SEO works. (Keywords don't work) 
3. If the first 2 arguments have merit, then there is another valid possibility for why Cryptomundo uses topical subjects and keywords. Occams Razor: They are being topical. Why the bikinis? Loren Coleman likes women. 

ARGUMENT 1. Cryptomundo does not need gimmicks, Below is a graph from Alexa.com. The lower your rank number the higher your ranking (#1 is the highest ranking). Cryptomundo is ranked 100,461 out of approx. 16 Million websites. It is ranked in the very top percentile of all the websites Alexa tracks. It beats about 15.8 Million other websites. If you want to verify Cryptomundo's high traffic you can click on these other reputable ranking/traffic websites (these links will take you directly to Cryptomundo's stats), Quantcast.com and Compete.com.

 Trailing 7 days  Trailing 1 month  Trailing 3 months  Trailing 6 months  Max 

Traffic rank for cryptomundo.com:

	Traffic Rank	Change
1 month	90,539	-14,641
3 month	100,461	-35,643

  

ARGUMENT 2 The "tactics" Myron accuses Cryptomundo of using, don't work. Cryptomundo has many organic (non-manufactured) reasons why they already rank high on search engines and get plenty of traffic. These reasons are far more effective than keywords. 
One of the strongest reasons is they have over 34,000 websites that link to them, we call them backlinks; very valuable for SEO. The next biggest crypto-site BFRO.net only has 8000 backlinks. Cryptomundo also has a high rate of loyal returning visitors. Bikinis and high-profile keyphrases can't buy that kind of SEO gold.

If the SEO tactics Myron mentioned worked,  his post would have ranked pretty high yesterday. TheMadSkeptic didn't show up on the first 120 results for either Andrew Breitbart or Davy Jones. You could argue that if you searched for both of those together you would find his post, but according to our research, almost nobody searched for those two names together. There is the possibility he did get a lot of traffic to that post, which would have less to do with keywords and more to do with the clever lampoon.

Finally, below is the third-party report for Myron's meta tags. Meta tags are called in-page SEO. It is the first place you start when optimizing for search engines. They are not terrible, but do not rate as well as you would expect from someone who had a working knowledge of SEO or keywords.

Meta tags report for: http://www.themadskeptic.com meta tag length value Title:  36 Andrew Breitbart Davy Jones Bigfoot! Description:  77 Writings on skeptical, scientific, computer, and other topics by a scientist. Keywords:  199 skepticism, skeptic, science, education, woo, myron getman, baron_army, asbestos, bigfoot, linux, opinion, critical thinking, analysis, blog, health, new york, new york state, albany, ubuntu, xubuntu

Meta tags analysis. Title: Title contains no errors. This tag contains 36 characters. Description: Description meta tag relevancy to page content is fair. The Description meta tag relevancy to page content is 45%. Keywords: Keywords meta tag contains too many keywords. This tag contains 23 keywords. This is too many for what we would consider a 'robot friendly' keywords tag. The maximum number of keywords we recommend for this tag is 20.

Finally the third argument is dependent on the first two. The accusation that Cryptomundo is using keywords and other SEO as cheap tactics to drive traffic is not the simplest possible answer. Cryptomundo already gets plenty of traffic through more effective channels and topical keywords are simply just that, topical.

Loren Coleman Hilights a difference between Erickson/Ketchum Project and Pangboche Yeti Finger DNA tests

In a comment to Loren Coleman's post on Cryptomundo titled, "Pangboche Yeti Finger In Context: What Does Human Mean?" An astute reader asks a very important question:

Wendigo Truth Force responds:December 28th, 2011 at 11:34 am

So I’m a little confused here, admittedly. They found this [Pangboche Yeti] finger bone the other day? And DNA testing is already complete? I thought it took much longer, and that was part of the reason the Ketchum/Erickson debacle is taking so long

Loren Coleman has a great response explaining when the Pangboche Yeti finger bone was found and highlights, by example, a difference between the two DNA studies.

Loren Coleman responds:December 28th, 2011 at 11:44 am

The Pangboche finger was found some time ago, filming of interviews were conducted, Peter Byrne was flown in, more taping occurred, and in the meantime the DNA analysis was taking place. A timeline was not published, but it is apparent this BBC program has been in the works for some time. However, unlike the Erickson Project, there were no leaks.

He is referring to the Erickson Project leaks by several sources, the one with the loosest lips may be Richard Stubstad.

Watch this clip from Unsolved Mysteries: Episode #4.29. This 1992 episode talks about the Pangboche Yeti Hand and interviews Loren Coleman at some length.

Cryptomundo X BigfootLunchClub Collaboration

Not since chocolate and peanut butter has such a combination made so much sense. Well, bananas and strawberries are pretty good too. We are extremely excited and proud to announce that Bigfoot Lunch Club is now a contributor to Cryptomundo.com.

Nothing changes here, all the same breaking news, exclusive reports and humor you have come to love will continue. Basically, we will have another way for people to find us, and it gives us an opportunity to add to the great body of work already established by Craig Woolheater and Loren Coleman.

We would like thank Craig Woolheater for inviting and welcoming us aboard. This collaboration is at the heart of what we try to encourage at Bigfoot Lunch Club; share openly and support each other. None of us have a monopoly on truth or good ideas.

So please give Cryptomundo some love back and visit them by clicking on the "Cryptomundo Contributor" button below, Loren Coleman has been prolific about his postings this week and there are tons of great stuff to read.

2010 Countdown, 10 days of Appreciation: Day 04 Craig Woolheater

We want to spend the final days of 2010 appreciating those who have supported us this year. Three years ago, we could of never hoped for this much success. Our only goal was to search, dig and find the most topical Bigfoot news, and share it with anybody that listen. If we were lucky, we would make a modest contribution to the Bigfoot Community and find an audience. We have been more than lucky, thank you.

We will save the last day for our fans, without your tips comments and suggestions we wouldn't have the mass appeal we have. For now, we would like to recognize Craig Woolheater.



We wish we knew Craig better, we met him briefly at the Oregon Sasquatch Symposium last summer. He was kind and generous, proved he had read our blog by referencing a few posts. We owe our early success on our Facebook page to him. After he fanned our page we got the biggest gain in a single day ever. Instantly we got 300 more fans. (The man has pull!)

Craig is also responsible for Cryptomundo, you may have heard of this blog about Cryptozoology with a guy named Loren Coleman as one of the contributers. Cryptomundo was an early inspiration to us and the reason why we asked for Loren Coleman books for Christmas last year.

Craig continues to say good things about us and credits us at Cryptomundo and on Facebook. Bigfoot Lunch Club would like to thank you for your support this summer and helping us jumpstart our Facebook page. Thank you Craig Woolheater.

EXTERNAL LINKS
Craig's facebook Page
Cryptomundo.com
Cryptomundo's Facebook Page

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A Coleman Christmas for Bigfoot Lunch Club

Childress Book Launch in Nepali: Yetis Sasquatch & Hairy Giants

David Hatcher Childress has a new book titled Yetis Sasquatch & Hairy Giants We did a little research on the guy and back in 2006 Loren Coleman was slightly critical of him for repackaging Sanderson's comments without contacting the Sanderson estate (which would have been a courtesy).

"Publisher/writer/repackager David Hatcher Childress, as some reviewers have found, likes to take out-of-print books, and frequently adds an introduction by himself. He puts on a new cover on the old text to sell these reprints, and he’s done several via AUP. It’s all part of his form of American ingenuity and capitalism at work, and that’s fine. But with a little more care in editing and writing, his reprints could be much better." --Loren Coleman

There is an update at the end of Coleman's post stating Childress had contacted him and "he would write Sabina Sanderson, to work out giving her royalties." We dont know if Childress followed through. Coleman also states he is grateful that many next-generation cryptozoologist are able to have access Sandersons words, thanks to Childress.

Most recently, David Hatcher Childress launched (re-launched?) his newest book in in Katmandu Yesterday Saturday, Oct. 23rd. At Amazon the book is described as:

Author and adventurer David Hatcher Childress takes the reader on a fantastic journey across the Himalayas to Europe and North America in his quest for Yeti, Sasquatch and Hairy Giants. Childress begins with his own decades-long quest for the Yeti in Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and other areas of the Himalayas, and then proceeds to his research into Bigfoot, Sasquatch and Skunk Apes in North America. He includes recent discoveries in the field of Yeti and Bigfoot research, as well important case histories. Tons of illustrations and a color photo section bring the astonishing subject to life!

Below is the the article written in the Nepali Paper The Republica:

Book on Yeti launched

(REPUBLICA)-- KATHMANDU, Oct 24: ‘Yetis Sasquatch & Hairy Giants’, a book authored by David Hatcher Childress, was launched here in Pilgrims Book House, Thamel on Saturday.
Amidst a large enthusiastic crowd, the author showcased a slideshow and briefed about the book, which revolves around the history and myth of the legend known as Yeti.

“Bigfoot, Sasquatch, skunk apes or Yetis have been very famous in the past through myths and their activities in the wild, and I have compiled this book from my research, not only in Nepal but the whole world,” he expressed.

The book, according to the author, is an investigation spanning over 20 years.

“There have been many instances of people coming in contact with Yetis in the Himalayan area of Nepal, Pakistan, India and Bhutan in Asia; also in the US and Poland, thus there is substantial proof that they exist,” he added.

Childress, who has published more than 25 books on various subjects, finds the topic of the Yeti very alluring.

“I firmly believe that the Yeti is real, and I hope to find more evidence to support my thesis,” he added.

Published on 2010-10-24 10:44:21

EXTERNAL LINKS
The Cryptomundo post re: Childress
The Republica's Report of the book launch
Yetis, Sasquatch & Hairy Giants at Amazon.com

Interview: A man who would kill Bigfoot

J Anderson is free-lance writer for Associated Content who plans on going on a BFRO Expedition soon. Recently he has been in contact with individuals who would favor killing Bigfoot in the name of science.

He writes an interview with one of the individuals with the pseudonym "Dave".

We have a short teaser of the interview below.

Bigfoot: Would You Shoot One?

Published September 10, 2010 by:J. Andersen

I'm excited about an upcoming Bigfoot expedition I will be attending soon with the BFRO in the northern region of the U.S. I always enjoy doing actual field research in addition to blogging about Bigfoot. What I'm also curious about is an invitation I recently received from a Bigfoot researcher who wants to shoot a Bigfoot in the name of science. And he's invited me to tag along. Is this guy crazy?

You might be surprised to know that a small minority of Bigfoot researchers carry out the same fantasy as this man (let's call him "Dave") and they believe the only way to prove Bigfoots exists is to shoot one. I personally don't believe that killing something is the best way to prove it's living, and most fans from www.facebook.com/findbigfoot and other Bigfoot sites would probably agree.

I've also been contacted in the last few months by a man from New York who is willing to hire retired military commandos to go into the field to capture or kill a Bigfoot. It beginning to feel like a techno-thriller Vince Flynn novel or maybe something from the late Michael Crichton (think Jurassic Park)...

It begins by asking the field research habits of Dave field research methods, but then gets into the ethics of killing Bigfoot:

....J. Andersen: Why do you hunt Bigfoot?

Dave: To prove that he/she exists I'm gonna try my hardest not to kill it if I can capture or immobilize it alive I would rather do it that way, but if I have to kill it then so be it. I will do it that way, Ican't say until that day comes.

J. Andersen: How do you plan on doing it?

Dave: The same way any other animal is hunted with a gun, proper camouflage and LUCK.

J. Andersen: Are you concerned with the Ethics of shooting a bigfoot?

Dave: Yes and No, there's no law against hunting Bigfoot where I'm from. Most people hate me for what I'm doing and that's fine but the only way to prove 100% that it exists is by capturing one dead or alive.

J. Andersen: What motivates you to shoot/capture a Bigfoot?

The thrill of being in its element, the thrill of being in his territory, the thrill of the hunt and to prove to the world that Bigfoot exists...

What Dave describes here is a real, growing frustration among Bigfoot researchers. Why can't we capture this thing on good video? With all of our modern technology and the hundreds of thousands of dollars of gear that the Bigfoot community owns, how do Bigfoots continue to avoid camera and thermal imaging? I can't answer that question...

Ho do long-term field researchers feel about the kill no kill debate?

Some serious researchers have been in the camp of killing a Sasquatch. Dr. Grover Krantz and John Green have been known advocates for killing one. On the other hand, more recent voices like Dr Jeff Meldrum, a protege of sorts of Krantz have distanced themselves from the idea of killing. Included in this alternate camp is Loren Coleman, in an 2006 article for Cryptomundo he gave a rational case for the captivity:

The first large unknown hairy hominoid captured will live its life in captivity, no doubt, and there it may be examined internally. MRIs, CAT scans, EKGs, and a whole battery of medical and other procedures may be used to examine it.

It is doubtful the first one will be returned to the wild, so, of course, it will die someday within the reach of future scientific examinations. Then it will be dissected, just as newly discovered animals, including various kinds of humans, have been for further study. But in the meantime, why not study the living animal’s captive and adaptive behaviors?

The days of Queen Victoria, when only killing an animal would establish it was real and not folklore, are, indeed, long gone. --Loren Coleman 2/6/2006

In case you were wondering, we do not think killing Bigfoot is necessary, and we aren't that frustrated that we don't have proof yet. There's enough unsorted data out there, that is still being dissected, to build a better physical and behavioral model of Bigfoot. As we build a better model and share information with each other, we will all eventually have the proof we pursue.


EXTERNAL LINKS
The full Interview with Dave
Bigfoot Civil Rights
Cryptomundo: To Kill or Not to Kill Bigfoot
Bigfoot Encounters: To Kill or Film

The Messy Melodrama of Bigfoot Wars

That's what they are calling it, they are using adjectives like messy and calling reaction melodramatic! From blogs such as Cryptomundo,Ghost Theory and Bigfoot Books. Its a BIGFOOT WAR-ar-ar (cue echo effect). Were not trying to be sensational, but the difference of Bigfoot opinion has been in the forefront of many high-profile Bigfooters. It is a convoluted story and we are not a blog for length. We are more like: get in, feed your Bigfoot news appetite, get out. Yum, yum.

Thankfully someone took the time to explain the whole thing in a little over 10,00 words (10,191 to be exact). At Bigfoot Book's Bigfoot Blog they cover the WHOLE thang. From The Mr. Mike Debacle, CryptoMundo Demise?, BFF Insurrection, Outing the Bigfootery Enquirer, and even Lenny Green's Wildman Songs. We have a nifty machine that takes a whole bunch of words and tries to summarizes them. Below is the result of that. I don't know if it does it justice, but here is a an automated summary Of the post at Bigfoot Books's Blog.

Why all of these Bigfoot Wars??? Can't prove Bigfoot? OVERNIGHT AM, BIGFOOT, AND MR. MIKE: CREATING THE MATRIX OF CONFUSION. Lan Lamphere, the voice said, of Overnight AM radio. First, "Mike"? Was Bigfoot really "FOUND"? “Backyard Bigfoot” Update" the story continues."The Story Continues..." Mr. Mike – Bigfoot – Shocking Story Revealed July 12, 2010 Live. Against BIGFOOT BOOKS themselves.

We wrote this email to Sharon Lee, Bigfoot Field Reporter:

Sharon Lee wrote a piece encouraging Bigfoot folks to "open their minds."The Ghost of Bigfoot and Mr. MikeBigfoot Found in North America?

BOYCOTT THE BIGFOOT FORUMS!!!

We actually lose money on Bigfoot, so there!
************************************************

ANGRY BIGFOOT SPEAKS!!!

We swear that was completely automated. We really recommend getting the full context of the great reporting at Bigfoot Books. Plus read Ghost Theory's untangling of the backyard bigfoot.

RELATED LINKKS
Bigfoot War pt.2 at Bigfoot Book's Blog
Ghost Theory: Backyard BF: Its getting Messy
Mr Mike melodrama at cryptomundo

G'Day Yowie!

G'Day Yowie! Yowie is the somewhat affectionate term for an unidentified hominid reputed to lurk in the Australian wilderness. It is an Australian cryptid similar to the Himalayan Yeti and the North American Bigfoot.

We get a double dose of Yowie on the web. First, Darren Naish at ScienceBlogs.com's Tetrapod Zoology reviews the book "The Yowie: In Search of Austrailia's Bigfoot."

Darren Naish is a vertebrate palaeontologist with six years of phd work on theropod dinosaurs behind him, he mostly spends long hours in the library, hunched over his laptop.

Naise makes it clear how he feels about cryptozoology--kind of.

"I'm of the opinion that the Australian Yowie is one of the most problematic of mystery beasts. It is, in fact, so ridiculous and inconvenient that it's difficult to take seriously. As if sasquatch, yeti and orang pendek aren't difficult enough...I don't reject the possible existence of these creatures out of hand.

The review of the book is fascinating and thorough, it almost goes chapter by chapter.

At Craig Woolheater's Cryptomundo, Loren Coleman says there has been an uptick in reports to him regarding Yowie.

Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

The Cryptomundo post also includes videos interviews with Yowie witnesses.

EXTERNAL LINKS
"What to Make of Yowies?" by Darren Naish at Science Blogs
"Awash with Yowies aplenty mate" by Loren Coleman at Cryptomundo
Update to AKA Bigfoot World Map by Epic Gilgamesh at Bigfoot Lunch Club

View AKA Bigfoot World Map in a larger map

Cryptomundo Responds to Being "Down"

Craig Woolheater, owner of Cryptomundo, has responded to the Cryptomundo site being down:

"There have been some changes here at Cryptomundo to start the new year.

Some of them may be apparent, others may not be.

First of all, I have purchased the site, along with our sister site, UFOmystic, from the previous owner.

I have formed a new corporation, Cryptomundo, Inc. that will incorporate both sites.

Now the new web host has suspended the account because we have exceeded the server resources, even though the account had unlimited bandwidth unlimited yada yada...

Please bear with us as we now move the site to a dedicated server.

Service should be restored soon..."

Everybody here at BLC wishes Cryptomundo well and can't wait to see the new changes and look forward to the new site being up soon.

Cryptomundo Down?

With the last post title "Changes at Cryptomundo," We decided to see what's in store for Cryptomundo's after the click it bounced us to the site below.

We hope everything is okay and are awaiting responses from anybody who knows the details. Once we hear more news we will keep you posted. As of 12:45 PST the site seems to be down.

Porcupines can help find Bigfoot

This story was originally posted by Cryptomundo.com, then reposted io9.com. I thought the headline was too good to resist and the story too clever not too share.

The gist of the story at Cryptomundo.com is to explain why we have never found a Bigfoot body or bones, but there is a second half that is more fascinating. The idea that porcupines eat bones and sometimes store them. I like the idea that somewhere, in a porcupine nest, is the dead sea scroll version of Bigfoot evidence. All we need is a goat herder to throw a stone to find them.

Below is an excerpt pertaining just to the porcupine part of the equation.

One important behavior of some species of porcupines is that they hoard bones of other animals in or around their dens. Porcupines sometimes are found with bones in their living spaces. For example, the North African crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata) and the Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis) of sub-Saharan Africa, especially in areas deficient in phosphorous, will practice osteophagia, or gnawing on bones. These porcupines will often accumulate large piles of bones in their dens . . . In North America, studies of situations in which bones accumulate today and in the past often include porcupine caves. For an intriguing article on what Pleistocene mammal remains were found in one such gathering of bones, see "Bears and Man at Porcupine Cave, Western Uinta Mountains, Utah" by Timothy H. Heaton, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, in Current Research in the Pleistocene, vol. 5, pp. 71-73 (1988).

The odds are more highly in favor of Bigfoot bones and bodies never being found . . . But if they are ever found, Bigfoot teeth or old bones possibly might be discovered near or in porcupine habitation sites . . . We won't know unless we look, and reexamine past and future "unidentified" finds from porcupine caves, digs, and dens.

To see the original Cryptomundo post click here
To see the io9.com post click here.

Oct 20th: A Special Day for Bigfooters

The Patterson-Gimlin film (also referred to as simply the Patterson film) is a short motion picture of an unidentified subject filmed on October 20, 1967 by Roger Patterson (Wall, South Dakota, February 14, 1926 – January 15, 1972) and Robert Gimlin (Missouri, October 18, 1931) who claimed the film was a genuine recording of a bigfoot. The film has been subjected to many attempts both to debunk and authenticate it. Some qualified scientists have judged the film a hoax with a man in an ape suit, but other scientists contend the film depicts an animal unknown to science, or cryptid, claiming it would be virtually impossible for a human to replicate the subject's gait and muscle movement. Source:Wikipedia

Today, October 20th, 42 years ago, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin filmed the most famous Bigfoot footage to date. Always at the forefront BLC is one of the first to recognize this anniversary today.

Perhaps throughout the day more sites will recognize this date. In the meantime, I thought I would share some links around the web that focus on the historical film. On top of our list is Cryptomundo, because Loren Coleman has an exclusive tale straight from Bob Gimlin: Roger Patterson's little known deathbed confession.

1. Cryptomundo:Patterson's Confession
2. Wikipedia
3. BFRO
4. Cryptomundo
5. Pattersonfilm.com
6. Bigfoot Encounters
7. Anomaly Magazine: Film Analysis
8. Animal Planet
9. Timeline of Key events of from Oct 20-31, 1967
10. Patterson/Gimlin Film Site on AKA Bigfoot Map


View AKA Bigfoot World Map in a larger map

Loren Coleman makes USA Today News

Its was only a couple of paragraphs long, it is quoted below.

Bigfoot, Nessie to star in Maine's new Cryptozoology Museum

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Bigfoot is coming to downtown Portland.
Loren Coleman says his International Cryptozoology Museum will open in a Congress Street storefront on Nov. 1.

As a cryptozoologist, Coleman studies creatures that have been reported to exist but aren't formally recognized by science.

Among the displays will be his 8-foot-tall, 400-pound Bigfoot sculpture, which now stands on the front porch of his home. He'll also have a model of the Loch Ness monster, along with what he says are a footprint cast and hair sample from the Abominable Snowman, found during a 1959 expedition in the Himalayas.

Coleman, who has written 17 books on cryptozoology, tells the Portland Press Herald the museum will be in the rear of a new bookstore that will specialize in supernatural fiction, horror fiction and weird fiction.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I'm looking forward to the museum, even if its in the other Portland. I offered to volunteer to illustrate a mural for the new museum, after all I am a paid published professional Illustrator, and avid Bigfooter, but never heard back from Mr. Coleman. I even shared a link to my illustration blog, I wish him well and you can always donate to his cause through paypal. His donation page is here

** NOTE! We have corrected the donation link above.

UPDATE: Orang Pendek

As promised we have an update on the Orang Pendek sighting.

you can read the article at the Sun
Loren Coleman has a great post on Cryptomundo.
Expedition leader Adam Davies has a journal
Some members of expedition are from the Center for Fortean Zoology (CFZ)

And Tonight Adam Davies will appear on the Mark Gary’s radio program tonight, October 1, 2009, from 9:00 PM to Midnight Eastern.




In a breaking news report from Cryptomundo, news of a Orang Pendek Sighting.

Orang Pendek (Indonesian for "short person") is the most common name given to a cryptid, or unconfirmed animal, that reportedly inhabits remote, mountainous forests on the island of Sumatra.

The animal has allegedly been seen and documented for at least one hundred years by forest tribes, local villagers, Dutch colonists, and Western scientists and travelers. Consensus among witnesses is that the animal is a ground-dwelling, bipedal primate that is covered in short fur and stands between 80 centimetres (31 in) and 150 centimetres (59 in) tall.

There seems to be quite a buzz in Sumatra right now. First a quote from Cryptomundo.

I’m on my way to Tyler…but I just received this…so I’ll post it quickly:

“Yeti sighted in Jungle !!!! Two team members have sighted the Yeti while we were in the jungle. I heard a large animal moving towards us. Subsequently the creature was then sighted by team member Dave Archer and Sahar Didmus, a forest ranger. I have a sworn affadavit from Sahar to that effect. It hid from us by a tree, before moving rapidly and bipedally through the jungle. Dave describes the OP [Orang Pendek] as looking almost chimpanzee-like. Sahar was so upset and disturbed he began sobbing, and I had to comfort him. We have taken hair samples found at the site, and bagged some rattan which it was eating. We will have these analysed by Todd Disotell. Numerous tracks also found……………!!!!!!!!” ~ Adam Davies (enroute out of Indonesia via Singapore)

And then the guys at Centre for Fortean Zoology started a trip to Sumatra and have some exciting news that will posted on their website tomorrow!

AN unknown species of Indonesian ape could shed light on how our human ancestors began to walk erect.

The orang-pendek of Sumatra is said to be a powerfully built ape that walks on two legs like a man. Both native people and western explorers, including two noted scientists, have reported the creature from the deep jungle.

This week four English scientists and explorers will brave the rainforest in search of the orang-pendek.

The team from the Woolsery-based Centre for Fortean Zoology, will spend two weeks in Sumatra working with the Kubu people, the island's original inhabitants, who will help them track the mysterious ape.

The expedition comes shortly after the announcement of the discovery of a fossil hominid in Georgia. The Dmansis hominids lived 1.8 million years ago and had legs like modern humans, but primitive arms. Their early occurrence has made scientists rethink how hominids moved out of Africa to colonise the rest of the world.

Richard Freeman, the team's zoologist, said: "It was once thought that our ancestors became bipedal when they descended from the trees and moved onto the grass lands of East Africa in order to exploit new food sources. However, now it seems that many apes and hominids were moving 'bipedally' while they were still rainforest dwellers.

"As well as being a major zoological discovery, the orang-pendek could give us some clues on how bipedalism developed."

The group's trip will be recorded on the Centre for Fortean Zoology's website at

www.cfz.org.uk