Michigan Weekly Offers Bigfooting Advice

MetroTimes suggests looking for tree structures 

"Far and away, Oscoda County has the most bigfoot sightings on record in Michigan." --Alysa Offman, MetroTimes

Metro Times is a weekly alternative news source for the Detroit Area. On June 17th 2014, contributing author, Alysa Offman, offers some great advice for the aspiring bigfooter. To some sage bigfoot field researchers, there may be a few essentials missing, but overall it is a great introduction to getting your feet wet. read an excerpt below followed by a link to the original article.

With dense forested areas, swamps, vast farmlands, and access to plenty of fresh water, Michigan seems an ideal and idyllic setting for a bigfoot. He and his ilk have been seen as far north as the Upper Peninsula and as far south as Monroe County, with new occurrences happening regularly.

Far and away, Oscoda County has the most bigfoot sightings on record in Michigan. Starting in 1976 when a child saw a “6 to 7 foot bigfoot near the Mio Dam” while walking home from school, the bigfoot sightings have since increased, with most occurring near Mio. Jackson County comes in at a close second, with incidents occurring in a concentrated block from 2000 to 2005. Washtenaw County isn’t far behind Jackson’s count; sightings have been happening regularly since 1957.

There’s some debate as to whether or not bigfoot are dangerous. While some researchers paint the creature as a bloodthirsty being that seeks the flesh of women and children; others have reported that sasquatch are generally kind creatures who’ve shown as much curiosity toward humans as we have toward them. 

At one point Alyssa offers a list of what to pack for a bigfoot hunt expedition:

• Flashlight
• Camera
• Binoculars
• Walking stick (generally helps for poking structures or specimens that you may not want to handle directly)
• Plastic bags (if you wish to collect specimens)
• Long sleeves and pants
• Hiking boots

We would like to see some plaster added to the list. If you have anything to add please leave your suggestions in the comments below.

Read the what else Alysssa suggests when Bigfooting in Michigan.

Read other news for Bigfoot in Michigan

NPR, HuffPost cover 'Finding Bigfoot' in Michigan Town Hall

Town hall meeting for the Finding Bigfoot's season one finale
(Left to right: Matt Moneymaker, Cliff Barackman, Renae Holland, James "Bobo" fay)

The following three articles are updates for Michigan Town Hall meetings conducted by the crew at Finding Bigfoot. To catch up to the news before the town hall click the following link to read our entire Michigan Bigfoot news coverage (this includes the Bigfoot that favors blueberry bagels).

In chronological order we will repost the three articles that address the town hall meeting held in the Houghton Lake area. The town hall meetings have become a staple of the television series, it is set up as an opportunity to find encounters to investigate. Although sometimes they find new encounters, it may be interesting to know, some of the investigations are already pre-picked and planted in the town hall. Its TV, you don't complain when the dish is pre-cooked in the oven during a cooking show. 

FIRST: DETROIT NEWS

Bigfoot show seeks close encounter of a hairy kind

By Tom Greenwood

Bigfoot in the Big Mitten?

Producers from the Animal Planet TV program "Finding Bigfoot" have been filming in the Houghton Lake area this week, looking for signs of Sasquatch.

Phil Shaw, a member of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, said there have been more than 130 Bigfoot sightings in almost every county in Michigan, and they got some leads at a town hall meeting April 5 at the Houghton Lake Playhouse.

"I'd say there were at least 350 people at the meeting," said Shaw, 69. "Many people had stories that they shared: My favorite was from a lady who lives south of Houghton Lake that actually had been able to record 'whoop howls' from a Bigfoot.

"They only howl on a limited basis, so that was very rare and impressive."

Bigfoot is a general description of a huge, hairy, ape-like — and what most believe to be mythical — creature usually covered in dark brown or reddish hair.

They are usually described as having a huge brow ridge, a gorilla-like face, a jaw-dropping aroma and reportedly have left footprints as large as 24 inches long and 8 inches wide.

According to Shaw, the average male Bigfoot is 8 feet tall and weights 800 pounds; females are 6 feet tall and a petite 600 pounds.

Many scientists have largely dismissed the idea of an ape-like hominid living in the backwoods of America.

Tim Barnum, news editor for the Ogemaw County Herald, says there are many reports of the big guy in the area, but often people keep the sightings to themselves rather than face potential ridicule.

"I've heard stories, but personally I've never seen one," Barnum said. "Then again, I'm not much of an outdoorsman."

For many Americans who want to believe in Bigfoot, the truth is out there.

"People might think it's crazy to believe in Bigfoot, but there have been sightings like this for years in every culture all over the world," Shaw said.

The episode featuring the search near Houghton Lake will run sometime this summer, Shaw said.

tgreenwood@detnews.com

(313) 222-2023

From The Detroit News: 

SECOND: THE HUFFINGTON POST

'Finding Bigfoot' Takes Search To Houghton Lake, Mich.

The Huffington Post  |  By David Sands 

Posted: 04/12/2012 3:37 pm Updated: 04/12/2012 4:15 pm

The stars of a popular cable show are combing the woods around Houghton Lake, Mich., for signs of the the giant bipedal ape-man known as Bigfoot. Animal Planet's show "Finding Bigfoot" is filming in the area and drew 350 people to an April 5 town meeting held to gather clues about the whereabouts of the elusive cryptid, according to the Detroit News.

Phil Shaw, a member of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization told the News that some of those who showed up for the meeting shared stories of personal encounters.

"My favorite was from a lady who lives south of Houghton Lake that actually had been able to record 'whoop howls' from a bigfoot," he said. "They only howl on a limited basis, so that was very rare and impressive."

Shaw's organization has records of around 140 Michigan Bigfoot sightings since 1910 -- including a November 2011 report by a hunter who heard "resonant vocalizations and bipedal movement" while camping in Roscommon County.

"Michigan has been a hotspot for sightings since the 1960s, especially areas like Sister Lake and Monroe, where there were reports of very aggressive creatures and people being attacked," said Loren Coleman of the International Cryptozoological Museum in Portland, Maine.

Coleman said the high number of sightings makes sense because of Michigan's extensive wilderness.

"It's in the boreal forest, the heavily tree-covered area that goes from the Pacific Northwest across the U.S.-Canada border to Maine, but it has more sightings than other places because there are more people," he said. "You need people to see Bigfoot and Michigan has a higher population than, say, the Dakotas."

The Houghton Lake episode of "Finding Bigfoot" will air on Animal Planet this summer.

David Moye contributed to this report.

From: HuffPost

THIRD: NPR

Searching for Bigfoot in the mitten state

by MICHIGAN RADIO NEWSROOM

April 12, 2012

In terms of hotspots for giant, bipedal ape-men, Michigan might not come to mind, especially compared to states in the Pacific Northwest. But the mitten state is not without its share of alleged Bigfoot sightings.

According to the Detroit News, some high-profile Bigfoot hunters are paying visit to Michigan with camera crew in tow, hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive cryptid.

From the News:

Producers from the Animal Planet TV program "Finding Bigfoot" have been filming in the Houghton Lake area this week, looking for signs of Sasquatch.

Phil Shaw, a member of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, said there have been more than 130 Bigfoot sightings in almost every county in Michigan.

The episode including the Michigan investigation is set to air sometime this summer, the Detroit News reports.

-John Klein Wilson, Michigan Radio Newsroom

From NPR.org

Michigan Tracker Says, "No," to Finding Bigfoot

Jan. W. Morse with bear offers guide services in Northern Michigan
through his website deadstreamwildlifestudios.com

"I guess they were looking for a Dinty Moore type woodsman that could explain tracking techniques to the regulars of the show. " -- Jan W. Morse

Jan. W. Morse, a wilderness guide and taxidermist was born in Ogemaw County, Michigan, he is the descendant of a young French Canadian logger who came to Roscommon County in the late 1880’s to work in the legendary pineries of the Northern Lower Peninsula.

On the online forum TrapperMan.com, Mr. Morse mention he brief encounter with the producers of Finding Bigfoot. 

Last friday I got a call from one of the production assistants for the Animal Planet show "Finding Bigfoot". It seems they were in the market for a "tracker" in one segment of the show being filmed locally. Our regional DNR biologist had given them my name. I guess they were looking for a Dinty Moore type woodsman that could explain tracking techniques to the regulars of the show. Oh, and they would be mostly on horseback! I told the guy I was more along the lines of a homely fat guy that hadn't sit on a horse in maybe 40 years, not to mention the fact that I'm very camera shy. I declined the job.(payed $200.00 for the afternoon too!) I guess when my 15 minutes of fame come along, I don't want it to be because I was on some goofy show looking for a Squatch! I set them up with a friend of mine that does a little bear guiding. They interviewed him, but turned him down. I don't know who did the tracking for them. My bear guide friend, like me, looks as though he just stepped off the set of the movie "Deliverance" and would have been perfect for the part. The Animal Planet guy laughed when I told him that, then said if my friend looked like Ned Beatty(sp?) that it probably wouldn't work out. I explained to the guy that it was me, with my girth, that would resemble Ned, and that my buddy actually looked like the OTHER guys! Oh well, I guess fame will pass me by once again.

Cliff Barackman's Official Facebook page, North American Bigfoot mentions a master tracker, wonder which tracker they went with instead?

Screen Shot of Cliff's Official North American Bigfoot Facebook Page

Michigan News: Finding Bigfoot Misses an Opportunity and Interviews Michigan BFRO Member

Phil Shaw shows his map of Michigan with Pushpins
marking each of the BFRO Bigfoot sighting reports

"I've been to six BF conferences, read 40 books on the subject and experienced 25 incidences that I think involved Bigfoot," -- Phil Shaw, BFRO member 

Three Michigan news sites react to the visit from the TV crew of Finding Bigfoot. At MLive.com they mention a missed opportunity from a habituation witness in the Isabella County area. Then at the Detroit News and Ogemaw County Herald,  BFRO member Phil Shaw is interviewed. Shaw is a pilot has recently retired  from the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Read them both below. First, the habituation witness in Isabella County...

Is Bigfoot real? Isabella County resident says Sasquatch haunts her home

Published: Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 3:10 PM     Updated: Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 3:33 PM
By Lindsay Knake

ISABELLA COUNTY, MI — Near the village of Edmore, southwest of Mount Pleasant, a huge creature haunts homes and people, says one resident.

After learning Animal Planet’s “Finding Bigfoot” crew came to Gladwin, Houghton Lake and West Branch this week to seek out the mysterious, hairy ape, Tammy Forrester asked why the film crews aren’t coming to her neighborhood.

“There is something in these woods,” she said. “There’s a lot of things that go on around here with this thing.”

She said her family and neighbors have seen Bigfoot for about 15 years. Forrester saw it crouched down in her yard a few years ago.

“It came up and knocked a fan out of our bedroom window. Seriously,” she said. “It was a whole lot bigger than me.”

The creature, she said, makes bizarre noises that make the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It also has a musty, moldy smell. That’s how people know he’s around, she said.
When that happens, Forrester said, she heads indoors.

Dogs are scared of it, she said, including the family beagle, who would hide when he heard it.
“People out here don’t walk these roads after dark,” she said.
SRC: MLive.com

Now for BFRO member Phil Shaw...

Bigfoot chasers film TV episode in Houghton Lake area

By Tom Greenwood

Call it "Close Encounters of the Hairy Kind."

This week, producers from the Animal Planet TV program "Finding Bigfoot" have been filming in the Houghton Lake area, looking for Bigfoot in the Big Mitten.

Before taking to the woods, the Hollywoodians held a town hall meeting April 5 at the Houghton Lake Playhouse, looking for leads and thirsting for local stories about the much discussed, seldom seen Sasquatch.

"I'd say there were at least 350 people at the meeting," said "Bigfooter" Phil Shaw, a member of the Bigfoot Field Research Organization.

"Many people had stories that they shared: My favorite was from a lady who lives south of Houghton Lake that actually had been able to record 'whoop howls' from a Bigfoot.
"They only howl on a limited basis, so that was very rare and impressive."

(Bigfoot is a general description of a huge, hairy, ape-like and what most believe to be mythical creature usually covered in dark brown or reddish hair.

(BFs are usually described as having a huge brow ridge, a gorilla-like face, a jaw-dropping aroma and reportedly have left footprints as large as 24 inches long and 8 inches wide. According to Shaw's readings, the average male Bigfoot is 8 feet tall and weights 800 pounds, 6 feet tall and a petite 600 pounds for the female.

(They are also supposed to be omnivores, nocturnal and non-confrontational.)

Scientists, biologists, zoologists and anthropologists have largely dismissed the idea of an ape-like hominid living in the backwoods of America.

Shaw said he and his wife encountered a Bigfoot a few years ago while vacationing in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia.

"There was an opening in the trees, and we saw a guy walking, and he didn't have any clothes on. We both agreed it was a Bigfoot," said Shaw, 69.

At that point Shaw — a pilot and recently retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture — became a Bigfoot aficionado.

"I've been to six BF conferences, read 40 books on the subject and experienced 25 incidences that I think involved Bigfoot," said Shaw, who is also an avid hunter.

The incidents included sightings, vocalizations and strange stick formations found in the woods.
"They weren't deer hunting blinds or kid's tepees," Shaw said. "What human would build something like that?"

According to the BFRO, people have reported more than 130 Bigfoot sightings in almost every county in Michigan, but none in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Monroe.

And for some reason Bigfoot really likes to hang out in Ogemaw County, which has recorded six sightings of the big guy.

Tim Barnum, news editor for the Ogemaw County Herald, says there are many reports, but many keep them to themselves rather than face potential ridicule.

"I've heard stories, but personally I've never seen one," Barnum said. "Then again, I'm not much of an outdoorsman."

For many Americans who want to believe in Bigfoot, the truth is out there.

"People might think it's crazy to believe in Bigfoot, but there have been sightings like this for years in every culture all over the world," Shaw said. "Also, we're finding more plants and animals today than we did back in the 1700s. And besides, it's a great retirement hobby."

From: The Detroit News: 

Extra Bonus! More Phil Shaw news reported by Ogemaw County Herald:

Local resident researching Bigfoot phenomena

By Elon Brissette
Staff Writer | reporter@ogemawherald.com

WEST BRANCH — Out of 107 investigated Bigfoot sightings in Michigan, three of them have been in Ogemaw County.

According to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Association Web site, a number of years ago Bigfoot was seen north of Rose City on state land. More recently, the creature was spotted near the south edge of the Rifle River Recreation Area in November 2003, and in Lupton near Rose City Road in September 2007.

Phil Shaw of West Branch, who enjoys researching Bigfoot, said it is possible to see Bigfoot in the area because of the terrain, but that it’s not an everyday occurrence.

“You have to remember, this creature isn’t easy to be seen,” Shaw said. “It’s very happenstance, very nocturnal, very shy.”

According to bfro.net, each reported sighting is investigated, and if it is deemed as not a hoax, it will be included in the listing of sightings. The Web site also explains that sightings will not be published if the reporter wishes. So, while only three sightings in Ogemaw County have been reported on the site, it is possible there have been more.

Shaw and his wife, Carol, believe they saw Bigfoot in 2006 while on vacation outside of Michigan. On a four-lane highway in New Brunswick, the Shaws caught a glimpse of something walking across an opening in the trees.

“We both agreed that was not a man,” Phil Shaw said. “No blue jeans, no plaid shirt, no T-shirt, no hat, no white face, and she (Carol) says he had a funny gait.

“So, it was a little iffy. I wouldn’t call it a Class A (sighting) myself, but what we saw we didn’t think was a human.”

Before that incident, Shaw said he was like most people and had read some articles about Bigfoot, but never really took that much of an interest in the creature. But because he and Carol thought they saw one, and he found BFRO, which is an organization trying to do research on the animal, he is more captivated by the phenomena than before. And he’s not ashamed to talk about his belief.

“If you believe the anthropologists that have studied this, there’s lots of history,” Shaw said.

“Lots of proof actually of sightings, footprint casts, handprints, footprints, hair analysis.”

“If people are interested (I’ll talk),” he continued. “I’m not ashamed about it. I’m retired, so I can keep my job.”

While Shaw said he is intrigued by the whole concept of Bigfoot sharing the swamps and woods with humans, he also enjoys going on expeditions in different areas with BFRO.

“Even if I didn’t see a thing, just going camping in the mountains of Pennsylvania would be fun, and it’s low cost,” he said.

He has already gone on two expeditions — one in the Upper Peninsula in 2007, and one in North Carolina this past spring — and hopes to go to more, including one in October in Pennsylvania. Shaw said maybe half of the people on the expeditions have had some sort of encounter with Bigfoot, while the rest are just interested in the phenomena.

However, Shaw said, because there are so many people congregated in one area on the expeditions, it decreases your odds of sightings.

“It takes a lot to connect with these animals,” he said. “If you’ve got a pretty remote area, they’re less likely to be intimidated or reclusive. If there’s not a lot of people, they could be very curious.”

And Shaw said he wants people to be aware that this is not just a Pacific Northwest phenomenon; there is potential to have Bigfoot sightings in this area. He explained that Bigfoot’s physiology shows it needs a lot of water, and its presence could go untraced in flooded areas. Therefore, because Michigan has a lot of swampland, and most people don’t venture into those areas, Bigfoot may like that.

“That’s where the cover is. That’s where the food is,” Shaw said. “Northern Michigan and the U.P. have tremendous habitat for this kind of creature, and they don’t really leave too much sign behind, whether it be a B.M. or footprints, you don’t see them in swamps.”

Shaw said that while Bigfoot can vary a lot in size, with adult females being 200-300 pounds less than the average 8-foot, 800-pound adult male, some could be mistaken for a grizzly bear. However, because of Bigfoot’s height, it has a longer stride than bears walking on their hind legs.

“Size-wise it could be close to a grizzly, but even grizzlies, if they walk on their hind feet, they have short legs and maybe walk a few feet,” Shaw said. “Whereas this animal is most of the time on two legs and they can move.”

With limited photography of Bigfoot in comparison to the number of sightings, Shaw said that is because most people don’t carry cameras with them into the woods.

“Even if you had a camera and you only have 10 seconds, 15 seconds, a minute maybe to see this animal, if you don’t have a camera cocked and ready, your odds are pretty remote,” he said.

He also said that because of digital technology, even if you were to capture Bigfoot in a picture, people would believe it was a fake SRC: Ogemaw County Herald.

'Finding Bigfoot' goes to Mid-Michigan for Sasquatch Employing Horses and Helicopters

The Finding Bigfootteam hits mid Michigan
(left to right: Cliff Barackman, Renae Holland, James "Bobo" Fay, Matt Moneymaker)

"My day: Rode horses, got chased by a helicopter, learned from a master tracker, did a 'map scene,' talked to a camera..." -- Cliff Barackman

Mid-Michigans News Channel WNEM - TV5 has confirmed what Cliff Barackman's Official Facebook page has already told us. Michigan Episiode = Bigfooting on horseback. Too cool.

Screen Shot of Cliff's Official North American Bigfoot Facebook Page

Read the WNEM-TV5 article below.

‘Finding Bigfoot' series hits Mid-Michigan for Sasquatch

Posted: Apr 10, 2012 6:52 AM PDT

Updated: Apr 10, 2012 9:39 AM PDT

By Brandon Allendorfer, Internet Managing Editor - email

GLADWIN COUNTY, MI (WNEM) -

Animal Planet's "Finding Bigfoot" investigators are in Mid-Michigan to investigate alleged Bigfoot sightings in Gladwin State Forest Area, and areas around Houghton Lake and West Branch.

The filming is part of Animal Plant's third season of the series.

Many remain skeptical that Sasquatch really exists, but regardless, the series remains one of Animal Planet's most popular shows.

"Finding Bigfoot" follows the adventures of four individuals who have devoted much of their lives in pursuit of conclusive evidence that Bigfoot exists.

Published reports say the cast members will ride horseback as they travel through the area to investigate claims of Bigfoot sightings. A camera mounted beneath the nose of a helicopter will also follow the crew on their Mid-Michigan excursions.

For the past two years, a Bigfoot festival has been held in Comins by the Michigan Magazine Museum.

The event, which features Bigfoot researchers, as well as activities like a Bigfoot look-a-like contest and a Bigfoot calling, is attended by both believers and non-believers of the hairy giant legend.

Organizers said the festival is being held in Comins because it's the "Bigfoot Capital" of Michigan, where there have been 35 document sightings.

"Finding Bigfoot" airs on Animal Planet on Sundays at 10 p.m.

SRC: WNEM-TV5

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

Bigfoot Bash coming to Michigan Magazine Museum July 23

Legend and reality will meet on Friday, July 23 at the first Bigfoot Bash at the Michigan Magazine Museum, 3309 North Abbe Road, in Comins.

The three-day bash will provide a serious study of Bigfoot in Michigan with dashes of fun and live entertainment. Comins is the "heart of Bigfoot country," with 35 documented sightings, said event organizers.

Several guest speakers are scheduled to appear during the weekend festivities to share stories of their own Bigfoot sightings.

Phil Shaw will lead the stream of guest speakers at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 24, with a presentation on the historical and amusing side of Bigfoot. Shaw graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor's degree in science.

At 1 p.m., architect Sanjay Singhal will share his childhood stories of seeing Bigfoot in South Dakota. Singhal graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor's degree in architecture. He also has a Master's degree from the University of Notre Dame.

The event will also include presentations that featuring unpublished sighting reports and rare audio recordings.

For more event information, call (989) 826-3169.

GUEST SPEAKER LINKS
Our Strange World mention Phil Shaw
Sanjay Singhal's Blog

RELATED LINKS
Michigan Blast Announcement
Correlation of Michigan orchards and Bigfoot
Cryptomundo: Michigan BF on the move?