Who Do You Call?

(This article was written Dec. 2008 for Douglas County News.)

Who Do You Call?

Okay, so you think you have seen a Bigfoot/Sasquatch. And as most people who "think" they have seen the animal, you decide to keep it to yourself and simply enjoy watching him through binoculars. You own twenty wooded acres, there's room for the beast and you, but week after week he ventures closer to your yard and family. The dogs have even gone after him and stayed away too long for your comfort.

The animal certainly looks like a Bigfoot, and you think you might have whiffed the skunk smell of him. So, you decided you want to tell someone. If your object is to have the animal removed from your property, you should call Animal Control.

Okay, so this same animal that you've been observing for months now through the binoculars wakes you in the middle of the night, pummeling your guard dog. He's in the yard. The dog whines and shrieks as the animal throws him into a thicket of blackberry bushes.

It is time to call 911. What if he's at the door trying to break in, now what? If the animal were a bear or cougar you have the right to kill the animal and the same is true of Bigfoot/Sasquatch. But oh, be careful, you just never know when a prank is being pulled.

I spoke to an Animal Control officer before writing this column. I wanted to find out if he had been called on a sighting. And yes he had. It was about twelve years ago.

A family cutting firewood called with a sighting and the officer went to investigate. Turns out, the animals were huge Bouvier dogs. The two of them had stood up, paws on a big log, watching the wood cutters. The officer located the animals out roaming around in the area they were reported to be in. He asked the owners to keep them closer to home.

What would I do if I saw a Bigfoot? Since I live in town, a sighting that I'm likely to have would be happenstance, but I'd try to remain calm and get a good clear photo of it. And then I'd go on line and email the "experts." I, for one, would love to be the person proving the animal exists. But I doubt that it will happen. I'd be happy to just get a glimpse of it.

You'll Probably be Caught off Guard!

(This article will appear in the North County News, Sutherlin, Oregon, week of Dec. 14.)

So many of the reported sightings of Bigfoot have occurred when least expected.

And by the time, that one settled himself, settled his nerves, the animal was gone. Many of these people don't even believe in Bigfoot.

So, when they're hiking or driving through areas where the animal has been sighted, they aren't prepared i.e. camera near.

But, one day it's going to happen: The passengeer will be chatting on the phone, Bigfoot pauses, waiting to dart across the road as soon as the car passes. The phone user snaps the picture across the driver's arms and steering wheel, the animal's head fills the driver's side window. And this photo will go on to be the same as the Patterson-Gimlin film, never to be proved a hoax. And of course, now there are two more believers, the driver and passenger.

Last week, I mentioned the San Antonio, Texas sighting. A Bigfoot investigator visited the area and did find what he believed to be a Bigfoot footprint. And listen to this, you can go to http://blogsquatcher:blogspot.com/ and listen to the whole conversation of the police dispatcher taking the woman's call who saw the animal.

Don Campbell, one of the guest Editor-Blogger on my blog, Bigfoot Ballyhoo, reminded me of the million dollar prize the Bushnell Trail Cam Company was offering for anyone that snapped a creditable picture of Bigfoot on their equipment. I just forgot about it. Certainly, if someone had won the million we would have heard about it on CNN. (I wrote about the contest June 9, in this column for Douglas County News.)

In surfing the many websites about Bigfoot/Sasquatch, I came across another million dollar contest. It takes place in Colorado, summer 2010. The entry fee is $250. and you have a set amount of time to snap a good clear photo of the animal. Go to http://www.hunt4bigfoot.com/ for all the information. The contest is open to a set number and that is almost filled, so if your're going to be in Colorado this next summer, and hunting down Bigfoot with a camera sounds exciting to you, then sign up. If you join the fun, we here at Bigfoot Ballyhoo will expect some reports from you.

Linda Newton-Perry's blog address is http://bigfootballyhoo.blogspot.com/. Linda Newton-Perry along with her husband, Christopher Perry, is the author of four books: Forced Blood The Norseman (a Viking AGe novel), Lock Your Doors Country Folk, Eye of the Beast, and The Little Red Car and Bigfoot (children's Bigfoot books). Order copies from the website http://www.christopherperryandlindanewtonperry.com/.

"...you will be FAMOUS alright."

The following by Dale Saxton

Well, Anon, there's a lot of people that think what you're thinking, But I'm not one of them. In the first place, I know there is plenty of evidence now to conclude that Sasquatch is real. I'll try to explain it to you.

We have a film (Patterson's) that scientists have not been able to knock a hole in after 45 years.

We have footprints some were hoaxes, but a great number of them have been classified as unknown. One of the best in the country has looked at them (James Chilcutt) and concluded they are not fake. The late Grover Kranz had over 700 prints that he concluded were "too good to be fakes."

Also, you've got thousands of people that claim to have seen them. Is this mass hysteria?

We know from fossil records that a race of giant-like apes lived thousands of years ago. Where is the evidence that they are completely extinct?

One thing I do agree with you on, if you bring one down, as you say, you'll be FAMOUS alright.