Finding Bigfoot - TV Series on Animal Planet

Hey guys. I've been watching the new series on Animal Planet, "Finding Bigfoot". To put it simply, Bigfoot and everything Bigfoot fascinates me. Like someone on the show said, you don't have to necessarily believe in Bigfoot to be fascinated by the idea of Bigfoot. I'd say that something exists out there. I just refuse to believe that all of these encounters are either liars, hoaxers, or instances of misidentification.

However, for the sake of this thread, I was just wondering what everyone thinks about the show so far? I really like when they do the thermal vision. My favorite part so far is on episode 3 where there's just a huge figure standing frozen in the middle of a field on the thermal.

What does bother me about these shows is that there's never anything absolutely definitive. I mean sure, the tracks and stuff are convincing. Even the howls and calls that you hear at night are awesome. But, why can't they get clear video evidence of this thing? I mean, they get thermal, noises, tracks, etc. It just seems like something is always up with these shows and there would be a more effective way to do it if they REALLY wanted to go after this thing. Just when I think they're a really promising lead, like the figure standing in the field, they leave that subject abruptly and completely and never bring it up again. I'm left thinking, are they distorting some of this "evidence"? I mean I really don't understand some of it. I know people make mistakes and that's very possible, but it's also a bit agitating. BoBo had a clear thermal image of something big off in the distance. It almost looked like it was peaking from behind a tree, then all of a sudden you hear a loud crash. He fell off the porch. Really???

I have to keep reminding myself that they (Animal Planet) are indeed doing exactly what they set out to do based on me as a viewer. While I have skeptical thoughts about the show, I'm watching it aren't I? And at the end of the day, that's the point of any TV show: viewers and money.

I know I've brought up a lot of information on Bigfoots in general, but for the sake of this thread, let's please keep the discussion on the actual show, Finding Bigfoot. Thanks guys and I look forward to hearing your opinions.

To be honest I didn't even know the show existed until now. But I will certainly keep an eye out for it. The idea of Bigfoot/Yeti fascinates me.

I've been watching the show since it came on. I think there may be a conspiracy with the BFRO. I spoke with an Investigator for them a few years back and he told me that the BFRO has evidence that they hold for the purposes not disturbing the scene of the sighting till they get there. I think there's more to it than that. I also suggested the Unattended camp tactic to them and just last year they started doing it.
The concept of the show isn't bad but they got the wrong people out there trying to track this thing. You give a team of Army Rangers thermal goggles on a Friday and tell them to go into a hotspot of bigfoot sightings and tell them not to comeback till they get a bigfoot. You'd have a bigfoot on your doorstep before the ball game on sunday. The fat guy angers me cause he messes up all the time when they're actually out hunting it at night. The girl is not to gung ho about going after it in the woods.
They need fit able bodied hunters and trackers who aren't scared to run thru brush at night to get this creature. Not a half butt scooby doo team.

it's light entertainment. Think of it as UFO Hunters in the woods.

Premise: TV crew hears about an area that's had sightings and/or stories about bigfoot-creatures over the past few decades. So what better way to investigate for some "REAL" evidence than to spend up to 6 hours outside in said-location with FLIR equipment and night-vision lenses.

The show is just like the ghost hunting shows. They suck the audience in with short clips that make it look like something incredible is found in every episode. You return from commercial to find out the moron "hunters" saw a squirrel on thermal and sharted themselves.

Shows like this are popular because they depict idiots with preconceived notions ignoring the scientific method to prove something they already believe hardcore.

When you have supposed researchers taking one look at a river and saying "there are definitely sasquatches in this area" you know they have the wrong people doing the investigating. No different than a paranormal investigator that blames demons for every noise or smell in a dark building. It makes a more rational person watch the show just to see how stupid the cast can be.

Originally posted by Decision

When you have supposed researchers taking one look at a river and saying "there are definitely sasquatches in this area" you know they have the wrong people doing the investigating. No different than a paranormal investigator that blames demons for every noise or smell in a dark building. It makes a more rational person watch the show just to see how stupid the cast can be.

Yeah, my daughter had it on the other day and she was yelling at the television. I asked her why and she explained that they had set up a camera to watch a tree stump where they had left a candy bar. Of course the camera battery died or whatever and the candy was gone and they had determined that it was obviously a bigfoot that took the candy. My first thought was raccoon, but what do I know?

I like watching the show, mostly for entertainment value. If they really did capture good evidence you would hear about it or read about it before the show was aired right? So, that being said, I enjoy trying to predict the cliff hangers, like I said entertainment. They make statements like, "that witness doesn't sound credible since the descriptions of how it walked and the path it took near the road are completely out of character for the BF." I mean, if they really had the thing figured out like that wouldn't we have found one? Alive or dead? There was a question posed to the viewers a while back, something like, "Why do big foot smell so bad?" -bad hygiene -defense mechanism -sulfer/methane gas. I mean, that insinuates that a factual study had been done on smelly BF's. Seconds before the commercials started up the team was freaking out because the glow sticks hanging from the rabbit cage were swaying. Viewers were set up to think maybe a BF was playing with the wabbit. Hello, a rabbit hanging in a cage is probably not going to be stationary for long. I agree with the other posters saying their methods are bunk, it would be a lot more interesting if there was a team of scientists or game and fish dudes from the area, preferably not going by monikers like BoBo.

Where I grew up Sasquatch was real (at least to the natives). I have seen very old totem poles depicting them. All the depiction’s of Sasquatch as relatively the same. Even as a kid I used to wonder how the Indians knew what a ape face would look like. No apes in B.C.
My grandfather claimed he saw one chase bears away from the water, he said it ran out from the woods throwing rocks and roaring at a bunch of black bears that were clamming at the shore. The bears be lined away.
He was a fisherman and claims to have seen this from his boat (but he was a drinker).
But I also personally new Clayton Mack, A hunting guide for 40 years. He liked to throw back a few with the old man but not a bull#ter (Read the book Grizzlies and white guys) but I was a kid. If you asked him if Sasquatch was real he would look at you as if you were a moron, he only claims to have seen a couple (as I remember) in his life time but he was told by his elders to leave it alone. Never kill it. (Bad karma)
I have never seen one, and can’t say I heard one but I do remember hearing what I thought was strange wolf sounds. From some of the Sasquatch sounds I have heard on the subject they kind of sound like the sounds I heard but still think there just wolfs. The average person doesn’t understand all the calls wolves have and when one pack gets going at night, they will be joined by others and the different kinds of sounds they make are amazing. Throw the occasional coyote in there and wow

Originally posted by MKultraVideos
The concept of the show isn't bad but they got the wrong people out there trying to track this thing. You give a team of Army Rangers thermal goggles on a Friday and tell them to go into a hotspot of bigfoot sightings and tell them not to comeback till they get a bigfoot. You'd have a bigfoot on your doorstep before the ball game on sunday.

Yeah, I might not know a lot about tracking, but driving a lot of SUVs with lights and noises blaring doesn't seem like the most effective way to find a Bigfoot. You need experienced trackers and hunters armed with sleep darts who can move around quicker and even more quietly than a Bigfoot. See if some local militia folks want to volunteer for some stealth assault practice.

I haven't seen the show yet and I am not sure if I will watch.

It has been interesting to read the blog posts over at Cryptomundo since the first episode aired. Not surprisingly it turns out that all is not what it seems with "shocking" revelations that some of the sounds and wood knocking have been added in the editing room:

Now, it is coming out, the program producers went far beyond the usual editing, and actually “recreated” events not recorded. Matt Moneymaker has just admitted to the inner circle at the BFRO that Animal Planet “inserted…simulations” for the wood knocks and the howl. The show has lost credibility in (re)creating evidence without labeling this “evidence” as not actual field recordings.

and well as some misdirection about the foot print found in Georgia.

about the show...

These guys are just the wrong guys....The leader of the group, whatever his name is, acts like a 14 year old boy...getting over excited and throwing tantrums. His methods are based on hearsay. I really don't enjoy the way he states things like, "Bigfoot dosn't eat this, he eats that", or "Bigfoot dosn't like berries, he likes fish"...He states these types of things very matter of factly, when there is no evidence to back up his claims.

Not only are his statements highly speculative, this way of thinking keeps you on the same road, and if it's the wrong road, he'll follow it anyway, because he wants to be viewed as an expert on the matter. Admitting he's wrong would tarnish his credibility.

The big guy is just a lumbering Joe. Bo Bo or whatever. He seems like a nice guy, and i'd hang out with him for sure (I love giant hippies), but his place tracking a Sasquatch is really unclear to me. I think on the first show they called him a 'professional animal caller'. I don't really see how his calling skills could be an asset to the team considering they don't know what they're calling or what language it speaks.

About the calling. My least favorite part of the show.

And the lady. You need a spot reserved for the skeptic in these sorts of shows, but just like the 'skeptics' holding place in other shows similar to this, she's more or less just there to be a b!tch. I feel like the skeptic should be objective, without being condescending. The term 'skeptic' has been taken for a ride, and is now used to describe the a$$hole.

That being said, i'm glued to the set. I havn't missed an episode yet, and for one reason only.

This group of Bad News Bears just may find Bigfoot.

While the show has VERY LITTLE SCIENCE involved, it won't take science to FIND Bigfoot. I will take science to study Bigfoot, but to find Bigfoot, all you have to do is follow his trail, which is what this group of bumbling pranksters seems to be doing.

reply to post by angrywhitechick


I've seen it and its good entertainment. Likely worth a watch and to be taken with a grain of salt and more as entertainment.

As you say, Cyrptomundo has been great at the blog posts about the show. One poster mentioned the episode where something was out in the open on the thermal. They talk about that in one of the blogs. According to Moneymaker when they couldn't tell what it was he'd said the, "What is that!!?!?" Then as he got closer and saw what it was he said, "Oh, its a horse." Guess what they edited out according to him.

I think everybody's pretty much summed up how I feel about the show. I found some of the questions they asked at the commercial breaks to the viewer to be hilarious. Like they know from a scientific study that Sasquatches make nests underneath crocodile nests....yes they did say that on the show like it was some sort of well known accepted fact in Bigfootology.

The three dudes on the show are always saying "yep, there's definitely squatches in these parts." The main guy gained a little respect from me when he knew one of the witnesses in an episode was making it up as he went. So at least he had that little bit of saving grace.

I think it's a good show to watch while I'm smoking down, but I'm not totally sold on its authenticity.

Whether or not squatchy exists is still up for debate but I do think he's out there. The show Monsterquest found evidence in my opinion and I fail to see how it can be debated as evidence. They had a sample of hairs from a nail that one allegedly stepped on before entering somebody's house and doing damage. When the hair was tested it was found to be belonging to an unknown species of primate living in the north Washington area. If that's not evidence then what is?

However, why has nobody recovered the corpse of one at some point? Or why has no one shot one when it was throwing rocks at them in self defense?

Something I wanted to ask everyone here though, if I were to go out to a Bigfoot hotspot with a highpowered tranquilizer gun, and I shot one of these guys down, would I be okay legally to do so. I know ethically it may be frowned upon, but if I were the discoverer of Bigfoot, I would become a legend...and I would take him to my local zoo.

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. Some really insightful stuff. Seems to me that most of you have the same opinions as I do. It's a bit sketchy to say the least, but entertaining. I'm really disappointed that Animal Planet forged some stuff. Now I'm going to be wondering what is actually happening, what is real that I'm hearing, etc. So that really sucks in my opinion. I'm going to have to check out this website y'all are talking about too. Sounds pretty cool.

reply to post by PronoEast


I watched one of them and it showed a deer kill with a fracture indicating the leg had been forcefully twisted and intentionally broken, rather than from an accident.
Personally, I don't care much if the show gives any definitive proof. I think it's great enough that it's bringing Bigfoots to the attention of more people who may have otherwise never thought much of them.

I've been watching and I totally don't trust this show. It seems like in every episode the capture what either HAS to be a person or a bigfoot walking through the woods on the thermal camera, but they never seem to make any attempt to track it (and the one time the main guy ran after it they started bickering and fighting with each other). They seem to ALWAYS find evidence, which just doesn't seem possible.

As others have said, I also hate how the main guy (And the bigfoot trivia questions during the break) speaks as if he absolutely knows everything there is to know about bigfoot. He also claimed to have been the one who discovered that bigfoots do wood knocking to communicate. He instantly proclaims that "it had to have been a sasquatch" every time he hears a story or sees a photo/grainy video without even considering that it could have been something else or a flat out hoax. Plus the way he describes every wooded place he enters as being "squatchy" really grates on my nerves. I think Mr. Moneymaker is living up to his name on this one.

I mean really, they want to prove the existence of bigfoot so badly, right? Then why is it that when they go to a place that seems to be a sasquatch hotspot (which is in every episode), they don't stay? They're in an area with credible sitings, video evidence, footprints, and they see what can only be a sasquatch (or a person from the production crew ) on their thermal cam, why don't they camp out there? Set up trap cams and a base camp like Monster Quest and Destination Truth does, and stay a few days/nights to further investigate? Seems like they would want to stay where the best evidence is to have the best chance of ...capturing one on thermal imaging? I guess that's their plan anyway, since that's all they ever seem to do.

Originally posted by Michelangelo
However, why has nobody recovered the corpse of one at some point? Or why has no one shot one when it was throwing rocks at them in self defense?

Have you spent much time outdoors?

Finding dead common animals is rare. So finding a dead BF? Not likely.

There is way more space, with no people, than space with people. Therefore, you won't find sasquatch unless they allow it. Humans have the disadvantages of:

1: No radar in their heads, like sasquatch has.
2: No nimbleness and stealth of feet, like sasquatch has.
3: No ability to live in a state of flight, with just the fur on your back, like sasquatch has.

So in a way, sasquatch is like deep space. The woods or the snow covered peaks may as well be outer space for feeble human bodies. But sasquatch lives in both worlds (and space as well) as if it is their natural home. Going to the woods to find sasquatch is like flying to 50,000 feet to find ET: Even if you glimpse him, he stands with his back to a world you can never survive in without his help.

There was a time, long ago in a galaxy far away, where a walking carpet sasquatch and a human formed a great alliance. These two species, in the form of these two beings, sasqoid and humanoid, via their ship the thousand-year falcon, destroyed two death stars. But sadly, those days are long gone, and in a galaxy far away. Barely remembered by these generations of both sasquatch and human here on Earth.

Yes for truly it is the canine who is the emissary of sasquatch, yet any animal can become human-oid if the right trick of DNA is applied. 75,000 years ago, chimps got lucky, and canines did not. But somewhere else, canines get lucky (walk upright, get uber-smart, etc) and chimps are left in the trees, munching fruit. So surely the galaxies contain different mixes of consciousnesses and upright-walking species and diversions of humanoids as well?

A final question for you who seek the truth of the mysteries: When Chewbacca and Kermit appear in the same frame (as when Chewbacca visited the Muppet Show), and then decades later you see Frank Oz do his best kermit impression as yes, a Rainbow Connection cousin named "Yoda" (home is in the swamp, all by himself, is the true light-leader, etc), are you paying attention to what is being explained?

Because you see, before Yoda ever existed, there was Kermit. And before Ernie, there was Kermit. Puppetry is the true window into the soul of the Jedi and that is why the master of the Jedi is like ET in that he is small, green and appears fragile. Yet their ally in all cases, is a big faithful friend. Call him snufalupagus if you like. Peer deeply into these matters and discuss them with your neighbors, for we are puppets discussing puppets and how they relate to mysteries.

And before sasquatch-brother Chewbacca appeared, there was Lassie, and Rin Tin Tin, and also, Tonto the Indian. Not that Indians are likened to dogs, per se, but more that the Indian displays the ultimate spiritual state, and then approaches that of Anubis, who is at once, faithful companion, and also as the Native American "trickster", the coyote is surely the most prime example of this spirit called "Sasquatch". Consider also that Han Solo is not unlike the Lone Ranger, with Silver, as an analogue for the millennium falcon. Haha, if the Lone Ranger had set out to find sasquatch, would Tonto lead him in the right direction? I'd say no.

Oh and "Bigfoot" is the named trademark of a monster truck, a great Ford truck with giant tires. I believe it can still be sighted, in fact, but now wear a Chevy body. Haha, take that you Ford lovers. Chevrolet all the way, haha Bigfoot is a Chevy now!! WINNING!!!

en.wikipedia.org...

In July 2010, it was announced GM would provide sponsorship to Bigfoot and that the vehicle would now be a Chevrolet Silverado.[1][2] This was only for the MLB All Star Game as a display vehicle. Bigfoot will continue to wear a Ford body during competition.

So hey if you see a Bigfoot sighting, be sure to know your trucks because the Silverado is not an F series and even Sasquatch knows that much!

Let me give you my opinion on where the problem lies regarding searching for Bigfoot. Well, one of the problems. All you are usually going to get are "fans" of Bigfoot as opposed to actual professional academics, because a scientist who doesn't believe in Bigfoot is not going to go out looking for it. So it will be up to those who make false assumptions to do the initial finding of the creature, with the exception of some researchers like Jeff Meldrum, but people like that are in such high demand that they don't have the time to go out hunting in the woods. Again, that's just one of the minor problems with finding Bigfoot.

As for the show, I have seen it a couple of times. I agree completely on the part where Bobo falls off the porch. It was the first show of the series I had seen, and I am watching without having formed an opinion...when he fell off the porch while getting that thermal hit, I immediately thought "FAKE!" I mean how often do people fall off porches? Granted it was pitch black, but I still doubt the authenticity of it.

I have come up with some pretty good ideas for finding Bigfoot that I have never seen anyone use. Here is what I would do, granted I had the resources. I would take around (roughly) 30-50 people and mark out a search area somewhere on the map. 2-3 people per group. Everyone would leave, on foot, so that they can arrive at their site in the afternoon. They will have to use deer blinds, as the animal may be able to see in the dark. They will also have to have at least one thermal camera per team, as well as night vision cameras, since the creature could be seen at any time of day.

They should make as little noise as possible going in, and after arrival. They will have to mask their scents like hunters do as well, as I am sure the animal can smell them. If you could logistically put together a dedicated and disciplined search team of that size, with the correct equipment, spread out tactically over a large area, you should have no problem with someone seeing a Bigfoot...If they stay there for 2-3 days, which is realistic, in their deer blinds, taking turns going to sleep and not making any noise...They will probably come out with evidence.

If I had the funding I would put together a group like this, because the chance of success, if done in an area with many recent and past reports, especially if they go deeper into the woods, is extremely high. I would think that the more people you can get to follow directions and stay quiet in the woods for days, the better the success rate.

I just wonder if deer blinds and scent masking will be enough. Of course if the creature sees you it won't come closer, and the same goes for if it smells you. I would think it would have to close in relatively tightly to differentiate a decent deer blind from the backdrop of the forest, but no one really knows. Can you guys guess whether I believe in Bigfoot or not?