Who Will Be the Next Generation's Star Bigfoot Hunters?


Editor’s Note: This is a post by Bigfoot Evidence contributor Vicki W.

If you're wondering where the next generation of serious Bigfoot researchers will come from, meet a group of college students from Penn State University eager to take up the cause. The young students have formed their own club calling themselves the "Searchers of Sasquatch".

Whether you like the influence of the reality TV show Finding Bigfoot or not, the show is the inspiration for the groups creators Mark Kasting, designated head squatchman, along with friends Jack Bagby and Bruce Etter. Bagby deals with the ethical aspects of the research and takes on the skeptics, while Etter is assigned as the social director of sorts, charged with maintaining a strong group dynamic with members during field outings.

The group isn't an official Penn State club as of yet and is still working on finding a place large enough to hold regular meetings for its 140 members. They are governed by a set of pillars which will be contained in the group's Book of Squatch. Here are some ideas the book will contain:

"Some of the pillars include rules like “Everyone can squatch,” “No area is unsquatchable” and “Squatching is fun.” However, there are also very serious pillars, like the killing of Sasquatch, which is one of the most “unsquatchman-like” things a person can do.

Kasting also said another pillar is the idea that searching for Sasquatch becomes instinctive. The instinct to search for Sasquatch is usually triggered by “squatchy” territory. Kasting said a squatcher will feel in tune with nature and know when he or she enters squatchy territory.

One of the final pillars states, “Squatching is forever.” Etter wondered aloud when the hunt for Bigfoot would ever end, since the search for Bigfoot has gone on so long already.

But Kasting said that the hunt for Sasquatch will never end, even if someone were to find Sasquatch or one of his many offspring.

“We have to learn what they have to teach,” Kasting said, in regards to Sasquatch. “They know how to live what appears to be happy lives."
Etter echoed these sentiments, saying that squatching is more than an attempt to find Bigfoot — it’s a lesson learned.

“Squatching teaches persistence in the face of adversity,” Etter said. “It’s sticking with what you believe.”

The group have gathered a lot of ideas and tips for successful field research, many that come from watching the show and reading about what their predecessors have learned. "One of the first things to remember", Etter said, "is to be respectful. You’re a guest,” Etter said referring to sasquatch territory. “You’re walking in their home; you want to be courteous.” Wise words.

Bagby adds that utilizing nature is one of the keys to success. He advocates a new method known as 'bird squatching', saying, "Observing the way birds react to their surroundings in the wild can give clues as to where a Bigfoot may be hiding. Birds see the squatches that we can’t,” Bagby said. “If we watch their patterns, we are able to predict where the squatches are.”

The group welcomes anyone who is interested to join whether believer or skeptic. They say a love of nature and a fascination with the Bigfoot mystery are the only requirements. It's good to know that there will be waiting and ready young researchers to carry on with the quest when today's top dogs are ready to pass the torch. So Finding Bigfoot has a done a good thing for the future of Bigfoot research. But I'm afraid we're also going to be stuck with its unfortunate influence on popularizing the that oh-so-annoying nickname "squatch" . Looks like it's here to stay.

[via www.collegian.psu.edu]

Comments

  1. Our society is doomed.

    Imagine, a reality TV show, the subject of which is fictional. Here come Matt and Bobo with their pothead mating calls.

    Sasquatch is bullshit.

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    1. yea, i bet you watch the KARDASHIANS! if your not digging the sasquatch thing then "beat it loser" and don't forget to say hi to kimmy k. for us! your probably the guy who voted for blowbama. how's that hope & change working out for ya? it's not sasquatch that is dooming this society. it's your buddy BARRY loser. so how's about that be-ot-ch!!!

      Delete
    2. I don't believe in werewolves, yet I also don't feel the need to visit werewolf blogs. Must be pretty bored (boring).

      Delete
    3. Most of TV is ruined by the stupid reality shows? Pawn Stars, American Pickers, Dad v Son, idiots that store canned goods, river monsters, say yes to the dress, trading spaces, alaska cops, etc.

      I miss the days when TLC and discovery had boring documentaries. They are so rare now it makes me sad.

      Delete
    4. "Anonymous" is just another way to say, "I am a coward and do not want to be held accountable.

      Scoffers are just another form of Internet Troll. They are not skeptics. A skeptic has to greet the hypothesis that this animal does not exist with the same energy they do for the hypothesis that it does exist.

      Now, if you claim something does not exist because YOU have never seen it, then you need to get with the astrophysicists who have the hypothesis of the existence of Dark Matter and Dark Energy.

      Dark Matter and Dark Energy were generated to cover up incompetence about the rate of expansion of the Universe. OR, at BEST, to explain why the expansion of the Universe is so different than the calculated rate based on how much mass we now see in the Universe.

      Whatever you do, keep your childish middle school vulgarity to your self. This is a forum for responsible adults; not a place for juvenile trolling.

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    5. I also miss the old "boring" documentaries, But River Monsters is pretty cool

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    6. The problem with River Monsters (and this same pattern occurs in several other of these 'reality docu-dramas') is all of the show's information and actual 'footage' could be covered in a 30 time slot, yet they annoy the crap out of the viewers by repeating the same information/clips over and over again each time adding just a tiny bit of new information.

      By the end of the episode you left wondering if you actually learned anything from watching the 44/45 min of the actual show.

      I find it very frustrating. You can't even use a DVR to help as you never know if/when they will slip in the "new" info.

      Sorry if I just exposed this 'truth' to others and, thus, just ruined your TV experience.


      Ugh!

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    7. Consider a 30 min Seinfield episode...

      Imagine that they added 30 mins, by showing an abridged version of the opening stand-up act followed by a montage of the diner scene combined with Cramer's first "entrance" **AFTER** each commercial break! No one would have watched that.

      It isn't the content of these new shows that makes them bad, it is the production (studio work/editing) that sucks.

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    8. Hey if you miss "boring" documentaries (or perhaps quality documentaries) you should get some Swedish channels, they do it all the time and it´s great. Theres a whole channel that show only high quality documentaries without commercials. That´s public service.

      JN
      Sweden

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    9. In the states we now have 10-12 channels that **use to show** boring documentaries that now show nearly endless reality docu-dramas. Once a month they must be required to show a boring documentary, so they do so at 3am.

      We have sort of gone full circle as the only channel now that shows boring documentaries is PBS, 30+ years ago it was the only channel that every would show boring documentaries.

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    10. Wow, maybe if all these people put down the remote control...you know, on second thought, maybe if you take your cable box or satellite dish and rip it out of the wall and then bury it you might have time to do some searching of your own. There are studies which show reality television actually lowers I.Q. Over time. So, if you have ever uttered the phrase gym, tan, laundry you might as well be hitting yourself repeatedly in the brain stem with a claw hammer. Seriously, if all of the commenters here actually checked the areas with most recent sightings in their vicinity, maybe we could actually find some real evidence and end all the in-fighting over the subject. Just a thought, John

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  2. My congratulations to the SOS, Search for Sasquatch club at Penn State, and I wish you folks nothing but success, and 140 members already is impressive.

    It would seem that Penn State is at the forefront of unorthodox thinking, something that has been severely lacking in universities. With the success of the PRS team headed by Ryan Buell that helped to spawn a quite successful paranomal show on A&E called Paranormal State, maybe the SOS club can follow in their footsteps.

    Chuck

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  3. My congratulations to the SOS, Search for Sasquatch club at Penn State, and I wish you folks nothing but success, and 140 members already is impressive.

    It would seem that Penn State is at the forefront of unorthodox thinking, something that has been severely lacking in universities. With the success of the PRS team headed by Ryan Buell that helped to spawn a quite successful paranomal show on A&E called Paranormal State, maybe the SOS club can follow in their footsteps.

    Chuck

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  4. Who ever the next generation is. I hope they have more sense than the current generation.
    Oh wait, We're looking for a 9 foot tall, hairy biped.
    So much for that hope

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    1. Oh, they can be as tall as twelve feet. I realize that you might think that it would be impossible for a creature of this size to be able to avoid human contact, but they are just that smart. Smarter and more cunning than any animal that has ever lived. So don't kid yourself, they ARE out there and they are smarter than you.

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    2. I don't have to prove it. The great and wonderful Dr. Ketchum will do it for me.
      You just wait...and wait...and wait. you'll see.

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    3. Is that the same as the "Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz"?
      Sorry, I couldn't help that.

      And....We are waiting.

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    4. There is no data on either the largest or smallest BF. As is, no known bipedal animal has exceeded nine feet.

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    5. You want data? Just look at the thousands of reports that give an accurate description of height. That is absolute proof of their size.
      Only the baby ones are small, the rest of them are enormous.

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    6. keep in mind fear/shock can increase size perception. 8 ft can easilly become 10-12 feet in that state of mind.

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    7. Anecdotal sightings do not constitute "data."

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    8. How easy is it for large animals to evade humans? Gorillas do it in the jungles of africa easily. It takes a guide, or an expert who have tracked or studied gorillas for an extended amount of time to find them. Granted they aren't 9ft tall, but its plausible to believe that sasquai get down on all fours to escape human detection. Not only that, these things could very well be the only descendants of man that have evolved to not completely be susceptible to the destructive nature of homo sapiens sapiens. In short, they've probly lived for thousands of years physically evolving to perfect their ability to evade modern humans.

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    9. ^ Hey Okie, my name is John and I live in North Texas. I have tried meeting people from various BF groups from TX, OK, AR, and LA at various conferences and have come to the conclusion that they all want me to pay to go on some giant glorified camping trip with so many participants that the only result would be to scare every animal out of the area. So I am trying to make contact with others in the area who would be interested in making their own investigations with a small team. If this sounds like something you might be interested in please contact me at 4statebf@gmail.com. The main hope here is to find a group who is willing to really put in the time in an area. So, if this sounds good to you, or if you have run into the same problem with BF groups down here please feel free to contact me. That email again is, 4statebf@gmail.com. Thanks, John

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  5. If there's one thing I know about biology and zoology, it's that the best discoveries and research take place via reality TV.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are correct. And Finding Bigfoot isn't your average reality show either. They are cutting edge, really real reality. I believe they are on the verge of a major scientific discovery that will make us rethink everything we know.

      Delete
    2. you are obviously retarded, or a lunatic, or delusional...nope I'm going with hopelessly alone

      Delete
  6. High school taught me that popularity is the only true measure of success.

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  7. The term 'squatching' is merely a product of commercialization and not a term I will ever embrace so that I can sound cool. :)

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  8. Well, I think college students would be a welcome addition. Their mission statements in keeping with their youthful outlook and also (I hope) a gentle and playful manner still grounded in their foundational education in science (what are their majors?).
    The TV part, well it is the new generation, video and personal testimony, the one man camera shows. (I wish some of you bloggers, er, Shawn, please? - would summarize at least your own podcasts) for us old timers that still like prose.

    It can't be worse than what we have already, or could it? maybe, if they only rely on "Finding Bigfoot" for their Bigfootnis education and inspiration.

    I recommend they take a long sojourn at www.bigfootencounters.com also. After absorbing that (IMO the deepest, most reliable, non-commercial current web source for BF information) I hope they actualizae as a contributing group and get the anthro and genetics departments involved.

    I also suggest they pick up Robert W. Morgan's book, "A Bigfoot Observer's Field Manual" (2008) and apply it.

    It will be a pleasure to many to see sleek young people with bright eyes and wonderment investigate the dark and beautiful nightworld of nature.

    I hope they rise to Penn State's Ivy leauge status.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love how the experts here defend Sasquatchery to the end, claiming an animal has evolved for thousands of years just to evade man...LOL! Evolution to fit in environment or for food sake, but now for avoidance? LOL, the only invisible biped that knows people are watching, is so smart that cameras must record a mirror image instead of physical form...and Sasquatch regularly crawls and belly rolls just to avoid man? Wow. The same people defending this idea will also likely claim Sasquatch to be the top predator in North America, unafraid of grizzlies and cougars but afraid of 200lb men and cameras?

    Seriously? I want to believe, but with no bodies, no proof, and bullshit logic....how CAN I? Even Ketchums paper, if it wraps up by saying Sasquatch is real, wont prove SHIT if there are no video, bones. flesh, hair, blood to go along with it.....footprints can be faked, dermal ridges are speculative, pics and video are bullshit. Supposedly someone shot TWO yet didnt get the body? C'mon!!!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. And, DNA can be altered, abused, etc. Researchers do it every day in Labs around the world...as a Primary Care Provider with committe and peer oversight, JCAHO participatory duties, etc, I find in very NON credible that someone can prove a species exists by DNA alone. Technically, it is done for bacteriophage and viral particulates all the time, as in not everyone has electron microscopy capability, so PCR primer amplification is the only method available. BUT making the case for DNA ID of a sub-microscopic phage and 10 foot tall ape man is an entirely different beast. the short answer is, there is no WAY in hell a DVM doing basic equine DNA selections is going to prove and validate beyond doubt a human ancestor roams NW USA. No way.

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    2. I cant prove Bigfoot exists, but you cant prove your a doctor either! Troll

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    3. Of course I could easily prove to you that Im a physician, simply by posting my URL but that is not the point. To continue belief in some non-manifesting scenario or entity for years and years is an automatic referral to see the PSYCHOlogist if ya know what I mean. You folks may want to seek treatment for delusional faith in giant, unproven monkey men.

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    4. Dr. Bayless, I find your posts very interesting. Please keep posting when you have time. The more non laymen vernacular the better. Thanks for your above posts. J.D.

      Delete
  10. Does it have to be about fame and fortune?

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  11. There may be another show, but they are killing the folklore. Bigfoot is almost dead.

    ReplyDelete

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