Blogs

Hey All, Welcome to Coach's corner a weekly Blog of whats up in our world of Squatchin. I will be posting up something every wednesday night so stay tuned for the latest in my world of Bigfooting.

Gotta give it up to Corey for the post on the go-bag, I have my stuff in a back pack, Nothing special but I do need to upgrade, All the things Corey mentioned plus my 2 knifes that both go on my belt, a box cutter (utility knife) with spare blades in case you have to scrape a sample off something, I have my H2 recorder and a nasty mag lite that throws about 240 lumens, I also carry binoculors, Nothing special, Roof prism small tasco 8X21 but they do the trick.

My first aid kit was set up with Squatching in mind, Alcohol serve's a dual purpose, No not that kind !!, No drinking in the field, It leads to painfull moments and kinda hard to make anyone believe the sighting you just had if you are not in shape to remember it yourself. Rubber gloves, my tweezers and pretty much everything in the bag will do double duty, From the saline solution to the scissors to the ice bag, I do have casting material but I leave that in the main vehicle or camp.

I just recently started to bring bright tape so I can put it on tree's or rocks that I want to look at again, Some use bright colored cloth then put a rock in it, Spot markers for evidence collection.

So that's it this week, you can basically take a solid first aid kit and with a few quick add ons turn it into a nice evidence collection a kit in a heart beat and for not a ton of loot either Which in this day and age is a plus.

Last but not least and we have all said this, You do what you can and go where you want and buy what you can afford, We all want stuff, Here and in our private life's that we are not going to own but this is a very personal endeavor, I did this by myself for 5 years with a note pad and pen, I must add I did not use them often but as I begin to get comfortable and learned what I was looking for I did make my own maps and notes and things to help MY OWN research.

That's the point - even thought NESRA is one of the best and biggest team out there we all do our own thing and then we talk and discuss it, Not like on a lot of other sites where they blast and poke fun at methods used by others... Right like you all know how to find Bigfoot. Opinions are like... Well you know the rest, Here at NESRA we are a highly dedicated team of individuals who are dedicated to the search for Bigfoot. Some may say Coach, Since I am a coach, How can a team be made up of individuals?? Well we all have the same goal in mind and we all are there for one another whenever a question is asked but we all also realize that our own lives are happening so we do what we can and MOST importantly SHARE our information and then we get together as small groups through out the year and larger official expeditions at least 2 times a year.

NESRA ALWAYS IN THE FIELD

What a go-bag is, is simply a kit that you've made up that contains tools and/or materials that you might find useful when out 'Squatchin. It's a few basic items that even though you might not use them often, they can come in pretty handy.

What you want and try do is make up a kit that you keep together and organized and ready to go. If you have a fresh lead, you can grab this bag, your other gear, and you're off.

Here's what I have in mine.

• A Compass
• Spare Batteries
• A Small Notebook and Pen
• A rudimentary sample collection kit with, tweezers, alcohol wipes, rubber gloves, a few paper and plastic bags.
• A Small First-Aid Kit
• A Roll of Duct Tape
• 2 Bic Lighters
• A Tape Measure

That's about it.

Like written above, some of these items you may not use often, but they can really help out a great deal at times.

Sometimes I add items to my bag such as para-cord or even a small fishing kit.

Figure out what you think you might need and pack it all up in one bag.

If you use something, replace it as soon as you get home.

Having to gather up less gear when you go out 'Squatchin can makes things alot easier.

What's in your bag?

My husband Bob, Ray, a newbie to NESRA and friend, and I, went out last night to the place we have been investigating since I got the report of the daytime crossing and the peeping Tom/BF lol. There are a few locations we are investigating. All simultaneously. Some very cool stuff has been happening each time we go to either place.

Dec. 12, 2011:
These bigfoot are masters of their domain, and know where and how to hide. I was telling someone the other day, about what happened to us while we were out scouting in the wood in the pitch dark, a few weeks ago. We were walking on a trail and I heard leaf litter crunching, paralleling to the left of us. I seemed to be the only one hearing it at the time, cuz we were walking as well and making the same, but not as loud, noises, so I stopped and had everyone else stop too, and just listened. The noise also stopped when we did. I didn't at that point tell anyone what I was hearing. We then started walking again, and again, I heard it. So I had everyone stop again, but this time I let them know what I was hearing and asked if anyone else heard it too? No one had, but again we were making our oun leaf litter stepping noise and talking. So we continued on, but a few minutes later my husband stopped and shined the light into the woods to the left of us. I asked what he was doing, did he hear something? and he was quiet for a moment longer so I asked again and he said he heard the walking leaf litter noise I had heard. He wasn't listening before I said something, but after the second time I stopped and said what I was hearing, he thought he might pay closer attention to it and see if he heard anything himself, and he did. So was something paralleling us that night? It knew to stop when we did and to not be seen. Was it with us that whole outing in the woods? I think it was. And was observing us. We didn't see it, but I'm sure it saw and watched us. We did yells and knocks, but if it was that close and didn't want to respond because of it's nearness, that would make sense, cuz that would give away it's location. So I do believe they can hide very well in the forest where they are at home. It was a little un-nerving to think something could have been following us and watching us that night, and maybe the nights we went there before that, who knows. It's a bit scary to think it just may have been, and it was so dark in there you couldn't seen your hand in front on your own face. Very interesting stuff to think about, and what a smart creature

Dec. 17, 2011:
So we went to a place night before last, at about 1AM. We went to 2 different locations in the same area. The first we didn't get any activity but the second we did. It was around 3ish AM, and I had been sending out yells and Bob did some knocking, after I let out a set of two yells about maybe 5 or so minutes later, we all hear a response. It wasn't anything I've ever heard before, and I'm sure it wasn't any animal sounds that I know like, deer, moose, coyote, fox, wolf, bear, nothing like any of those. The best way I can describe it was like a slow deep mournful howl. It happened 3 times with about 5 seconds in between each one, and then about 15 or so seconds later, it let out one single one again. It sounded pretty relaxed and not too worried that we were there, it almost sounded lonely. And it was close, probably about 25 to 30 yards away from where we were. We all heard it, obviously, and it was amazing. After that, we waited for a while to see if it was going to move closer, let out anymore howls, or see what it was going to do, but it didn't do it again. I let out a few more yells, Bob did a few tree knocks, but nothing in return. Bob did say he thought he heard one knock in the distance but I started talking just when he heard it, so he couldn't be sure about it. That was some cool stuff. The first location we went to that night, we had gone before and had a rock thrown through the trees toward us. When it happened, you could hear the thing hit the branches, and mind you, there was no wind that night, and then it hit the ground and you could hear it roll a bit in the leaf litter. Now that was amazing too. Bob then picked up a rock and threw it in the same direction, he did this twice, but nothing came back. Some really cool stuff happening in our own backyard. I think we may be going back there on Sunday night, maybe even during the weeknight this coming week too, so if anyone wants to join us, PM me. By the way, Ray went on a Bigfoot site where there are sound recordings, and told me he thought one kinda sounded like what we heard, so I went to the site and listened to it myself and it does sound very close, maybe a bit lower toned, and slower, but really close.

Dec. 19, 2011:
So, we were planning to go out last night to the location where we heard those moan howls the other night, but it was so stinking cold last night, that is wasn't fit for man nor beast.....lol....so now I'm waiting for the new Zoom H2 recorder I ordered the other day, to come it, which is planned to come on tuesday.....if indeed it does arrive then, we may, depending on the weather ie wind, rain, freezing temps, and the like, go out that night. Can't wait to see how well this recorder works. I will bring extra batts, and try to keep it as warm as possible, along with we humans.....lol.

Dec. 21, 2011:
Went out again last night to the location where we heard those moan owls, and this time I had the Zoom H2 with us, but just as I suspected, not sounds from the big guy to be heard. Toward the end of our night about 3;15 AM, Bob and Ray heard a howl scream quite a distance away and only one time, it was after 2 wood knock Bob had done, then about 30 secs later the howl. I don't think the zoom picked it up, i think it was too far away. I'm still learning the zoom recorder, I read the crash course when I got it, and it did record, but I got a lot of extra noise from us moving and stuff, not so much from the area, cuz it's pretty quiet there.....great recorder though.

Dec. 30, 2011:
Ok, so I finally listened to the recordings from last thursday night. On a few, we had some distant sounds coming in, that WERE recorded. Very intresting sounds. Someone had suggested it sounded like a whooping crane so I googled whooping crane sounds and none of the sounds I listened to, sounded like the ones we heard, not even remotely close. I wanted to rule that out. And the rock knock that a few of us heard, I wasn't recording when it happened.....a first missed opportunity, and I'm sure there will be more.....bummer there. I also noticed that I really need to put a rubber piece, or something, over the hand stem that connects to the bottom of the H2. Even though I had on soft gloves, it still picked up the movement of my hand. Toward the end of our night op, we started to get some stuff going on, but then it started to rain, just when the action started to happen, and we had to leave. But at least we got something. I want to download this SD card to my computer, but I'm afraid I'll lose the files, which I've renamed....lol, or screw something up. But I will eventually. I really can't wait to get back there, might be going sunday night if the weather is good, and see if we can get anything else recorded. Man do I wish I had this thing when we heard those moan howl vocals earlier in DEc., that would have been, not to be dorky but, the bomb......lol......I hope what ever made that sound that night, comes back and does it again so you all can hear it.

PS: I just went to google and put in the search box, the question "what animal makes a moan howl vocalization sound" and it brought up bigfoot. Specifically the 1994 Ohio howl, among others, and the 2004 Mississippi howl clips, on one specific site, that sounded so much like the ones we heard that night, but not as long in duration. It also said that moans like that are thought to be made by large male Squatches. I'm starting to really wonder, if we had a BF that close that night, Hmmmmmm......but I don't want my imagination, or anyone elses who is with me in the field, to take the center stage..... that doesn't make for a good researcher. Tell it like it is and don't embellish the truth. That's how I feel anyway.

Jan. 6, 2012:
I put the finger of a rubber glove over the handle of the H2, to help quiet the noise, and it seemed to work. We went out the other day, but I have yet to listen to the results. We are planning to go out to a couple of new areas within the same forest, on Saturday. One area is near some high tension lines, and the other one is near where we got that projectile tossed toward us, about a 1/4 mile further up the dirt road though, where it's even more secluded, so we'll see how that goes. I'll keep you all posted. It's been a very interesting place, to say the least.

Jan. 30 2012:
Nothing much happened on our last night op, well except the next day I got sick with a nasty cold, and then my husband got it, and we were down for the count for about 2 weeks. But we did go out this past Saturday during the daylight hours, now that we are feeling better, to one of our locations, and scouted out a few areas. It is so squatchy there. We saw scat from deer, and maybe coyotes, we couldn't tell, but interesting still, to know that the animals that a bigfoot would hunt, and animals that would scavenge the remains of a bigfoot meal, are there in that area, and plenty of them. So it's great to know that. The funniest thing happened while we were hiking there, though. Even though it was daytime, I still let out some yells and I had my H2 ready to record in case there was any return howls. all of a sudden we heard this animal in distress sound. We didn't know what it was exactly, but I recorded it anyway. It would come and go, start up, then stop for a minute or two, then start up again. My husband said, "maybe we should go find it and help it if it's hurt or something". I said we'll just wait and see what happens. I then said, "you know what that sounds like? It sounds like something a hunter would use to call in an animal" he agreed. So, futher up the road we saw a truck parked, and knew it was a hunter of some sort, that confirmed what we had been hearing. Since we were in brown coats, and no orange on, I decieded to yell a hello, a few times to let him know we were there and he came down from the hill he was on and showed us the rabbit in distressed whistle he was using. Needless to say, I recorded that lol. But oh well. We didn't hear anything out of the ordinary that hike, but we will be going back, at least one of the places, soon.

More to come.

You've gotten your hands on a couple of reports that you want to investigate. You're prepared and have gone thru all your gear. Now your at the location. So now what?

Well, first of all you might want to find the exact place where the sighting took place if possible. Sometimes, the report isn't as detailed as you'd like, so finding the exact spot could prove difficult.

Get as close as you can and then get your maps out.

Although it's not been proven that the Sasquatch exists, there are still some things that we know about them.

They're an animal. So, they have to eat, drink, poop, sleep, and move about.

When investigating an area for the first time, use your maps to find places that could offer potential food sources and water sources. Look for spots that offer cover. It's doubtful that the Sasquatch sleeps out in the open, so cover can offer them safety and security. What you'd be looking for are things that look like they might have been used as a bedding place. Look for routes in and out of the heaviest cover. Check these routes for prints or other sign. If you do find a bedding spot, look for hairs amongst the ground cover.

Nuts, berries, and other wild edibles are probably a big source of food for the Sasquatch. Look for berry patches that grow wild. Mark them on your map. Each time you find something that you think might be useful, mark that on your map as well. Mark water sources. Potential routes of travel.

Look and see if there are railbeds or utility corridors in the area. It's a theory that the Sasquatch uses these man-made paths as means of traveling from one area to another.

If you find streams or rivers or ponds, check the edge for prints. Look expecially in the muddy areas. Soft muddy areas are ideal for leaving prints behind.
If there are hills and cliffs, look for spots where theres a way to pass from one side to the other. These are called saddles, and like alot of animals, Sasquatch could be using these to make traveling easier. Again, check for tracks. Look around for hair that may have snagged on nearby branches or brambles.

Notice the tracks of other animals as well. Just about anything in the woods could be viewed as a food item by the Sasquatch. If you find a heavily used game trail, the Sasquatch could be using it as well if for nothing more than to follow the food.

Once you've been to a spot once or twice, and you've marked all the information you found out on your map, you might notice a pattern or something will stand out as a place for further investigation.

You might find that there is a game trail, pretty well used, running thru a saddle in a ridge. That saddle offers easy access to a heavily covered swampy area. So, you've got potential food, water, travel, and cover sources. Maybe on the next trip, start out in the area. Sit up on the ridge over the saddle, under cover, and watch for something coming in or out. Early morning or early evening could prove the best time for this.

Don't just investigate, try and learn something about the area. Learn what any Sasquatch in the area might be doing. Knowing how something lives might teach you something and help you find them.

Have a good time. Be safe.

Any questions? Feel free to use our forum. Folks are more than willing to help out.

And remember, the only dumb question is one that you don't ask. We all started somewhere.

Welcome to Sasquatch research!

So you've decided to go out and do some 'Squatchin for yourself. You've picked up some gear and are ready to go. I guess the next question would be "Where do I go to look?"

The simplest option for finding a location would be to search online for sightings in your area. Every state in the U.S. has sighting reports. Yes, some are bound to be older reports, but investigating even an older report can give you the opportunity to learn something.

So you've got the location of a sighting that you want to go check out. Get online and use GoogleEarth or a similar program to print yourself out a set of maps of your research area. Get a couple that give a general view of the area where you'll be. Then a couple more that have a detailed, zoomed-in view.

Topographical maps can come in very handy in the field. They show details that you don't get when you look at a satellite phote of a potentially heavily wooded area. The information on a topo, if you know how to read it, can be helpful in navigation. You'll know that the ridge you're walking along will end in few hundred yards and you can pass thru and get to the swampy area on other side. Again, there are resources online that can explain how to read a topo.

Plan ahead for your investigation. Go through your gear, make sure you have everything that you'll need.

To ensure that you've not forgotten something, try running down a checklist. Here's an example of what I mean.

You've got your digital camera, check. You'll need power for your camera. Batteries,check. You'll want to save your pictures. Memory card, check. Case, check.

You'd hate to forget something that would render a vital piece of gear useless. Plan for the weather and adjust yourself accordingly. Pack your bag the night before. A little water and a little food isn't a bad idea. The better prepared you are, the more fun the investigation will be. Be safe and smart.

You might have a good idea from reading, and your knowledge of forested areas.. where potential areas to investigate closer to home, might possibly be. I learned about audio surveillance, from others out investigating, and the valuable results this can provide. I was also familiar with this method, by doing nature recording. All that is required is to leave a recorder out in these areas, and to monitor the results. You will probably hear more strange sounds, than anything else, while being involved in this research and investigation.

Any audio recorder will do, but there are some that have more extended battery life, more field durable, and produce lower self noise for picking out faint sounds in a recording. To get into more details about recorders, there are many using them on our forum, that can recommend and guide you to making a good purchase.

If you are camping out at the same locale, I recommend that the recorder be placed well away from camp. It makes sense, that any creatures in the area might sound off naturally, when a human presence is not nearby.. but this might not be true in every case. No one knows, for sure.. exactly what patterns these creatures follow, and how and why they do the things (and make the sounds) they have been reported to do, by witnesses. That is why I also keep a recorder in camp, and bring it into my tent, and set up a camp surveillance, while sleeping. Squatch has been know, to visit campsites. Some might be curious, while others might keep their distance away from humans that enter their areas. There is little doubt in my mind, that they know what we are doing, from the moment we enter the area... if they are present in the locale. For some reason, audio recorders seem to have better results, than camera traps.

I prefer to bungee my recorder to a tree, or set it in a large tree crotch. I use a small plastic tripod, or a little gorilla pod, with the bendable legs for adjustment. When I use external mics with the recorder, they are clipped to the bungee, on each side of a tree. I try and select a tree that is about human head width, to simulate a decent stereo effect and human hearing. I document when the recorder is set out, and when it is retrieved. I note what direction each mic (left or right channel), is facing. Omnidirectional mics work the best, and give you the greatest area of coverage. A good quality set of binuaral mics, that are field worthy, will do the trick for external mics. Many digital recorders, have omnidirectional mics built right in.

I have heard about bipedal sounding footfalls being heard approaching the recorders, and have heard this in other researcher's recordings. I have recorded an unexplained "something" approach my recorder, and scratch, poke , and possibly lick at the fake fur mic cover on the recorder. The most difficult thing about audio, is that there is no visual. The sounds are classed as "unknown", until they can be documented and absolutely explained for a source. This... I will not hesitate to say, is the most difficult part. It often leaves the listener.. with more questions, than answers. It does, however... let one know that interesting and unusual things are happening around the area, and makes it absolutely worthy of further investigation. For this reason alone.. it makes the recording venture well worth the effort. If nothing is noted (besides expected known wildlife sounds) after several tries, than it's time to move on to another area.

For longer term recording, there are solutions such as bringing a 12V battery along, and stepping down the voltage to meet the power needs of your recorder, with a DC to DC converter. This setup, includes a waterproof pack / case and rain cover for the recorder, battery, and converter, and camo netting to conceal the setup from other people finding it, in my absence. The mics are clipped to a bungee, and are the only things exposed. I use the largest SD memory storage card, the recorder will allow. This has given me about a week of continuous recording. I know of others, that are even getting more continuous run / recording time, in the field.

The most time consuming and sometimes boring part of all this.. is monitoring the results. I download the audio from my recorder, to my computer. It helps to own a recorder, that is user friendly, for doing this task. Many choose to look for peaks in the audio WAV graph, while others look at the recording in spectral form, that can show even more detail. Personally, I listen to the whole recording, in sections.. while viewing it both in WAV and spectral forms. I want to listen to everything recorded, because many sounds are faint (and show no apparent peaks), and are sometimes lost in the flat line , of the visual data.

This can takes weeks (as time allows me) of careful listening, with good quality headphones on, at as high of a volume that I am comfortable with, to review just a weekend of audio data. If something of interest is found, I note the labeled segment of the recording, and then clip it out, rename it, and make it a separate file from the original longer master recording. From there, I will sometimes amplify the sounds of interest, and even try for subtle noise reductions , if any hiss is present after the sound if amplified. There is a wide range of software programs to use for this, and also a very good freeware (Audacity) program available for the computer.

What sounds have I found ? Knocks that sound like wood on wood, from the middle of the night. Softer knocks that sound like tapping, or even metallic sounding. Sounds that are percussion - like, that sound like wind chimes and bongos. Knocks that are in the company of strange vocals.. that sound owl- like. Most common, is a human sounding "yaaahoo" or "ahhhoooo" or "wooooooo", or "ohwoooo", recorded both in NY, and in Pennsylvania. Also, a whistle - like vocal that sounds quite loud, and more like a vocalization . Most of these sounds were recorded in the earlier AM, or late PM, and in areas where human presence was unlikely, but not impossible. Another sound to look for, would be high pitched siren like screams, and howls.. that sometimes mix in with canine howls.

Once I have recorded the sounds of interest, I try and compare them to what others have recorded. I've found some startling comparisons, to what others have recorded, in other states, as well as my home state of NY.

Here are a few examples, of some of these clipped out recorded sounds from NY state:

http://soundcloud.com/imonacan/ooooohooh-edit

http://soundcloud.com/imonacan/ovrnght-10-11-clip-vocalizations-knocks

http://soundcloud.com/imonacan/set-of-4-tap-knocks-2

http://soundcloud.com/imonacan/wood-tap-knock

http://soundcloud.com/imonacan/ovrnght-8-1-pt1-clipe

A couple clips from Pennsylvania, that were possibly in response to my own vocal:

http://soundcloud.com/imonacan/my-whoop-with-possible-distant-replies

http://soundcloud.com/imonacan/amplified-possible-distant-replies (the above sounds of interest, that were amplified)

http://soundcloud.com/imonacan/distant-knock

All of the clips, were found and clipped out of longer (overnight / surveillance) recordings.

These sounds, may or may not be sasquatch related... but they have held my interest, and encourage me to keep on investigating in those areas.

What do you think they are?

I encourage you to give this recording venture a try, yourself. Use audio surveillance to your advantage, and listen.. for what you might also come up with in your own field recordings.

Bill

The starting out advice blog seems the popular addition to the mix of late, so why not share my own insights. I started out on my first outting underestimating the weather so let's start there.... especially with concern to the cold. My advice here is simple, you can't bring enough clothes. Also with regard to batteries, bring extras, and have a way to keep them warm, cold will greatly limit the amount of life you for a video or audio recording. To the opposite extreme, in the heat, comes bugs, be prepared to have something to counter them with, spray, head net, whatever.

Approaches to heading out; These can be active or passive. By passive I mean either setting up a listening post or the acting like a camper scenario, the idea being that you are hoping the creature will come to you. The active approach is more about going out and getting one to react to you or in the forensic sense, looking for sign, tracks, scat, hair samples and the like.

There are currently two blogs that get decently into this so I dont see the point of getting too deeply into redundant information, so lets talk about what happens if you actually see one. I have personally bumped into, almost anyway, a curious bear, as well as a spooked bull moose, and either of these were potentially dangerous enough, the moose in particular. At the time I had on my person, bear mace, and a rather large knife, the mace would have been able to deter an overly curious bear, but the moose would have been a very dangerous situation. My point, use common sense first. But in the time I have been out there looking, I have seen tracks casted, I have tracked what turned out to be a moose, as the tracks were vaguely defined but the hair sample I obtained definitely pointed to bullwinkle. I have two quasi sightings, by which I mean I saw something interesting off in the distance but don't know for sure and never will.

But I have also had an encounter, and thats something to talk about, not just what I saw, but how do you react to it? My sitaution occured at night, under fair moonlight, but was at close range. I also had knowledge of where the folks with me were, what I saw was taller than any of us, and bulkier, but the thing that made it truly stand out as something strange was how long the arms were, they were just out of proportion to be normal. As for my reaction, at first it was denial, it looked human enough, that initially I thought it was. But it wasn't anyone I was with, and it was someone really quite big, and then I noticed the length of the arms, and the swaying motion was odd. It took a second for the revelation to hit me, I was standing within fifty feet of something that wasn't human.

I would argue that noone really knows how they will react until they are there in that moment. I remember all periphrial vision just being gone, I had tunnel vision looking at this thing, and then the reaction of massive fear, primal fear of the unknown kind of fear. I was startled when I had seen the bear and the moose, this was something altogether different. The creature eventually went into a cluster of pine trees, which in the dark is just a huge black mass, and not knowing where it went, I went my way to camp very quickly... my reaction? I felt emotionally drained, and felt a small bit nauseous for a good half and hour.

I can't say how everyone will feel, but it is something to ask yourself. If you go out looking for the creature, how will you react if you find it,or in my case, if it finds you? I guess it will depend on the circumstances, I was alone. My point is, it is something to ask yourself.

(This is a first draft of my thoughts on this, it will be revisited)

I think that a mention of safety when out in the field is something that is needed. So, here goes.

Being in the woods can be a relatively safe and fun experience, but you have to use your head. Make sure you know where it is that your going. Use some of the online tools available to print out a map of the area with landmarks. Knowing what's nearby can be very helpful, especially if you happen to misplace yourself. Knowing that if you walk in a generally northerly direction you'll hit a road can be a lifesaver. Literally in some extreme cases.

Another tip is to be sure that someone else knows where you'll be in case something happens and you don't come home at an appointed time. When I go out, I always tell my wife where I'll be and what time I should be home. I could fall, break my leg, and end up stuck a mile from my car and any hope of help.

You might be thinking "I always carry my cell phone." Well, that's great, but realize that you'll be in the woods and might not always have a signal. Don't depend on cell service. I've been on a couple of expeditions where we didn't have cell service. Should something have hapened, we'd have to drive out to a main road to get a signal to call for help. Now think that if your out there alone, there might not be someone available to go for help.
Always going out with at least one other person is a good idea. Sometimes you might not have that luxury, but if you can talk someone into coming along, that probably would be best.

Mentioning finding someone to head out into the woods with begs a warning to be very careful who you go afield with. Meeting someone online who you've never set eyes on might be a recipe for disaster.

You might decide to join the NESRA forum and that's awesome. You might post that you live in some state or other and are looking for someone to research with. Be careful about who contacts you and how you proceed. Before going anywhere with anyone, get some information. Names, addresses, or phone numbers are great. Get the persons number and give them a call, and then if you do decide to go out with them, give that number to someone else.

Basically, just be VERY careful with yourself.

If you live in an area that has a NESRA member nearby, get together with them. Alot of the members have been members for awhile and have been out with other members. We know each other pretty well. Besides feeling safer with someone who is known by the group, they also have information to share and will make the experience a positive one. And you just might learn something.

If you don't really have alot of outdoor experience, it might not be a bad idea to learn some basic navigation skills. How to read a compass and a map is a wonderful start. There are a whole bunch of sites online that can teach you how to do both. Don't depend on electronics to find your way. Electronics can and do fail, usually when you need them the most. A cell phone or a GPS is great, but I wouldn't want to depend on them in a pinch.
Get a map of the area you are planning to research. When you get there, mark on the map where you left your car. If you do get lost and your GPS fails, you'll have a general idea of which way to go. Knowing that no matter what, you can find your way out can make the whole experience more pleasurable.

Take things easy to start. Find a good spot that you'd like to investigate and learn as much as you can about the area before you go out. Stick to the trails if there are any. If you need, mark your path so you can find your way back. Don't overdue it. Making a trip harder than it needs to be can really ruin the day. You might be tempted to slog your way thru a swamp, but the going can get tough as well as dangerous.
Start out simple, and as you get more comfortable, do a bit more each time.

Try and stay away from things where you could end up getting yourself hurt. Remember, 'Squatchin is supposed to be fun, not a risk to life and limb.

To Be Continued.....

Getting started in the field of Sasquatch research is actually a rather simple prospect. Grab a camera (if you wish), find a spot, and start looking. Pretty simple right? There is something else that I think you need to do before getting going though.

Right from the start, you have to decide something. Are you into 'Squatchin to prove to the world at large that these creatures might exist? Are you into it to prove only to yourself that they might be out there? Or, are you just into the chase to have some fun?

Any of these are perfectly fine, but a couple require only your time, while the other requires gear and time spent researching.
Having fun is great. Grab some friends and hit the woods. Time spent outdoors is always rewarding. Nothing special is needed as far as gear goes.

If you are out to prove that the Sasquatch does in fact exist, there's alot more to it.

First of all, if you are going to be outdoors for any extended period of time, your going to need some supplies. The first of which is the correct clothing.

It can be a tough road to hoe if you venture out in sweats and sneakers. The best way to have a pleasant experience is to be prepared. Nothing ruins a day faster and puts a damper on your enthusiasm than getting soaked if you get caught outside and the rain starts. Especially if you have a long wet slog if front of you to get back to shelter.

After clothing and shoes, you have to decide on recording gear. Video and audio recording gear comes in all types. Cheaper consumer grade electronics are fine, but as you go up in quality, the price also goes up.

Starting out with a simple audio recorder and camcorder are the way to go. Looking around you can fine suitable, relatively inexpensive electronics that would work fine for 'Squatchin.

As time goes on, you might find that you desire something better than what you already own. Experience will give you clues as to what you might want to buy. Here's an example:

You can walk into any Staples store and buy a decent audio recorder for 50 bucks. Great toy. Works fine. After awhile though you will realize that a microphone added to the recorder would allow for better recordings. After a time, you might want a audio recorder that has a removable SD card. To transfer audio from a recorder without a removable card, you are left with having to play the audio on the recorder and re-recording it into your computer if you want to analyze it or share with others. That's fine, but you have to realize that this method will result in poorer audio quality.

I've always been a fan of buying the best that you can afford, but there is a caveat. You go out and buy an audio recorder for 500 bucks right off the bat. Nice. I'm sure it's a great tool. But, what happens with it if you decide that 'Squatchin just isn't your thing? Sell it, give it away, put it in a drawer for "someday". All great options. But wouldn't it be alot less hassle to start out with some basic gear and see how things go?

If you find that "Squatchin is something you want to pursue, then do your research and see what people who've been in the field for awhile are currently using. Ask on the NESRA forum what other researchers are using to capture potential audio evidence.

To Be Continued.....

Well here goes…The start of a Bigfoot Researcher…

It all started in the mid seventies when I was a boy when Sasquatch made a guest appearance on the Six Million Dollar Man show. Being a typical boy, mischief was inevitably around the corner. Not soon after early interest in Bigfoot I made a small set of big feet out of plywood and tied to them to my winter boots. We had a lot of fun stomping around the ice skating pond but quite honestly we never fooled anyone. It didn’t help much that I grew up 40 miles north of NYC.

Fast forward 20 years…

Before moving up to the North Country (upstate New York) my wife and I were vacationing on Lake George in the town of Bolton. We did the typical tourist stuff, moving from one small gift shop to next. While she’s looking at arts and crafts types of things I notice this little blue paperback book located on a table with other local area related media. Monster of the Northwood’s stared me right in the face. I thought to myself Bigfoot, up here? I started flipping through the pages and said to my wife; “Where’s this Whitehall place?” Her response was; “Oh its right over that mountain:” pointing east towards Buck Mountain on the east side of Lake George. Needless to say I bought the book and read it cover to cover within the day!

Fast forward again to fall of 2003…

After moving to the North Country and getting our home and employment together I was in the basement going through some of boxes in storage. I found an old book entitled Strange Stories – Amazing Facts and re-read the famous account of “Patty” on the west coast. I thought to myself don’t I have another book on Bigfoot and then I remembered Paul Bartholomew's book. I took it to work one day to read on a late shift break when one of the guys at mentioned that two guys who worked on the second floor were into the Bigfoot thing. We shortly became good friends and did some researching in the Whitehall area. One of the guys actual had numerous experiences in the Whitehall where he happened to grow up.

We did some hikes and expeditions in the same area where many others have investigated so I started searching for a superior group to associate with. What I stumbled across was the early stages of NESRA! I was able to contact one of the founding members and met for a long discussion of the Sasquatch in the Adirondack Park. After some good conversation I knew I had found a first-class investigator on the same level of interest as myself. Being a member of Adirondack Bigfoot Club it was inevitable that NESRA was next. After a year or so of procrastinating I finally joined and I’m glad I did.

It’s good to be here!

ADK Manitou….