Corey's blog

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?

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.

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, anyone who's interested in the phenomena that is the Sasquatch has heard the final resolution of the "We got a dead Bigfoot in the freezer" debacle. A suit in a block of ice.

Now, let me say first of all, I was born at night, but not last night. Still, I'll admit that I was hopeful that the Georgia boys did indeed find a carcass and that we had the definitive proof that we've been wanting. Not a video, not a picture, not some errant audio, but a real live (well ok, dead) Sasquatch. I could almost picture the scientific community sitting down to a nice meal of crow. But alas, twas not to be.

Again, we've been sold a bill of goods. The Georgia boys tried a fast one. As far as Mr Biscardi goes, I shall now refer to him as the Pied Piper of Bulls@#t and Baloney. I'm sorry Mr. Biscardi, but it's like they say, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

Anyone who knows me, and ok, most of you don't, know that I don't usually get into bashing people. The way I look at it, everybody sucks in their own special way, some less than others of course. So who am I to point fingers at anyone? But. In this case, I have to take exception with Mr. Biscardi and his actions in this particular episode of the "they dun took advantage of me" chronicles.

It's been said by a couple of folks that Mr. Biscardi claimed to have poked and prodded the damn thing and was convinced enough to show up on Fox news and claim its authenticity, and now he plays the role of the put-upon, taken-advantage-of, woe-is-me, sad character from some Shakespearean tragedy. Yeah, ok, maybe Shakespearean tragedy is a bit much, but if your gonna go, go big I say.

But honestly. Not like it was easy for folks in the community before, but now? Are we to be reminded of this any time we might bring up the subject to anyone outside of the Sasquatch family? "Ahhh, you believe in Sasquatch eh? Well, what about those fellas that said they had a dead Bigfoot, and it turned out to be a costume in a block of ice?" Is that to be your legacy Mr. Biscardi?
I'm willing to give folks the benefit of the doubt, but truly, if you told me, Mr. Biscardi, that it was daytme out, I'd still wanna go look out the window and check.

All I can say to you Tom, is next time, verify before you make any grand announcements. People lie, and when money is thrown into the mix, well, let's just say, you get what you pay for.

Recently, I was reading some comments about the new show MonsterQuest on the History channel. If you go to the History channel website, they have a short clip about the upcoming Sasquatch show. In this clip, they show the host(?) on camera and at one point something throws a rock in his general direction. Now, in reading the comments about this clip, someone mentioned that the whole thing was probably made up just for the show, to spice things up perhaps. Rick Noll is shown in this clip. So I guess that means he's in on the hoax? Or the stunt? Or whatever you choose to call it?
That got me thnking, is there anyone widely accepted in the Sasquatch collaborative (we can't use the term community anymore I guess) that is widely trusted and held in esteem?

Lets, see, Rick Noll is out, he MIGHT have been involved in some sort of machinations involving rock-throwing for a tv show.
Jeff Meldrum is involved in this show as well, so musta been in on it, so he's out too.
The BFRO is (allegedly) only in it for the money, so their out.
We here as NESRA have been accused of only being in it for the money, I seem to recall seeing the term NE$RA used, so we're out. We also failed to stand up for a couple of our junior members when they had a sighting (although none of us were there, so I don't see how we can vouch for their sighting, but we won't consider that)
SRI is a bunch of meanies, so their out.
Tom Biscardi is an opportunist (and a hoaxer, allegedly) and is only in it for the money, so he's out.
The Bigfoot Forums is populated with mean people and folks who question everything, so their out.
Steve Kulls has been associated with Biscardi, so he's out.
Loren Coleman is only in it for the money and fame, so he's out.
Craig Woolheater writes for Cryptomundo, which is also associated with Loren Coleman, so he's out.
Doug Hajicek is involved with the new MonsterQuest Sasquatch episode, where a rock was thrown to allegedly make the show better, so he's out.
Doug Hajicek was involved with Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science, so any person or group associated with that, is out.
Jeff Meldrum's book Sasquatch:Legend Meets Science is the companion piece to the documentary of the same name, so, becasue Mr. Hajicek was involved with the MonsterQuest Sasquatch episode where a rock was allegedly thrown to boost the ratings, I'm afraid Dr. Meldrums book is out.
Anyone who agrees with any of the above named people, or groups or websites, or forums, is out.
Anybody who's read Dr. Meldrums book is out. Cause he was invloved in the MonsterQuest tv show, where a rock was thrown as an alleged attempt to make the show more exciting.
The GCBRO is out, cause they seem to be of the attitude that one should be killed.
Any person, group, forum member, website, or entity that agrees that one should be killed is out.
Anyone who's ever made a mistake in the field is out, cause that's just not good science.
Anyone who's ever listened to a radio show that's hosted any of the above named people, groups, forums, websites, or entities, is out.
Any host, or anyone associated with any radio show that's hosted any of the above named people, groups, forums, or entities, is out, cause you must BE IN ON IT!
Anyone who doesn't know what every sound in the woods is immediately, is out.
Anyone who's ever mentioned something on a forum or website, and has then been accused of associating it with Sasquatch just BECAUSE they mentioned it on a fourm or website, even if they didn't mean to, is out.
Anyone who's ever made a spelling or grammatical error in a post, or has mistyped something on a website, is out.
Anyone who only wants to read ABOUT Sasquatch, but doesn't care to look for one, is out.
Anyone who lives in an area that's not a known Sasquatch hotbed of activity; and this includes folks from other countries as well; is out.
Anyone trying to have fun while doing this type of thing, is out.
Anyone who doesn't have the nature skills of Daniel Boone, is out.
Anyone coming up with a new theory or idea, is out.
Any group, or person, or website, that sells Sasquatch related paraphernalia to fund the group, or themselves, or the website, is out.
Any group, or person who uses the equipment they have, instead of the latest technology, is out.
Anyone who visits paranormal websites that contain content that includes UFO's, ghosts, or any other paranormal things, but also has a separate section for the Sasquatch phenomena, is out.
Anyone who's ever read a work of fiction about the Sasquatch, or has watched a movie that contains anything fictional about the Sasquatch is out.

I think I pretty much covered it all. It's kinda like that Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game really. Anything listed above can be connected to anyone or anything in the Sasquatch collective. So, with that being said, GO FORTH AND ENJOY!!!

Hello?

Hello?

Anybody there?!

Was a couple of weekends ago that I made my way out to the fabled Hockomock Swamp for an overnight. Seeing as how your reading this, I made it back alive none the worse-for-wear. I may have found a regular spot for myself. In all honesty, I wasn't exactly ass-deep in swamp-water, but it was a good start. Next time, I'll venture deeper. The hammock worked well. It was fairly comfortable (gotta give some credit to my sleeping bag for that) and helped keep the monsters at bay. Although, I may have just looked like a giant McDonalds breakfast burrito to anything predatory that may have wandered by. Thankfully I was spared the indignity of trying to fight off a giant bird-of-prey while firmly shrouded in cotton, canvas and Polartech. Huge thunderbirds out there apparently.

I was comforted by the fact that I may have done something that nobody has ever done before, spending an entire night, ALONE, in the dreaded Hockomock Swamp. In your face Loren Coleman!! You may be able to string some words together and produce some of them there fancy books, but I am hardcore to the core.

Wanna count the hairs on my manly, flying-in-the-face-of-danger chest?

I'll have to make some return trips. Maybe I'll bring someone along the next time. I'm thinking of waiting till Kevin falls asleep, and then stringing up some pork chops around his hammock and sitting back and waiting for the feeding-frenzy to ensue. Betcha he'll scream like a little girl at a Backstreet Boys concert.
Something occurred to me while I was out there. The ordeal of taking a dump while out in the woods. How can such a simple thing take on such overwhelming logistics? Fear of someone coming along while your doing your business, fear of squatting in a lovely field of poison ivy, fear of being discovered by rabid, driven-mad-by-syphilis hillbillies bent on finding themselves a "Mountain Bride?" Not being able to read the latest fly-fishing tips from the newest Field and Stream!!! Talk about being in the center of a hellish nightmare. I could be; to quote Mike Tyson; wrapped in a cocoon of horror. Crude subject I know, but hey, I spent the night in the HOCKOMOCK SWAMP. So I can say whatever I want, you fancy-boy pack of sissies!
All that toilet humor aside. I think I've found my spot. I will go back. It's a huge area and begs further investigation. I might have found a weekend home. Wish me luck. And if I don't make it back, well, anyone need a subscription to Field and Stream?

It's mid-March and the new researching season is almost upon us. During the winter months alot of researchers spend their time indoors and online. It's a good time to catch up on what's going on in the Bigfoot community, and also a good time to read and perhaps come up with some new strategies for the coming season. Not to say that there isn't anyone out there working a spot, but the potentially cold and snowy weather, combining with the drop in sighting reports from the winter months, keeps many folks indoors.
I'm very much looking forward to spring. I plan on doing quite a bit more field-work than I have in the past. My first year in this endeavor was spent solely on reading and learning all I could about our hairy woodland friend, and although I by-no-means consider myself an expert, I think I have a good starting place on which to work from. The second year was a combination of field-work and armchair research. Now, coming into my third year, I'm going to concentrate more on field-work.
I've gone over all my gear. Added a few pieces. Even repacked my evidence bag. I have a couple spots in mind where I plan on doing some overnights. Should be a good year. Will I find anything? Gee, I hope so. But even if I don't, there's nothing bad about spending time afield.