'Bigfoots are real. The evidence shows it'
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - Bigfoot is no stranger to the Pacific Northwest: about a third of reported sasquatch sightings happen in Oregon and Washington.
The legend - or search - has gained new popularity from "Finding Bigfoot" on Animal Planet.
"It won't take long, a few years tops," Portland native and bigfoot hunter Cliff Barackman told a Springfield High School club. "These things are real, and soon everyone is going to know about it."
Barackman admits to a lifelong obsession with sasquatch, an obession he now gets to indulge by traveling the country with three other bigfoot experts in search of 'squatch.
He is used to dealing with skeptics, but during a recent visit to Springfield High School, barackman was preaching to the choir at the Sasquatch Brotherhood, a school club.
"It's like religion," said Austin Helfrich of the Sasquatch Brotherhood. "You try to spread religion. Sasquatch, you try to spread it around, and have other people start to believe in it. And it just spreads like wildfire."
"Finding Bigfoot" has helped fan the flames: 1.3o million people tuned in for the premiere of its third season.
"Certainly more people are becoming believers because of the show," Barackman said. "I don't encourage belief. I encourage weighing the evidence and coming to your own conclusion."
The Sasquatch Brotherhood's members have come to the conclusion that bigfoot is out there, and like many fellow enthusiasts, they feel there's a good chance he calls the Pacific Northwest home.
"Lots of forested areas, very wet, mostly lots of animals," Helfrich said. "I think it would be an easy location for sasquatches to live in."
Helfrich and his friends admit they get some odd looks from other students.
But the general public's skepticism doesn't seem to bother them - or Barackman. They are all convinced that sasquatch's days in the shadows are numbered.
"I don't have a PhD. I don't care what other people think of me," Barackman said. "Bigfoots are real. The evidence shows it."
Mah Daddy used to take me camping and huntin for a Sasquatch. when I finally found one to shoot, I couldn't pull the trigger. He came back to the campsite with us and we roasted tree bark over a fire, brushed each other's hair and talked about the weather.
Spike TV is offering ten million to the first person who actually brings tangible evidence that Bigfoot really exists. By tangible evidence, I would think that means bringing one in dead or alive.
I'm not interested in bigfoots....they don't shave their feet.
The civilized ones do.
Maybe it's really DB Cooper in a furry coat....both seem to be elusive and roaming the NW.
 @Kachina ~ My gosh, wouldn't DB Cooper be gettin' a little old by now to be traipsing around in the mountains?  :-)
Easiest way to catch the bigfoots is to put out a bunch of beef jerky. I hear they're suckers for the stuff.
 @RatchetRanger Nah....you sneak up on them, sprinkle a little salt on their tail, and when they turn around to see what's going on you nab them.....oh, wait....that's for jackalopes....oooopppppssss.....
@Blümchen @RatchetRanger Wow! You need to make a note of what creature your sneeking up on, that could have been a dangerous mistake
 @Pvpbw yeah, you only do that with the closing time chick at the end of the bar.....very dangerous.
Many people enjoy Pro Wrestling. Big Foot is the same type of stuff. In 67 years of being in the Coastal Mountains, I have never seen one, but then there are many things I have never seen that ARE out there. I have seen cougar, bear, bobcats, deer ,elk, and some rare animals, but not Bigfoot. But that does not mean they could not be there. Let these people enjoy their search (fellowship), they probably scoff at some of your pass times too.
 @Yamhill354  Have you seen the elusive Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus? They're pretty amazing creatures.
If I ever see a big foot in the brush it better not be a guy dressed up on a furry suit. Cause I intend to shoot it and at the very least get some blood for DNA if I can't take it down.
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At this point I am not a believer in big foot so there is little chance that I will ever see one.
Only a Yeti, the "Abominable Snowman," will find a Sasquatch, "Bigfoot".  A match made in heaven!  Rumor has it that they are going to honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands, hoping to find the Loch Ness Monster and make it their pet.
 @Michael L.  I see you're familiar with the TransPacific Brotherhood.... http://www.cafepress.com/zapatopi/7689489
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 @negativerep  @Michael L. LOL!
"It's like religion," said Austin Helfrich of the Sasquatch Brotherhood. "You try to spread religion. Sasquatch, you try to spread it around, and have other people start to believe in it. And it just spreads like wildfire."
That kind of says it all.
Two things I really love about America: Religious Fanatics and Bigfoot Experts.
The only reason anybody is interested in finding this creature is because they want to see if what they say about guys with big feet is true.
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@negativerep I thought that was big hands
Alright...I'm coming out. I'm a proud Sasquatch. I've been living in hiding for too long and I'm coming out but only in print because the world isn't prepared to meet me in S'quatcerson. Just to answer your questions; I've been married to the same wonderful Yetti for 20 years and we have four wonderful normal well adjusted off-spring with enormous feet. I hope that gives everyone a window into my liberal progressive attitudes and constant demand for equal rights.
This is such a load of s**t. I usually find this sort of thing really interesting, and we've all heard about 'Squatch for years. He talks about "evidence"....what would that be??? He hasn't shown me any except maybe some plaster foot casts. Give me a break. Why is it in all the decades no one has ever found a carcass or unusual bones with all the searching these people have done, or hunters and hikers tromping thru the woods. A few grainey photos shot from many feet away doesn't prove anything to me. Show me skeletal remains. Legends. They never go away...and neither do these people with nothing better to do.
@fracas I have been hunting in Oregon woods for the last 49 years and i have never seen a Squatch carcass or any other form of squatch exsistance, but then again in those 49 years i have yet to see a bear carcass either, and i know they exsist.
 @fracas No one ever has any hard evidence of a God but people pack into churches every week throwing money at them.  Don't see how this is any different.  At least the Bigfoot fans keep to them selves without judging others and causing wars all through history. Â
The question I have is, if someone finds Bigfoot what will they do next? Will they go up and shake his hand? Who wins the Super Bowl? All I'd do is haul *** out of there.
 @JLO I've never seen Bigfoot while out hiking but I'm always afraid I'm going to. I'd be right there with you running the other direction.Â
 @JLOÂ
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Kill it....and dissect it and stuff it and put in a display so that everyone can enjoy it.   Because that is what civilized people do. They enjoy stuffed things.
 @Icarus Great! Get stuffed!
I once watched a television debate about Bigfoot. There was one so called expert who said the reason we will never capture Bigfoot is that it can move between dimensions, and whenever someone would get close, Bigfoot would transport to a different dimension to avoid betting caught.
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I'm still waiting for them to find Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Lee, Jim Morrison and Amelia Earhart.
@Dirtman Ha ha, that "expert" probably spent a little too much time watching Star Trek as a kids.Â
 @Dirtman Don't forget about Jimmy Hoffa....
@scoreboard Oh yeah! Jimmy will be turning 100 years old this February. Maybe he will make an appearance then.
@Dirtman Like Bigfoot, I think his sanity and logic can move between dimensions, too! At least these nutjobs gave me a good laugh this morning. :)
@JGalt I don't know about dimension travel, but I do think they may be shape shifters. That could be why we don't see them.
 @Pvpbw  @JGalt ~  If I remember right,. some of the Native Americans have "shape shifters" in their mythology... fascinating to read about...
 @Pvpbw  @JGalt Oohh so you are thinking along the lines of Grimm... they can appear human and interact with humans and hide their true form... Ok now we need to get Nick on case!
Boy, some legends just don't give up... Â but whatever makes these people happy, I guess... Â :-)
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But if it does turn out that there IS a "Bigfoot", let's just leave him/her/it in peace, OK? Â Â We humans have managed to destroy / decimate / exploit just about everything else on the planet...leave Bigfoot alone...
Isn't the plural of Bigfoot, Bigfeet?
 @MadMax64 Bigfootses?
 @MadMax64 Octopus=Octopie....bigfoot=bigfootie?
@MadMax64 And what species are they? Sasquatchians? Sounds Canadian.
every inch on land has been stepped on my humans with no physical evidence... other than i saw a dark figure . case closed
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Well, they say that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. But I gotta say, this "Finding Bigfoot" program is' if not a total hoax from start to finish, these guys are just Boy Scouts on a perpetual snipe hunt.
 @Mechanic snipe are good if they're grilled right.
@Mechanic I love that show - I think it's hilarious. I really would like to see them (or somebody) find real evidence but I won't hold my breath.
I dont know about bigfoots, but every time I go into town I see bigbutts
 @LostSoul And they don't lie..
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great now I am going to have that song in my head all day
@dandalion yep baby got back. Thanks now Im going to actually have to dig it out of a box and listen to it
If Bigfoot does exist, I say - leave him alone.Â
@Kachina I think he just liked your comment.