Bigfoot researchers record thermal images

By Robb Lucas

MANISTIQUE — A group that searched for bigfoot in the U.P. woods this weekend plans to return in August.

A four-day expedition in Marquette County by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, collecting evidence supporting the existence of “sasquatches” began with mixed results but concluded with “excitement,” according to BFRO organizer/ researcher Matthew Moneymaker.

Just after midnight Saturday, veteran BFRO investigators Pam Porter of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Don Young of Phillips, Wis., saw “grainy blips” through the viewfinder of a thermal imaging camera near where a previous bigfoot sighting had been reported, Moneymaker said, and they caught some of what they saw on film.

About the same time, Minnesota-based researcher Chris Perlock filmed “something behind trees” on his thermal camera, “possibly hunkered down or crawling,” Moneymaker said.

“We are very excited,” Moneymaker said. “We definitely cannot claim to have bigfoot on video, or even that what we have will impress the rest of the world. We still have to review the footage. But I can say that these are our best thermal images yet, on two cameras.”

“We’re going to alter our schedule in order to come back to Marquette in August,” Moneymaker said. “We’re going into that area again with more equipment.”

The exact location will remain confidential, Moneymaker said.

The next BFRO expedition is scheduled for Northern Utah July 19-22, followed by New Mexico on Aug. 2-4.

It was Wednesday night, Moneymaker said, as BFRO investigators were attempting to “lure” bigfoot into camera range with a series of “howls” and other sounds that Porter captured a single response with her audio recorder. The tape of that response was evaluated during a Thursday briefing by the rest of the BFRO team.

“We weren’t sure what it was,” Porter said, “but we were able to rule out an owl, a coyote, or a wolf. It was not any of those animals.”

Thursday night that area was “uneventful,” Moneymaker said, and the decision was make to move the search area to remote site near Ishpeming, with only the Minnesota team of Perlock and Andy Peeper remaining behind in their tent. Friday night Perlock and Peeper heard “bi-pedal footsteps” and other sounds.

Friday night near Ishpeming, BFRO researchers set up a central “basecamp” from which “call” teams were sent out, each carrying a walkie talkie, recording equipment and a thermal imaging camera. While the area looked promising, Moneymaker said, the effort was called off at about 1:15 a.m. “We have never had much luck in a steady rain.”

Saturday, BFRO investigators rejoined Perlock and Peeper at the original location with recorders, radios, and thermal-imaging cameras.

“After we review the footage we will download it to our Web site,” Moneymaker said. “It’s going to be a big file, 10 or 20 megabites.”

Fox News Reporter Griff Jenkins filmed several BFRO Marquette expeditions for an upcoming television documentary. “I don’t know if they’re going to find Bigfoot,” Jenkins said, “but you have to appreciate the effort they put into it, and their sincerity. They are absolutely certain that bigfoot exists.” The BFRO Web site is one of several devoted to bigfoot. The BFRO has approximately 200 active member/researchers, Moneymaker said, and has conducted more than 30 expeditions in the U.S. and Canada since 1995.