I was asked this morning, via private message by one of my Facebook friends, what equipment he would need to take along on a bigfoot investigation in order to gather evidence.
I was wondering, if I were to by some slim chance to find tracks what is best for casting. I have sterile bags and latex gloves in case I find any hair samples or possible scat. What else should I use? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
There was a day not long ago when I would have sent him a long reply discussing the benefits of UltraCal vs. Plaster of Paris. Then, I probably would have launched into an extensive diatribe about hair samples, the unlikelihood of DNA extraction due to the absence of a medulla, the futility of gathering scat samples…
Today, instead, I simply replied:
I suppose the question is, what is your agenda? Mine has changed drastically. I have no interest in gathering “samples” anymore. I prefer to attempt an interaction, and therefore have hung up my typical “researcher” hat. Due to my recent work with a witness who has successfully interacted with the big guys at close quarters for years, I now realize what is POSSIBLE. Hair and scat don’t mean much anymore.
I’m sorry I can’t give you a better answer. Best of luck on your trip. :)
Autumn
The time I spend in the woods is my own once again. Rather than running around trying to prove the existence of something that I already know damn well exists to a reluctant audience of skeptics, skoftics and ignorants, I prefer to attempt to share it with those who live out there.
If they’ll let me. Because, you see, it really is up to them. I don’t have much say in it at all.
