The hunted

The more I think about bigfoot and how elusive it is (much like my recent blogging - or lack thereof), the more I think about how intelligent it may be - more than we probably know.
I've been able to spend a lot of time reflecting on past experiences, not only that of which I have gone through, but those of others who have relayed their stories of a creature that they have - for lack of a betetr explanation - experienced.
As I sat on the train travelling through the Italian and Swiss Alps, I thought about that day when I heard the scream - a vocalization so powerful it stopped me dead in my tracks. And it was close - very close. I didn't see  the beast but I knew it was there. I knew it saw me. I knew it was warning me. I knew....well.....I knew that right at that moment, I was vulnerable.
A master of disguise and perhaps deception, for I never saw or heard anything before hand. No, I was carrying on, minding my own business - all the time something was working around me. Moving - observing - perhaps conspiring to commit an act that may have seen me respond with defensive aggression. I don't know - but I can tell you one thing - you are just as easily deemed "the hunted" as the beast you set out to search for to begin with.
No, I wasn't looking for Bigfoot at the time. Far from it. I was simply washing my dishes in the lake when I heard the scream. I did not know what I was hearing - but it was very real and very intimidating. My curiosity got the better of me and had led me on a path of discovery. A path that would eventually lead me to the concept of bigfoot.
It seems that the more I look for it, the more elusive it becomes. Just when you think you've stumbled onto something, there's another curve to bend around. It makes the hunt ever more enticing and I will never give up until the the mystery is clearly and open & shut case.
The hunt is on....

Real World Trail Cams

I'm sure many of you are already aware that the website http://www.chasingame.com offers reviews of trail cameras and associated equipment.

What you probably don't know is that many of their reviews are based on camera placements around feeders or baits and so a camera may see more intense activity than what it might normally go through, such as being used by people like us - who plant them, cross our fingers and hope that we get something.

The point is, stuff like battery usage & drain statistics that this site offers is based on the actual usage of the camera in the environment that they have set it up in. And it is these environments that drastically vary from our setups, which means we really should take some of the information provided with caution.

I can tell you that a camera in the bush that sees little traffic and has a good set of batteries in it will last longer than that specified by chasingame. Sometimes over 100% longer. I recall a friend mentioning that the batteries in his trail camera have been in there for quite some time. Now, I know it's not "consistent" use, but still, if you add up the days & hours it has been operating...this is when you start to see real world results

To me, battery life is very important because the areas that I want to research are at least a few hours away. These are places where I simply cannot attend over the lunch hour....no, these are areas where I have to set aside a half or full day to get up there, hike in, plant the cam, **Test the Cam**, then make the drive back. (Notice how I highlighted 'test the cam' ? Can't be overstated) .

So you see, to me, I want to be able to plant the cam and not have to worry about it running low only after a few days, otherwise it really doesn't make the trip worthwhile.

Mind you, some of us - me especially, will jump on a trail cam deal regardless of the performance and longevity in the field, but hey, thats what experimentation is all about. As we learn from our experiences, we pass along info to others so they are better informed!

In closing, I have a Wildview EzCam that chasingame had reviewed and they mentioned that after 12 days and 549 photos, the camera was done (batteries exhausted). This was using new "C" Energizer batteries in a baited area. The review is here: http://www.chasingame.com/index.php?id=106

What I wanted to do was put my camera to the test and see how it compares to their findings, based on different circumstances.

The differences would be: 1) A non-baited area and 2) different batteries
(When I say non-baited, it doesn't mean that I can't put the camera near a place that naturally draws animals, such as a blueberry patch. But putting out salt licks, seed, corn, anything like that -no, that is considered baiting)

And so, I have my EzCam deployed with a new set of Sony stamina platinum batteries as a comparable substitute to the energizers (These batteries have gotten reviews), no bait, in an area that I feel will offer average animal activity yet it is not a "deer highway".

The camera is sitting attached to a tree overlooking a clearing that animals may travel through. Trying to reduce false triggers, I ensured that I had a bit of cover above to prevent heat-based snapshots from the sun. I also made sure that I did not expose the camera to the easterly sunrise / westerly sunset directions as to further eliminate false triggers.

Now for the math. This is the part I find intriguing.
Chasingame says 12 days with 549 photos before the unit died. Well, the first thing we do is divide that number (549) by 3. Why? well, the EzCam has no adjustable settings except for the date & time. Everytime there is motion detected, the camera takes 3 pictures, each 10 seconds apart.

This means that in those 12 days, there were 183 detections or 15.25 (I will round it down to 15) detections per day if we average it out across all 12 days.
So, it will be interesting to see how my deployment works out. I wonder if we will surpass these figures? Here is what I think. My daily detections will be minimal, say 3 or 4 per day, but my runtime will be longer, say 18 to 26 days? Maybe longer? I don't know but it will sure be interesting to find out.

And what about you other folks? How do your cameras compare to what has been reviewed about them? Are the reviews accurate? What has your testing shown?
I will share my results as soon as they are in, hopefully with some great pics!!

By the way, I did catch a deer at about 3am passing by, but it was the only animal I captured. Attached are the pics. You can see the eyeshine and the rump.


EYESHINE MIDDLE, slightly to the right




RUMP, walking off to the right of the screen





Certainly not the best photos, especially given the fact that they are only 1.3mp, but in a pinch this camera works well and I ahvent had any operational issues with it.

One last thing....if you've lasted this long on this long and winded post ( )
I discovered what might be a little known secret gem (of course, I am not sure at this time but I am checking into it.....)

You know the Bushnell Trophy Cam - it's received some excellent reviews, has a great small size, long battery life, great trigger time and overall gives really good performance. They range from about $160 onwards, usually you find them for around $180

Well, Tasco is owned by Bushnell. And Tasco has a 5mp infra-red cam that is little known. Looks almost identical to the trophy cam. It is model 11-9215C but trying to find anymore than just some really general specs is like pulling teeth. I can't find a manual and I have emails into Bushnell to find out more about this camera since they dont have any resources on their site.

Why is this camera so appealing? Well, it can be had for $89 - $99. Yup, at that price, I might get two if the specs are in line with the nearly identical Bushnell product.

J

Reflections..Or stuff you want to forget!

With all that has been going on lately in my life and those around me, I haven’t been finding much time to reflect on what is on the horizon and what has already come and gone.

And for the few moments that I did find the time to do just that – “reflect”, well, it was this ONE particular moment – a traffic jam in front of the Ford Plant in Oakville- I smirked and thought to myself “Oh yeah, I TOTALLY forgot about that!” as I mindlessly crawled forward at 5km/h. Yeah, that’s right, 5km/h. I can walk faster than that.

So let me draw you back to when I ventured out for a 3 hour trip north, to my old stomping grounds once again.

I knew I was in for quite a hike – as to be expected,  but I felt confident. At least until the point when the car disappeared from sight. Then, that confidence seemed to wither away pretty quickly.

And so you know what made me think of this while I was stuck in traffic? My stereo. You see, I have this channel on XM radio called “Chill” and it’s a relaxation station that plays soft, ambient music to help calm the nerves. Something that I need after a long day at work and a grueling drive home.

Yeah, it was my stereo; as soon as I tuned it to chill, I had a flashback about that hike into the bush – the car was out of sight, and the first thing I did was grab a small portable radio from my knapsack and I tuned it to whatever I found comforting, playing it at a volume that was loud enough to say “I’m here” but not loud enough to be disturbing. And it was those voices – other people talking – that had such a calming effect over me.

Now I’m not saying that I became totally oblivious to my surroundings but It gave me that extra “umphhh” I needed to get me into the woods to the point where I was going to try and plant a trail camera. Yeah, the little radio was the company I needed and it was welcome. You see, this place is pretty desolate. In fact, a lot of areas of Ontario can be downright intimidating and spookey.

So as I approached the area , I turned down the radio and took a peek at the GPS. I was within 100 meters of the small clearing where I was going to mount the cam. I looked up after viewing the GPS and that’s where I saw a flash of Red and the soft chatter of humans not so far off in the distance. I was stunned at first - “People? Here? Why?

I did not believe they noticed me so I immediately retreated to take cover and try to observe the group with my binoculars. I just couldn’t get a good enough view through the bush, but I could hear them. At this point the radio was obviously off and I just waited, huddled down to see if they were transient or locked down to that one area. It seemed to be the later, so I decided to backtrack and reconsider a different area to plant the cam.

Now the thing is, I had never seen anyone is this area before. No signs of life (humans), nothing. To see this was quite unusual and I felt compelled to find out what they were doing, which meant that I had to get within viewing range of these folks, so I held off backtracking to plant the cam and I went into Ninja Mode (LOL!! ;)

Lo and behold, I found myself gazing upon two couples who were doing pastel paintings of a small rock outcrop that had a group of trilliums growing from it. I’m guessing students on a art class adventure, how the heck they ended up here, I had no idea, but it was a peaceful discovery that had me leaving the area satisfied that all was good.

And so I spent the next 2 hours scouting around the area. I did a big “loop” around the students to plant myself further north of them – much further north, and I found a beautiful spot that would please even the most fanatic trail cam operator – not saying that I am one LOL but I wanted to really give it a good run for the money. After all, It was a 3 hour drive there and back!

I was meticulous about the mounting of the equipment and I spent some time camoflaging everything to make it look right at home. And it worked. Quite well, for the next planned trip up there – two weeks later for fishing, I followed the GPS until I arrived at the cam. Low battery light was on, but it was still running.

I removed the camera from the mounting strap and opened it up. Voila! Lets see what we got!

Damn!!! I forgot to put in the SD card!!!!!

I needn’t say more. When you are distracted or overly-ambitious, you sometimes forget the simplest things.

And in this case, I think I just wanted to forget the whole thing…but now, in hindsight, I learned something and I can only chuckle at it. Nothing more.

Good night!

The Hermit

We often tend to think that we are "normal" in comparison to others; Self comparison leads to a level of sanity that we follow along with to ensure that we keep in line with all those who push the envelope. The term "your crazy" is so common now that we don't even consider it a threat to our existence and comparison to what we do. No, we simply strive to look at ourselves and with any luck say that we conform to everyone else's standards and so we are "cool". We fit in. We are ok. And that's that.

So what about those who to want to live a life alone, away from society? Does that seem crazy? Out of the ordinary? Why do some people, albeit perhaps only a few, decide to live this type of life? Is there something that attracts them to this solitude?

It would seem that this sort of lifestyle is referred to as being "a hermit". And the more I think about it, I believe it represents people who may have had a "jaded" past and this becomes part of the healing process, even though that healing process might be the wrong process - running away and avoiding the problem. Life away from it all.

Social structures are very different in all parts of the world and as we look at each nation and culture, I'm sure that many of us have turned our nose up to the way that others interact and survive on a day to day basis. As a Canadian, seeing what the rest of the world has to offer, I would really have to say that I am indeed one of the lucky ones. I really have no beef with anything or anyone that would drive me to the point where I would say "Fuck this, I'm done with everyone...I'm outta here".

Yet, some do that. They just get pushed one too many times. They have had it and they want an extreme change to put them in control, and the only way that is going to happen is if they are left to live on their own. A hermit. In the middle of nowhere.

With the paragraphs that I have written you might be saying to yourself "Ok Jason, what the hell are you trying to say here? What has this got to do with?"

And so we draw the conclusion. Solitude and peace are methods of escape. Being out of "radar range" gives people the comfort of knowing that their actions are not noted or monitored, rated or condescended upon. You are left to your own devices and lifestyle.

And these "hermits" as we call them, they do a damn fine job of being just that - I mean, when was the last time you ran across one? We know they exist.

Now take these same thoughts and apply the considerations and assumptions to sasquatch. Does it want to interact with humans? Perhaps, but there are scarce reports that solidly point in that direction. In fact, we have too little to go on and so with all the reports that we have - from vocalizations to actual sighting reports, the only thing that sasquatch wants to do is a) leave the area and b) not make a big show.

So what does that sound like to you? Something much like a hermit? Wants to be left alone and wants to live it's life in seclusion? I don't blame it!! It's got enough to worry about being out in the wild, let alone human interaction.

And then we have one other thought to consider, to be fair until we actual find out the truth about sasquatch - Feral humans. Outcasts, Strays. The sheer disgrace that may follow. Enough intelligence to know that it does not belong in society yet it must survive. What it boils down to is that when you compare a feral human to sasquatch - for whatever sasquatch really is, their objectives would more than likely be very similar to each other.

If we are looking at feral humans - people who are so far removed from society yet withold an intelligence that we ride closely against, then yes, I can see the hermitage. I can see the displacement from society. I can see, even if it wasn't a feral human, but just something that had a human-like intelligence.....something that just wanted to be alone. For it's own good. For its survival. Yes, I can see a hermit. And that hermit is trying to survive.

J.

Alone

Alone. It's a powerful word. "I did it by myself. I was all ALONE". It builds power. Statements become reinforced when one say's "It was just me, I did it. I was there...alone".

On the other hand, "Alone" takes on a whole new level of everything that we thought would mean nothing, really, physically or mentally, until you look at the end result.

I saw a Sasquatch. It was terrifying. At least 6 feet tall, dark, hairy. Moving with a slight hunch.

Now that is quite an opening line, don't you think? Now imagine if it was opened with or closed with "I was alone at the time". Do you step back.....do you go into skeptic mode and say "wait a minute...you were alone? No one else can back you up on this unusual event? Are you pulling my leg?"

Yet some stick to their guns and swear up and down that they saw, heard, smelt or just plain "experienced a sasquatch". Oh, of course, they were alone at the time. ALONE. Yeah, back to that word again.

It's hard to give any more than a bit of attention to a word that is so loosely used. "I was going it alone" "I saw it there, I was alone". "There was no one else around me. I was alone".

People will always try to reinforce the situational environment that they have "apparently"

been exposed to in order to try and draw a more attentive and agreeing crowd.

For example, one might escalate a story (and draw skeptics and such alike) into the scene by saying "I was alone" but it doesn't necessarily build things up. It adds a questionable circumstance about one's situation and the actual incident that occurred. Without others to back it up, we might as well throw it into the blobsquatch category.

Look at the amount of reports by people saying that they were alone at the time but this is when it happened. Now in contrast, how many people really do venture out into the bush ALONE? And of course, come back with these stories?

What stories you ask? Well, I was alone at the time.....

Hope you had a great weekend.

J

Survival of the fittest

I wasn't feeling too good today. Lack of sleep and a pinched nerve (I think) had led to a morning of pain and much discomfort. I took a couple of Ibuprofen and tried to go back to sleep. I managed to get a couple of hours but just couldn't sleep much more beyond the noon hour which was a miracle by any means to begin with. As I awoke the pain in the back of my neck and upper back really stung but I managed to get myself into the kitchen to make a coffee and try to wake up completely.

As groggy as I was, I sat down to read my emails and that in itself was a task because I had to squint. Somehow in Jason's body the eye muscles are connected to whatever is hooked up in the back and neck, for when I squinted to read a couple of messages I felt sick and I had sharp kicks of pain go through my neck.

Meanwhile, to take my mind off things, I thought about what I have done in the past. I mean, the places I have been and the conditions at the time. I was trying to make myself feel better, comparing the "poor conditions" in the field compared to being in the comfort of my own home. Yeah, even being in my own home I still felt like crap. I have a good bed, good pillows, everything was "typically" good. And there we have the jokers who made a few cracks about it all just being the result of a hangover from SuperBowl but all kidding aside, I was genuinely worried about my well being because it's not like me to be taken under the weather by something as simple as muscle pain. I tell you, it was a very quick decision made in the morning to just give up and call into work today because of the pain that I was in.

Well here we are. It's 11:03pm EST and it's almost bedtime. I feel better, but not "sparkling". I can move about and feel a little more relaxed but I still get stabs of pain in my neck and shoulders. As in the past, this will surely disappear. I can only hope.....but it's that sort of wishful thinking that also draws my attention to common illnesses and pain. As humans, we can recognize when we are in pain. We do stuff to fix the problem. A lot of it does not actually correct the problem, it just masks it. Why am I even mentioning this? Well, perhaps a little far fetched but I think we need to look at what animals do when they are sick. They hide. They hunker down. They seem to almost "hibernate" and take refuge from the world and in doing so they come out surviving their malady with minimal disruption. By way of instinct, an animal does what we would do if we did not feel well. We would disappear from the public, relax and get better, then re-emerge and continue life as we know it.

I don't need to tell you where this conversation is going but if you put 2 + 2 together, you might just realize that illness is in the eye of the beholder. If you feel that you can't just make it work you stay held back at your place, making sure that you are getting better. Something to think about next time your in the field. There are no hospitals, pharmacies, doctors, etc. It's just you and the woods. Our big hairy friend knows this all too well. It will be reserved and cautious with it's movements for fear that injury could really take it's toll. Any injury - could lead up to the demise of even the most formidable creature, including Sasquatch. We look at smallpox - an invisible enemy that literally wiped out a nation. We cured it but it took us by surprise. Where we seem so strong in some areas we remain considerably weaker in others. This is what kills us. This is what "turns over" a species. It's a sad way to put things but in the end, it's just life.

And so no doubt it might be one of the reasons why it has been to hard to gain proof & evidence of it's existence. Perhaps we killed it or have come close, simply by the viral and bacterial plagues that we are so used to. Perhaps it is like the North American Indian who lost several thousand to disease and viruses that we introduced unintentionally. We don't know, but in the end, it comes down to the same thing. Survival of the fittest.

J

Glowing Eyes - Yes, it happens.

I never bought into the idea that some Sasquatch reports noted "glowing" eyes. Not that I didn't believe the report in itself, but perhaps it was "enhanced"to draw attention. Glowing eyes is certainly a unique characteristic which is worthy of examination, don't you agree? In some respects it detracts from the actual sighting in itself. You saw a Sasquatch, or so you think, but you dwell on the "glowing eyes". Back up for a sec - you saw a Sasquatch? Aside from the glowing eyes, what else did you see? Or did you just see glowing eyes and then assume it was a Sasquatch. You need to put the horse before the cart to make reports like these move.

Now I certainly do not dispel the idea that "glowing eyes" exist. And I know that for a fact, only because I came across a unique situation that had me do a double-take when I noted a small fawn cross the road in North Oakville. Late at night. Glowing eyes. Glancing over to the shoulder and quickly noticing the eyes, but cautiously roaming back to the road to maintain control and care of the car - in that instance, I did not know what it was. I did not think Sasquatch - no, it was an animal, but it caught my attention and it caught me off guard. I quickly identified it as it leapt across the road, thankfully it did not pause like many do and become a splattered hood ornament. If that was the case I probably would not be writing this post right now.

The thing is, it was a perfect re-enactment. The fawn, the eyes, the fast action & movement. For a moment one might think of many things, see a shadow associated with the eyes, or just be travelling in a car too quickly to make sense of an observation. That was me, for a moment, but I put 2+2 together and I figured it out. As for these creatures in the forest that have glowing red eyes, I can only look back at my own experiences to relate to such stories and ask myself "Why"?

And you know, it's funny that the first answer I got was the most obvious. Your looking for something. Your waving your flashlight all over. Yeah, you might startle an animal, so what is it going to do? You got it - look at you. Voila -Glowing eyes. Surprised? Shouldn't be. You ever hit a tree with a Q-Beam after you scared the hell out of those little critters in your garbage can (for you city folk we call them raccoons LOL). Look at those little glowing eyes peering down at you. They don't really care about you. They just want YOU to disappear so that they come come back down out of the tree and continue their meal.

Reports are increasingly suggestive that much of a Sasquatches activity occurs during the nighttime. No doubt a nocturnal creature, thus the eyesight must be quite good in low light and the eyes themselves must be quite reflective. So let's take this one step further. As a creature that we deem to have an extended level of intelligence, would you think that it would continue to stare at a light source (causing the eyeshine) for any extended period of time? Not likely. Especially considering the fact that it's nightvision may be blown for a few minutes after such an exposure, thus limiting it's endurance. We've done it ourselves. If we look at something bright, we immediately squint and in most cases turn away. It preserves our vision based on the circumstances.

So, as I mentioned at the beginning, I never bought into the idea that Sasquatch's have glowing eyes. Based on what I mentioned, it's just a matter of the reflection of light. Many animals exhibit such visual behaviour. and no, I'm not classifying Sasquatch as an animal but just reiterating fact. Next time you see glowing eyes, think of the circumstances. Eyes usually only glow when a light source (visible or not) causes a reflection of such. Think of flash photography. Think of red-eye. The rest is left to your own thoughts.
Jason