by Bob Barhite
ABSTRACT
The purpose for a long-term investigation of the selected location in southwest Wisconsin is three-fold:
Test for a correlation between currently prevalent severe weather events and the frequency and nature of any observed Sasquatch behavior;
Determine if behavioral markers or patterns of behavior are present in the resident Sasquatch population, and if so, analyze these in an effort to define that population in terms of demographic makeup and ecological strategies and lifeways.
I will gather a variety of data to test for changes in behavior of an observed population of Sasquatch in the study area, looking specifically at a possible correlation between that behavior and historical accounts of extreme weather conditions.
LOCATION DETAILS
Location: Wisconsin
Geologic features: The setting is controlled by bedrock with a thin discontinuous cover of loess soil. Under the location is granite bedrock, the remnants of ancient mountains which have been eroded down to a granitic plain. Over eons, ancient seas alternately covered and retreated from the location, and in the process both deposited soft sediments and eroded them, leaving behind exposed granite. The last sea (the Silurian) covered the area about 400 million years ago. Cementation and pressure transformed the sands and remaining sediments into sandstone and limestone. During the last 400 million years most of the location’s Niagara dolomite has been eroded away, leaving only a few remnants behind. The area is commonly referred to as the “Driftless Area” because of the extreme relief in the landscape produced by millions of years of unchecked erosion, and a lack of debris left over from a series of glaciers which moved across the Midwest from thousands to millions of years ago which completely missed the area.
Natural resources: The location is densely wooded, offering ample cover for any animal moving through the area. Year-round water is readily available as there are several small streams and a natural spring close by. Food is abundant for an omnivore. Wild nuts and fruits like blueberries, raspberries, and mulberries are readily available. Several small cornfields are present with an abundance of deer. Streams in the area are stocked with trout, and a variety of livestock and livestock feed are readily available for consumption.
Human habitation: The study area is quite isolated. The closest house is approximately 1,500 feet from where recorders are deployed for this study. Within 4,500 feet, or just under one mile, there is one small farm and five homes. There is a cell phone tower located about three miles to the east/northeast of the study area and its red lights are partially visible.
MATERIALS
Recording equipment: A Tascam DR-8 digital audio recorder with Giant Squid omnidirectional external microphones, in a water-tight box, is the primary data collection tool. This recorder has the ability to do timed daily recording, turning on and off at specified times. This allows for deployment of a recorder for several days at a time without undue disturbance of the natural environment. Audio recordings are reviewed using Audacity. Recordings are not extensively filtered or amplified initially. Audio that is in need of extensive post processing is reviewed and processed at a professional sound recording facility during studio downtime.
Other Equipment: A Nikon F2, 35mm SLR film camera is utilized for the capture of eyeglow on Kodak Ektar 100 negative film. A thermal recorder is used at night for surveying landscapes and recording observations of activity by nocturnal animals.
CURRENT RESEARCH
History: The initial investigation of the site began in August, 2012, following a lead from investigator Steve Moon. Three primary factors contribute to the suitability of the study area as Sasquatch habitat; low human population density, ready availability of water and food, and ample cover.
Weather trends: During the summer of 2012 southern Wisconsin suffered through an extreme drought, as did much of North America. In addition, July saw numerous record high temperature recordings. Climate patterns have persisted in producing unpredictable extremes in weather, directly affecting the study area in ways that are presently not well understood.
This investigation focuses primarily on the only source of free-flowing water in the vicinity, which is a small stream. The stream borders a limited access state park road before cascading downhill and through a shallow valley. The stream is not as susceptible to drought as are other area water features, such as farm ponds, because it is largely if not completely spring fed. The presence of the stream may produce an oasis affect, providing the resident Sasquatch with cool clean water during prevailing harsh and dry conditions. If so, the attraction of the stream to the Sasquatch may be detectable through an analysis of Sasquatch activity at the study site.
2012: At approximately 9:30 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012, a night survey was conducted at the study area, with a vehicle parked about forty feet from the stream. Within five minutes of arrival brilliant blue eyeglow was observed at a distance of less than forty feet. The eyeglow appeared to move up an embankment, pause for a few seconds, then move back down. The eyeglow appeared to be hovering. A pair of eyes were observed, and these appeared to blink. The color of the eyeglow was significantly different from the few fireflies that were visible. The interaction lasted for approximately twenty minutes. In addition, there was a very strong, pungent odor present. The best description of the odor is a wet dog wrapped in an old wool horse blanket. This odor was strong enough to trigger an allergic reaction in the author, causing watery eyes and upper respiratory congestion.
The author returned to the location numerous times through the end of 2012, with some form of interaction experienced each time. Wood knocks, eyeglow, heavy stomping of the ground, rocks thrown, and vocalizations were all observed. A series of vocalizations were heard on an occasion by the author and three companions. A high level of interaction was observed to occur during a six week period between August 12 and September 30, after which the intensity of interaction was observed to diminish dramatically.
Based on the above observations monitoring of this location has increased and has remained a consistently monitored area. Audio recordings are typically analyzed as soon as they are collected. A concentration of known behavioral markers found to be present in these recordings could possibly allow for an interpretation of Sasquatch behavior, particularly if accompanied by corroborative evidence. Long and short term changes or patterns in Sasquatch behavior that is detected will be tested against historical weather conditions for the study area.
2013: In 2013 investigations led to a startling discovery. Three large bones were found atop a boulder, covered with several years-worth of leaves.
The bones were analyzed in the University of Iowa Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences by paleontologist Holmes Semken, who determined that the bones are bovine. The photograph above illustrates the orderly arrangement of the bones as they were originally found on top of the boulder. The nearest dairy farm where cattle are present is about a half mile away.
The boulder where the bones were apparently cached is quite isolated and is a prominent feature of the area. The following is a 360 degree panoramic photograph taken April 2014 from atop the boulder where the bones were discovered.
2014: A significant interaction occurred on the evening of Tuesday, March 10, 2014. The weather in the location was abnormally warm, reaching 57 degrees F. At about 8:30 pm a night op was initiated at the study area. It was partly cloudy with light winds from the north. The path was icy, but walkable, indicating crisp conditions in the woods. After about 30 yards of hiking through the darkness, both red and blue eyeglow were observed directly in front of the author. The red eyeglow was observed moving to the left, and the blue eyeglow was observed moving to the right. Because the eyeglow changed positions, and the fact that blue eyeglow was observed, the cell phone tower located about three miles away was ruled out as a possible source for the red eyeglow. The behavior of the Sasquatch that was betrayed by their eyeglow was aggressive, with eyeglow appearing to approach, try to outflank, pause, and then retreat. The eyeglow finally retreated into a shallow valley directly adjacent the authors’ position.
2018: Incidents continue to occur. The most recent observed activity occurred on the evening of Sunday, September 9, 2018. During a night op an object was heard hitting a nearby tree within minutes of arrival. Three knocks were heard to emanate from a northeasterly direction, from an area where similar sounds have been observed by the author on numerous occasions since beginning this study in August of 2012.
Updates to this report will be published periodically, with data and analyses published in a final report sometime in 2020.
Bob Barhite
Lowlands Bigfoot Research Group
*The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.