Bigfoot in Michigan? Animal Planet seeks him; Washtenaw County has had multiple sightings

Posted on Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 10:48 a.m.

Bigfoot in Michigan? Animal Planet seeks him; Washtenaw County has had multiple sightings

By Cindy Heflin

Producers of the Animal Planet television show “Finding Bigfoot” have brought their search for the elusive and possibly mythical creature to Michigan, the Detroit News reports.

Photographers Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin made this image Oct. 20, 1967, purportedly showing a female Bigfoot, during a horseback search in northern California for Sasquatch or "Bigfoot."

AP file photo

They’re filming in the Houghton Lake area, but sightings of Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch are not limited to that area. In fact, Washtenaw County has had more sightings than any other county besides Oscodo and Schoolcraft, according to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization.

The Washtenaw County tally is seven, with the latest being in 2008, when some hunters experienced what was described as “possible Sasquatch intimidation behavior" near the Pinckney State Recreation area.

Schoolcaft County has had nine sightings and Oscoda has had eight.

The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization said it got some leads on the ape-like creature at a town hall meeting April 5 at the Houghton Lake Playhouse, BFRO’s Phil Shaw told The News.

You can watch “Finding Bigfoot” Sundays at 10 p.m.

Read The Detroit News article.

Comments

Hemenway

Sat, Apr 14, 2012 : 2:15 a.m.

Will he sign autographs?

Red Floyd

Thu, Apr 12, 2012 : 12:29 p.m.

Curses, Stephen! I had my cougar joke all ready to go, and was scrolling through the comments, making sure no one else had made a cougar joke yet, and with one comment to go before I was in the clear, you gotta go and beat me to the punch! :)

Stephen Landes

Thu, Apr 12, 2012 : 3:37 a.m.

Big Foot is shacked up with a cougar near a dumpster behind Busch's.

Rudedog

Thu, Apr 12, 2012 : 2:13 a.m.

So are most of the Washtenaw sightings during Hash Bash?!

Mr. Ed

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 10:16 p.m.

I saw one in my back yard or I thought I did. It turned out to be my former wife. Scared the heck out of me.

Joe_Citizen

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 10:04 p.m.

Hey Man, I know that dude. He's the cat that lives down the street. Yeah, yeah, he' furry, furry hair all over him and only comes out at night. Yeah, yeah, some say he he lives there with his wife and ten children, but no one has ever really saw them. Well, he has only been seen a few times himself. Come talk to me and I will show you where he's at for a nice sum of money.

tim

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 8:15 p.m.

Here's the rules--- if you see him you can only take his picture with special ( secret) out of focus camera.

UFOfairyologist

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 6:32 p.m.

I think one is more likely to see a bridge troll. http://urban-fairies.com/images/TROLL%20BRIDGE/Caught2.jpg

sasquatch

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 6:08 p.m.

Time for me to head further up North...

kraiford12

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 6:53 p.m.

*Tree Knock* .....*awaits response*

A2centsworth

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 5:54 p.m.

Now they are going to be chasing down every hairy backed guy at the beach....

treetowncartel

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 5:44 p.m.

This area of the state is known more for the loup garou then it is Saskwatch. http://strangeworldofmystery.blogspot.com/2009/07/michigan-dog-man.html There was also a hermit/ grizzlie admas type of sorts that used to live in the woods near Harrison back in the first part of last century that was known as the Bear Man of Michigan. You can see footage of him here at 3:10, but you might just enjoy watching the whole clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMR7veI78f8

snark12

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 6:12 p.m.

Thanks for that Youtube link. A great example of early tourism material!

Unusual Suspect

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 5:16 p.m.

"possible Sasquatch intimidation behavior" So, it's a bullying issue then?

sidwally

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 5:04 p.m.

Please don't let those wastes of human life enter Michigan.

kraiford12

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 6:55 p.m.

Hey now! I love my Sunday nights involving beer and "Finding Bigfoot"

Unusual Suspect

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 4:41 p.m.

Maybe they'll find the Manchester Panther while they're out there looking around.

lumberg48108

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 4:01 p.m.

and .. the pic in the story 9from the famous video) has been debunked by a confession from the suit maker who admitted he made the suit for a prank and altered it to look less like a bear

lumberg48108

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 7:42 p.m.

here you go - it was big news when it came out Philip MorrisIn 2002, Philip Morris of Morris Costumes (a North Carolina-based company offering costumes, props and stage products) claimed that he made a gorilla costume that was used in the Patterson film. Morris says he discussed his role in the hoax privately in the 1980s but first admitted it publicly on August 16, 2002, on Charlotte, North Carolina, radio station WBT-AM.[48] Morris claims he was reluctant to expose the hoax earlier for fear of harming his business: giving away a performer's secrets, he said, would be widely regarded as disreputable.[49] Morris said that he sold an ape suit to Patterson via mail-order in 1967, thinking it was going to be used in what Patterson described as a "prank"[50] (ordinarily the gorilla suits he sold were used for a popular side-show routine that depicted an attractive woman changing into a gorilla.) After the initial sale, Morris said that Patterson telephoned him asking how to make the "shoulders more massive"[51] and the "arms longer."[52] Morris says he suggested that whoever wore the suit should wear wide football-type shoulder pads and hold sticks in his hands within the suit. His assertion was also printed in the Charlotte Observer.[53] As for the creature's walk, Morris said: The Bigfoot researchers say that no human can walk that way in the film. Oh, yes they can! When you're wearing long clown's feet, you can't place the ball of your foot down first. You have to put your foot down flat. Otherwise, you'll stumble. Another thing, when you put on the gorilla head, you can only turn your head maybe a quarter of the way. And to look behind you, you've got to turn your head and your shoulders and your hips. Plus, the shoulder pads in the suit are in the way of the jaw. That's why the Bigfoot turns and looks the way he does in the film. He has to twist his entire upper body.[54] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patterson-Gimlin_film

snark12

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 6 p.m.

I'm certainly no Bigfoot believer but I can't find good evidence of a suit maker confession. Wikipedia doesn't mention it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patterson-Gimlin_film And this article (from a pro-Bigfoot source, admittedly) claims that the "it was all a hoax" claims are themselves hoaxes. http://www.bfro.net/news/korff_scam.asp Like I said, I have no dog in this fight but I wondered if you have a link to something more conclusive that it was a hoax?

lumberg48108

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 3:59 p.m.

As South Park so eloquently pointed out last week, if you say you saw a Big Foot you are either lying or stupid Watching that show is so much fun because of the complete nonsense delivered by the hosts we all want to believe in Big Foot but the complete lack of a fossil record says none exist other info -- no real video or pics yet after all these years? No one has hit one with a car in all these years? No hunters have accidentally shot one? No bears have killed any and left the bodies? Believe in the myth folks, it makes for fun reading and stories but dont pretend they exist

Bcar

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 3:55 p.m.

I knew I should shave more...

Angry Sasquatch

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 3:39 p.m.

Heh, I do a rare login to comment about the best Coney's in Washtenaw County and here's an article about another lame Animal Planet show focusing on my people. Why can't that network just stick to documentaries strictly about animals. Too many reality shows with a human element now. The only way I'll make an appearance on this show is if the two hot daughters from Pit Bulls and Parolees are part of it.

Hmm

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 4:32 p.m.

LOL

Top Cat

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 3:27 p.m.

I saw Bigfoot in Mouth the other day on TV. He also goes under the name of Ozzie Guillen.

Tru2Blu76

Wed, Apr 11, 2012 : 3:25 p.m.

Sasquatch is everyone's favorite "urban legend" - including mine. But I've been all around Michigan's remote areas over the past 50 years and never had an actual sighting. I did have one deer hunting experience in the U.P. when I felt certain I was being followed and watched - unique because I'm quite comfortable in the deep woods even when I'm alone. "Skookum" is supposed to be an indian word for Sasquatch. Well, I've camped not far from Skookum Bridge on the upper reaches of the Pine River (SW of Cadillac) and never met the bridge's namesake. Still, I used to know a resident of that area and she avows to having seen a Sasquatch crossing the road one night while driving her mother home.

Stephen Landes

Thu, Apr 12, 2012 : 3:40 a.m.

driving her mother home from.............?