Editor To Talk On Radio

Daniel Perez, editor of the long running paper publication, the Bigfoot Times newsletter, will be interviewed on KSGVRadio.com on October 16th, 2009, Friday in the evening at about 8:30 pm. You should be able to go to their website to find out more information.

Boring Bigfoot Meet?

Carlene Fontenot of Lake Charles, La., shows off a drawing of Bigfoot she made during the recent Texas Bigfoot Conference. Husband David Fontenot looks on. David said he's 'always been curious' about Bigfoot and Carlene said she's open to the possibility of such a creature.




COMMENTARY: MIKE LEGGETT (Texas newspaper, the American Statesman)
Texas Bigfoot Conference more boring than you would think
Sunday, October 04, 2009
TYLER — Janine Melnitz: 'Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?'

Winston Zeddemore: 'Ah, if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say.'

— 'Ghostbusters'

Bigfoot is boring.

Correction. Bigfoot conferences are boring.

Bigfoot could not be boring if the conference speakers weren't so dull. Heck, most of them were barely breathing.

I went to the 2009 Texas Bigfoot Conference expecting people in gorilla suits milling about among semi-crazed gangs of gonzo, tattooed, barrel-chested beandips. I found instead only a polite, older crowd of mildly sleepy true believers who only came alive at the mention of the TV show "MonsterQuest" or the movie "The Legend of Boggy Creek." I thought surely someone would be selling BLT — Bigfoot, lettuce and tomato — sandwiches and Abominable Snowman cones during the lunch break, but there were only Cokes and Subway sandwiches.

Trying not to sound breathlessly moronic and relentlessly off kilter must be hard work. The stream of people calling themselves Bigfoot researchers — an astounding number of them PhDs, college professors and scientists from any number of fields — droned on all day, talking about satellite imagery, global rainfall patterns, Bigfoot territorial behaviors and specialty field work searching for Bigfoot signs. Even the crowd of believers was nodding off by the afternoon. I was asleep and drooling down the front of my shirt.

The discussion was arcane, jargon-laden and focused often on something they call cryptozoology — basically, the study of animals not yet proven to exist.

And I guess that's what the conference was all about, attempts to prove that Bigfoot, or Sasquatch if you prefer, does live some place other than in legend. Actually, what they're trying to do is get mainstream science to admit that all the misshapen plaster casts, bad photographs and over-dramatic TV shows are evidence that the creature lives in Texas and other states.

There certainly have been sightings in other states, among them Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. There's the Fouke Monster, made famous by the Boggy Creek movie. There's the Lake Worth Monster, a Fort Worth phenomenon since proven to be false. There's the Skunk Ape, Yeti and the Honey Island Swamp Monster, named for a wet, muggy region near New Orleans.

It was the latter that lured David and Carlene Fontenot from their home in Lake Charles, La., back to the Bigfoot conference for a second year. I approached them in the parking lot at lunch. "I've always been curious about it," David Fontenot said. "(Relatives) reported seeing them and smelling them in the swamps when I was a kid. I've never seen one, but a lot of cultures all report having a creature like (Bigfoot)."

Carlene Fontenot said she was open to the possibility of a Bigfoot creature living somewhere in North America.

She even drew a picture during one of the discussions depicting Bigfoot as he's portrayed in legend, "but I'd have to see a body," she said.

That would be a six-foot, seven-foot, eight-foot or even nine-foot long body, weighing upward of 500 pounds. The size depends on which eyewitness account we choose to believe because no actual Bigfoot ever has been located, dead or alive. And therein lies John Bindernagel's problem. Bindernagel has a doctorate and is known for having written a book famous — among believers — for its accuracy about Bigfoot/Sasquatch. He spoke at the conference, too.

"My book didn't generate any scientific dialogue," Bindernagel lamented. He was shocked. "The papers I've submitted have been routinely rejected. It's my subject. I had described the anatomy, etc., of an animal not yet discovered." That could put a chill on any response. And it raises this question: If it's yet to be discovered, how could he describe what it looked like and what it ate? Or its breeding habits or where it lives?

John Mionczynski, who works for something called the North American Ape Project at Idaho State University and the most chillingly boring of the conference speakers, said this: "At this point, what we have is a phenomenon ... but no tangible evidence."

I can't even begin to go into all the reasons — twisted trees, sounds in the brush, scary noises — for why people believe in Bigfoot. Most of them could be described by noting if they hadn't believed it, they wouldn't have seen it with their own eyes. I don't believe it's real so the unknown "encounters" I've had in Alaska and Africa and South America I write off as simply unknown, not as Bigfoot. It could be the Tooth Fairy. And just as likely. I just don't know.

But I do know there's no such thing as Bigfoot. And by the way, Elvis is dead.

mleggett@statesman.com

New Book by Michael Newton

Michael Newton is a freelance author with 212 book published since 1977 and 25 more scheduled for release from various [publishing] house through early 2011. His Hidden Animals has a section on Bigfoot and is 341 pages long. The book is listed for $85 from ABC Clio Publishing and was released September 2009. Hardback. Click on the image to see a larger view.

Honobia Bigfoot Conference and Festival

The Conference and Festival were amazing this year...the line up of speaker's was incredible, Dr. Jeff Meldrum, R.Scott Nelson, Thom Powell, Cullen Hudson, David Paladies, Harvey Pratt.....it was really great.



We arrived Late on Monday night, found our cabin and went to bed, as we had an early start the next day, meeting up with Darren Lee and Randy Harrington from the MABRC (Mid-America Bigfoot Research Center) most of the next 3 days were spent relaxing and taking in some of the really beautiful scenery that South East Oklahoma has, as Thursday approached it was time to prepare, and with all of the Texla Research Team there and the MABRC, we got right to work.



Now we also had some company, some people that I would like to say we had the best time hanging out with, and that was Tonya and the Discovery Channel Crew that spent the weekend with us filming, but also Justin Miner, Jordan Hughes and Joe White the guys from " On the Fringe", a local bunch of friends that now have a T.V. show that is airing in Europe. All of you can check them out at www.onthefringeonline.com .

Thursday afternoon a storm came through dropping torrents of rain on us but we kept a positive outlook, Dr. Meldrum and Thom Powell were to arrive today, so that kept our spirits up.



I guess good thoughts go along way , because the storm passed and a beautiful clear night fell on Honobia , Oklahoma....we couldn't have ask for better.



Dr. Meldrum still feeling the effects of the Flu bug he was just getting over stayed in town at the Bed and Breakfast, while he rest of us made our way up to base camp on the mountain.....and I have to note ....That’s where Thom Powell Stayed the entire weekend, sleeping under a lean to on an air mattress with a sleeping bag.



That night while riding the trails with Thom, Randy Harrington, Professor Marvin Leeper and Myself we found two things of great interest, 1st in the middle of the trail, was a flat rock with a plastic bag on top being held down by another flat rock, Thom and the rest of us quickly said that someone was messing with us and simply threw the rocks to the side and stuck the plastic bag back into the Polaris Ranger...that seats 6 by the way ....WOW!

We drove for several miles back into an area where there was a camera trap and bait station the Randy had set up just before the rains had come in, with the film crew to document, and then had to race down as the rains, just poured. ...we wanted to see if the VISUAL / AUDIO bait station was working, all four of us left the trail and walked up the mountain in the dark to check things.....I have to say with giving away anything , it did look really cool, and IM sure that a Sasquatch would find it very interesting.



As we Climbed back onto the Polaris, Thom was ask if we should turn around there or just keep going, this is an important question as what we found next is incredible...Thom stated he wanted to just keep going.....about a quarter of a mile later we came upon another rock/stone structure with a plastic bottle on top held in place by 2 rocks on either side. we again felt as if someone was playing around with us, Thom even stated that if it were another research group trying to make an offering to a Sasquatch that it was really a poor effort on their part , and we started to dismantle the structure....when we got all the way to the bottom , Randy Harrington nearly died.....I have to go back now in time to Monday afternoon....MABRC had arrived early in the afternoon on that day.....unloaded their gear and ATV's on another mountain and set up a camp, then went riding the trails over there, Roy Mcclish placed one of the 2 new radios he had bought for this trip in his coat pocket and away they went, upon returning to camp he learned that the radio had fallen out of his pocket somewhere along the trail. also Mr. Dave Ganote also with MABRC had several photos in his upper jacket pocket that he had forgotten were there , from a trip he had taken his grandchildren on , and found that a couple of those had also been lost along the many trail‘s.



Now lets get back to Thom , Randy , Marvin and Myself on Thursday night , on a different trail in a different area....digging to the bottom of a stone structure that was sitting in the middle of the trail.....and at the Bottom.......The missing radio!

Now I know that sounds Fantastic, But as we rode back to camp, it became clear no one would believe us ...until Thom said to have the camera crew… (Who by the way was not with us but had been invited to go) Have them turn on their cameras and then have Roy confirm that we had indeed found his missing radio.....Then show the Pictures that we took and tell how we found it.

AMAZING NIGHT....that's all I can say....but it continues.



Friday morning the 1st day of the conference, Randy Harrington drives his Polaris up in front of the Conference Center and prepares to set it up to play some music as people are coming into the Building....Randy notices the Plastic bag that we had found the night before and is about to just throw it into one of the many trash barrels on the grounds, when he notices there is something in the bag....he reaches in and pulls out....one...just one, of the missing pictures from Dave Ganote.



Take from all of that what you will but , I wanted to make sure ....I hunted down the Film Students that Randy had taken up early Thursday Afternoon to that same spot ,before the rains came in and ask them if there had been anything....they confirmed that there had been no structures of any kind on the mountain when they were up there Thursday afternoon, and after they had come down during the storm , all the MABRC folks and Texla were in the Conference Center setting up , Randy and Darren Lee had Left to go to Talihina to pick up Thom and Jeff in Darren's wife’s Mini Van...and it was after they returned that we all went up on the Mountain....and that the events of the night unfolded. WOW im out of breath just typing all of that.



Now back to the Conference , Thursday was just full of information workshops , on various things , such as casting tracks, use of equipment , finding good research areas, conducting interviews...and of course Dr. Meldrum , Thom Powell and several other on had to sign books and meet everyone.

the lobby area had several tables set up with display boards and information about Bigfoot / Sasquatch, Glass display cases housed several track castings, and all of the silent auction items were on display as well....it was a great day.



The crowds of course smaller as it was a Friday and people are still at work and kids are in school, but still we had very nice crowds , milling around the vendors , listening to the music in the pavilion , kids playing in the bounce houses and slides....it was really a fun day.



We wound up our day by taking the " On The Fringe" film crew along with the Discovery Channel Crew out several miles south west in the mountains to see if we could get any vocals....we did hear one Whoop vocal in response to our call blast...but it was down in a very steep valley, and not easy to get to since we were all parked up on the ridge...but Justin Miner, Jordan Huges and Myself decided we would go down. after a bit of a walk to get into this valley we found ourselves in a small open meadow , where on one side the crickets and things were chirping away, while on the other side was dead silence just very creepy ...we noted that and started back up . Once we reached the top it was getting late and we were all feeling the effects of a long day. So we drove back to the Festival grounds were many many people were camped, and where our Cabin was located and turned in for the night.



Saturday was the Big Day, and we were not disappointed, the Crowds came early and the in droves, the speakers were in fine form the whole day, the food was great, when I got the chance to eat, and everyone had a great time.



Of course Dr. Meldrum's presentation was very good, But I never laughed so hard as when Thom Powell gave his presentation, and if anyone out there wants to hear just an amazing speaker ....go and listen to R.Scott Nelson and his work on the Sierra Sounds Audio....it is mind blowing.

All in All we had very large crowds for the whole event, and everyone had a great time , and now we are on to planning Next years event and getting ready to get back into the Field here in Texas and we really hope to see all of you at the 2010 Honobia Bigfoot Conference and Festival.





Mike Hall
www.texlaresearch.com

Bigfoot Times, October 2009

A closer look at the author of Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us, published in 1978, but still required reading for anyone who wants to know more about the Bigfoot subject. This Bigfoot Times will be released on October 8th. Don't miss a single, exciting issue of the world's leading newsletter. Get your membership going today!