
Ah, Bigfoot. This large bipedal humanoid of the (usually) Pacific Northwest is almost as elusive as I am these days. But maybe we’re getting closer to unraveling his mystery?
Spoiler warning: We are not.
While I began this article with the thought that, maybe, there would have been at least a few compelling stories in the news this year, I was met with decidedly not that. Of course, we’ve had a number of alleged Bigfoot sightings pop up throughout 2023, from his usual stomping grounds of Washington State, to the forests of Vermont, and even as an unusual dark blob on Google Earth. But none of the recent evidence is particularly convincing. Let’s have a look, anyway!
Drones & AI Vs. A Very Fake Bigfoot
You have to wonder how Bigfoot is coping with the growing number of drones, satellite imagery, and TikTokers out there. Is there anywhere to hide, anymore? Or maybe Bigfoot has the right idea, and somewhere deep in the forest is just the place to be.
Whatever the case, he appears to have some help staying in the shadows, as Bigfoot statues and prank videos take up most of our attention. He’s always keeping investigators on their toes!
Footage from December 2022 (which is our latest major Bigfoot story – that’s just how these things work!) appears to show a brown, furry humanoid marching through the trees in Vermont. While the video originally appeared on YouTube, it was shared again this month on the world’s latest hotbed of breaking paranormal discovery – TikTok.
The video begins with the witness claiming he wants to show us a road, but then suddenly notices something just to the side, within the trees. He hops out of his car and, using a drone, sends a camera up to capture whatever it was. At first, the snowy path appears empty, but soon our big-footed friend emerges – or so it would seem – and the drone steadily pursues. Was it Bigfoot? It would appear to be so, taking a leisurely stroll through the forest!
The TikTok-er(?) even went so far as to say it was “one of the best recordings of what looks to be like a Bigfoot caught on camera,” according to LADbible.
But was it? Was it really? Probably not, given that the original video was a joke all along (given away, possibly, by the “Not Real” in its title)!
In more interesting news – as much as the topic of a 56-year-old minute-long sasquatch video can possibly be interesting – the classic Patterson–Gimlin Bigfoot footage recently underwent an AI glow-up, resulting in a much more stabilized version.
Experts used AI and computer vision to stabilize viral footage of the Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot Film from 1967. pic.twitter.com/5b8NYpBQ31
— Rowan Cheung (@rowancheung) March 30, 2023
Another Day In Washington
The Rocky Mountain Sasquatch Organization shares quite a few Bigfoot sightings on their blog, and have done so since 2015. Back in January, they received a photo of a potential Bigfoot (or a very lost Planet of the Apes extra) in the forests around the Hoh River in Washington State. Ron B, friend of the witness, also claimed to have had his own encounters with something in the area, including hearing howls. He says the photo was taken by his friend “about a year and a half ago,” which would have put the event around June 2021.
Meanwhile, if you or someone you know happens to be a Bigfoot, you might want to consider moving to Clallam County, Washington, as local officials have declared the area a “refuge for Sasquatch”:
“WHEREAS, legends, sightings, research, investigation and recognition by various counties in various States support the notion that Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot, yeti, and giant hairy ape) exists; and
WHEREAS, if Sasquatch exists, it is not flourishing, given the very unusual event of being sighted, and it is likely an endangered species and subject to great harm and extinction if it continues to be unprotected;
WHEREAS, Clallam County desires that its citizens recognize the need to protect Sasquatch if it exists;
NOW THEREFORE, WE THE BOARD OF CLALLAM COUNTY COMMISSIONERS hereby
Request all citizens of Clallam County recognize this County as a refuge for Sasquatch to prove both protection and security and also supports the Forks Sasquatch Day, May 26th through May 28th, 2023.
Signed this 11th day of April, 2023.”
If you’d like to see the proclamation for yourself (fully titled “Recognizing And Honoring Sasquatch”), feel free to head over to page 42 of their April 11, 2023 Board of Clallam Count Commissioners Agenda.
Hairy Noise
And here, at the end of all things, we’re going to ignore that 1883 “Bigfoot” photo. I know it’s out there. I’ve seen it. How some people manage to look at something like that and think, “Yes, that’s real, for sure!” is beyond me. That’s paranormal, right there!
Fine, I’ll share it. In tweet form, anyway.
BIGFOOT OR SASQUATCH🤔
This photograph, taken in 1883 this year on Okey Mountain, Cleburne County, Alabama USA, was found buried in a glass jar on the family estate. pic.twitter.com/8mkxBKyyPF
— 🛑 mocking the PEOPLE (@alextopol) June 27, 2023
It’s true: The paranormal waters have always been muddy. And now we have AI-generated images to worry about. They’re pretty obvious, for now, but you have to wonder how they might affect paranormal investigation in the future. Most of what we see is fake, or misidentified. How do you determine what might be real? Things were already a mess!
What’s next?
That’s not something this humble website can answer. Or wants to answer. All we can do is look at what’s in front of us, and maybe have some fun along the way.
Besides, even if we can’t find the real Bigfoot, at least we have footage of Pinky the Pink Dolphin jumping around in Louisiana!