Sasquatch sightings: A possible basis in fact?

[maximus otter]

I shoot as a hobby.

Many military snipers, police marksmen and some civilian deer stalkers wear what's known as a "Ghillie suit" for camouflage purposes.

Here's a view of a man wearing a ghillie suit:

It occurs to me that a sighting by a hiker, forestry worker or dog walker of someone wearing such an item might well give rise to at least some of the reports of weird, anthropomorphic beasts in remote areas.

With the current level of worldwide military intervention, and the associated requisite level of training activity, might it be possible that we are seeing an increase not in the level of strangeness, but of untrained members of the public stumbling across security force exercises?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghillie_suit

maximus otter

 

[GNC]

How long have these suits been around? Aren't there stories from Native American history about Sasquatch that would predate such suits?

 

[maximus otter]

How long have these suits been around?

In military use, since about WW1 I believe.

In civilian use, ghillies on Scottish sporting estates made them as far back as Victorian times.

maximus otter

 

[GNC]

It's a possible explanation then, but how many cases do you know of that would fit?

 

[tilly50]

Good heavens!! I would not like to meet up with that guy on a dark night! :shock:

How tall would you appear wearing such a ghillie suit? Sasquatch are usually reported as being way above human height.

Another problem would be that sasquatch reports frequently mention a foetid smell associated with the creature, now I have seen products advertised in hunting equipment catalogues to neutralise or mask the hunters own smell. Do these smell rank? Would military personell out on manouvres use such stuff.

Any one glimpsing a tall man in such a ghillie suit would certainly think they had seen something like a sasquatch but not all sightings could be attributed to them methinks

 

[stu neville]

Also hunters, particularly in North America tend to wear at least one item of day-glo stuff to avoid being shot by other hunters (we do have a Dick Cheney thread elsewhere ..)

As Rene Dahinden, the veteran Sasquatch hunter pointed out, anyone faking stuff by dressing as Bigfoot in many areas of the North West US seriously risks getting a magnum round in the back of the head. As far as I know Tom Slick's $1m bounty still stands (though also I seem to recall that at least one state has pre-emptively slapped a protection order on Bigfeet on the off-chance - any one confirm that?)

 

[staticgirl]

It's been a common hunting practice to disguise yourself as the animal you are hunting, perhaps since palaeolithic times. An interesting theory...

 

[Jerry_B]

As Rene Dahinden, the veteran Sasquatch hunter pointed out, anyone faking stuff by dressing as Bigfoot in many areas of the North West US seriously risks getting a magnum round in the back of the head.

But that idea is undone by the fact that so far no-one has shot a bigfoot dead. If anything, several cases where such an oppurtunity arose, the hunter involved found themselves unable to shoot as the entity looked 'too human'.

 

[stu neville]

True - and when people have shot at them Bigfeet seem largely invulnerable to gunfire (though that may not be so bizarre, as apparently grizzlies can keep going with a whole clip emptied into them, unless ammo that borders on artillery is being used.) The fact remains though though that a human in a suit runs a real risk of being shot at, and a shot human is somewhat less than invulnerable.

 

[jefflovestone]

Why does the phrase "Whatever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch" spring to mind?

 

[eburacum]

Why are his feet on backwards?

 

[OldTimeRadio]

Also hunters, particularly in North America tend to wear at least one item of day-glo stuff....

Well I'll be. Our very own Stuneville has solved the mystery of the Day-Glo Bigfoots! <g>

 

[jefflovestone]

Also hunters, particularly in North America tend to wear at least one item of day-glo stuff....

Well I'll be. Our very own Stuneville has solved the mystery of the Day-Glo Bigfoots! <g>

Or rave-men as they're still called in some old folklore stories.

 

[cassie45]

bigfoot

Good God ,what a frightening looking thing.I think a real Bigfoot would be less scary.That looks like vegatation came to life.What if they are seen by ordinary hikers?What are they supposed to do.Call out that everything is fine its just a costume? :shock:

 

[Fats_Tuesday]

Slightly OT but in the computer game "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare" you and your SAS partner wear these suits for the mission in the abandoned city of Prypiat, near Chernobyl.

Also, in Springwatch earlier this year, Simon King wore one to try and get near to Scottish Wildcats.