Bigfoot

In honor of the Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo this weekend, let’s chat about everyone’s first cryptid (they say you never forget your first).

Since we all know and love the Bigfoot legend, let’s share some fun facts that you might not know. Sure, we know there are Bigfoot in most cultures throughout the world (the Yeti, Uluk, Yeren, Kikomba, Ts’emekwes, Mawas, Fouke Monster, Mande Barung, and Ren Xiong just to name a few). So let’s go beyond the nicknames to give you some spine-tingling facts that will make you think twice before stepping foot into the woods again.

1. The first documented sighting was in Sacketts Harbor! While most people associate Sasquatch and Bigfoot with the Pacific Northwest, the first recorded sighting was in New York in 1818 (NOTE: stories of Bigfoot were told throughout Native American tribes for thousands of years before Europeans arrived). Of course, New York was inhabited by European settlers long before Washington and Oregon, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Still, it’s a fun claim to fame for my home-state.

2. It’s been suggested that the Bigfoot bury their dead. One of the things that separated early man from animals was our funeral practices and the act of burying our dead, which began approximately 100,000 years ago (give or take a day). Many Bigfoot researchers think that the lack of evidence when it comes to old and dead Bigfoot bodies is because they dispose of one another’s remains in a civilized way. Add this to the list of reasons why many believe Bigfoot is the “missing link.”

3. The states where you’re most likely to spot Bigfoot are Washington (2,032 sightings), California (1,697 sightings plus the famous Patterson-Gimlin film), Pennsylvania (1,340 sightings), New York (1,068 sightings), and Texas (806 sightings).

4. Most people smell Bigfoot rather than see them. You’ve heard of the Skunk Ape in Florida, right? Well, there’s a reason why it’s called that. Some people describe the disgusting odor as similar to a skunk, others describe it as rotting meat or death (what exactly does “death” smell like?). And some people think they can attract Bigfoot with certain smells. Happy Body Care (owned by North Carolina native, Allie Megan Webb) has created a spray called Bigfoot Juice. According to her, it can attract a Bigfoot within a mile and a half. The 2oz. spray bottle is in her Etsy shop for $7, and she claims it works. And if it doesn’t, it doubles as bug spray!

5. Bigfoot is not considered an endangered species in America. But in 1965 it was put on the endangered species list in Russia, and only two years later Germany and France did the same. Of course, some areas in the United States protect the hairy ape-man. Back in 1984 in Skamania County (Washington), an ordinance was signed saying that  the “slaying of any such creature [Bigfoot] shall be deemed a felony punishable by a fine not to exceed $10,000 and/or imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed five years.” Seems a bit much, but so far, it’s worked!

Will we see you at the Chautauqua Lake Bigfoot Expo?

Learn more about local Bigfoot sightings in our Haunted Atlas of Western New York coming Fall 2019.

If you own a haunted bar, cafe, hotel, or restaurant, and you’d like us to check it out, reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.  If you have a favorite haunted hot spot with great food and atmosphere and you’d like to share it with us, hit us up on social media or leave a comment below! We’d love to hear from you… Thanks for joining us, and Happy Haunting!