Searching for Bigfoot in the U.P.

Bigfoot enthusiasts came to the Brownstone Inn in AuTrain a few weeks ago to tell their Bigfoot stories and experiences to Animal Planet’s Finding Bigfoot crew.

When asked if he was surprised Finding Bigfoot came to the Upper Peninsula, Wilson resident Mark said, “No, I figured it was about time.”

Stories ranged from incidents happening this past summer just miles from the Brownstone, to sightings that happened 25 years ago outside of Munising.

“I wasn’t a bit surprised at all that people saw Bigfoots nearby (the Brownstone), because if you go a half a mile that way, you’re in the middle of nothing, basically,” Evidence Analyst on Finding Bigfoot Cliff Barackman said.

Other possible sightings have occurred all across the central U.P., stretching from near the Seney Wildlife Refuge to Escanaba and the Hannahville Indian Reservation.

“A and B reports are divided as to how much doubt there could be,” Barackman said.  “If you saw a large shadowy figure in the dark, it would probably be a Class B.  But if you saw a figure at 30 yards at daylight that was eight feet tall and covered in hair, that’s definitely a Class A because there’s very little room for misidentification.”

The Finding Bigfoot crew is not surprised that there have been Bigfoot sightings in the U.P.

“I know for a fact that Squatches exist, I’ve seen it myself on the west coast,” Squatch Investigator on  Finding Bigfoot James Fay said.  “And I come here, and it’s the perfect habitat.”

“Obviously it has to do with the amount of wildlife in the area as well as the amount of habitat that’s available, particularly for large mammals like Sasquatches or moose or anything else, really,” Barackman said.

“From on the (Hannahville) reservation alone, I mean, there’s got to be a hundred stories, just a lot of them,” Mark said.

“From talking to local U.P. Bigfoot investigators that aren’t in this part too much in the winter, they’re on the south shore (by Lake Michigan) more, where it’s a little warmer.  They’ll stay in those Cedar swamps in the interior,” Fay said.

“This time of year it’s a great environment.  There’s so many animals, so many deer and rabbits and that sort of thing.  There’s a lot of food.”

Only a handful of people told stories to the crew, but others who attended believe bigfoot is real and wanted to hear about people’s experiences.

“I try to listen other people,” Matthew Smith said, who traveled to the U.P. from Davison to listen to stories.  “I have not had any experiences myself with Sasquatch just yet, but I hope to in the near future.”

“At this time I’m still listening to what other people have to say, whether or not I can determine if they’re real or not…but as of right now I’m keeping an open ear of what people have to say.”

Now the next task for the Finding Bigfoot crew is to visit the sites and find evidence of Sasqautches living in the Upper Peninsula.

“We’ve narrowed it down to three separate witnesses and we’re going to each of their locations and try to determine the authenticity and also try to learn as much as possible about the encounter,” Barackman said.  “Usually we find that people are telling the truth, there’s no doubt about that.”