The Erickson Project ran from 2005 to 2010. Its mission was to find proof that sasquatch was real though forensic evidence : photographs, videos, footprints, skin, hair, and saliva samples.
Erickson described a typical day researching for the Project : Up in the early morning to check the area for any evidence that sasquatch had come around. Checking for prints, checking if the food was touched. Then later in the day he was "dealing with local residents and their issues". Maybe they would do some "B-Roll" video taping. Then, just before dark, the team would go into the woods with night vision cameras and wait for the sasquatch to show themselves.
The research site was a typical large acreage plot found in a residential area of the location. There was a ravine running through it, heavily wooded. Dense vegetation decorated the land, with small groups of trees and bush leading down to the Ohio River. The local residents claimed this was a natural habitat for sasquatch.
The sasquatch came around irregularly. Once every two weeks or so they would see one or see some quick movement through the trees. Maybe every second or third time in, they would hear tree knocking.
 |
| Meldrum |
Dr. Jeff Meldrum came out to one site for three days. While he was there, he was witness to hearing repetitive tree knocking and alleged sasquatch mimicking the researchers tree knocks.
 |
| Bindernagel |
Dr. John Bindernagel remained longer with the research team on his visit. The team members claimed that he observed a sasquatch moving through the area, mostly screened by trees.
Dr. Curt Nelson, a biologist from the University of Minnesota, spent a night in a tree stand in the research area. He claimed to have a sasquatch walk up to the blind and shake the ladder. He said it scared the hell out of him. [Nelson is also one of the men who teamed with Meldrum to investigate an alleged sasquatch invading a fishing cabin featured on MonsterQuest].
 |
| Pfohl |
Dennis Pfohl said he obtained various videos of sasquatch from different sites, including Golden Ears Provincial Park, Maple Ridge, B.C.; Texas; Crittenden, Kentucky; Tennessee; and Alabama. He seemed to feel he would get the best results baiting with food. His favorite types were snack foods of the sugary kind.
 |
| Hadj-Chikh |
Dr. Leila Hadj-Chikh stated she saw the sasquatch many times with her own eyes but preferred to speak privately about it, making almost no public announcements.
They were convinced they had seen real sasquatch.
Erickson was determined that this project would study sasquatch without harming them. No tranquilizing them. No killing them. No body for the scientists to study. He armed his researchers with cameras only.
His film company, Reel Productions, filmed several sasquatch, according to Erickson. They allegedly captured them sleeping, peering through trees, and also had thermal images. The sounds of them making low gutteral noises was recorded. The sasquatch ranged in colors : grey, brown, and an orangutan-orange.
Two years were spent in Golden Ears Provincial Park where not only did they get film, but also collected hair samples from a grey, light-covered sasquatch. Erickson talked of sasquatch interacting with him once they grew to know him. The more often he returned to a place, the more they approached him. He claimed that they would whistle back when he whistled to them. They would also throw rocks at him.
 |
| Erickson |
Erickson claims that although he captured clear, crisp images of sasquatch, he realized that people would still dismiss it all as a hoax. "The more evidence we got, scientists started backing away further and we got really tired." And then he knew : "We realized DNA was the only thing."
At some point, Erickson brought in Dr. Melba Ketchum's company DNA Diagnostic, Inc, to process his samples of alleged sasquatch DNA. The lab billed itself as one that specializes in multi-species testing including human as well as animal DNA analysis for individuals, law enforcement, breed associations and state regulatory agencies. And that they usually run tests for pet owners trying to discover if the bones found in the woods belonged to their missing cat or dog.
The story of Dr. Melba Ketchum and her DNA study is well known, with most discounting her work for many reasons. Along with the anticipated release of her study was the promise of a film showing live sasquatch.
Tomorrow : Dr. Melba Ketchum and her DNA study -- short version
Nancy
"I'll spark the thought; what you do with it is up to you."
No comments:
Post a Comment