Wanted: bigfoot researcher
Via Jessica R comes this Craigslist job posting for a research assistant, which she describes as the "post of the year":
Not for profit organization, located in Whitehall, NY is a high-energy, team-oriented research entity that is involved in the tracking, documenting, and study of cryptozoological creatures, with a deep interest in the study and search of bipedal primitive apes.
We seek an experienced researcher with a deep understanding of crypto zoology, primatology, with a good background with scientific research and interest in great apes. The ideal candidate must be able to work both autonomously and as part of a large team. The individual must also be able to solve problems creatively, communicate effectively, and collaborate well with project leaders and team members.
Duties and Functions:
• Develop actionable tracking program in designated geographic area.
• Investigate, document and interview individuals with reported Bigfoot sitings.
• Occasional travel to remote areas of Adirondacks including spending several nights in the wilderness, checking motion cameras, collecting hair and dung samples for laboratory analysis amongst other related activites.
• Must have own transportation, four-wheel drive a plus.
** Serious Inquiries only **
Compensation: based on experience, this is a grant funded position and is expected to last 6 months with the possibility of renewal.
What? Didn't you know that Washington County is a hotbed of bigfoot activity? Wake up and hear the tree thumping.
Modern reported sightings of sasquatch in the Whitehall area date back to at least 1976, though some claim old Native American stories include references to the creature. (Here's a listing of reported sightings in New York as collected by the "Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization.")
From a 2008 article in the Post-Star:
For Whitehall, the pivotal year for sightings seems to be 1976. The country was celebrating its bicentennial, but Bigfoot was the local center of attention that summer and fall.
[Paul] Bartholomew details the encounters in his book.
On Aug. 24, three Whitehall teens reported seeing a 7-to-8-foot-tall brown, hairy creature in a field off Abair Road. The teens allegedly saw the figure two times that night. They also claimed to hear a noise that sounded like a "cross between a woman screaming and a pig squealing."
The next day, a farmer found "big, human footprints" nearby and a ravaged deer carcass.
That night, a local off-duty police officer, who was a brother of one of the teens, went to the site with a New York State Trooper.
Around midnight, the police officer spotted a pair of red eyes reflecting off his headlights. He shut off his lights and radioed the trooper, who put a spotlight on some nearby bushes.
The police officer said he turned his headlights back on when he heard something crashing through the shrubs. He claims to have seen an almost 8-foot-tall creature that he estimated weighed 400 pounds.
He didn't fire his gun because he said the figure looked too human. The creature then vanished into the bushes.
Later that year, a village police sergeant reported hearing an "eerie, high-pitched yell" while hunting in the same area.
A few days later, a man from Granville reported shooting at "Bigfoot."
It appears that Whitehall's more recent claims to bigfoot fame can be attributed to Paul Bartholomew. He's the author of a book about the creature -- Bigfoot: Encounters in New York & New England. And he was responsible for a Whitehall town law passed a decade ago that protected bigfoot habitat. There's now a sasquatch statue in in the town.
As it turns out, the whole southern end of Lake Champlain is apparently sasquatch territory -- Animal Planet was in Rutland earlier this year for a show about the topic. It must be hard to produce such a program when your star is so, you know, reluctant to appear on camera.
screengrab from Harry and the Hendersons via YouTube
Say Something!
We'd really like you to take part in the conversation here at All Over Albany. But we do have a few rules here. Don't worry, they're easy. The first: be kind. The second: treat everyone else with the same respect you'd like to see in return. Cool? Great, post away. Comments are moderated so it might take a little while for your comment to show up. Thanks for being patient.
Comments
I think my favorite part of the post is that it's a grant posistion, with "possibility of renewal."
That, or the part about collecting dung samples.
... said Jessica R on Sep 10, 2012 at 1:40 PM | link
I wonder if Champ, the monster in Lake Champlain, is starting to feel left out? Sibling rivalry among cryptozoological creatures....
... said Bob on Sep 10, 2012 at 2:49 PM | link
Cryptozoology is a word I don't get to say enough. Ever, in fact. There, I said it.
... said Tim on Sep 10, 2012 at 7:21 PM | link
Please... Everyone knows that the last Sasquatch to live in the Adirondacks died over 80 years ago. If you want to sight a bigfoot, you have to go to the Pacific Northwest.
Unless DEC has been secretly reintroducing the species...
... said Tim on Sep 11, 2012 at 9:50 AM | link
I think a Whitehall farm boy has gone feral. They grow awful big around there.
... said J on Sep 12, 2012 at 10:30 AM | link
With unememployment at more than 8.1%, I'm sure it won't be difficult to find applicants.
... said OrangeState on Sep 12, 2012 at 7:08 PM | link
My boyfriend and I really did see bigfoot in seale, ala in April 1992 walking erect alongside the desolate hwy coming home from our Jr-Sr Prom. A mile after we sped away a tire blewout and we kept driving out of fear until we found a party at an isolated house where we used the phone and while we were waiting for our dads to come get us we mentioned the sighting to the party and 3-4 of the men there took off to find him because they had seen him for yrs and remained elusive. He does NOT look like Harry from the Hendersons. This creature was about 7-8 ft tall w/ good posture walking straight on the shoulder of the hwy. All of his hair was straight and long and brown. I do not care if people call us crazy, we both saw it and for the record, I was Jr class pres. and we are both intelligent people who actually saw him, not out to make people laugh.
... said mel on Sep 12, 2012 at 8:37 PM | link
I need this job ,its has my name all over it!! I am a firm believer in the bigfoot,I even have my own bf call.I'm not kidding sign me up!
... said james walters on Sep 16, 2012 at 7:19 PM | link
Everyone talks about the whitehall area, yet no one ever talks about the sightings and evidence that is in the Hoosick Falls to Berlin, NY area....Stories about not only sightings but encounters have been talked about for generations (from 1950s to present)....Maybe there is something to the Bigfoot saga...Only when we finally find one or they show themselves to us will the debate be settled....I myself do feel there is something to the story, so whoever gets the job - come to this area and see for yourself!....I'm Available!
... said Q on Sep 21, 2012 at 2:39 PM | link
I have been researching the bigfoot phenonmena since 1978 when I found tracks while doing survival training near Mt. Rainier WA. While recently doing field research in WV. I have video of a female with possibly 10 to 12 juveniles an infant on her back as well as 2 males between the group and my group. The closest male was as close as 20 yards from me . The female and group of juveniles was about 70 yards away from me. There was a 2nd male about 50 yards away that was also watching us. In the video it shows him swaying back and forth and then finally turning and walking away. So as far as qualifications for your research project I am throwing my hat into the ring. If you are interested in talking to me you can reach me through my e-mail address. I also track and do vocalizations as well. Respectfully mike pentycofe
... said mike pentycofe on Oct 5, 2012 at 1:16 PM | link