Resurfaced TN Bigfoot 'Sighting' Illustrates Issues With the Myth

Maybe I should just create a disclaimer and stick it in front of every Bigfoot story I write, although I haven't written one in a while. I say this because I include the following in every story I write about America's favorite cryptid:

"I cannot say that Bigfoot doesn't exist, nor can I say he does. The fact that there are still so many creatures on this planet--in deep ocean trenches or in very dense jungles--that haven't been discovered leads me to believe nearly anything is possible. And that includes a large fur-covered humanoid who's very good at hiding."

The Patterson-Gimlin Bigfoot Film

But let's get back to "very good at hiding." With my proclamation in mind, how is it that something walking on its hind legs and covered in dark fur--a creature that looks to be more than eight feet tall--is SO adept at never being easy to see. Even the "definitive" Patterson-Gimlin film--an iconic piece of popular culture--has fielded more than a few "hoax" allegations.

I've seen it a gazillion times, and I still believe it could be someone in a suit. Again, there's no hard evidence to the contrary.

Bigfoot in the Smoky Mountains? Maybe...Maybe Not

By the same token, this recently-reposted video from 2011 provides no solid proof that these folks actually saw Bigfoot, but they did see something. Here's a longer version that captures imagery the Facebook post did not:

I understand that most wild animals are skittish and want no more to do with us than we do with them. But photos of some of the rarest creatures on Earth DO exist thanks to skillful photographers.

Next spring, Stanton KY tourism will host a Bigfoot festival during which these and so many other recordings of sightings will be dissected to the nth degree. Will they come up with anything ironclad? Who knows? Will they have a blast? I have no doubt. (And I'd like to go.) Will Bigfoot remain a mystery long after attendees have packed up their RVs and headed home?

Almost certainly.