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Fresh footage uncovered in the remote wilderness of Maine shows what the cameraman believes to be massive footprints from the elusive Bigfoot, reigniting excitement about the beast’s possible existence.
Stephen Bartlett was walking along his York County property looking for deer tracks during a mid-February snowstorm when he stumbled upon a peculiar discovery – deep, enigmatic markings stretching across the snow-covered Hemlock forest floor.
Deciding to document the mysterious findings, Bartlett followed the narrow tracks with his smartphone – noting how they were ‘approximately seven to eight inches apart’, totaling to two of his own strides.
With camera in hand, Bartlett continued to follow the massive footprints for about 150 feet ‘until they became unrecognizable’.
The property, which is surrounded by 500-acres of trust land full of apple orchards and crop fields, is home to an abundance of deer, coyote, bobcat and bears, as well as an occasional moose or two.
A brook cuts through the property where Bartlett’s newly-constructed home lies, providing water to wildlife nestled within the stunning forest. The remote residence is tucked away near several conservation areas and wildlife refugees.
While animal tracks are a common sight around Bartlett’s remote home, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had stumbled upon infamous Bigfoot tracks.
Driven by his curiosity and the possible significance behind his remarkable find, Bartlett shared the video with the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) along with a brief report detailing what he had experienced.
Stephen Bartlett was walking along his York County property looking for deer tracks during a mid-February snowstorm when he stumbled upon a peculiar discovery. The footprints of what he believes to be Bigfoot are seen above
Pictured is ‘Bigfoot’ as seen in the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin Film, which depicts a suspected Sasquatch that was spotted in Bluff Creek, California
‘Seen a series of very strange tracks in the woods behind my home,’ the report read. ‘Took a video. Not moose or deer….in deep snow.’
Ontario Richardson, an investigator with the organization, was tasked with further examining the curious trail and worked alongside Bartlett on attempting to pinpoint its origin.
In the report, Richardson indicated that ‘there was only a very thin layer of snow covering the tracks’, leading her to believe that whatever did leave them behind had just recently passed through.
‘It’s hard to say exactly what left the footprints as no one saw the creator leave them, but the spacing, size and location of the footprints are consistent with other known Bigfoot footprints,’ Richardson told DailyMail.com.
Matt Moneymaker, the founder of BFRO, ultimately determined that the tracks could not have been made by ‘any prosaic creature’ – including moose or rabbits – or a human being walking through.
Based off of the footage and report, the founder concluded that the trail embodied ‘authentic Bigfoot snow tracks’.
However, several seasoned sasquatch hunters armed with years of experience have casted doubt on the recent ‘footprint discovery’ in Maine’s wilderness, believing it to be a ‘common misinterpretation’.
Jeff Meldrum, a professor at Idaho State University and author of Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science, theorized the footprints to be those possibly created by hooves.
Meldrum told DailyMail.com that the key detail lies in the abrupt transition at the end of the video, where the linear pattern morphs into a series of circular impressions before ending in markings typically created by a four-legged animal.
The snowfall, he explained, also mutes the details of the tracks, making it harder to accurately discern their scale.
Drawing on the same clues highlighted at the end of the video, Amy Bue, co-founder of Project Zoobook, offered a perspective similar to Meldrum’s, suggesting that the tracks could possibly be attributed to something as ‘commonplace’ as a deer.
At one point, Bue pointed out, the tracks appear extremely close to one of the trees. After reviewing the video with her team, members of the organization struggled to understand how Bigfoot could be walking in a straight line while skillfully avoiding the tree, given its size.
Despite the skepticism surrounding the recent video ‘evidence’, leading faces in the Bigfoot community have revealed captivating insights sharing why they believe the beast does indeed exist.
In exclusive interviews with DailyMail.com, the experts share some of the most fascinating and perplexing evidence they have gathered from years of research.
From unexplained nesting areas to unusual behaviors, their discoveries offer a fresh perspective on the search for sasquatch, challenging traditional beliefs and raising new questions about the enthralling creature lurking in the wilderness.
‘In my personal research, I try to take the Sherlock Holmes approach to solving puzzling questions – When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,’ Bue told DailyMail.com.
‘Over and over again, the truth is more mundane than I was at first hoping for it to be. Do I think Bigfoot is possibly out there? Yes. But most things in the woods are not Bigfoot,’ she added.
‘I live by these words: I don’t want to fool anybody else, but I mostly don’t want to fool myself.’
Most convincing evidence of Bigfoot’s existence
Meldrum’s interest in sasquatch piqued in 1996 when he examined a trail of 35-45 clear pristine footprints in Washington. This encounter, he said, is what truly ‘set the hook’ for him
Jeff Meldrum, who is an expert in foot morphology and professor at Idaho State University, said: ‘Almost three decades later, I’ve got over 300 footprint casts and hundreds of files of photographs and footprints from all over. And the vast majority of them, I’m quite confident are the real deal’
Science aside, Amy Bue, co-founder of Project Zoobook, explained what had convinced her more than anything were the encounter stories from men and women who spend a lot of time in the woods
Project Zoobook was created with the goal of approaching the studies of unrecognized animals from a scientific perspective, removing the professional stigma around discussions of cryptozoology
The accumulated footprint records have also revealed recognizable, recurring individuals in specific geographic areas, with identical prints indicating the same creature’s movements over time
For years, thousands have debated Bigfoot’s existence, with some finding themselves caught up in the hype over possible momentary sightings and others simply dismissing the beast as mere legend.
Experts revealed to DailyMail.com, however, that there are moments in extensive research when you may be lucky enough to stumble upon an undeniable ‘smoking gun’.
Meldrum, one of the most prominent figures in Bigfoot research, is a professor of Anatomy and Anthropology at Idaho State University with an expertise in primate locomotion and foot morphology.
His interest in sasquatch piqued in 1996 when he examined a trail of 35-45 clear pristine footprints in Washington. This encounter, he said, is what truly ‘set the hook’ for him.
‘For me, those footprints were just as real as if I had stumbled on a body,’ Meldrum told DailyMail.com. ‘At that point, was absolutely inescapable.’
‘So now here we are, almost three decades later, and I’ve got over 300 footprint casts and hundreds of files of photographs and footprints from all over. And the vast majority of them, I’m quite confident are the real deal.’
Having seen numerous fossilized footprints from around the globe, Meldrum described his first encounter with these particular markings as the most real-looking prints he had ever come across.
Notably ‘animated’ tracks, indicating a flexible midfoot enabling a unique weight distribution and toe-flexion pattern not observed in human footprints, is one of the key features suggesting a non-human anatomy when examining the mystery prints.
‘I had that aha moment. I retell that story and the hair stands up on my arms, because, my gosh, sasquatch actually walked by here last night,’ Meldrum explained, noting how the tracks were distinct and not just enlarged copies of a human foot.
‘These are consistent,’ he said. ‘I mean consistent over decades, over half a century.’
The accumulated footprint records have also revealed recognizable, recurring individuals in specific geographic areas, with identical prints indicating the same creature’s movements over time.
Meldrum refers to these repeat prints as ‘fascinating corroborate,’ with certain footprint records sometimes spanning over the length of a 20-30 year period.
‘It becomes ridiculous to suggest an alternative rather than accept the possibility that there could still be this persistent species of large primate that has a Pan Pacific distribution,’ he said.
Scott Tompkins, the creator of The Bigfoot Mapping Project, agreed, stating that while not a ‘smoking gun’, the mystery footprints offer significant support and weight of the creature’s existence.
‘All it leaves behind is a footprint, and that to me is the most motivating evidence because we’re just one step behind it,’ Tompkins told DailyMail.com.
‘That’s a tale as old as time – humans grew up, evolved into tracking animals to be successful on their hunt, and that’s what they used. A footprint was evidence that something was there.’
Footprint evidence, Tompkins said, is difficult to refute in his opinion, ‘because that’s essentially something that the creature left behind’ – especially when the hard, dermal ridges found on the mystery prints are almost impossible to fake on other markings.
‘When you get experts that analyze those footprints, that have studied anatomy and anthropology their entire careers that come up saying, ‘this is a real footprint, this is something, but it’s nothing we know,’ then that is really, really provocative’.
Project Zoobook was created with the goal of approaching the studies of unrecognized animals from a scientific perspective, removing the professional stigma around discussions of cryptozoology.
However, science aside, Bue explained what had convinced her more than anything were the encounter stories from men and women who spend a lot of time in the woods.
‘When you talk to people eye to eye, and they are telling you that they saw something they can’t explain to the point where it keeps them from going back in the woods, it’s very convincing,’ Bue told DailyMail.com.
Meldrum also shared a similar viewpoint, citing pre-internet reports of people who encountered a mysterious beast but had nothing to base their story on/no outside influences.
‘It was an original experience, they had no preconception,’ Meldrum shared, adding how early witnesses may have never even heard of Bigfoot.
‘Yet, they describe something remarkable consistent time and time again.’
Why has Bigfoot never been captured?
Sasquatch, many experts believe, is able to identify humans as a threat more efficiently than most wildlife, perhaps through its evolution beside humans, and therefore learned how to navigate around human society
One might wonder why there have been possible sightings if the creature is clever enough to stay hidden from the human world. According to Meldrum, with intelligence ‘comes a certain degree of curiosity that draws them to investigate’
Intricate, detailed nesting areas, believed to have been made by Bigfoot, have also been discovered on expeditions
Scott Tompkins, the creator of The Bigfoot Mapping Project, said footprint evidence is difficult to refute in his opinion, ‘because that’s essentially something that the creature left behind’ – especially when the hard, dermal ridges found on the mystery prints are almost impossible to fake on other markings
For well over a century, the hunt for Bigfoot has captivated the world with countless encounters that seem to vanish in an instant, leaving skeptics and enthusiasts alike to wonder how the elusive creature always seems to slip away.
One reason for Bigfoot’s elusive nature could simply be attributed to its intelligence, Tompkins explained.
‘I’ve had the privilege to talk to a lot of different anthropologists and researchers, and based on the conversations I’ve had, I think that it would be my supposition that Bigfoot is highly intelligent and has a lot of analytical skills that differentiate it from normal wildlife,’ he said.
Sasquatch, many experts believe, is able to identify humans as a threat more efficiently than most wildlife, perhaps through its evolution beside humans, and therefore learned how to navigate around human society.
‘I think otherwise, Bigfoot is just ultra-cautious, ultra-aware in its environment, and able to analyze the situation, make decisions and take actions to avoid,’ Tompkins said. ‘It will do everything it can not to be identified or to remain hidden.’
One might wonder why there have been possible sightings if the creature is clever enough to stay hidden from the human world. According to Meldrum, with intelligence ‘comes a certain degree of curiosity that draws them to investigate.’
‘I think they’re interested and curious,’ Meldrum said. ‘It’s probably kind of a tug-of-war.’
‘One instinct tells them to stay away, but the other instinct is curious because of their intelligence, and they want to figure out what’s going on with these funny looking, hairless creatures.’
Bigfoot’s rarity may also play a significant role in the hunt, as Meldrum theorizes that for every 200 black bears in an area, there’s likely only one Sasquatch.
If you reflect on how rarely you encounter a black bear while out hiking, Meldrum pointed out, it becomes increasingly clear that sightings of Bigfoot are going to be just as infrequent.
‘You take that number into account and their ability, their intelligence – they’re probably smarter than the average bear – they avoid revealing their presence,’ Meldrum said.
‘But people are seeing them,’ he added. ‘They’re not completely elusive. The thing that has eluded us is the physical remains.’
Biggest Bigfoot hotspots
Pennsylvania and Washington may see an abundance of sightings compared to other states as both climates offer the four essential elements for Bigfoot’s survival – food, shelter, cover and water
‘Washington could absolutely have the most sightings because it has a fairly temperate climate for North America,’ Bue said. ‘There’s a lot of places for them to live, a lot of food, water – it has a rich tradition. It’s not as taboo to talk about out there’
Those drawn to the search for sasquatch often focus their attention on areas with a history of abundant Bigfoot sightings, hoping to catch a rare glimpse of the elusive beast.
Washington held the top spot as the state with the most sasquatch sightings for years on end, but Tompkins’ research revealed a surprising twist, challenging popular belief.
Pennsylvania has now ‘dethroned’ Washington, with a significantly greater number of reported sightings than the long-time leader.
This conclusion, drawn by Tompkins from years of meticulously compiled data through his creation of The Bigfoot Mapping Project, challenges previous assumptions about the hotspot for Sasquatch activity.
The Bigfoot Mapping Project was created with the goal of organizing all reported data into one place rather than leaving limited data sets soiled throughout the internet.
Using historical data from the BFRO, crowdsourced sightings from The Bigfoot Mapping Project forms and digitized research conducted by John Green, Tompkins feeds the three veins of data into the numbers, creating clean and consistent information throughout.
The process allows for a more accurate scale of sightings within a single entity, where the readily available information serves as a key factor in further analysis, trend-spotting, conclusions and predictions.
Through his research, Tompkins uncovered a staggering 16,195 reported sightings in Pennsylvania, compared to Washington’s total of 12,137.
‘Are these numbers perfect? No – they probably only represent a small portion of what’s really going on out there,’ he said.
The true number may never be discovered as countless reported encounters remain buried in these databases, never seeing the light of day.
‘Washington could absolutely have the most sightings because it has a fairly temperate climate for North America,’ Bue said. ‘There’s a lot of places for them to live, a lot of food, water – it has a rich tradition. It’s not as taboo to talk about out there.’
‘It’s just the tip of the iceberg that comes out in the general public,’ she added. ‘A big reason is there are not that many volunteers to follow up on these reports. It takes a lot of time to vet the process.’
Echoing Bue’s view on Bigfoot databases, Meldrum concurred, describing the numbers as ‘really dirty’ and ‘very skewed’ by a variety of factors – how forthcoming people are about their experiences, whether they’re motivated to report or if their initial encounter story had changed during the process.
However, it is important to note that these so called ‘hotspots’ are human-made, shaped by development, exploration and separation.
Bigfoot, on the other hand, knows no boundaries, as the ecosystems that exist within the natural world are generally not broken up by imaginary lines or boxes.
‘They exist across boundaries, they aren’t interrupted by what humans digest the world with – animals, wildlife and Bigfoot included,’ Tompkins said, highlighting the importance of how human-made parameters versus eco regions are in direct conjunction with the numbers.
‘They don’t navigate their life by whether they’re in Washington or Oregon,’ he added. ‘What Bigfoot knows is the environment. It doesn’t think about what their address is.’
Pennsylvania and Washington may see an abundance of sightings compared to other states as both climates offer the four essential elements for Bigfoot’s survival – food, shelter, cover and water.
‘Food being the biggest priority, there’s a lot to eat,’ Tompkins explained. ‘There’s a lot of good forage in Pennsylvania and Washington, a lot of vegetation that can support wildlife, and a lot of food.’
‘Then there’s cover. So the tree canopy, forest cover,’ he continued. ‘Canopy density is a good indicator of how much cover there is.’
Though Bigfoot doesn’t understand nor care about human’s political boundaries, Meldrum pointed out the ‘remarkably tight’ correlation between the known range of black bears and the reported distributions of credible Bigfoot reports.
In Washington state for example, there are about 20,000 black bear, leading Meldrum to settle on the conclusion that a ratio of 200 black bear for every one sasquatch exist within these ‘hotspots’ – a determination based on reports, repeat appearances, potential size distribution and differences in their longevity.
Much like bears, Bigfoot is believed to have adapted to a wide range of forested habitats across North America.
Witnesses have reported sightings of the creature consuming everything from roots and berries to deer and elk, according to Meldrum – suggesting its ability to exploit a diverse array of resources for survival and adaptation.
‘That’s why I think it’s interesting to consider that map with the distribution of black bear home range across the continent, because it shows the areas where there could be Sasquatch, potentially,’ he said.
While researchers and scientists often maintain a healthy level of skepticism, the growing evidence continues to narrow the gap of doubt, fueling hope that solid proof of Bigfoot’s existence may one day be uncovered.
As Meldrum puts it: ‘This is a biological entity. It’s not a scary campfire story. It’s not a monster. It’s not an anomaly or a paranormal entity. It’s it’s just simply a big, hairy, upright, walking, humanoid looking primate.’
‘The very notion itself that such a creature could exist – a creature more closely related to us than potentially any other on the planet – and it’s right here in our backyard and has eluded us, I mean, that in itself, is sensational.’
Why have no Bigfoot bones been discovered?
Researchers have scoured the wilderness in search of physical evidence to prove Bigfoot’s existence for decades, yet no bones or bodies have surfaced despite years of investigation – but seasoned hunters say that isn’t uncommon
Tens of thousands of deer die every year, Meldrum noted, and yet we don’t stumble upon piles and piles of deer bones on hiking trails as there are decomposers and scavengers in the remote wilderness that will gnaw on the bones to get the calcium
Hair strands believed to be those of Bigfoot have been discovered and submitted for DNA testing, but the results come back as inconclusive as there is no sample in the database that is verified, according to Scott Tompkins
Animals often retreat to isolated areas when death is approaching, and Bigfoot may very well follow this same instinct – as a result, any remains are likely to be hidden deep within the wilderness, where scavengers and decomposers would encounter them long before humans, as few people make trips into the remote depths of the forest
Researchers have scoured the wilderness in search of physical evidence to prove Bigfoot’s existence for decades – hundreds of footprint casts, blurry photographs, and vague sightings filling countless files.
Nevertheless, no bones or bodies have surfaced despite years of investigation, raising even more questions about how such a phenomenon is possible.
‘Death is less frequent and there doesn’t need to be as many individuals to sustain the Bigfoot population,’ Meldrum explained. ‘How often does a death happen? It might be once a decade. Once every 15 years a sasquatch dies.’
‘I mean, what are the odds over that 10 year period of any remains persisting and someone just happens to stumble on it?’ he added. ‘Long lifespan, the low numbers and the slow reproduction means there’s less turnover in generations.’
Tens of thousands of deer die every year, Meldrum noted, and yet we don’t stumble upon piles and piles of deer bones on hiking trails.
‘There are scavengers. There are decomposers. There are animals that gnaw the bone to get calcium,’ Meldrum pointed out.
‘The soils are very acidic because of the wet, coniferous foil soil conditions, or they dissolve any bone that makes it past all those other factors.’
Meldrum cited an 800-pound giant ape species, dubbed ‘Gigantopithecis,’ which once roamed eastern Asia. A limited fossil record was key in confirming its existence, drawing a parallel to the elusive Bigfoot.
Yet the only reason we know of the massive ape’s existence is due to porcupines, who dragged four fragments of jaws and a few thousand isolated teeth up into limestone caves, gnawing on the bones to extract calcium and inadvertently preserving the remains of the thickest and hardest parts of the bone in the process.
‘Without the action of the porcupines, the Gigantopithecus, which die out in the forests, their bones are rendered down to nothing and don’t survive as they aren’t fossilized,’ Meldrum said.
‘Were it not for those handful of fossils, we wouldn’t know anything about the biggest ape that ever lived on the planet.’
Animals often retreat to isolated areas when death is approaching, and Bigfoot may very well follow this same instinct.
As a result, any remains are likely to be hidden deep within the wilderness, where scavengers and decomposers would encounter them long before humans, as few people make trips into the remote depths of the forest.
‘The road isn’t a natural boundary,’ Meldrum said. ‘The point being is there’s a lot more space out there and a lot fewer people venturing into that space than people realize.’
