Just a few thoughts on the Bluff Creek Project.
First of all I am biased, but having said that, I do believe it (the project) is one of the best efforts at using conventional means to get an idea of what really is roaming the forests of the Coastal Range. People refer the use of trail cams as "crap", but it's the best "crap" we've got. We can't be all places all the time and this gives us a glimpse into what may be out there.
If you've never been in the area, it's truly difficult to grasp how rugged and inaccessible this area is. I've fought fire here and it is straight up and down in places. We used to say every fire in the Six Rivers (we called them the Six Cricks) and Klamath country was either on the top of "Mount Motherf*^ker" or at the bottom of "Co*ks*cker Draw". Having a Sasquatch sighting or capturing one on a game camera is pure luck.
Some of what we hear is "they come looking for you" out of curiosity. Aside from that putting up game cameras in what appear to be game travel corridors over an extended period of time is a good strategy. And it is an evolving process where there is constant learning and adjusting in regards to camera placement, extending battery life, concealment, camera purchasing (Cost vs Benefit) etc. Couple that with the challenges of traveling back into remote areas to check on the cameras (Fuel, time, etc) and gate closures (Port Orford Cedar Disease) and you've got some balancing that needs to be done. This really is what research looks like. It's not funded by academia or wealthy benefactors, it's done by a grass roots effort.
Our donations however small help as well as the thousands of dollars that the core members of BCP put in. This effort is long term and needs to continue. People enjoy throwing rocks and opinions but at the end of the day this is a group that is really doing something. Give it time, and support it. Please offer your ideas on improvement along with your criticism. Even if you don't agree with their methods, please respect that a group of people is at least trying something.
Your methods aren't flashy.
ReplyDeleteThey don't have that "adventure" zing.
The project has only been criticized by those who have made it obvious that their only priority is to make money, get bigfooter famous, and get bigfooter girls. They only pretend to care about Bigfoot.