Distinctly Montana Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.distinctlymontana.com/i/170088
headlamps for kelly, a critical component of bigfoot research is repeated encounters. If evidence can be found in the same spot over a period of time, it will help prove their existence. snacks As Kelly sets out his equipment, the kids gear up as well. night vision spy scope to that end, he's taken his group to a hilltop where last winter a hunter found tracks in the snow and saw a shadowy bipedal shape moving through the trees. warm jacket water bear spray socks. dang, forgot the socks. the fact that it's on a bluff with a perfect view of the entire bridger range on the most beautiful montana night ever is merely a bonus. besides the classic sasquatch footprint, the creature's best proof is recordings made of them vocalizing across great distances. The yells, whoops, and moans have a range and length that would make an opera singer jealous. aa It takes a big guy to make these big sounds, and kelly is up for the challenge. after a deep breath, a low moan seems to start from his ankles and Becomes a full bellow thrown out of his whole body that skips and echoes along the mountains. a aa W Wo oo h if a bigfoot is going to respond, it will happen quickly. So Kelly's young teammates have been instructed to stand rock still, not breathe, not say "cool," not do anything for several seconds after a call. kelly is very good at these calls, and the kids wonder if there's anyone -- or anything! -- around to appreciate his skill. Bigfoots also communicate by wood knocks -- whacking a tree with a branch to ping each other from miles away. after a few calls, the kids' senses are tuning in to the immense night. Sometimes there's a pattern to the knocks, and sometimes it's just a big sharp bang. Kelly has tools for both methods. one of the team strikes a woodblock with a drumstick three times. n aP P ss small ears become finely-tuned instruments of information. and imagination. w w w. d i s t i n c t lymo nt a na .co m what was that? Klok nok Klok K ra K KK then he grabs his own creation -- a hinged pair of 2x4 studs. He smacks the lumber together and an ear-splitting krakkk radiates for miles. 33