Where Does Sasquatch Live?
Think you’ll never spot Sasquatch where you live? Guess again! Sasquatch encounters are reported all across North America. Sasquatch is seen in all kinds of different climates and geographic regions. Researchers are beginning to realize that the creature is more widespread than even the most optimistic among them may have imagined. Sasquatch is everywhere, from the stark and frozen north to the hot and swampy south. In fact, Sasquatch and Sasquatch-like creatures are spotted all around the world. This makes Sasquatch the most geographically diverse cryptid, and raises some questions about the origins of the creature, its evolution and even its breeding habits. But whether Sasquatch evolved from some other massive ape species, or it’s a hominid closely related to humans, it seems, like us, to have an uncanny ability to adapt to a wide range of habitats and climates.
Sasquatch in Alaska
In Alaska and parts of Canada, especially prior to the 1950’s, Sasquatch is often referred to as the Bushman. Like Sasquatch, the Bushman is a huge, bipedal manlike creature that is covered with hair. Reports of Sasquatch in Alaska go back over a hundred years. Some tell of standard Sasquatch encounters, while others talk of Bushman allegedly causing harm to humans. Alaska is a huge expanse of land, most of it very sparsely populated. It’s prime Sasquatch habitat, but a relatively small number of sightings reports come from this state. This could be due to Sasquatch having an easier time finding human-free areas in Alaska than it does in other parts of North America. Or, the area may simply be too cold for the species. Some cryptozoologists attempt to explain the evolution of Sasquatch with an idea called Sasquatch-Giganto Theory. This says a giant prehistoric ape called Gigantopithecus followed early humans over the Bering Land Bridge and evolved into what we now know as Sasquatch. Of course this is just a theory, but if true it would possibly mean that the Sasquatch population is Alaska is the oldest in North America. It could also mean that Alaska offers the best chance of finding fossil evidence of Sasquatch and a real link to its evolution.
Sasquatch in Canada
Canada is a big Sasquatch hotspot too, and it’s no wonder with all the forest land. As of this writing the BFRO database has well over 200 Sasquatch sighting reports from Canada listed. Some of the earliest Sasquatch stories come from Canadian hunters and trappers, but of course the Native America tribes knew about the beast long before Europeans ever came to the continent. In fact, Sasquatch sightings may account for stories of the Wendigo, a big, hairy forest spirit known to northern Native American tribes. British Columbia is the region where the Sasquatch is most often reported in Canada. It makes sense, as this could be considered part of the Pacific Northwest Sasquatch habitat. In fact, Sasquatch range may extend all the way from the Northwestern United States, through Canada, and up into Alaska. Whether Sasquatches migrate throughout this area or maintain steady territories is unknown. Ontario is another Canadian providence with a large number of Sasquatch sightings. Again, with the large amount of wilderness, and located between the Great Lakes Region and the massive Hudson Bay, there are plenty of natural resources to allow a creature such as Sasquatch to flourish. With all that forest, and with some very sparsely populated regions, it’s no wonder Sasquatch is getting along just fine in the Great White North!
Sasquatch in the Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest, is traditionally thought of as Sasquatch country. In this region, he’s often referred to as Sasquatch or Bigfoot. Sasquatch sightings in this area date back to the times when Native American tribes populated the land, and many tribes who had no way to communicate with one another all had the same legends, but it wasn’t until the 1950’s that the creature came to national prominence due to the appearance of giant footprints around a logging site. The prints, it turns out, were probably a hoax intended to scare people aware from the logging equipment when it was left unattended. But in the wake of the discovery more and more tales of the giant forest monster began to surface. This region is also where the famous Patterson-Gimlin Film was shot back in 1967. This video may be the best Sasquatch evidence ever recorded, and shows a Sasquatch negotiating a creek bed. The Pacific Northwest is densely wooded, with huge expanses of un-populated wilderness. In other words, it is exactly the kind of place where a shy creature like Sasquatch would want to live. Hundreds of sightings are reported from just this one small area of the country alone, enough to convince any researcher to keep up the search.
The U.S. Mountain States
The terrain of the Mountain West is more diverse than any other region in the United States. Spanning Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Utah. The Rocky Mountains are the major mountain range in western North America, running from the far north of British Columbia in Canada to New Mexico in the southwestern United States, climbing from the Great Plains at or below 1,800 feet (550 m) to peaks of over 14,000 feet (4,300 m). Temperature and rainfall varies greatly also and thus the Rockies are home to a mixture of habitats including the alpine, subalpine and boreal habitats of the Northern Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and Alberta, the coniferous forests of Montana and Idaho, the wetlands and prairie where the Rockies meet the plains, a different mix of conifers on the Yellowstone Plateau in Wyoming and in the high Rockies of Colorado and New Mexico, and finally the alpine tundra of the highest elevations. These habitats are home to a great deal of wildlife from large grazing mammals such as the large herds of elk, moose and mule deer, smaller mountain goats and bighorn sheep, predators like black bears, grizzly bears, wolves, and coyotes along with a great variety of small mammals, fish, reptiles and amphibians, hundreds of bird species, and tens of thousands of species of terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and soil organisms. Permanent human settlement of the Rocky Mountains has caused numerous species to go into decline, including species of trout, birds, and sheep. Gray wolves and grizzly bears have been completely eliminated from the United States portion of the range, but are returning due to conservation measures. Sasquatch in this region have been reported by hunters since the early 1900’s.
The American Midwest
In American states like Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana, anecdotes about huge, hairy, apelike creatures said to dwell in the deep woods and, occasionally, near the peripheries of rural communities, have accumulated for centuries. Many of these accounts were related by highly reliable and trustworthy individuals, people who had nothing to gain by telling their stories. Indeed, in many cases, these witnesses became the subjects of much ridicule, even among close friends and relatives. To the present day, most witnesses hesitate to share their incredible stories of seeing this strange, undocumented creatrure. It’s reticence should come as no surprise given the treatment of the subject by the mass media and some mainstream scientists. There are many skeptics; their concerns are legitimate. Skeptics demand to know why no skeletal remains have been found; they want to know why no hunters have killed one, or why no driver has collided with one on a secluded country highway. Would not a large primate, skeptics ask, leave an undeniable, discernable mark on the environment in perhaps the same manner as mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei)? Such questions are not invalid. Expecting skeptics to accept the likelihood of such a species existing beneath our proverbial noses may be asking just a tad too much. Nevertheless, the body of anecdotal accounts and accompanying evidence seems to indicate just such a possibility.
Sasquatch in the Eastern United States
You might think the eastern part of the United States would be an unlikely place to find Sasquatch. After all, it’s so populated, and has been for hundreds of years. Large and dangerous animals that once roamed the east have been hunted to extinction, so if Sasquatch existed here one would think it would have either moved on or died off, but apparently not so. In fact, Sasquatch is spotted in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and many other eastern states. How is Sasquatch managing to get along in this relatively populated section of the continent? One reason may be because the east is not as crowded as we like to think. The woods of Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey and other states feature huge tracts of little-traveled wilderness, and the Appalachian Mountains make for a perfect place for Sasquatch to hide. A quick look at the USGS Protected Areas Database shows a wide range of protected forest land in the east. A lot of people wonder why, if Sasquatch is real, a hunter has never shot one. There may be a few reasons. Even though there are plenty of hunters, we have to think Sasquatch is a pretty sharp critter, and knows well enough to stay out of their way. Hunters only hunt for specific prey during specific seasons, and most are smart enough not to take a potshot at a humanoid in the woods. On the other hand, there are plenty of Sasquatch sightings by hunters in the Northeast and other parts of the country.
Sasquatch “Skunk Ape” in the South East U.S.
The deep, dank swamps of the Southern United States are another great place for Sasquatch to hide. Down here he’s called Skunk Ape due to the horrific odor that usually accompanies sightings. Could a population of escaped apes account for Skunk Ape sightings in the Florida swamps? Why does the skunk ape smell so bad? Of course nobody knows for sure, but it may be due to sleeping in the swampy soil, or even because of its diet. Sightings of the skunk ape date back for decades, and it is well-known especially in the south of Florida. There are even some interesting pictures floating around, though like all Sasquatch evidence so far they are inconclusive. One recent problem cryptozoologists are encountering when attempting to gather legitimate Skunk Ape evidence is that of escaped primates. Possibly as controversial as Sasquatch, some believe there is a population of Chimpanzees and Orangutans living in the remote areas of Florida. These animals would have escaped from zoos or private collections and have possibly established a breeding population. But many Skunk Ape sightings are most definitely not of a chimp. This is a creature of the same size as Sasquatch, and for most witnesses there is no confusion. Deep in the dense southern swamps, it’s certainly conceivable that such a creature could make its home.
Sasquatch is Everywhere
Sasquatch has been sighted in every state and province in North America. There are reports from unusual states like North Dakota, New Mexico and Nevada. There are sightings south of the border in Mexico. There are even strange tales of Sasquatch-like creatures in Hawaii! Sasquatch seems to be all over the place. Is it possible that as our technology increases and our population grows Sasquatch sightings will become more common? Just about everyone these days carries around a cell phone with a camera and a video recorder, and we’re already seeing an increase in Sasquatch evidence. Perhaps this shy and elusive creature will one day come into the light. Then again, maybe it’s better than he remains hidden. Like everything else, the world would probably exploit Sasquatch. Zoos would be falling over each other to become to become the first to have a Sasquatch display, and biologists would be poking and prodding any captured specimen in a clumsy attempt to gather more information. As much as we all want to know to the truth about Sasquatch, for now it’s probably best he remain a mystery. It’s better for him, and probably better for us until we mature as a species and could agree on knowing what to do with him.