"Searching For Bigfoot" Comes To Florida

Saga Magazine 1973

I recently got the opportunity to work with Tom Biscardi - the worlds self-proclaimed best Bigfoot hunter - in the Green Swamp of central Florida. (Many of you may remember in 2008 when those two law enforcement officers in Georgia claimed to have a Bigfoot in a freezer and swindled Biscardi out of $50,000 for something that turned out to be a monkey suit frozen in ice). Tom has been looking for Bigfoot since he was a young man and I remember an old Saga Magazine article about him when I was a teenager. He is still at it, and has collected important DNA that is currently being analyzed to prove that an unknown primate exist on the North American continent.

Tom caught up with me at a meeting point at the north end of the Green Swamp which is part of Richloam track of the Withlacoochee State Forest, and I took him to an area that has been known as a Bigfoot active area for some time. Tom travels with his research team and a trailer full of all kinds of high tech gadgets such as thermal night vision cameras, sound microphones, and computer imaging radar. He does not play around. We went miles deep into the swamp looking for evidence of animal tracks that could be where the big guy is hanging out looking for a food source. We found such an area near a prairie with high grass and pigs running around and clear deer tracks. This is where we decided to do our 'night operation.'

Tom doing an introduction for his upcoming movie about Bigfoot

Tom and I checking out the target area

 About one hour before sunset we set out into the swamp and that is when Mitch saw something moving in the Palmettos and went searching. Since we had already set up the camera traps in the area where the thing was headed, our search yielded a possible print. We believe it was because it was in the area where we saw the movement.

A possible skunk ape footprint we found after we saw movement

One of the cool things about digital technology is the development of all kinds of high-tech gear. Tom has a thermal imaging camera which is used by the United States Military to see in the dark. We used this camera, and others, to peer into the dark in the Green Swamp to see what we could find. We did see several coyotes move across the plain, but on this night, no Bigfoot. That is how this kind of research goes. It is a waiting game, I did have a lot of fun and this was unlike anything I had ever done. 

A night optics camera that can see in the dark

Late Night With Coast-To-Coast Radio

The other night on Coast-To-Coast radio with George Norry, he had three distinguished Bigfoot researchers on his show who discussed the latest evidence and theories. People that know me are aware that I have a real interest in Bigfoot. I look for the Florida version of the big guy called the Skunk Ape. This is supposed to be a smaller, and harrier version.

Coast-To-Coast is the perfect show to listen to late night when you are driving a taxi. The night air can really pull you into experience.

Dr. Jeff Meldrum discussed what I have suspected by my research, that the creature is not really human like. He may live almost by instinct. He said there is no evidence that they use tools or build permanent shelters, which would put them more in the area of gorillas. However, there is considerable evidence that they build structures. I have found a habitat that they slept in for at least one night.

Silver Star Mountain Bigfoot

Founder of the center for Bigfoot studies Daniel Perez editor of the Bigfoot Times said it was the rarity of the creature that makes it seem so illusive. He believes the best evidence for Sasquatch is the Patterson/Gimlim film taken in 1967. He also believes the Silver Star Mountain photos taken in 2005 by a backpacker are of an actual Bigfoot.

Loren Coleman rounded out the show by talking about his latest book. I understand he has been in Florida researching a book about the history of sea serpents and lake monsters in the Sunshine State.

These discussions were beyond fascination. Noory has on the top field researchers in all forms of crypto and UFO kind of stuff.

So if you get into my taxi late night, I just might have the radio tuned into Coast-To-Coast