The idea of Bigfoot has changed in the past half-century from a large, hairy man to a collective of primates standing around 7 feet tall.
Regardless of what the ape-like creatures of popular folklore may look like, speakers at the fifth annual Arkansas Bigfoot Conference said they are intent on finding one.
More than 150 enthusiasts and optimistic skeptics of America's ape gathered Saturday at the Conway High School Auditorium to listen to the latest sightings, recordings and photos from the Mid-America Bigfoot Research Center.
Organizer Robert Swain said that while the conference is intended to present scientific evidence of the existence of such a creature, it's also an opportunity for people who have seen or experienced something they can't explain to talk with people who understand and believe them. Swain said he has collected more than 1,200 possible Bigfoot sightings within Arkansas.
"Every year at the end of the day we have a Q&A, and every year people stand up and just start telling us their story," Swain said. "Of course I love it, and I'm writing everything down as fast as I can."
The conference brings in Bigfoot-seekers from across the central United States to speak and present their findings. D.W. "Darkwing" Lee, who has been searching for Sasquatch since 1977, said he's accustomed to criticism and non-believers.
"Back when I first started, I got beat up a lot about some of my findings," Lee said. "I learned real quick I have to have more than just a photo or a recording. People want proof."
Now, Lee says he often debunks sightings and soundings sent in to him by putting the pictures, videos and recordings through rigorous tests before claiming them as possible evidence. In his presentation, Lee went through common animals and items people mistake for a Bigfoot sighting, like bears, large mammals, humans in costume or camouflage and certain type of trees.
"We're not here to just disprove everything," Lee said during his presentation Saturday. "I'd love to have someone bring me a picture of Bigfoot that I couldn't disprove. But if we didn't disprove our own stuff, the scientists would just laugh at us."
Eyewitness accounts, Lee said, are worthless as scientific proof but helpful in identifying possible Bigfoot habits and territories.
Each of the presenters said they'd seen a Bigfoot in person. While their testimony may not prove the creature's existence to others, first-hand experience has them convinced.
And Bigfoot may not be what you think he is, Jim Whitehead said.
"Most people have a misconception about Bigfoot. Either it's a big, screaming monster trying to eat you or a cartoon," said Whitehead, who presented on urban Sasquatch sightings. "The real Bigfoot is a stealth predator. ... If you see it step out in the open, it wanted you to see it."
Whitehead focused on the possibility of finding a Bigfoot not out in the wilds of the Ozarks or forests of Texas, but rather down by the Home Depot in Conway. He said the creatures are drawn to urban areas for the same reason that other large, wild animals are: food.
Whitehead said urban sightings are often mistaken for ghosts or aliens, an idea that drew laughter Saturday from the crowd in the auditorium.
"Yeah, I'm sure the big, hairy creature throwing rocks at you is a ghost," Whitehead said.
After the presentations, many attendees wandered out to the vendors' booths, where speakers had Bigfoot paraphernalia and footprint castings for sale. Children poked at the castings and asked questions while Whitehead explained each footprint's origin and who collected it.
One of the more exciting elements of the conference, Lee said, is being able to disprove the stereotypes of Bigfoot hunters on television and on social media. Looking for Bigfoot, he said, is not just going out in the woods and waiting for a Sasquatch.
"It's a lot of work," Lee said.
Swain said the talks are a good opportunity for the Mid-America Bigfoot Research Center -- which has more than 500 members -- to show off its research.
Although some attendees walked out bearing Sasquatch shirts that said "I believe," others weren't convinced.
That's OK, Lee said. The believers will keep looking.
Metro on 09/22/2019