Critisism - Comes with the Territory.

Still Capture from Trail Cam

The one thing I have learned in this crazy field called "Bigfoot Research"  is,  if you do not handle criticism very well then you need to stay away from YouTube and posting your research results on-line. I received a scathing rebuke this weekend that reminded me of this reality.




No one likes to be criticized or made fun of, most people want to be liked by others.  I am fortunate that the vast majority of those who comment on the videos I post are supportive and polite. Even those who disagree do it in a well thought out and respectful way. But, you always have those who throw bombs and accusations from time to time. 

I have a strict policy that if a person makes a personal attack and/or uses profanity in a comment then I will block that user and remove the comment. I have no problem with someone not liking a video or disagreeing with my assertions, but there is no place for cursing and calling someone vile names just because you disagree with them. 


Lately I have noticed the most common rants accuse me (and others) of either hoaxing or not doing "true scientific research". This is a "head scratcher" for me. I go out into the woods, video, post what I recorded, that is it in a nutshell.  I can not speak for others on YouTube and frankly I try to take a live and let live approach to other researchers.  I have added a introduction and some back ground music to "spruce things up" a bit but that is it (Many subscribers had made a request for this). If I enhance something I tell you I enhanced it and I give my interpretation or opinion.  

Still capture from Trail Cam

On the "true scientific research" complaints, I would love for a University or a group of scientist to do a serious well funded study but Bigfoot is known as a "carrier killer" right now in the scientific community. So there is no "formal" scientific research going on. Since nature abhors a vacuum the Bigfoot research is being conducted by mostly underfunded, laymen, average "Joes" like me. Doing the best they can with the resources they have. Using common sense and hard work to study the Bigfoot.

The DNA project, NABS, and the Sierra Project, are some of the projects/groups that have some private funding but the people in the field are everyday folks, non-professionals in the scientific discipline. People who give of their time, spend their own money, and risk public ridicule to study Bigfoot. To them I take off my hat. I will not criticize their effort or research. I may not always agree with methods or interpretations of the findings, but I do so respectfully and in the proper context. 

Grover Krantz, PhD

I have the quote from Grover Krantz, Ph.D as part of my blogs main page "Many major scientific breakthroughs are made by amateurs or by those who are only marginally involved in the field in question." I find this to be so true because most scientist are not willing to jeopardize their funding and possibly their livelihoods to take the risk.


In conclusion, my mother always said "if you don't have anything good to say then don't say nothing at all". This is good advice that I try to heed as often as possible.


Post by: Scott Carpenter.