If Sasquatch is found, what happens next?

This has been touched on before in several posts but never at great length.

Scenario,

Remains are found and proven to be that of the legendary Bigfoot, possibly shot by hunter, thus not allowing any concealment of the body.

The whole world is a flutter, ( lets say it happenend in PNW ). What would the next steps be?

Would legislation be passed immediately, protecting the creature, or would it be discussed for many years before anything is done.

Would it be an all-out free for all, where every hunter ( worldwide ) would converse on every forestland seeking out the creature, dead or alive.


Would scientific communities accept the evidence of a body being found or would every skeptic scientist insist on seeing/examining the body first hand?

OR,

Would the general mainstream just leave things alone, and maybe look a little closer next time they see something odd in the woods?

It was mentioned on a thread a while back, that some members felt that it would be best if BF was never found or scientifically documented, as to not destroy the essence of the creature who has always been a mystery.

Always being opposed to this level of thinking, I now find myself, after examining the possible outcomes, hoping BF is never discovered and the legends just LIVE on forever.

Wondering how others feel on this subject?

I think that science would accept the evidence from a body, though being scientist they would still 'want' more than they need.

There would be some pretty swift legislation on this, at least in the area where the body was found. But I doubt that the whole US Army could keep all the hunters, gun and camera, out of the area. And the camera nuts would be twice as numerous twice as self-righteous, yet just as harmful.

A curious concept here: If you kill one, and they are found to be intelligent, is it murder?

I like the premise, grailkeeper.

It would certainly be a day for me to remember. I would like to think that not just the US Government but the UN would act to protect any remains, living and the environment.

Yes for the initial period, there would many more people looking but this would died down.

The bigger question, which NGC2736 raises it the more interesting one.

Do we have a legal defination of intelligent life that we can compare with and would just the remains be enough?

And where would you draw the line? Dolphins??

Originally posted by NGC2736

A curious concept here: If you kill one, and they are found to be intelligent, is it murder?

Good point,

But I would have to say no.... the person(s) envolved would probably not be charged for murder or anything else under that umbrella of justice.

Now... PETA or other animal rights orgs. could certainly cause you some trouble. Cruelty to animals could lash out the same term of punishment as some of the murder convictions as of late.

I look at it like someone killing a monkey or as Freedom said a dolphin. Although some may look at it as murder, the law would see it as otherwise.

As bad as it is, I would rather take my chances with the criminal justice system then PETA.

But I can also see where a case could be made, provided it was a closer 'relative' to humans.

And if not, there would be a law on the books making it so very shortly. And the scientific community would lead the way on that one. They wouldn't want people putting bullet holes in creatures they could lock up and study for years to com.

Catch one. Stick it in a zoo. Gawk at it.

Is it ilegal to kill a dolphin? How about an elephant or lion? In the US?

We here in the US are in short supply of elephants and lions, for the most part. Dolphins we have, but those PETA people might lynch you anyway. Besides, I think we do have laws on killing marine mammals.

And we should stop killing marine mammals on a whole, because the diversity issue is getting pretty bad. I would like for my great grandchildren to know more than just pictures in a book.

I'm not sure how well the laws are enforced, but in the case of a BF, I can bet they would be.

I'm from the US also. The point is, is it illegal to kill an elephant or lion in the US? If there's not a law then it can't be unlawful... Although, PNW is as a whole pretty environment friendly, there might be some laws on the books up there that make killing bigfeet illegal. I would hate to be one down in Texas though!

All this talk about BF being accepted by the general populus makes me think of the 'Boston Pizza' commercials. LOL

I find them hilarious.

Originally posted by grailkeeper
If Sasquatch is found, what happens next?

It'll have a shoe contract and a new Escalade before the sun sets. A bidding war between super agents breaks out. Drafted as a power forward by the NBA and defensive tackle by NFL.

It'll be richer than Michael Jordan and Michael Schumacher combined, just off the endorsement deals.

Marries Pam Anderson and buys her a 60 carat diamond after the tabloids publish a story about a tryst he had with Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton in the Caymans.

Six months later, it's in rehab.

But then, you all knew this already.

I think certain groups would deny and ocverup the truth even harder than before.

Originally posted by NGC2736

A curious concept here: If you kill one, and they are found to be intelligent, is it murder?

No, because it would still be an animal. There are very intellegent dogs & cats and other animals but they are still animals. It may become illegal to kill them as an endangered species, but never considered as murder.

Originally posted by yeahright
It'll have a shoe contract and a new Escalade before the sun sets.

Actually no... I had no idea.LOL

Thanks for giggles, Yeahright.

Well, there would probably be a LOT of "I told you so!" going back and forth in the scientific community, and possible more going back and forth between my friends and I.

Well, it'd most certainly be put on the Endangered Species list, and hopefully be protected so the species could last well into the future.

Originally posted by whargoul
I'm from the US also. The point is, is it illegal to kill an elephant or lion in the US? If there's not a law then it can't be unlawful... Although, PNW is as a whole pretty environment friendly, there might be some laws on the books up there that make killing bigfeet illegal. I would hate to be one down in Texas though!

Not from the US, but common sense could help here.

i suppose it would depend on the manner of death. If you killed it in defence, you'd get away with it. Just killing an animal for the sake of killing it would probably be illegal, considering both Elephants and Lions are UN protected species. Seeing as the only place you'll find an elephant or lion would be a zoo or wildlife park, I'd guess that of you shot one, that would be animal cruelty.

It currently is against the law to shoot a sasquatch, although it is not murder. Homicide of any degree requires the victim to be a human. A sasquatch is not a human, thus killing one is not homicide.

Shooting a sasquatch is a violation of state natural resource codes (fish and game code, outdoor code, whatever the state names that body of laws). The only wildlife that can be legally hunted or shot are defined in the state hunting regulations. The species that CAN be hunted are delineated. If a species is not listed it is illegal to hunt that species. I know of no state regulation that allows the hunting of sasquatches.

Would a state game agency prosecute? That is another question.

As for PETA...personally I think they should be hunted to extinction.

Originally posted by grailkeeper
Always being opposed to this level of thinking, I now find myself, after examining the possible outcomes, hoping BF is never discovered and the legends just LIVE on forever.

Wondering how others feel on this subject?

I have to agree w/ you here. If BF was ever discovered, you know a bunch of them would be taken out of the forest and forced to undergo numerous lab experiments, especially if the things actually were a lot like humans. They'd be better off not being found.

Though, the question remains, how do we know that the gov't hasn't already discovered evidence of a Sasquatch, and is currently covering it up, like they cover up everything else?

its a real probability in my opinion that even if a subject is killed or captured it would be supressed by the powers that be because it would spell an end to the forestryand limit grazing and other activities on public lands in order to make sure these creatures had enough land and resources to survive and less importantly but still worth mentioning the ecotourism industry.

Most people i know who have had an encounter of one type or the other or even just come to believe that these guys are real have a different view on camping hiking and being in the woods in general, at least for a while afterwards. You start rethinking some of the odd things that you have heard and seen and felt while out there in the past and really noticing that eerie feeling of being watched.

How many people would panic, rush off into the woods with guns, and end up shooting eachother or every bear in the region thinking it was bigfoot.
Squatch have been sighted in every state as far as i know, so there would end up being nationwide effects on logging and city/suburb/housing development, a huge economic impact

So while i would love to see some samples with definitive DNA analysis, some good clear video or photos i do not wish them to be officially acknowledged and forced to endure tests and an influx of idiots with guns, and the horrid thought of one in a zoo or on display, the gorillas break my heart as it is. But on the other hand it would really go a long way towards helping to preserve the habitat of so many of our animals and ecosystems if broad protections were granted to protect Bigfoot

Originally posted by Saturn

Though, the question remains, how do we know that the govt hasn't already discovered evidence of a Sasquatch, and is currently covering it up, like they cover up everything else?

Good question, that thought never really occurred to me.

With all the other cover ups/ conspiracies in the world, on the surface, the BF mystery doesn't seem viable. Emphasis on 'surface'. I suppose if someone was to dig deep enough, evidence could possibly be found linking woodland destruction - government - Bigfoot, where one out weighs the other.

That's what is so scary, In todays world, ANYTHING is possible.

While I think everybody here has pretty much hit the nail on the head as far new laws, scientific intrest, and PETA problems, we've forgotten what the general public would think.

I for one predict a bigfoot fad sweeping America. Remember the Egypt fad in the 20's after discovering king Tut's tomb? Or how about in the 70's when bigfoot first came into the public eye. Hey, he got a guest starring role on the six million dollar man!

The 70's bigfoot fad will look pathetic compaired to what a bigfoot discovery would create. There will be dolls, books, songs, knick-nacks, TV shows, clothing, and other junk to buy. Washington & Oregon will see the tourist trade go through the roof. The're be plenty of people trampsing around the woods to find another bigfoot.

Remember the shark hunting boom after the movie Jaws came out? Well, you're going to get the same thing with people going into the woods to hunt bigfoot. And no dang law is going to stop them either, by gum!

But fear not! While the hunters head out to bag bigfoot, there will be just as many hippies, wiccans, enviromentalists, and other assorted new agers going into the woods to "protect" bigfoot and possibly "commune" with this gentle giant of the woods. (Wiether he wants to or not.)

Yep, Bigfoot mania will spread across the US, causing chaos in the northwest. And that's why our pal Sasquatch stays hidden.