Cryptozoologist Daniel Benoit and His Quest for the Sasquatchian Legend

September 2, 2022 Valerie Archual Comments 0 Comment

Daniel Benoit loves the outdoors and everything it encompasses. Tagging alongside his father, an avid hunter and outdoorsman, Daniel spent countless hours as a boy exploring the woods and developed an appreciation and respect for nature and wildlife early on.

That appreciation sparked by his father broadened as Daniel got older. The woods soon became a place he frequented, where he hunted and became increasingly acquainted with the wilderness and its inhabitants.

And while Daniel’s love of nature stemmed from following in his father’s footsteps, another footpath surfaced, leaving a rather large impression that keeps him coming back to the woods every chance he gets.

The familiar forests Daniel learned about and grew accustomed to quickly transformed into a somewhat different sort of habitat upon viewing a particular documentary.

“It was the Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin footage that took place back in 1967. I’d seen it numerous times, but, I’ll tell ya, it wasn’t until I sat and really paid attention to it on a documentary where science was involved. And what blew my mind was that they were unable to debunk it! And every bit of evidence pointed toward a real flesh and blood creature.”

From that point on, Daniel’s wooded explorations and campout excursions took on a whole new meaning.

“It basically opened up a very strong curiosity when I watched that documentary footage. And it had me getting back outside a lot more and opened up my eyes and opened up my senses and really heightened everything for me! I was actually really paying attention to the outdoors.”

Daniel explains that your average outdoorsman, your hunter, your hiker, goes out into the woods with their mind focused on the prey they’re searching for or their trek ahead, often zeroing in on those particular signs and routes. Daniel said as he became more aware, there were profound indications of evidence he observed that stood apart from the obvious wildlife like deer and bears.

“I started noticing things, things your average person would not find or see.”

And Daniel wanted answers. As his investigations continued, he discovered a worldwide community of others searching for those same answers.

“It wasn’t until I jumped on social media that I discovered there were so many other people involved with the subject of Bigfoot!”

Who, or What, is Bigfoot?

bigfoot

noun, often capitalized

big·foot | \ ˈbig-ˌfu̇t \

plural bigfeet\ ˈbig-ˌfēt \ or bigfoots

Definition of bigfoot

1[from the size of the footprints ascribed to it] : SASQUATCH

Sas·quatch | \ ˈsa-ˌskwach , -ˌskwäch

Definition of Sasquatch

: a hairy creature like a human being reported to exist in the northwestern U.S. and western Canada and said to be a primate between 6 and 15 feet (1.8 and 4.6 meters) tall

— called also bigfoot

To Daniel and the millions of others in the inquisitive Sasquatch population, Merriam-Webster’s definition doesn’t even come close to satisfying the complex, controversial, and unending mysteries associated with this massive creature nicknamed after its sizable foot trackings.

Numerous signs such as these are posted in national forests and areas were sightings have been reported such as Pike’s Peak in Colorado and Ontario, Canada.

“When I got on social media, I started sharing some of my research, and when I discovered other people involved, I noticed they had their own theories on the subject. I sat back more-or-less and observed and listened to some of those theories; I didn’t jump on board with any of them but took them into consideration. I wanted to learn about those theories, to see if there was any truth behind them.”

And so, in 2010, Daniel founded the East Coast Bigfoot Researchers Organization. (E.C.B.R.O.)

“As I started associating with people, I wanted to spread the word about the E.C.B.R.O. and what I was working on trying to establish.”

The E.C.B.R.O. is a group of other researchers and enthusiasts that have a passion for the subject of Bigfoot. Members collaborate, discuss their findings and even explore together in their journey to discover the truth about what some people consider a nonexistent being.

Daniel says the East Coast Bigfoot Researchers Organization has come a long way, with members from states up and down the East Coast.

“We’re not trying to become big and famous; we’re trying to keep things as honest as possible.”

With Daniel having been an active researcher in the Sasquatch field for over twelve years, you can only imagine the laundry list of questions I had for him. And I started with the obvious.

The Evidence

“One of the main things that started to stand out to me was what we refer to as bipedal or humanoid footprints. I do a lot of deep trekking in the woods, and I do come across these tracks, and well, they’re not bear, they’re not deer, these are large humanoid footprints ranging anywhere from thirteen inches up to seventeen and eighteen inches! To be objective overall, you have to ask yourself, ‘who else is up there, deep in the woods, with large feet like that?’ Over the years, I have actually come across a series of these tracks throughout the National Forest in Virginia. A lot of us consider these foot tracks as physical evidence.”

“Another thing that is very controversial and very debatable are various tree structure formations. However, a lot of other wildlife could be responsible for things that people like to give Bigfoot credit for.”

“Certain types of tree breaks with twisting involved in the breaks, some of those things could be considered as possible Bigfoot evidence. If you take the time to look them over, something with an opposable thumb was able to grip and grab and place these things together. I do give a lot of consideration, that maybe we have something here that actually has high intelligence, that is creating things, building things, for various reasons.”

Daniel explained some theories in these tree formations being that of directional signs pointing others in their species to sources such as water, while territorial dominance might also play a part in these structures.

And then, of course, you can’t rule out the “Whoops…”

“That’s something I have heard on a few occasions, which is very interesting because I’ve researched a lot of different tones of different species of animals. I’ve done numerous video searches on wildlife making these kinds of sounds, and the only species I’ve ever come across that imitate or does this is a primate.”

Daniel is familiar with the vocalizations of almost every species in Virginia. He admits there are several different tones in many different species, such as owls, coyotes, and elk, that people may hear and be unfamiliar with. Daniel says not everything can be attributed to Bigfoot.

“Yes, I have heard things that I could not identify. There have been a lot of unknown, unfamiliar vocalizations I’ve experienced, but then again, it’s a very touchy thing.”

The Wood-on-Wood Tree Knocks

“I’ve had a lot of experience hearing knocks and actually getting responses from my knocks. I’ll tell you one scenario that got me thinking about what knocks actually mean. For example, when I gave off a tree knock, I got two responses, each coming from two different directions. I honestly believe it’s a form of communication, letting the others know their location.”

So many questions. So much evidence. And oh, so many different theories. So Daniel created a yearly conference to educate others on this beastly breed that many claim to roam the mountains of Virginia.

The Virginia Bigfoot Con

Daniel and the E.C.B.R.O organized the first Virginia Big Foot Con five years ago, a conference solely dedicated to all things Bigfoot. With their fourth annual event taking place this past June, it turned out to be their biggest one, yet. Daniel invited me to attend this all-day, all-out Sasquatch soiree and, I have to admit, I learned more than I ever thought I’d know about the famous Bigfoot and began to understand why so many are captivated by this compelling creature.

“Many of the people we bring in as guest speakers are real boots-in-the-ground researchers.”

The conference was opened by Daniel at 10 am and ran through 7 pm with a featured line-up of guest speakers and investigators, including that of Todd Neiss, Curt Bradford, and The Squatch Watchers, just to name a few.

And the Attendees?

2022 Virginia Bigfoot Con Sasquatch Call Contest

“It’s actually a good blend of people. A lot of them are curious-minded, and others are researchers themselves. Many people who come to my events share their stories, and some have witnessed or experienced something and want to learn more.”

And you can bet I chatted with many in attendance to get their views on this legendary beast of the forest.

As I listened to one of the speakers, I noticed to my right an elderly couple that reminded me of my grandparents; the lady heavily focused on the speaker and his presentation. To my left, was a middle-aged gentleman fervently taking notes in a bound composition book, often flipping back and forth between the pages, rereading what he had written prior.

As the speaker adjourned, I approached both of my neighboring parties individually, asking them the same question.

“What brings you here today?”

“Oh, this is our first event like this, ever!” the elderly lady explained with the excitement of a giggling schoolgirl. Her husband just looked at me and nodded saying nothing as she continued. “We just heard about it and thought, why not?! We thought it would be interesting!”

“Have you ever experienced a Bigfoot encounter?” I asked her.

She first glanced at her husband in a questioning manner.

“Well, no…” she said as if she had scanned her inner memory bank and was highly disappointed nothing was pulled up. “I don’t think we have…”

Her husband turned to me and shook his head.

“But how exciting if we did!” Her enthusiasm was suddenly resurrected. “I think it will be so interesting to hear about what others have actually seen and experienced!”

The husband looked at me and nodded his head in agreement a second time.

Turning to my left, the gentleman was still scribbling notes. I hesitantly repeated my question to him a second time, immediately regretting that I might have broken his seemingly critical and intense concentration.

“Sure,” he responded, holding up one finger as he finished writing in the last of what I had interrupted. “I’m part of a research project investigating cryptids and other strange phenomena.”

He then went into theories not only of the Sasquatch but of other creatures, some of whom I had never heard of, and their anecdotal research explaining their possible existence. True, my simple mind was lost amid some of his long and complicated science-y talk, but it was exciting! And I’m not gonna lie, part of me was waiting for Mulder and Scully to appear out of nowhere and sit down beside this guy!

Along with the wealth of Bigfoot knowledge and the fellowship among the like-minded audience, the walkways outside the conference area were lined with vendors offering up all kinds of Sasquatch shopping!

Daniel admits he’d love to attribute all his findings to Bigfoot but has to keep things in perspective.

“I’ve taken several people out on expeditions and campouts, and I’ll point out things that people don’t normally look for. But, at the same time, I’m very careful about how I refer to things. I’ll explain that, first of all, you can’t rule out your normal wildlife. I always tell them there’s always a possibility because a lot of what we find we cannot make facts about.”

Any Personal Encounters?

Oh, Daniel’s got plenty. And once he started sharing them with me, my planned thirty-minute phone interview resulted in a little over two hours, without me even realizing it!

As Daniel told me of his deep woods accounts, the sounds of the summer night seeped through the cracks of my office window. On several occasions, a diluted symphony of crickets accompanied by unnerving bouts of shrieks, squalls, and howls caused me to scan out into my darkened lawn. I tried to make light of the situation and tell Daniel of the melody of erratic enunciations coming from my heavily wooded yard below.

“There’s always a possibility!”

Daniel says with a laugh as he tells me of the many reported sightings in my area, including one that made the newspaper a few years back. A single screech then echoes loudly from outside, waking all three of my cats as they turn towards the window. I sink down into my chair and continue to listen to more of Daniel’s stories.

Daniel has shared his experiences at other Bigfoot conventions and seminars and in numerous film documentaries. The PARAFlixx’s series Hometown Haunts has an upcoming episode entitled “The Beast of Elkhorn Lake,” based on Daniel’s May 2014 encounter in The George Washington National Forest.

What’s Daniel’s ultimate goal in his search for Bigfoot?

“I honestly want to learn and gain answers. I do a lot of speaking presentations, and my main goal is to spread awareness, not to convince people, but to give them something to consider.”

And what about the Bigfoot skeptic?

“I always come at them with this question: Can you prove to me that they don’t exist?”