Giganto: The Real King Kong… Part II
Posted by: Rick Noll on December 17th, 2005
(Electrelane - Bells)
For the show, some plans were changed on both ends… Doug wanted to include horses as a means of transportation to some of the more remote or inaccessible areas. Our group wanted to keep a few things we were going to try out in reserve, you know - not have it go out on national TV. So a compromise was reached with operations beginning July 26th, 2005.
First order of business was selecting a base camp that everyone was comfortable with. The first to arrive was Jeff and John Mionczynski. I took them to several good locations but they finally picked a site very close to the river… the one you see in the show actually. It was big enough for all the vehicles and equipment, had easy access to the river and good line of site to many chute meadows.
Doug’s small crew (four people, Vlad Ustimchuk, Mark Peterson, Dan Nyberg and Doug Hajieck himself) would arrive a week or so later, after all the experimental equipment had been deployed and a good area reconnaissance was conducted.
The first part of the expedition had me going back and forth between base camp, showing them areas of interest and going back into town for supplies forgotten and contact with soon to arrive film crew and visitors. I would spend the night out there and go back the next morning or evening for my day job and to conduct needed tasks.
The main crux here was can the area support a viable population of animals as large as what a Bigfoot is purported to be. We wanted to take a census of the plant and animal food sources. Evaluate shelter and human influence. Of course we were always on the look out for the animal.
Our transportation in the field was manpowered… bicycles and boots. We have more ideas for the full-fledged expedition but for this trip we kept it simple.
(Sons & Daughters - Hunt)
We had some preliminary goals that changed very little after everyone arrived:
Well, In my opinion determining viable food supplies and habitat for an animal of this size, is a good first step, lol. For some one new to this field, it is interesting to hear how these types of expeditions are planned and carried out. And, we all know, bigfoot hunters have day jobs…
Wanted to stop by here to say my posting on Gigantopithecus versus Paranthropus is online now, at
Rick and I were discussing this on Cryptomundo, so not sure where people might look for the “other side” of the debate.