In 1967, footage to rival the 1934 image of Nessie came to the forefront. Cowboys Bob Gimlin and Roger Patterson rode out to Bluff Creek, California in late October and saw in the distance a large, upright ape striding along the terrain until it disappeared in the woods. The shaky footage was taken on a 16mm camera and captured in muted colors the alleged cryptid. Although its authenticity was questioned, it spurred investigations that involved trail cameras, the collection and analysis of hair samples, and casts and photos of footprints said to belong to Bigfoot. What also lent credence to the idea was that Native American legends had told of the wild man called “Sasquatch” in many oral traditions (per Outside).
Despite little evidence turning up over the years, in 2012, an Idaho State University professor developed the “Falcon Project” which involved the use of a remote-controlled blimp to capture footage of the large ape. The $300,000 program follows in the footsteps of other aerial efforts to track down Bigfoot, with Animal Planet bringing a UAV plane (a drone) into the investigation (via Smithsonian). Even with the help of DNA analysis, night vision goggles, recorders, and thermal imagers (not to mention the drones), no solid evidence has turned up yet to prove Bigfoot roams our forests, as per Outside.
