(Protocols) Listening Post Protocols

(Courtesy of the Mid-America Bigfoot Research Center as part of their extensive listing of protocols.)

During standard research trips to the field and on expeditions, the MABRC conducts listening posts in active areas. These protocols are placed here as guidelines to aid other researchers in setting up their own listening posts in the field.

• Always use 2 or more researchers for a listening post, this is for safety and credibility purposes. You can take along fold up chairs to sit on, or find a good place to sit down at.
• Always position the researchers so that they face each other, this goes along with the campfire tactic, as each researcher watches behind the one directly across from them. This allows the Bigfoot a level of comfort to approach the listening post, as they believe they are not being watched directly by the researchers.
• Always record the entire time you are in the listening post with a digital voice recorder, this will record all information, vocalizations and noises that are related to the listening post and what has occurred there.
• If using parabolic listening devices, position them in a way to not be viewed as a threat to any Bigfoot that may approach. Do this by hanging it on your chair or setting it on the ground by your feet, or even set it on a log.
• Upon hearing a noise, do not jump up and begin shining your light into the surrounding area, wait until you are sure that the noise being made is close enough that you can successfully light up whatever is making it.
• Talking between the listening post participants can be conducted when there is a lack of ambient noise that would give the Bigfoot sufficient noise to cover their movements. This would usually occur in the colder months of the year.
• During an expedition, a briefing should be conducted of all members going out to conduct listening posts, this briefing should include, but no limited to: location of all listening posts, researchers in each listening post, radio channels, rally points should something happen, function of each member, and who should be in charge of the team in the listening post.
• If a researcher in a listening post becomes lost in the dark, they should stay where they are, do not wander around, as this will make it easier for search parties to find them in the dark.
• If able, the digital voice recorder should be left recording on the hike back to the base camp, that way, if anything occurs on the walk back, it will be recorded for review.
• Upon returning to the base camp area (expeditions) an immediate debriefing should be concluded in the event something occurs, this should also be done with the presence of a recording device for reference later.
• In some instances, if the location could be easily relocated the next day in the daylight, leaving a hidden digital voice recorder behind at the listening post location could obtain activity of Bigfoot, which would possibly come into that spot to check it out after the researchers leave.
• In some cases, parking in vehicles can be done at remote locations, in this case, recorders should still be used to record what is happening around the area. If you are trying to use the abandoned vehicle approach, avoid any activity that would produce unnecessary movement that would rock the vehicle and let the Bigfoot know you are in it. This could be from shifting in a seat, to stretching or even reaching into the back seat for something.