Voucher Specimen: 1 Unstoppable Reason We Can’t Find Bigfoot

Is there a valid reason to kill any cryptid like a sasquatch or dogman for a voucher specimen for scientific proof? My goal here, is to discuss some of the reasons why and give my opinion on it. You may or may not agree, but here goes…

What Is A Voucher Specimen?

A ‘voucher specimen‘ is any specimen, usually but not always a cadaver, that serves as a basis of study and is retained as a reference. By ‘specimen’ it means the whole animal or a part thereof. (A voucher should be in an accessible collection; however, even if it is not, it remains a voucher.) The collection of voucher specimens is a legitimate and important part of scientific research. However, it is a practice of concern to some sections of the community.

A ‘voucher species‘ is simply a preserved/archived specimen of a plant or animal.

Functions of voucher specimens

Role of taxonomy

1. Correct identification of the animals that are being studied are crucial to the outcome of the work. Incorrect or unresolved identifications can lead to misleading or incomplete conclusions. This is true despite the emphasis of the research that is being conducted (physiological, anatomical, biochemical, behavioural or some other aspect of the animal’s biology) and whether it occurs in the field or the laboratory.
2. Conservation needs are impossible to assess without the ability to recognise and differentiate species. Thus, identification, although often taken for granted, is fundamental to any animal-based study and particularly important when studying native animals.

Voucher specimens fulfill an archival role by permitting:

• Identification to be checked subsequent to the initial study, thus permitting verification or, if required, correction;
• Reassessment of studies based on those specimens and which otherwise cannot be repeated;
• Extension and elaboration of studies based on those specimens when new questions arise and/or new analytical techniques become available.

Do We Really Need A Voucher Specimen?

Well…, having a voucher specimen will address the problems that cannot be resolved in the field, such as:

1. When there is no other means to verify identification;
2. When questions are raised that cannot be answered at the time the animal is in hand.

So the question comes down to; “Do we really need to hunt one down and destroy it for a voucher specimen?” The answer is “No, we do not!”. I think our government has in its possession or has had cryptid voucher specimens to study for decades. One example is the stories of the military recovering sasquatch bodies in the days following the Mount St. Helen’s eruption. There are also several stories of truckers hitting these things with their big rigs and the bodies of them being taken away in ambulances. Are these not voucher specimens?

The next question is: Who gets to hunt one of these creatures? If you think you’re the chosen one, you should read my article on Cryptid Protection Firearms: 8 Plus Tips for Maximum Safety. You need to be aware of things before you head out thinking about “bagging one for the team“.

The Proof Is In The Pudding.

The Miller Document.

There is also the Miller Document.

NOTE: I saved this years ago as a MS Word file and recently converted it to a PDF. I’ve made no corrections or edits to the file other than formatting it to fit the page

Now…, if the Miller document is to be believed. This guy wrote about 6 different types of North American Sasquatche species the government had identified at that time. They’ve cataloged these as voucher specimens and they are:

• Cebidatelidae arktos,
• Cebidatelidae nerteros pacificus (Pacific Northwest type),
• Cebidatelidae somphos,
• Cebidatelidae americanus,
• Cebidatelidae texicanus (Texas type),
• Cebidatelidae amazonia

I’m sure they’ve added a few more cebidatelidae type species to that list as well as some new cryptids (dogmen, etc) since Mr. Miller wrote that document.

Physical Evidence – DNA, Footprint Castings, Hair & Tissue Samples.

We have foot and hand print castings, and we’ve had hair, scat, and tissue samples submitted for DNA studies (see Dr. Melba Ketchums Sasquatch Genome Project). We have pictures and videos. (by “we”, I mean the cryptid community in general) There are tens of thousands of reports throughout history of sightings and encounters with these creatures and lots of these have produced evidence like photos/videos, scat samples, hair samples, blood and tissue samples.

I’m talking about evidence the amateur researchers (citizen scientists) have collected over the years. Yet science discounts all of this with a wave of the hand? What is a legend today probably started hundreds of years ago with two guys sitting around a campfire in their lodge talking “I’m telling you Kicking Stork, it was as tall as my canoe, covered with black hair. It even had hair above its lips like Fleeing Possums wife… ”

Pardon my humor, I’m just saying most fables and legends are based somewhat in truth or on first-hand experiences, which much later, over time and centuries, have morphed into myth. There is a reality behind this and just because we as individuals have not experienced it personally, the stories should not be discounted lightly.

Do we not have enough evidence on hand for the past 3 or 4 decades, that proves bigfoot exists? Of course, we do. I’m pretty sure those who have seen our Mogollon Monster would agree the animal exists.

“Harvesting” a Cryptid for Science.

Let us get right into it. There are those in the bigfoot community who feel we need a “voucher specimen” to prove bigfoot exists. A voucher specimen is defined as “any specimen, usually but not always a cadaver, that serves as a basis of study and is retained as a reference.“, or put another way “a preserved/archived specimen of a plant or animal. ” They are right! To prove Bigfoot exists, somehow, some way, we will need a “body” ( a voucher specimen) delivered to a lab or facility that has the means to determine exactly what this thing is.

With this in mind, most folks assume we need to go out and shoot a voucher specimen to prove its existence. Unfortunately in this day and age, this is for the most part true. But I do think shooting one of these creatures for a voucher specimen, you would have to follow this up with an undeniable media blitz, otherwise, this story disappears. (It’s very common for folks who have shot these beasts to have run-ins with the Federal government. I’m not going to delve into this too much. Look it up for yourself.)

Can You Harvest a Voucher Specimen?

I suppose you could. But I wouldn’t recommend it. Suppose you drop a voucher specimen,  YOU are about to become famous in a way you do not want. The government will not officially acknowledge the existence of cryptids. Your exciting story will be suppressed from local news and then you can count on visits from less than friendly government agents (MIB’s – Men in Black) who will seize equipment, tap phone lines, surveil you, get you fired from your job, threaten & discredit you, and in general ruin your life for trying to go public with this. Think twice before choosing to “drop” a cryptid for a voucher specimen unless it’s ABSOLUTELY in self-defense…