Habituation Situation: The Christmas Cedar Tree

This is the continued series archiving the field notes, photos and videos from a Bigfoot habituation study in the Southern United States in the early 2000s.

Installment #1 LINK
Installment #2 LINK
Installment #3 LINK 

January 31, 2003

Hoping to draw Bigfoot to the camera, the team decided to decorate a cedar tree with Christmas decorations including ornaments and red ribbon streamers. They set up a game cam on a tree, aimed right at it. This is the perspective (above).

 The property owner was captured on one the game cam as they prepared the camera settings and aim. 

Various team members caught on the camera while preparing the tree.

After the team was gone, something got in front of the lens of the camera (above). It appears hairy and strangely circular in orientation. 

Nearing twilight, two researchers caught on camera. 

Twilight descends. 

Nighttime (above and below).  Camera went off twice without apparent reason. 

February 1, 2003

The next morning, it seemed the camera was activated a few times, but by what? 

This shot went off with once again something dark and circular around the lens and a strange head-shaped shadow on the ground below.

Unable to explain this photo, upon closer inspection, it would appear that the camera was being checked by perhaps a team member. A finger is present on the left and what looks like the camera cover opened. 

More shots went off without any apparent reason. 

(unusual shadow in foreground above)

Camera set off several times for no apparent reason (above and below).

One of the researchers left a cigarette lighter on top of the camera. One of the red streamers from the cedar tree (above) was placed in front of the lens, as if to block the view, and the cigarette lighter was put atop of it to weigh it down. 

On this shot, it would appear that the ribbon was translucent enough that the tree showed through it. The wind might have moved it enough to trigger the camera. 

One more shot with the ribbon. 

A six-print trackway was found on the property at the creek. This was the first in the trackway (above).

Print #2 left foot. 

Print #3.

Print #4.

Print #5.

Print #6.

A close look at the camera with the ribbon on it (above). A hair can be seen in the top left side of the camera. 

Another shot of the ribbon on the camera (above).

The red ribbon on the ground (above) was pointing southwest to northeast. 

Found in a tree nearby was a broken red ornament and red ribbon stuffed into the crook. This was about 30-40 yards from the decorated cedar tree. Interestingly, this was a crook where the owner had been leaving food for the Forest People. 

A wood knocker that the team had been using had been balanced horizontally. 

Another view of the ornament and ribbon (above) in the crook of the gifting tree. 

Back at the peninsula at the lake, the team found this new stacking of the tires. 

Along the shoreline at the peninsula, five prints in a trackway were found. This one (above) was the first. It measured 10 inches (L) x 5-1/2" (W) x 2-1/2" (D). These ran north to east along shoreline. 

These were finger push-prints next to the first print (above)

Print #2 (above) with a baseball cap for perspective.

Finger push prints (above) near track #2.

Another four-finger push print (above) near track #3.

Track #3 (above).

More finger push prints (above).

Right foot, fourth print (above).

Same print with baseball cap perspective (above).

Finger push prints about 12 feet from shore (above).

Print someone stepped on with boot. 

First print of 3 found east to west on peninsula near lake.

Second print of 3 (above) 

Third print of 3 (above).

Possible finger imprints (above).

Rough photo of an bald eagle over the lake. 

An other installment coming next Monday!