Traditional methods for attempting to locate unknown creatures in the back-country relies on a physical presence and interpretation of events. Despite creditable eyewitness testimony, physical encounters remain difficult to prove scientifically. Video footage from encounters helps corroborate testimony, but it also faces criticism over staged encounters or the potential of manipulated footage.
A principal part of scientific method is the ability to reproduce results to the point a perceived outcome in theory is an actual outcome in reality. This means, in order to prove the existence of an unknown creature, the animal must be captured, alive or dead, or eyewitnesses must be able to observe the animal in a habitat repeatedly. If the animal can be observed reliably, studies would begin to classify it, yet visibility remains sporadic at best.
The majority of encounters with an unknown creature describe a single event, something only taking place once by a small number of witnesses. With animals we know exist, that we're able to observe time and time again, we begin to identify traits or characteristics which differentiate one animal from others of its own kind. A problem with Big Foot sightings is how their traits are rarely conveyed, if at all.
An example of trait identification would be how people can tell the difference between two dogs which principally look the same. If we pick up on a fine detail only visible from looking directly head-on, where one dog has a small pigment coloration on the nose and the other does not, it is sometimes attributed to the dog's personality by in naming it Spot.
Reports of strange encounters usually include a size estimate, location, what it was doing, and a rough idea of what the creature looked like. The level of detail needs to increase significantly and be corroborated by other eyewitnesses. If a creature is located with a slight limp, patches of matted fur, and streaks of gray hair down its left arm, then someone else who is not part of the original testimony should be able to verify if the exact same animal was encountered again.
Using drones with daytime video and thermal imaging is one of the most creative ideas for locating animals in thick forests and vegetation. A step further might be to build a fully automated surveillance system with a drone deployment station. Unmanned air vehicles with programmed routes can capture video footage and live audio for later analysis using AI recognition to spot anomalies.
The concept easily extends beyond collecting data to find Big Foot, or other unknown creatures, as it may locate active populations of endangered animals and give a better understanding of dynamics in monitored ecosystems. Heat signatures or natural images provide a number of details by observing the environment and have the real possibility of revealing animal population behaviors over time.
Another idea includes the use of radio frequency nets distributed in foliage throughout target monitoring areas. Essentially, the net is a mesh of paper-thin RF transmitters which are designed to move freely with animal traffic or cling to fur and footpads. A receiver station collects radio signal data from the mesh and positions for each transmitter and an algorithm aligns the data to terrain maps. When a disturbance in an RF mesh is detected, alerts are sent out to nearby researchers to investigate a particular location. Remote detection like this would effectively shrink a large search area by focusing only on areas where activity is present.
While sophisticated technology may not be readily available due to cost and minimal contributions to research programs, other less-expensive technologies exist which could be nearly as effective. For example, a network of trail cameras strategically positioned throughout a forest may be used to document animal activity over a broad area with minimal human influence on an ecosystem. Remote downloads from those cameras minimized human scent further, especially if cameras are equipped with a solar panel and rechargeable battery.
To continue the search for Big Foot, or other unknown creatures, it is imperative to continue reinventing detection methods as much as possible. The encounters are often believable enough to inspire people to find the truth. Considering how evasive unknown animals can be, if they have masked themselves from people for hundreds or thousands of years, it makes sense for researchers to deploy new technology and leverage new methods for uncovering what seeks to remain hidden.