Forget normal holiday activities like skiing or hiking. In Oklahoma, you can go Bigfoot hunting.
A bill, proposed by Oklahoma state rep Justin Humphrey, was recently put forward to allow the capture of the mythical creature. But in the past few weeks, the bounty on Bigfoot’s head has grown from $32,000 ($25,000 USD) to nearly $2.7 million.
Bigfoot hunting season
The bill would enable the Oklahoma Wildlife and Conservation Commission to enact a dedicated Bigfoot hunting season.
The commission would be allowed to set annual dates along with hunting licences and fees.
For the record, the bounty only applies if Bigfoot is captured and returned unharmed. It’s also prohibited to injure anyone or break any laws in the process.
A plus is also actually believing in Bigfoot.
“A lot of people don’t believe in Bigfoot, but a lot of people do,” Humphrey said.
According to CBS News in Oklahoma, the plan is to allow businesses along State Highway 259A to sell Bigfoot tracking permits, with profits benefitting local businesses.
Tourism officials are also said to be preparing a promotional campaign with commemorative licence plates and tracking licences.
Humphrey hopes the bill will drive tourism in the state.
“Establishing an actual hunting season and issuing licenses for people who want to hunt Bigfoot will just draw more people to our already beautiful part of the state. It will be a great way for people to enjoy our area and to have some fun,” he said.
“Having a license and a tag would give people a way to prove they participated in the hunt. Again, the overall goal is to get people to our area to enjoy the natural beauty and to have a great time, and if they find Bigfoot while they’re at it, well hey, that’s just an even bigger prize.”
As for that $2.7 million bounty? Apparently, an upcoming Hollywood film pledged most of the money eliminating the need for State funding.
A guerrilla marketing campaign if we ever saw one.
Some people aren’t Big on the idea
Not everyone is thrilled about the idea of Bigfoot hunting season. Legitimate concerns have been voiced over citizens being caught in the line of fire.
“It gives people the idea that they can go out and shoot at any two-legged thing that’s out in the woods. What’s going to happen when they shoot at somebody that’s got a black hoodie on with the top up and dark pants. It’s really a dangerous thing to even consider,” D.W. Lee, executive director for the Mid-American Bigfoot Research Center, told local news stations.
As if the US didn’t already have enough things to worry about.
Bigfoot hunts have a long history of being fruitless. Animal Planet dedicated 11 seasons to Finding Bigfoot and still couldn’t nab him. So who knows if that bounty will go very far.
Some Aussies thought they’d spotted the extinct Tasmanian Tiger not long ago, only to be debunked. Maybe the Australian government should put a price on that and see if it drives tourism.