When you hear the term “Bigfoot,” what are you thinking of? Odds are you think of that one video with the big, hairy ape-man walking across a field in the now infamous PGF film. Yes, that was the Patterson–Gimlin film that launched Bigfoot into the spotlight. But what exactly is a Bigfoot? Do Bigfoots exist? Are they a whole race of humans? There isn’t much substantial information on Bigfoot at least according to the majority of mainstream scientists. Many people don’t even think he really exists. At this point, he is American folklore, but there are some things we know from eyewitness accounts and some simple zoology.

For sure, Bigfoot is a primate. He’s usually described as a tall, gangly man with hair all over his body. Bigfoots do not talk like everyday humans: they communicate using rocks, tree trunks (using them like drums,) and by hollering and wooping during the night, similar to a wolf’s howl. Bigfoots travel in packs, which are believed to either be nuclear families or small communities. While Bigfoots also travel on their own, they’re like humans in the sense that they can’t be away from friends and family for long.

What do Bigfoots eat? Well, they’re just like us. (In fact, if Bigfoots do exist, they probably are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.) They eat meat, usually game killed in the forest, like deer. But they also eat wild berries and vegetables, just like we would in the wild. However, you probably don’t have to be worried about being hunted down by Bigfoot. Most of them are very shy and retiring creatures. They really are more afraid of us than we are of them.

Still, it can be heart attack inducing to see Bigfoot in your backyard! The most likely place to see one would be in the Pacific Northwest, although sightings have also been commonly documented in the Midwest and New England. It’s believed, however, that the largest concentration of Bigfoots live in Oregon and Washington, where it’s cool, rainy, and there are many unoccupied forests to live in.

But what exactly are Bigfoots? Some people believe that they’re unevolved humans, basically how we were millions of years ago. Many Native American tribes believe that they may be Shaman or other tribesmen who did not return from vision quests, and instead became wild in the woods. However, granting the sheer size of many Bigfoots, this is unlikely. It is instead more likely that they are a separate species entirely, that have been living beside us for millions of years already.

Today, many cryptozoologists (people who study mythological animals, and their possible existence) go out searching for Bigfoots. You’ve probably seen them on certain television shows. Because of this increased exposure, many others are out looking for Bigfoot encounters as well. You may even be one of them. But before you go looking for one, you should keep in mind all the usual wildlife safety tips. Just because Bigfoots are a bunch of recluses allegedly, doesn’t mean you can just go chasing them willy-nilly. Also you may want to heed the advice of various Indian tribes across our country which is Respect their existence and they will respect yours. Perhaps you will be the lucky one who finally answers the question do Sasquatch exist.