My guest tonight is Todd Neiss. Todd is a long time investigator with tons of field experience and some amazing encounters to share with us on the show tonight. He is also the organizer of the Beachfoot invite only yearly event, that hosts The Who’s Who of the Bigfoot world. Todd had his first sighting in the 90’s while conducting explosive maneuvers with the military. Stick around and hear his latest encounter from late this past year that he shares for the first time publicly. It’s a pretty wild account. See Todd’s bio below for more information on his life and experiences as a Bigfoot researcher.
Bigfoot witness-turned-researcher, Todd M. Neiss has been an active investigator for over 28 years. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he grew up hearing of these legendary creatures, alternately known as Bigfoot or Sasquatch, but gave it little credibility beyond that of a good old-fashioned campfire tale designed to frighten young campers. All of that changed for Todd in the spring of 1993.
As a Sergeant in the Army's 1249th Combat Engineer Battalion, he came face to face with, not one, but three of the elusive giants in the temperate rain forest of Oregon's Coast Range while conducting high-explosives training. His sighting was independently corroborated by three fellow soldiers who also witnessed these creatures.
Since that fateful day, Neiss has conducted numerous investigations including several long-term expeditions in the Coastal, Cascade and Blue Mountain Ranges of Oregon & Washington, as well as Northern California, Arizona, Alaska, Nebraska and British Columbia. Todd believes that, in the tradition of Jane Goodall, Biruté Galdikas and Diane Fossey, the best way to obtain credible evidence of the existence of these fascinating beings is to insert a small research team into the heart of prime Bigfoot habitat for an extended period of time; ideally for 45 to 60-day rotations. In doing so, he hopes to acclimatize the creatures to their presence and eventually overcome their inherent apprehension of humans.
It is his opinion that these creatures possess a relatively high IQ in comparison to recognized great apes. Neiss’ current theory focuses on that presumed intelligence which he believes fosters an irresistible sense of curiosity...a curiosity which Neiss intends to exploit. By presenting a variety of baits as well as an array of unconventional, non-threatening lures within a pre-designated area, he hopes to successfully collect irrefutable evidence of these creature’s existence. "It is my goal to entice these animals by presenting a non-threatening posture and piquing their curiosity, thereby luring them into a specified area where irrefutable evidence can then be obtained," says Neiss. Once the creatures are officially recognized, his ultimate goal is to establish a management program to ensure their perpetual existence for future generations to appreciate.
Over the years, his research has garnered him international attention. He has been the subject of numerous documentaries and TV programs from the US and Canada to the UK and Germany. He has been featured on such programs as: Unsolved Mysteries, Encounters, To the Ends of the Earth, The UnXpected and has been featured on the Discovery Channel, Travel Channel and National Geographic. He has also appeared on numerous radio & TV talk shows, local newscasts and newspapers. He is currently producing a documentary about his recent expedition in the uninhabited Broughton Archipelago of British Columbia called “Operation: Sea Monkey” completed on October 1st, 2016.
Click or enter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgsN8dQMZGY&t=127s to watch the trailer.
He has been a featured speaker at several colleges and universities, and was a regular contributor to the Annual Sasquatch Symposium series held in British Columbia, Canada from 1996 through 1999. Neiss has instructed classes on Bigfoot for the Audubon Society as well as the Campfire Boys & Girls Society; the former involving both classroom and field work and culminating with an overnight working camp in the "Dark Divide" of Washington State's Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Recently he instructed a class for the Scappoose Middle School’s outdoor school.
Most recently, Neiss was a featured for the History Channel’s “The UnXplained” with William Shatner on August 21, 2020. It will air sometime in late November.
Todd and Diane are the hosts of the annual, invitation-only gathering of international Bigfoot researchers called “Beachfoot.” This retreat is held every summer in Oregon’s temperate Coast Range. This unique event has drawn noted researchers from as far away as Australia, Russia, England, Canada, New Zeeland and nearly every state in the U.S. This year will mark their 14th anniversary of the event.
Neiss co-founded the American Primate Conservancy with his wife, Diane Stocking Neiss five years ago. The conservancy was granted a “Domestic Non-Profit Corporation” status by the state of Oregon On October 15, 2015. Their primary mission is “the discovery, knowledge, research, recognition, and protection of the Sasquatch.” The organization has been quietly organizing expeditions, conducting investigations, and participating in multi-media and public speaking engagements in an effort to promote their agenda. They have been actively pursuing grants, donations, sponsorships and volunteers for ongoing research projects.
Ultimately, they plan to establish a world-class “Bigfoot Interpretive Center” in the Pacific Northwest as a showcase for promoting public awareness and education regarding these amazing creatures. The facility would include: an interactive museum, auditorium/conference center, art gallery, multi-media studio, classrooms, library, forensics laboratory, nature walk and outdoor amphitheater.
A veteran of the Iraq War, Neiss recently retired with meritorious honors from the U.S. Army; where he served for over 21 years.
When not working on the project, writing, or conducting research, Todd enjoys fishing, hunting, hiking and camping throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Todd and his wife currently live near Mount Hood, 50 miles east of Portland, Oregon. Nestled in the beautiful Cascaded Mountains, the “Chateau de Squatch” is in an ideal location for which to conduct their research and serves as the temporary headquarters for the conservancy.
The American Primate Conservancy has a website (www.americanprimate.org) which provides information about the Conservancy, projects past and present, theories, and more. Anyone with a legitimate sighting is encouraged to contact Neiss at 971-570-0097 or by e-mail at americanprimate@aol.com. He promises to treat every report confidentially, respectfully and professionally.
PERSONAL REFERENCES
"I have known Todd Neiss for some ten years. We first met because of a mutual interest in the Bigfoot phenomenon and within this decade we have carried out several field trips together in connection with the mystery...I know Todd to be a young man of fine moral character, a person whose integrity would never need to be questioned...he is far ahead of many in the field. This has its basis in three things and these are, essentially, dedication, tenacity and an intelligent approach. I have no hesitation in recommending Todd and the services he can render in research on what is now one of the last great mysteries of our shrinking planet, to anyone requiring his services, or wishing to be associated with him or sponsoring a project designed by and to be directed by him." - Peter Byrne, Author, Researcher, Explorer, Conservationist. Fellow, The Royal Geographical Society, London, England; Member Emeritus, The Explorers Club, New York, NY.; Member, The Academy of Applied Science, Boston, MA.; Honorary Member, The East African Professional Hunters Association; Honorary Executive Director, The International Wildlife Conservation Society.
"Having dealt with Mr. Neiss on numerous issues related to the Bigfoot problem, and having recently actually worked with him in the field in Oregon, I can state without any reservation that he is a thoughtful individual, one who is more concerned with helping to solve a scientific problem than with personal aggrandizement, one who is certainly qualified to work on this kind of problem, and one whose integrity is beyond question." – The late Dr. J. Richard Greenwell, International Explorer, Secretary-International Society Of Cryptozoology, Research Associate in Mammalogy-International Wildlife Museum, Tucson, AZ.
"I first met Todd Neiss when he spoke at a conference in Harrison Hot Springs, BC in 1996. At that time he gave a very professional account of his 1993 Sasquatch observations near Seaside, Oregon. (I briefly cited his observations on page 42 of my recent book.) Since then, we have met at other conferences and I have become impressed with his sincerity and willingness to persevere with serious investigations on his own time and using his own funds. He has investigated a number of Sasquatch reports and presented his results in timely and helpful reports which he has shared with his colleagues. His presentations at conferences and in the media are a credit to him and to our attempts to attract serious attention to this subject. I consider Todd's presence in this difficult area to be a great asset. His efforts have been important in our attempts to bring this controversial subject into mainstream biology. I hope that he will continue his work. I am more than willing to be included in any work that Todd undertakes in an advisory basis as required," – The late Dr. John Bindernagel, Ph. D., Wildlife Biologist, published author.
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