The Hoopa Project is the first book by the Executive Director of North America Bigfoot Search (NABS), David Paulides. It is being published by Hancock House and will be formally released 9/15/08. A limited supply are available through our online store effective immediately.

NABS has committed to staying on any Bigfoot site and researching area incidents until the investigation has been completed. Whether the investigation takes 30 days or 3 years we will stay on site, as we did in Hoopa. We eventually earned the trust of the local people and were able to integrate their stories into our project, a critical piece to the puzzle.

The Hoopa Project-Background

NABS conducted an exhaustive investigation of the entire Western United States to determine where the optimum location was to research Bigfoot. The book explained this effort, how we arrived at the decision and what factors were in play:

Chapters:

Government Acknowledgement

Starting the Search

Sightings Overview

Bigfoot Incidents

Bigfoot Sightings

Forensic Art

When we started this effort we wanted to be held accountable for our research and we wanted to hold witnesses accountable for their statements, something that is rarely done by authors/researchers. We developed a system where we only investigated sightings if the witness signed an affidavit. If no affidavit was signed, no investigation was completed. This is still part of the protocol of our process and we have found that many witnesses appreciate the professional approach to the investigation.

After the witnesses were interviewed and an investigation was initiated, we then brought in the best forensic artist in Norther America. He is a law enforcement officer that is regularly utilized by the FBI on many high profile cases. When this gentleman sits down with a witness/victim to a crime and sketches the suspect, this is exactly what the subject looks like when they are apprehended. It's almost as though the suspect was sitting in the room when the sketch was completed, it's mind boggling. This was the first time in the history of Bigfoot research where a trained law enforcement forensic artist was brought into a confined region and sat with a multitude of witnesses to draw the hominid they witnessed. Hancock House did an outstanding job of including the forensic color sketches in the book. The color is fabulous and highlights the importance the sketches bring to the research. The sketches of the Bigfoot that were witnessed by the people are mind boggling. Many of the witnesses were in awe when they viewed the completed sketch, many stated "that's exactly what the creature looked like."

We believe that this book is the first time a Bigfoot research group has stayed on site for an extended period and chronicled their investigation in a book designed for the public. We have no doubt that the research will cause many in the Bigfoot community to take pause and examine our findings closely. Is Bigfoot an animal, ape, wildman or something in between. "The Hoopa Project" at 336 pages is the first doorway through a long hallway for NABS.

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**The following is a series of book reviews on "The Hoopa Project"

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Subject: Book Review: The Hoopa Project
From: shenron posted November 16, 2008 3:29:55 PM PST
Title: The Hoopa Project Bigfoot Encounters in California
Author: David Paulides (Sketches by forensic artist Harvey Pratt)
Publisher: Hancock House

Review:

While there are numerous books on the subject of Bigfoot and Sasquatch, "The Hoopa Project" is truly a one of a kind. Author David Paulides, a former police investigator for 30 years, methodologically analyzed and investigated Bigfoot activites in the Hoopa Valley in northern California. The highlight of this book, however, is the application of forensic sketches to the witnesses' descriptions of Bigfoot morphology. The result was striking; there was a consistency of what bigfoot looked like at least in the Hoopa Valley. In fact, the result had added more new questions to the eternal question of Bigfoot: Human or ape?

David Paulides' background is law enforcement. He applied his profession to gather information and interview witnesses. Although he is rather a newcomer to the Bigfoot research, he carefully correlated information on geography, ecology, wildlife management, and even government documentations with Bigfoot reports for the past 40 years in northern California before his field research. His approach was so fresh and unique; at times, I felt like reading a police report rather than a popular book. Furthermore, Paulides steered clear away from any academic "speculations" and resulted in a matter-of-fact descriptions of Bigfoot activities.

Harvey Pratt is a forensic artist commissioned by Paulides in order to recreate what the witnesses saw on papers. It is no joke that Paulides even printed out Pratt's resume! I have to say that Pratt was highly qualified for this job. While I will not give away what the Bigfoot sketches looked like here, I can confirm that the pictures were striking and never expected before!

Paulides' website is:
North America Bigfoot Search

For those who will enjoy an unique approach to the Bigfoot research, this book is a must read.

cheers,
Sebastian

October 26, 2008

The Hoopa Bigfoot Project

Last summer I was working in a local restaurant in Happy Camp when a man I didn’t know came in for lunch. After he finished eating he brought his business card to the counter and introduced himself as David Paulides of North America Bigfoot Search. He told me a bit about his Bigfoot research project in Hoopa. Since I live in Happy Camp I’m used to accidentally meeting up with Bigfoot researchers who are passing through town, so I told him who I was, Linda Martin of BigfootSightings.org. I figure out-of-town Bigfoot researchers might know me by my website rather than by my name or face. He said he was in town to interview one of my acquaintances.

Months later I learned that David Paulides wrote a book about the Bigfoot research he was doing in Hoopa, a reservation about sixty miles south-west of here. I got a copy of the book, The Hoopa Project, a few weeks ago, and have been reading it - in fact, I finished it this morning. I’m here to tell you it is an amazing book - one that should be in every Bigfoot enthusiast’s library. I cannot recommend it highly enough, but I’ll give it a try.

David Paulides, formerly a law enforcement investigator with thirty years experience, brought his expert interviewing and analytical skills into the field of Bigfoot research. This may not be unique, but his skills along with dedication to the singular project in Hoopa, reflected in his consistent recording of his observations, combined to help him create what is destined to be a classic of Bigfoot research literature.

The Hoopa Project records, in minute detail, Paulides’ systematic analysis of the Hoopa Valley’s climate, plant life, and animal populations. He made many observant inquiries into the probability of Bigfoot habitation. He researched available Bigfoot databases online and charted known sightings on maps. All these preparatory considerations, he shares with us in the initial pages of his book. It could get a bit tedious to read, but it doesn’t because his writing style is easy-going though it does obviously bear the mark of someone trained to write detailed reports in his professional life.

Though the first section of the 333-page book kept my interest, the book didn’t really get going until page 93 when Paulides started sharing his incident reports. At that point, I didn’t want to put the book down. It should be noted that he divided his reports into two categories. The first category, found in chapter four, was for “Incidents Involving Bigfoot”. These include all evidence of Bigfoot except actual sightings. The second category, saved for chapter five, is “Bigfoot Sightings”. He gives us eleven incident reports and thirty-three sightings total, though some observers had more than one incident or sighting.

Each of these reports contained some clue or insight into Bigfoot life and behavior. Included in the incident reports are stories of large boulder-sized rocks being thrown, not to harm, but to frighten humans nearby. Other incidents include screaming and footsteps or footprints. The people who reported these events agreed to have their pictures taken and allowed their names to be used. They were all very believable and the ones who had sightings signed affidavits to validate their claims.

What enhanced these sighting reports was Paulides’ decision to hire an experienced forensic artist, Harvey Pratt, to make accurate drawings of what each sighting witness saw. Toward the end of the book Paulides shared his process in choosing Pratt, which started with an internet search and ended with a perfect match. Because Hoopa is a Native American reservation with members of the Yurok, Karuk, and Hoopa tribes revealing their Bigfoot encounters, it helped that Harvey Pratt is also Native American, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes. He also has over 40 years law enforcement experience including FBI training and years of work with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations. Native American or not, Harvey Pratt was prepared for this job!

What came from the forensic drawings, in which Bigfoot sighting reporters shared their observations of the creature while he drew, is a series of astounding picture-perfect renditions of what these creatures actually look like. The images that came from this will open your eyes to the reality that Bigfoot is not all that different than we are. You will finally see why so many who have had Bigfoot encounters are saying, “It looked more like a human than like an animal.”

This book was created by professional law enforcement investigators, and the result is exactly what you would expect from people bringing that kind of experience to the table. If you’re looking for scientific details, you won’t get them, but you do get plenty of analysis, clearly stated reporting, and phenomenal forensic art.

Combine their skills with the location - a wide, fertile valley in the midst of heavily forested wilderness - and you have the possibility of great field work opportunities for Bigfoot researchers. Add to this the beautiful Native American people who live in the Hoopa Valley, who were open-hearted enough to consider trusting David Paulides with their surprising and peaceful encounters, and you’ve got access to some of the best Bigfoot incident and sighting stories ever told. And besides the Native Americans, there are several non-Natives represented who had Bigfoot encounters of their own to share.

On a personal note, I was thrilled to see faces I recognized and countryside I’ve traveled to and through many times. Some of the people photographed for the book are Karuks, and I live less than half a mile from the Karuk Tribe’s central office in Happy Camp. I’ve been to their annual Karuk Tribal Reunion, and to their Basketweavers’ Gathering, so I felt like I was seeing a new side to old friends. I’m very happy everyone who participated felt comfortable enough with David Paulides to reveal what happened to them.

I’d like to take this time and space to thank everyone who participated by sharing details about their Bigfoot incidents and encounters. I’m in deep gratitude as I’m sure many others who read these reports will be in years to come. Thank you for showing us that Sasquatches really do exist.

Part of David Paulides’ plan for the book is to present it to lawmakers in hopes of having Bigfoot protection legislation passed. I feel this is a noble cause, and support it. I also understand the feelings of Hoopa forestry employees that worried that Bigfoot protection legislation might destroy the Tribe’s forest industries projects. Therefore I hope that any forthcoming law making will be done on a local basis by the Tribal Councils and County Boards of Supervisors, not by State or Federal legislators who may be out of touch with the needs of Northern California counties, especially in rural areas.

Case in point: Environmentalists and the Endangered Species Act forced the closure of the sawmill in Happy Camp in the 1990s. What was once a thriving mid-forest town suddenly became a town of empty buildings and sad, wasted lives. It took many years for our town to start to recover and in the meantime many local families were devastated from income loss. Any Bigfoot protection legislation that does not share a focus with the needs of the people of this region, including but not limited to Hoopa residents, would not be welcome. I liked the examples of Bigfoot protection laws David Paulides included in this book; they are simple and to the point. Bigfoot is obviously very closely related to human beings, and should not be shot.

Bigfoot By the way, in case you don’t realize it, Hoopa is only a few miles south of the site of the famous Patterson-Gimlin film at Bluff Creek. There’s a lot of Bluff Creek Bigfoot information in the pages of this book.

Linda Martin

www.bigfootsightings.org

Book Reviews of "The Hoopa Project;

"Absolutely Fantastic"

HM 2005/Amazon.com

5 Star Rating!!!

This book, written by former police investigator Paulides, covers a 3-year investigation into the Hoopa Reservation and town just 14 miles north of the Bigfoot Capitol of the World, Willow Creek, California. He interviews many natives of the area and has each of them sign an affidavit, attesting to each witness' truthfulness. There are photos of all the witnesses, and also of the locations these sightings took place in. An interesting note is that some of the sightings took place in the same proximity and within less than a mile from each other. The witnesses' tales are quite compelling and stark in their detail, but Paulides has gone beyond just giving witnesses' descriptions-he also brings in forensic artist Harvey Pratt, who has done quite a bit of sketch work for the FBI and Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and did the initial sketches of the BTK Killer, the Green River Killer, Ted Bundy, Henry Lucas, Otis O'Toole and many other famous cases, and utilizes his skills in forensic art to bring a truer picture of the witnesses' sightings to life, which he does in bold detail. The Sasquatch creatures portrayed by Pratt as described by the witnesses describe a more humanlike face than apelike, whcih is quite fascinating. I highly recommend this book.

Southeast Sasquatch Association

The Hoopa Project

ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT!!!!!!

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Bill Green/ Bigfoot Researcher

I just finished reading the new book called "The Hoopa Project , Bigfoot Encounters in California, by David Paulides its AWESOME,WONDERFUL, SUSPENSEFUL, VERY INTRIGUING, A NON STOP BOOK ABOUT CALIFORNIA BIGFOOT SIGHTINGS & OTHER ASPECTS OF THE SASQUATCH PHENOMENA. EVERY CHAPTER I READ IN THIS BOOK REALY BLEW ME AWAY WITH A WEALTH OF NEW & OLD INFO ABOUT SASQUATCH SIGHTINGS, EVEN EYEWITNESSES DRAWINGS, MAPS OF SIGHTINGS LOCATIONS, HOW THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS ABOUT THE SASQUATCH PHENOMENA, BLACK WHITE & COLOR MAPS OF SIGHTINGS LOCATIONS, WONDERFUL HISTORY OF THE HOOPA INDIANS KNOWLEDGE ABOUT BIGFOOT. THIS NEW BOOK REALY MAKES YOU WANT READ IT AGAIN & AGAIN... I GIVE THIS NEW BOOK A++++++ thank you bill green :)

Christopher L. Murphy (Author, Meet the Sasquatch)
July 2008

This remarkable work brings us another first in the annals of Bigfoot
research.

Numerous Bigfoot-related incidents are presented that are the result of
first-hand investigations by a former trained police officer and professional
investigator. Added to this, a highly qualified, experienced forensic
police artist was commissioned to meet Bigfoot sighting witnesses
and to prepare detailed sketches of what the witnesses saw.

David Paulides recorded his conversations with Bigfoot witnesses in the
same way he prepared his reports in police work. The entire book is therefore
written in what might be termed “police report format,” which is
very direct and to the point. Particular care is taken to ensure that facts are
not misread or misinterpreted. Sentences are short and thoughtfully structured
to ensure the reader fully comprehends what is being said.

The details, interpretations, and images provided on Bigfoot encounters
in this book go far beyond “normal reporting.” Dave Paulides brings to
the table over 30 years of professional investigative experience, and we
are therefore provided with what can only be termed as the best Bigfoot
reports ever written.

The Hoopa Project Book Review

Hoopa Project is like no other book on the subject of Bigfoot. Having read about the subject all my life I was skeptical. The author, David Paulides, has done entensive research on Bigfoot in a very remote region of northwestern California. After numerous interviews with people having actual sightings he has established a region termed "Bigfoot alley." Paulides applies his law enforcement background to properly interview the witnesses and document their sightings. The book distinguishes itself by providing artwork by a forsenic artist named Harvey Pratt. Pratt's illustrations provide actual descriptions of different sightings by witnesses. This is a very informative book. I highly reccomend it to anyone interested in this subject.

Dick Dunbar