THE RECORD
What we can actually say.
On October 20, 1967, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin reported filming a hair-covered, upright figure near Bluff Creek in northern California. The resulting film became the most recognized piece of visual evidence associated with Bigfoot.
Documented record
- October 20, 1967 is the reported filming date.
- The film documents a figure moving across a creekside clearing.
- Later analysts disagree over anatomy, image interpretation, and what can be inferred from copies.
Still unresolved
- The filmed subject has not been scientifically established as an unknown primate.
- Questions concerning provenance of surviving film generations and exact measurements remain disputed.
FIELD INTERPRETATION / METHOD
Separate the existence and documented history of the film from the biological identity claimed for its subject. A study arguing the image was not altered does not, by itself, identify the figure.