Customer Reviews

Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs, & the Sasquatch

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I was curious about the possibility of stick signs being real evidence of interaction with Bigfoot, but I was also curious to know if Lisa A. Shiel, author of Backyard Bigfoot, had a new, logical, perspective on Bigfoot and how the plausible existence of hairy forest giants might relate to UFOs, "orbs" and other paranormal mysteries.

Her outlook on these subjects seems just as naive as many others who staunchly "believe" that photographed orbs are manifestations of spirits from beyond, and that UFO's are proof that extraterrestrials, or interdimensional beings, maneuver through our airspace in highly advanced craft.

The bottom line is that there is absolutely no proof to substantiate these phenomena, and it is illogical to speculate based on belief alone.

I mean no disrespect to the author. This is an interesting, well written book, and she certainly has done her fair share of research. Her theories are entertaining, and there is much anthropological and paleontological inforamtion included in the book, though not always in the best context.

In some cases I notice that her interpretations are a bit of a stretch from what one might ordinarily gather from the information at hand. For example, in the first chapter, "Ancient Evidence," Shiel presents an image of a pottery piece decorated with a representation of Bes, an Egyptian "hairy dwarf" god. Sheil tells us that Bes is often depicted with a feathered headdress, large feet, and sometimes as a bipedal lion-like creature. What she fails to mention are the obvious wing-like appendages seen protruding from the back of the creature in the image presented. This depiction of Bes is as much a representation of a hairy hominid as it is of Mothman, for those who believe in the existence of such a thing.

The stick sign phenomenon is intriguing, and may indeed be evidence of a possible attempt at communication, or mere playfulness, by creatures we know as Bigfoot or Sasquatch. Shiel has obviously done extensive experimentation with the stick sign phenomenon, but the fact that it continued at two very different locations, and on her property in both cases, may indicate that the phenomenon could have been generated through her own misperception of her environment.

I'm a skeptical person, but I try to keep an open mind when reading books like this. Backyard Bigfoot does contain some ineteresting information, and possible evidence that may or may not suggest the presence of hairy hominids on the author's property.

Much of what the author presents is assumption. She assumes a connection between hairy hominids and UFOs based on anecdotal evidence, stories. She assumes that orbs, and other most likely photographic and optical anomalies, represent paranormal activity and not common dust, moisture, insects, or other airborne debris. Shiel also assumes that these orbs have a connection to the alleged hairy hominids she believes frequent her property.

Shiel suggsts a connection between things like strange lights, mystery canids appearing on her motion-activated game camera, and her sighting of an out-of-place jaguar near her home when she lived in northern Texas. It seems that all of the world's paranormal mysteries found their way into her backyard. That is, if out of place jaguars, or wolf-like animals are paranormal phenomena.

Something I've noticed with many people who believe in these "mysteries" is that they tend to experience all kinds of strangeness in their lives, while skeptics like me seem to miss it all. And everything becomes part of some great mystery far beyond the comprehension of even the most educated scientists and thinkers.

On that note, one thing that Shiel doesn't hesitate to do, whenever she has the opportunity in this book, is to bash skeptics as a close minded group with an agenda to shut the door on all hope for the believers. I got the distinct impression that she views skeptics as the most illogical people, when in fact the opposite is true.

Skeptics ask questions, and point out facts which believers tend to conveniently ignore. I'm not bashing the author. She has written a fun book, and presents plenty of food for thought. There can be no belittling the author for the work she has done. She is an intelligent person, and the book is well researched. I must say, however, that much of what she offers and interprets seems liberally colored by her belief.

Are Bigfoot responsible for the stick signs she finds on her property? Maybe. Does Bigfoot exist? Maybe. But it seems that the author has convinced herself of their existence and assumes that they are communicating with her through the stick signs. Some of the stick sign formations do seem to be deliberate, while others could very well have just fallen out of a tree and landed that way.

There are many other creatures in the woods capable of shuffling some sticks around, during the course of gathering materials for a nest or den, even the wind can whip up a loose branch, twig or stick and have them land as they may. To say that the stick signs are evidence of a creature that has never been sufficiently proven to exist is a stretch.

Throughout the book are refereces to stick signs and rocks (some of which Shiel claims are evidence of hairy hominids' toolmaking skills), appearing where they were not the day before.

How is it possible that the author has such precise recollection of what is, or is not present on her property, and how can she be so certain as to how something got there? Are we to believe that Shiel strolls through her property on a daily basis making a detailed inventory of the contents of her land? Many of the passages in the book seem to indicate just that.

I will admit that my explanations above do not answer the riddle as to why Shiel seems to consistently get responses to her own placed stick signs. If an animal didn't just happen to shuffle over the sticks during the night, rearranging them a bit by mistake, then maybe there is something intelligent trying to communicate with her. But the evidence is sketchy. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a Bigfoot. Does it?

Sheil also discusses mystery braids that appear in the manes of her horses, seemingly overnight. She describes the detail, and intricacy of the braids, but at the same time refers to them as having a knotted appearance and being difficult to remove.

The photos Shiel presents of the braids show no real detail, and don't really help to support her claim. In some pictures it looks like she's showing nothing more than a tangle of hairs. Hard to say for sure. Also, she is again making an assumption that the braids are the work of playful, hairy hominids. Let's keep in mind that she never saw any Bigfoot lay down the stick signs or make the braids. Therefore we cannot establish for certain that they are responsible for these events.

There is no proof, despite the cute cover image, which seems more suited for a childrens' book than a serious examination of the Bigfoot phenomenon.

The book is interesting, however I must say that it is odd as well. It is a book about the paranormal and the author's belief, well suited for those who wish to continue to believe in these things.

Lisa Sheil has done a brave thing in writing about her unusual encounters and theories concerning Bigfoot. As she herself notes, the idea that Bigfoot shares a connection with UFOs, orbs, psychic phenomena and other anomalous activity is highly controversial. Shiel's willingness to put herself out front with her experiences and theories is to be commended.

The UFO - Bigfoot connection is not one looked upon favorably by both many UFO researchers, as well as Bigfoot researchers. It is a brave thing to put oneself out there with not only personal encounters of such a `high strangeness' content, but to extend that experience further by concluding that there is a relationship between human, Sasquatch, psi, and UFOs. Too much for some; as both UFO and Bigfoot researchers know. But as Shiel says,the data is out there (and I know it is, having researched two Pacific Northwest encounters of a similar type myself) and this fact won't go away.

A word about that: it sounds wild, and from my own experience, I can say that if this is the first time the reader is coming across this, it may sound very strange. I know that when I first read about a `Bigfoot-UFO' connection, I almost threw the article in the trash. But after coming across numerous, similar stories about this relationship, I was forced to acknowledge that there is a body of evidence that suggests there is something to these "high strangeness" encounters.


From the first unusual `stick sign' found on her Texas property Shiel finds that these patterns seemed to have been made intentionally by someone -- or something. Chances of the message maker being human, while a rational assumption, were slight, since Shiel lived in a remote rural area. And when Shiel moves from Texas to her isolated new home in the upper Michigan peninsula, she finds that the message maker, or makers, have followed her. For Lisa Shiel discovers that this fascinating and unusual mystery didn't get left behind in Texas.

Based on her previous Bigfoot research,Shiel suspects that the ones responsible for these `signs' could be Sasquatch. As Shiel begins to respond to the messages by rearranging the sticks and other items left by the messenger, a communication between human and non-human begins.

Shiel's book includes a wealth of photographs, Bigfoot research, and background into folklore and anomalous phenomeana to reach her conclusions. These may shock some readers at first, and put off others completely, if it weren't for the fact that, as Shiel points out, the relationship between Bigfoot and UFOs has been documented time after time. Refreshingly, Shiel addresses the various angles to this relationship, while keeping an open mind -- and urging others, including `flesh and blood' Bigfoot researchers, to do the same .

Shiel is to be applauded for her willingness to refuse to ignore this mysterious aspect of Bigfoot studies, as well as her fearlessness in her ongoing journey to discover the truth behind these types of events.

R. Lee
The Orange Orb
[...]

If you are a beginner in the realm of hairy hominids, there are better choices.

If you are well read on Bigfoot and looking for new information this is not a book for you.

Content is at best odd and mostly far-reaching conjecture. And I find it disappointing that the author expects us not only to believe she was getting messages from Bigfoot in the form of "stick signs" while living in Texas --- but that the same phenomena occurred when she moved to another state!

I've followed the Bigfoot phenomenon for 25 years and I have to admit this little volumn is a well-thought out tome on the subject. It is well researched and documented and gives one pause for thought. I highly recommend this title for a different perspective on the elusive bigfoot subject.

I confess I started to read "Backyard Bigfoot" with some trepidation since in my childhood I was deathly afraid of Bigfoot. I also found myself more alarmed while reading the book to discover that not only is Shiel immensely interested in hairy hominids but she has also had some interactions with them! Talk about a scary topic.

But as I read "Backyard Bigfoot", I found myself more and more engrossed in the book. Shiel's interactions with Bigfoot occurred both in Texas and her current home in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan--just a few hours away from me! Besides hearing Bigfoot screams and finding their footprints, Shiel has played a game of stick signs with her hairy hominid friends. After finding strange stick formations laid out in the woods around her home, she decided to make her own stick formations nearby, only to return the next day and find her stick signs rearranged into new patterns. The purpose of the stick formations she found remains unknown, other than being a game or a sign that the hairy hominids were simply curious about her and sought to interact with her.

But stick signs are just the beginning of what becomes a very gripping narrative. While most authors who write about Bigfoot seek to convince readers that Bigfoot exists, Shiel refuses to go that route. Instead, she speaks with commonsense about science, its often faulty views about evolution and DNA, and where and if the hairy hominid fits into the human family tree. She also details examples of sightings of hairy hominids back to ancient times, including potential references in the Bible, drawings of them from Ancient Egypt, and the attributed Wildman of medieval legends. Shiel makes a very convincing argument that hairy hominids do exist and that a better understanding of them is vital to our own understanding of evolution and human history.

And then the strange flashing lights appeared near her home...Yes, Bigfoot has a UFO connection, but to explain that would give away the fun of reading the book.

What I will say is that Shiel is extremely level-headed about her arguments. I don't think she exaggerates, fakes evidence, or uses faulty reasoning. I don't always completely agree with her arguments and conclusions, but I find them fascinating and possible. I especially commend her common sense in asking valid questions regarding scientific theories about evolution.

"Backyard Bigfoot" is a fast, fascinating, and thought-provoking read. It is the most interesting scientific-based book I have read since Bryan Sykes's "The Seven Daughters of Eve", a book Shiel would obviously find fault with. I recommend "Backyard Bigfoot" to anyone interested in science, history, anthropology, evolution, and the supernatural who also enjoys a gripping story.

Shiel is also the author of a series of adventure novels about Bigfoot. I will definitely be reading those soon. [...]

And Lisa, when you do talk to Bigfoot, please tell him to stay over in the Keweenaw. I enjoy reading about him, but I'm not up for a houseguest in Marquette.

- Tyler R. Tichelaar, author of The Marquette Trilogy: "Iron Pioneers", "The Queen City", and "Superior Heritage", all available on Amazon.

Lisa Shiel founded the Michigan Upper Peninsula Bigfoot Organization in 2005 because of continuing interest in one of America's most indigenous and fascinating legends. A skillful and accomplished writer, Lisa' "Backyard Bigfoot: The True Story Of Stick Signs, UFOs, & The Sasquatch" introduces the reader into the complex and sometimes contradictory realm of theories, coutner-theories, and assumptions about Bigfoot. Whether novice or experienced researcher into the metaphysical subjects of stick signs (purposeful symbols), mane braiding (intricate braids appearing in horses' manes overnight), the predominant Bigfoot theories and why they don't fit the known facts, and the distortions of human history as they have affected our perceptions of Bigfoot, "Backyard Bigfoot" is as informative as it is entertaining, and most especially recommended to the attention of those with an interest in human evolution, lost civilizations, UFOs, ancient artwork, metaphysical studies, and the legendary Sasquatch known in the Himalayan mountains as the Yeti, and in our own North American forests as Bigfoot.

Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (7/06)

"Backyard Bigfoot" is a complete correlation of facts, pictures, articles and questions we've all asked, all gathered into one concise book. Amazingly filled with such intriguing facts and, my most favorite parts, pictures that don't confirm 100% any true fact or fiction to the Bigfoot characters, but it does cause even the biggest unbelievers to take a second glance and thought about the entire issue.

Up to the date information, some pictures as new as within a year ago will help instill even more questions into one's mind. Connections between UFO's and Bigfoot's are brought to the reader's attention, as well as questionable instances of `stick signs', which until this book I really never believed myself. After seeing proof, of course nothing is 100%, the pictures and the author's ability to actually question what's going on herself will make even a semi-believer out of the most hardened disbeliever.

Well put together, concise and not consisting of a ton of unaccountable information, the author seems to have a way of making the reader at least question the existence of the Bigfoot characters (often referred to as "Hairy Hominids", a more scientific and encompassing name for the numerous variations of Bigfoot characters), if not actually begin to believe ever so much more.

Absolutely one of the best types of investigative reporting I've seen as Shiel compiles so much information into this one little book that you will read over and over again. While intended to be a `fully read' book, I can visualize it quickly becoming a wonderful book of reference for any interested in these types of encounters. Whether you believe or not, you will enjoy the questions driven from this complete book of information.

Received book free of charge

Intersting that philosophical believers like so called "sceptics" seem to be more interested than narrow minded big foot "researchers".
The stick photos are interesting.The conjecture ..sure..why not.
Are ALL photos that show very strange things "explainable" as insects/moisture etc, gee, after taken photos for over 30 years with all types of cameras/film types/with a printing background etc..the short but ugly answer is NO.
Philosophers(ie sceptics) will never be persuaded by any form of instrumental "evidence" like film/video/tape recording etc..of ideas that are outside their own belief systems.. to pretend otherwise is at best..sad..at worst..dishonest..so why pretend the "evidence" is not good enough.
And..will people who "know alot about big foot" (which is an oxymoron if ever there was) be convinced by this interesting book..of course not.They are as narrow minded as their "sceptical" cousins.
The little/no evidence after all these years does not faze them at all...
They will cling to "bigfoot pop up on many continents of the world are too smart to be caught" which is just brilliant "thinking"... :)
The emperor is naked...

MikeW

This book is very informative about the paranormal. It is very descriptive of areas of research and ways that Bigfoot may be communicating with humans. It is very well written. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in hunting for Bigfoot.