Track Casting

Characteristics of a Sasquatch Print

- Bipedal (left and right, symmetrically shaped tracks),

- Stride, step and straddle indicating great height,

- Very flat footed (no arch),

- Toes with no claws (nails maybe visible),

- Toes at the forepart of the foot (not on the side of the foot or in back),

- Usually five digits visible (but soil conditions or other factors not understood can show less and maybe more),

- Toes are in a line, not an arc,

- A Midtarsal break, producing only partial tracks sometimes,

- Indicative weight,

- Large width and length

From my late (and great I might add) colleague Tim Cullen a brief note on when and when not to cast prints:

Should a Track be Cast?

1. Only after documenting thoroughly with measurements, photography, sketches and corroborating eyewitness observations should you start to think about or begin the casting process. The impression is a female 1st generation mold of the object placed there. It is more important and significant than any cast you could possibly pull out of it. Once you make the cast, the impression is destroyed.

2. Only when enough detail is evident and identifiable should a cast be made from an impression. Forest litter in an impression can be somewhat removed from it but if this was the material that was between the object and the ground then it will detract from the casting process and results. There should be enough detail in the impression as to be able to
tell that a known animal didn’t make it or from the removal of an inanimate object, i.e. a rock, etc.

3. The size and shape of the impression conforms to what is believed to be of Sasquatch / Bigfoot origin.

4. If you have prepared the impression for casting, have all the materials available and know the process. You have but only one chance to make a cast from the impression. You have removed debris, growing grass and weeds. The impression is dammed up.

When a Cast Should NOT be made:

1. Impressions have been found in down logs, as if they were used to walk along, with the log being rotten. They have also been found in places unlikely that a creature such as a Sasquatch / Bigfoot could have made them and not have disturbed the area more, i.e. such as under low hanging tree branches, etc. Not all giant human looking foot impressions are what they first appear to be.

2. If I have to clean the impression up to make out what it is then I would not cast it. I don’t mean burning out grass or removing fallen twigs and pinecones. I am talking about making the toes show better, the heel a little more defined, that kind of stuff.

Steve Kulls' casting methodology:

These tips are designed to assist in the casting of impressions in soft material like soil, mud, or even snow.

This information is a set of guidelines and accepted practices derived from the law enforcement community.

Steps:

1. Preserve scene integrity.
Secure the scene and make sure that you have little or no intrusion onto it. This includes other investigators and/or associates. Keep EVERYONE off the scene until you have finished.

2.Evaluate the scene.
What kind of soil is it? How much moisture is present? How deep are the prints? Which prints are clear and well-formed? The answers to these questions will affect your casting. Take your time and evaluate it--the print(s) isn't going anywhere. The only thing that should press you for time when casting is inclimate weather. Rain can and will ruin an impression. If it is raining, cover the prints, and, ifı possible, dig drainage trenches to keep water from flooding the print.

3. Measure your scene and do a sketch.
Take measurements of each print and the distance between steps. Also, measure the stride. Stride length is the distance from a particular point on one print to the SAME point where the SAME foot strikes the ground again. (i.e., right foot to right foot) Put all of these measurements on the sketch. The sketch doesn't have to be to scale, but the measurements have to be acurate. With acurate measurements, you can recreate the scene at a later date and different location.

4. Select the print(s) you intend to cast.
It is best to cast a row of prints.ı In mixing the casting material, pour the water directly into a Ziploc bag or bucket and mix or knead the mixture. Make sure the mixture is consistent. You can adjust consistency to accommodate the conditions. If the soil is dry, the print detail will likely be more fragile. Without moisture to hold the soil together, the weight of the casting material may crush or damage the detail. In that case, you would want to make the mix more watery. This will make it easier to pour and more likely to fill in small cracks and crevices. If in doubt, err on the side of mixing it thinner. It takes a few minutes longer to dry, but the wait is worth it. If the print is unusually large, or if you doubt the strength of the cast, use some sticks or bits of wire to reinforce it. Lay it like you would lay rebar in concrete.

5. Allow the print to completely dry, then lift it.
For dental stone, it can take upwards of forty five minutes to dry--less in some cases, more in others. In almost all cases, the castings will be finished and dry enough to lift within thirty minutes. Allow more time for larger casts.

6. Label your casts.
When the cast(s) have dried to a medium consistency, you should take a knife blade or something similar and write your basic information in the back of the print. Include the date, time, and location at minimum. Put the corresponding number from you sketch onto the correct cast.

For example, in your sketch you might have print 1, print 2, etc. Label each print as such. It is important to know where the print came from, and in which order they occurred in the trackway.

Writing in the casting material will ensure that the information will remain intact. After marking the cast, allow it to dry until it is hard to the touch, and a blade will not readily pierce or mar it. Carefully take a shovel or other digging tool and go in a circle around the whole print. If you use a shovel, sink the blade to its entire depth in a circle around the print at a distance of no closer then about six inches.
When your circle is complete, lift the print with the blade, carefully prying up. As soon as you can lift the castıby hand, do so. Knock the loose dirt off of it, and allow the print to dry for a day or two. At that time, you can use some running water to clean the cast completely.