Oklahoma state lawmaker files bill calling for Bigfoot hunting season

An Oklahoma state representative filed a bill this week that calls for the creation of a hunting season for Bigfoot.

Republican state Rep. Justin Humphrey introduced legislation that would direct the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission to establish an official hunting season for the elusive folklore creature.

The commission would set annual season dates and create any necessary specific hunting licenses and fees. 

Humphrey said that his sasquatch statement is designed to bring tourists to the state.

“Tourism is one of the biggest attractions we have in my House district,” he said. “Establishing an actual hunting season and issuing licenses for people who want to hunt Bigfoot will just draw more people to our already beautiful part of the state. It will be a great way for people to enjoy our area and to have some fun.”

He noted how the town of Honobia in southeast Oklahoma already has a Bigfoot festival each October so the hunting season would ideally line up with that event.

“Having a license and a tag would give people a way to prove they participated in the hunt,” Humphrey said in a statement. “Again, the overall goal is to get people to our area to enjoy the natural beauty and to have a great time, and if they find Bigfoot while they’re at it, well hey, that’s just an even bigger prize.”

The lawmaker specifically noted that he doesn’t want people to actually kill Bigfoot — instead he hopes to include language for his bill to secure at least $25,000 for the first person to capture the beast.

“A lot of people don’t believe in Bigfoot, but a lot of people do,” Humphrey said. “Just like some people like to go deer hunting, while some don’t.”

The lawmaker released a video statement on Thursday acknowledging that he’d already heard feedback from people who think the idea was crazy. He noted the potential to generate revenue, saying he’s also already heard from people who would want to buy a license as a joke to have framed on their wall. 

“A lot of people are very mesmerized, a lot of people love Bigfoot things,” Humphrey said.

Officials at the state agency that would be in charge of establishing the season and its licenses, however, aren’t as enthusiastic about the proposal.

“We use science-driven research, and we don’t recognize Bigfoot in the state of Oklahoma,” Micah Holmes of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation told KOCO-TV.