Oklahoma Lawmaker Creates Bill for Bigfoot Hunting Season

Category: Human Interest

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. mythical / ˈmɪθ ɪ kəl / (adj) – existing only in a myth or in the imagination
    Example:

    The book’s setting is in a mythical country.


  2. bounty / ˈbaʊn ti / (n) – an amount of money given as a reward to someone, usually for catching a criminal
    Example:

    A bounty of $500 was offered to anyone who can catch the thief.


  3. lure / lʊər / (v) – to attract someone or something by offering something
    Example:

    The hunters lured the ducks with food.


  4. cryptid / ˈkrɪp tɪd / (n) – an animal whose existence has not been proven yet
    Example:

    I stayed up all night researching everything about cryptids.


  5. in honor of / ɪn ˈɒn ər əv / (idiom) – as a way to celebrate or show respect for someone or something
    Example:

    The dinner was held in honor of the foreign visitors.


Article

Read the text below.

Oklahoma state representative Justin Humphrey introduced a bill that would establish a hunting season for Bigfoot, a mythical ape-like creature that walks on two legs.


Under the proposed bill, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) would be in charge of organizing hunting dates, rules, licenses, and fees for the Bigfoot season. The bill would only allow people to trap Bigfoot. Humphrey also hopes to raise a $25,000 bounty to give to the first person to successfully capture the creature.


Humphrey said that he created the bill to help increase tourism in the state. He believes that having an actual Bigfoot hunting season could help get people to come to Oklahoma and enjoy its scenery.


Bigfoot is believed by some people to live in US forests. Common accounts say that the creature is often seen after sunset and can be lured with nutty bars and marbles. Over the years, numerous sightings of the cryptid have been reported in southern Oklahoma, which even has an annual festival in honor of the creature.


Reactions to the bill have been mixed. Humphrey said that after news of the proposal broke out, some people began requesting a hunting license because they wanted to frame it. However, others criticized the bill as silly and ridiculed Humphrey for proposing it.


In addition to these reactions, one netizen thought the bill was clever because it could give more funding for the ODWC, but the organization expressed uncertainty about the proposal. The ODWC emphasized that they use scientific research and do not recognize Bigfoot as an existing creature.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think the bill would be effective in promoting tourism for Oklahoma? Why or why not?
• If you were a lawmaker, how would you promote tourism in your area? Discuss.

Discussion B

• Do you believe in the existence of any mythical creatures (e.g. Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster)? Why or why not?
• Why do you think some people try so hard to prove that mythical creatures exist? Discuss.