This Bigfoot Bounty Could Send Hunters To Oklahoma

I'm not saying Bigfoot is real.

I'm also not saying he/she/it isn't.

But if you happen to live in Oklahoma, you probably understand why this new Hard Mountain Dew contest begs for our attention.

They're offering a $1 million bounty to whoever can provide verified proof that Bigfoot actually exists, although the fine print on that million bucks gets pretty interesting, and you've got until November 30 to submit your evidence.

Nationwide contest. One million dollars. Find Bigfoot.

Sounds pretty simple, right?

Well, if I were going to start looking for him, I'm not sure I'd begin in California or Washington or wherever else people claim to see the big guy.

I'd start in Oklahoma.

We've been dealing with Bigfoot stories around here for a long time.

Southeastern Oklahoma has pretty much embraced its reputation as Bigfoot country, especially around Honobia and the Kiamichi Mountains. There's even an annual Bigfoot festival and a Bigfoot 5K down there, so this isn't exactly some new internet obsession that somebody cooked up last Tuesday. It's the only place in the world you can fill up the car at the now-famous Gasquatch...

And you can't forget the story of the Bigfoot war. Yep. It's the tallest of Oklahoma tales.

There's a longstanding story about a supposed 1855 battle between Choctaw warriors and three Bigfoot-like creatures in what is now LeFlore County.

You should read that story next.

And now Hard Mountain Dew is basically putting a price tag on the whole thing.

What Hard Mountain Dew Wants To See

The Bigfoot Bounty is open to people 21 and older, and the company isn't asking you to send in a blurry picture of something standing behind a tree.

They have some pretty specific requirements.

You need to submit at least four different types of evidence from their list. That can include a footprint measuring between 37 and 38.5 inches, a 13-inch handprint, thermal footage showing a seven- to nine-foot heat signature moving through the woods, hair containing unknown DNA markers, unexplained audio, a written account of your encounter, environmental evidence, or a photograph that appears to show Bigfoot.

So if you're thinking about driving down to the Kiamichis, taking a picture of your buddy in a hairy Halloween costume and collecting your million dollars, you might want to rethink the plan.

The rules specifically say the evidence has to be original, and things like AI-generated images, costumes, and man-made footprints aren't going to get you there.

How To Enter The Bigfoot Bounty

If you actually think you've found Bigfoot, you'll need to head over to the Hard Mountain Dew Bigfoot Bounty website, fill out the entry information, and submit your evidence.

You have until 10:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on November 30, 2026.

The $1 Million Catch

And yes, the $1 million is the grand prize they're dangling out there.

The official rules are pretty clear about what it would take to get it, though. Your evidence would have to be verified proof that Bigfoot actually exists, which is probably why nobody has exactly cleaned out any of the Bigfoot prize money over the years.

There are also 100 smaller prizes available, so apparently you don't necessarily have to drag a seven-foot hairy creature into the Hard Mountain Dew offices to get something out of this.

So, if you've got a picture, a footprint, some weird hair or something else that you can't explain, this might be the time to dig it back out.

Just make sure it's real because there's money riding on it... Not the million bucks they teased, but $20 is $20 in the fine print.

And if somebody from Oklahoma actually wins this thing, I'm going to have a lot more questions about those woods down in the southeast corner of the state.