When did you have your sighting, Grim?
We also have frequent sightings in our area. On the road where I live, there was a story a couple of years ago about a fellow who saw one and ran off the road looking at it -- during broad daylight. James and I have both heard an animal in the woods making an odd noise that he can't identify and he's lived out here in the boondocks nearly all his life. One of the travel channel documentaries on bigfoot was filmed just down the road from us about a year or two ago.
As for the science community, it's easy to deny things if they don't fit into a neat little compartment. There is a breed of wild cat in this area that for lack of a better term, people call a "black panther". Scientist claim it doesn't exist. It supposedly sounds like a woman screaming and most people who have lived in the country, including my husband, claim to have seen at least one in their lifetime. One fellow, whom James knew, took the skin of one to a scientist at Texas A&M. He was promptly told he had the skin of a 6 foot long housecat.
Now, I'd like to see a 6 foot long housecat! Can you imagine the litter box for that one?! LOL