Last year an Oklahoma Senator, Justin Humphry tried to establish an official state Bigfoot Hunting season. He failed. But the effort did not go unnoticed.

Because, just this month, the Oklahoma state bigfoot bounty (for an unharmed capture of the mythical creature) jumped from a meager $25,000 to $2,125,000 overnight. Someone really wants to see the last unknown great ape, caught — to put an end to all the speculation once and for all.

Why? One might ask. At least in part because Oklahoma has the 9th most sasquatch sightings in the entire US. But also, as Humphry explained, to draw tourists. Because Oklahoma really needs some tourism cash.

“I know a lot of people thought I was crazy,” Humphry said in a press release. “But, I think if people chill out, (they could) see that this could be a serious deal bringing in a lot of money, a lot of tourism.”

In other words, they’re desperate. So desperate they’re willing to put up cash rewards for mythological creatures of legend, just to draw a few country chumps out to come a’hunting bigfoot. Next, they’ll be posting bounty’s on jackalope and Chupacabra heads.

Where did the $2 million come from?

Originally Humphry had only allocated a mere $25,000 in state money to set aside for the Bigfoot bounty — he figured that would be enough to draw crowds of bigfoot hunters. But a mystery donor threw in another $2.1 million… to promote a new Bigfoot movie. Humphry’s Bigfoot bounty got jacked by for Hollywood advertisement.

But the joke’s going to be on them, when someone actually comes stomping out of the Oklahoma woods, with a real-life Bigfoot bound in tow. Then they’re actually going to have to put their money where their mouths are.

And then, maybe people would actually start visiting Oklahoma.