Researchers Dive Into the Bigfoot Hunter Community

Sociologists study the motivations and practices of those searching for the elusive creature

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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Sociologists Jamie Lewis and Andrew Bartlett interviewed over 130 self-described "Bigfooters" to understand what drives this community to search for evidence of the mythical creature. They found the Bigfoot community is largely white, male, rural, and blue-collar, often with military backgrounds. While the researchers don't believe Bigfoot exists, they were surprised by the Bigfooters' openness to share their experiences and admit when evidence was flawed. The researchers argue the Bigfoot community could be viewed as "citizen scientists" collecting valuable data, even if their ultimate conclusions are unlikely.

Why it matters

The study of the Bigfoot hunting community provides insights into how fringe groups organize around unproven phenomena and the psychology behind belief in the unexplained. It also raises questions about the boundaries of legitimate scientific inquiry and how communities outside of academia can contribute to knowledge, even if their core beliefs are considered implausible by mainstream science.

The details

Lewis and Bartlett began their research after seeing a TV show about Bigfoot hunters, known as "Bigfooters", on a nature channel. Intrigued, they decided to interview over 130 Bigfooters to understand their motivations and practices. They found the community is largely white, male, rural, and blue-collar, often with military backgrounds, though the researchers note Bigfooting is growing among women. Many Bigfooters were surprisingly open about sharing their personal experiences and encounters, and were willing to admit when certain evidence was flawed or a hoax. The researchers were also struck by the Bigfooters' efforts to collect empirical data through methods like camera traps, audio recordings, and DNA testing, even if their ultimate conclusions about Bigfoot's existence remain outside the scientific consensus.

  • The famous "Patterson-Gimlin film" that sparked the modern Bigfoot craze was shot in 1967 in Northern California.
  • The researchers conducted their interviews during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

The players

Jamie Lewis

A lecturer in sociology at Cardiff University who co-authored the book "Bigfooters and Scientific Inquiry: on the borderlands of legitimate science" with Andrew Bartlett.

Andrew Bartlett

A research associate in sociology at the University of Sheffield who co-authored the book "Bigfooters and Scientific Inquiry: on the borderlands of legitimate science" with Jamie Lewis.

Grover Krantz

A late academic who was one of the major champions of Bigfoot in the scientific community in the 1970s.

Jeffrey Meldrum

An academic who was another major champion of Bigfoot in the scientific community, until his recent passing.

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What they’re saying

“Bigfoot exists if not as a physical biological creature then certainly as an object around which hundreds of people organise their lives.”

— Jamie Lewis and Andrew Bartlett, Authors (Book blurb)

“I was fooled by these tracks for ages. I thought they were real and then I found this and that and the other out about it and I revised my opinion.”

— Anonymous Bigfooter (Book excerpt)

What’s next

The researchers plan to continue studying how fringe scientific communities like Bigfooters organize and make sense of evidence, and how their approaches compare to mainstream scientific practices.

The takeaway

This study of the Bigfoot hunting community highlights how even seemingly irrational beliefs can be fueled by a genuine desire to understand the natural world. While Bigfoot is highly unlikely to exist, the Bigfooters' data collection efforts and willingness to revise their views show they are not simply anti-science, but rather operating on the fringes of legitimate scientific inquiry.