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Is Bigfoot hiding out in New Jersey? These Sasquatch hunters have a hunch

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Cite

Dobkin, R. (2026, October 30). Is Bigfoot hiding out in New Jersey? These Sasquatch hunters have a hunch. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/bigfoot-new-jersey-sightings-b3076085.html

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The Independent · collected 2026-10-30 · by Rachel Dobkin

Quick Summary

Mike Familant, a Sasquatch hunter who documents his investigations in New Jersey through an online series called "In the Shadow of Big Red Eye," has been searching for evidence of Bigfoot sightings in areas like High Point State Park and Stokes State Forest. In 2022, his team recorded an unusual sound that a military linguist determined was beyond human vocal range and not from any known animal in northwestern New Jersey. The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization lists 79 reported sightings in the state, with 18 occurring in Sussex County alone. Jacob Korbel, once skeptical but now an investigator for the organization, recounted hearing an unidentifiable whooping sound during a Pine Barrens expedition that seemed to approach their position, adding credibility to the ongoing Bigfoot mystery.
Written by AI on 2026-11-01, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Mike Familant, who documents his investigations into reported Bigfoot sightings on his online series "In the Shadow of Big Red Eye," believes that New Jersey may be home to Sasquatch. Familant has identified forests around High Point State Park, Stokes State Forest, and the Delaware Water Gap as potential hotspots for Bigfoot activity. In 2022, his team recorded an unusual sound after mimicking a barrel owl call at High Point that was determined to be outside of human vocal range and not attributable to any known animal in northwestern New Jersey. The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization lists 79 reported Bigfoot sightings in New Jersey on its website, including significant numbers in Sussex County, Burlington County, and Ocean County. Jacob Korbel, an investigator for the organization who was initially skeptical, has since become more open to the possibility of Bigfoot's existence.

Written for “Bigfoot Hunt In New Jersey” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Bigfoot Hunt In New Jersey
Other · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

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How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
14
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
14%
2 of 14 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
59/100
The Independent's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Other
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-01 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

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Who wrote this

Rachel Dobkin
100 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 “And you could hear it slowly getting closer to our position, like it was coming in to check us out.
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Also by Rachel Dobkin
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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 100 articles by Rachel Dobkin →

Topics

Familant NJ.com New Jersey New Jersey’s The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization

Subjects

New Jersey GPE · 3× Mike Familant PERSON · 2× NJ.com ORG · 2× Burlington County GPE · 1× Familant ORG · 1× Jacob Korbel PERSON · 1× New Jersey’s GPE · 1× Ocean County GPE · 1× Sussex County GPE · 1× The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization ORG · 1×

Narrative

Mike Familant, who documents his investigations into reported Bigfoot sightings on his online series, In the Shadow of Big Red Eye, has mentioned forests around High Point State Park, Stokes State Forest, and the Delaware Water Gap as some of New Jersey’s hotspots.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-01
🔮 “And you could hear it slowly getting closer to our position, like it was coming in to check us out.
2026-11-01 · The Independent
Is Bigfoot hiding out in New Jersey? These Sasquatch hunters have a hunch · assertive framing

Claims (14 extracted, 2 hedged)

A group of Sasquatch hunters has been investigating Bigfoot sightings in New Jersey, with the hope of solving a mystery that has bewildered many for decades. asserted
that → investigate → decades
While Bigfoot, the big and hairy bipedal, is more tied to the Pacific Northwest, Sasquatch hunter Mike Familant believes there is more to discover on the opposite coast. asserted
Familant → tie → coast
Mike Familant, who documents his investigations into reported Bigfoot sightings on his online series, In the Shadow of Big Red Eye, has mentioned forests around High Point State Park, Stokes State Forest, and the Delaware Water Gap as some of New Jersey’s hotspots. asserted
who → document → hotspots
The Bigfoot hunter recently told NJ.com about a bizarre sound his team recorded in 2022 after mimicking a barrel owl call at High Point. asserted
team → tell → Point
A military linguist “came back with a report that said it was outside of human vocal range and wasn’t any known animal from northwestern New Jersey,” Familant said. asserted
Familant → come → Jersey
The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization has listed 79 reported Bigfoot sightings in New Jersey on its website, including 18 in Sussex County, 16 in Burlington County and 11 in Ocean County. asserted
Organization → list → County
In 2021, he joined an expedition in the Pine Barrens to check out the organization’s work. asserted
he → join → work
“About 100 yards away in front of us, there’s this whoop response,” Korbel told NJ.com. asserted
Korbel → ’ → NJ.com
“And right away, I’m like, that’s nothing that I’ve ever heard before. asserted
I → ’m → that
That’s not an owl, that’s not a coyote, fox. asserted
that → ’ → ?
“And you could hear it slowly getting closer to our position, like it was coming in to check us out. uncertain
it → hear → us
Like we were almost getting flanked,” he recalled. asserted
he → flank → ?
With no solid evidence of the Sasquatch, it remains unclear whether Bigfoot is simply elusive or just bogus. uncertain
Bigfoot → remain → Sasquatch
While public polling on the matter is scant, a 2012 Angus Reid Public Opinion survey found that 29 percent of Americans believed Bigfoot is “definitely” or “probably” real. asserted
Bigfoot → find → Americans
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