Local News
Bigfoot Hunter Brings His Enthusiasm to Samuels Public Library
It takes a confident man to admit he looks for Bigfoot as a full-time job. Mike Familant is one such man. When he is not out in the field actively seeking these epic phenomena, Familant travels from locality to locality giving presentations on his passion at venues like Samuels Public Library where on the evening of Tuesday, April 8 he held a captive audience with anecdotes, fun facts, and video clips related to his passion. A great deal of lore surrounds this subject, some even linking Bigfoot to UFO theories, insofar as an alien might beam down Bigfoot onto our planet. Thus, Bigfoot enthusiasts look at the carefully preserved footprints with the same reverence with which literati might draw near to Sylvia Plath’s typewriter. With the request that nobody touch them, Familant indicated these relics displayed on a table adjacent to his podium. Also available for sale was Bigfoot memorabilia, including beanies and pewter pendants. From town to town, Familant is spreading an infectious enthusiasm.

Field investigator and producer Mike Familant shares his enthusiasm for hunting Bigfoot with an audience at Samuels Public Library on the evening of Tuesday, April 8. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.
Clearly Familant is part of a community. Bigfoot seeking is a phenomenon itself. He related the drama that preceded his breakup with his fiancé, wherein she discovered his Bigfoot gear and learned that he had planned a trip for them to a Bigfoot event without telling her. It turns out Bigfoot is the ultimate bromance. With the help of his buddies, Familant is now able to treat his fascination as a career. We like to think we know everything about the world, he told his audience on Tuesday evening, but we don’t, we know very, very little. Apparently, Bigfoot belongs to the vast sector of everything we don’t know although we know enough to look. Surprisingly, he does not believe in the Loch Ness monster. Are some things just too incredible? Asked what he thinks the government knows about Bigfoot, he replied that if Bigfoot exists, the government likely knows and is hesitant to reveal their knowledge because it might shut down the logging industry in the Pacific Northwest which is the ultimate hotspot for Bigfoot sightings. He admitted he is not fully confident of Bigfoot’s existence, maybe eighty percent certain.

Bigfoot memorabilia for a price.
If he found Bigfoot, he says he hopes he can run faster than his buddy. Why haven’t bones been found? Well, they are likely buried. Perhaps sometime in the future Bigfoot seeking will develop the sophistication of an archaeological endeavor. Until then, seekers can follow some basic rules, like never put a hair sample in a plastic bag, as any sample that spends time in said bag will become genetically unreadable. Also, remember that by generating the sound of a wounded deer, Bigfoot may be attracted by the prospect of a good meal. What three organisms can hurl rocks? Humans, primates, and Bigfoot. So, if rocks are flying or a tree is bent out of shape, these may be indications that Bigfoot is near. Familant explained that it is best to search in areas that have known animal migration patterns. Some of the videos displayed the loud calls he makes to elicit a response from Bigfoot, which may assume that Bigfoot is social and will not take the signal as a prompt to hide. Familant has at times received calls in response, although any proof that it is Bigfoot is somewhat circumstantial. The unique coloring of Bigfoot’s eyes is also something to look for. On at least one occasion, Familant encountered a creature with eyes colored as he would expect them to be if it were Bigfoot.

Evidence of Bigfoot in carefully preserved footprints.
More can be learned about Familant and his passion through his YouTube presence or by visiting shadowofredeye.com
