What Happened To Bobo From Finding Bigfoot?
People who watched Animal Planet throughout the bulk of the 2010's probably remember "Finding Bigfoot," the channel's resident cryptozoological reality show about a group of Bigfoot hunters searching across America for the notorious Sasquatch. The show ran for seven years between 2011 and 2018, with later seasons focusing on the group — which was composed of leader Matt Moneymaker, Cliff Barackman, James "Bobo" Fay, and Ranae Holland — searching for other ape-like cryptids across the world. The crew never did find a "squatch," as they called them, but they did become an important part of the worldwide Bigfoot community, which continues searching for the creature to this day.
Of the group's members, perhaps none became as beloved as Bobo. Bobo was the group's field caller, and would often be used as a Bigfoot stand-in during scene recreations due to his large size. He was also beloved for his relaxed personality and predilection for wearing Bigfoot-themed attire. Chances are, however, that you haven't heard much of Bobo since "Finding Bigfoot" stopped airing in 2018. But that's not due to any laziness on Bobo's part. He is as active as ever, especially within the Bigfoot community.
Bobo mostly works as a fisherman
You might be surprised to learn that off the camera, Bobo is not a professional squatch hunter. After all, it has been quite a long time since "Finding Bigfoot" went off the air, and unfortunately, there aren't many Bigfoot-related career options that are able to sustain a comfortable lifestyle. As such, you're more likely to see Bobo down by the docks of Eureka, California, where he works as a commercial fisherman (via Animal Planet). He also works odd jobs when he can.
But don't let that trick you into thinking that Bobo's Bigfoot days are over. It's still a major part of his life, and he takes advantage of his work to pick up any Squatch-related rumors in his local area. Searching through the woods for Bigfoot may not be his full time gig, but it is still his passion, and his job plays an integral role in his hunt for the mythical monster.
Bobo dropped some weight
As the biggest of the Bigfoot hunters on "Finding Bigfoot," Bobo played the role of sasquatch stand-in for the show on many occasions. His height, which is well over six feet, and burly build made him a perfect replacement when trying to figure out if a Squatch left a mark on a tree trunk or could be seen lumbering around from a certain distance. If you saw him on the street today, however, you might not recognize him purely for the fact that he's dropped a lot of weight.
A video interview from March 2021 shows exactly how much Bobo's build has changed in the years since the show. Now as skinny as a rail, Bobo still stands at the eye-level of a Squatch, but might be too thin to match the overall silhouette of the cryptid. Regardless, that's a small price to pay if Bobo's weight loss is tied to a healthier lifestyle.
He is still active in the Bigfoot community
Even without being on a major TV show, Bobo continues to make contributions to the Bigfoot community. For instance, he and fellow "Finding Bigfoot" alumni Cliff Barakcman run a weekly podcast on iHeartRadio called "Bigfoot & Beyond." On it, they talk about upcoming community events and interview others regarding their Bigfoot experiences. As of September 6, the podcast has over 122 episodes.
On top of that, Bobo is no stranger to many of the conventions and community events in the Bigfoot world. In July 2020, he held a presentation at that year's Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. He also managed to sneak in a brief appearance in the independent 2021 Bigfoot documentary, "Bigfoot at Bluff Creek." Finally, he was (of course) included in the 2021 "Finding Bigfoot" reunion episode, "The Search Continues," where he and the other crew members use modern technological advances to further their lifelong search.