While many people relegate Bigfoot sightings to the '70s and '80s, when there were films and TV shows focusing on the hunt, the number of people claiming to have seen one actually increased dramatically between 2000 and 2010, spiking between 2005 and 2006 to more than twice the highest number in the late-'70s.  (Read more: A job that lets you hang out with sports stars)  They've tapered off regularly since then, with fewer than 10 in the past year. The most recent potential Bigfoot activity occurred Sept. 19, when an Ohio woman found a footprint in her backyard that measured 7.5 inches wide. That report came just one day after another Ohio woman said she saw a creature resembling the description of Bigfoot.  Ohio, according to the BFRO website, is ranked fifth in the U.S. for Bigfoot sightings (behind Washington, California, Florida, and—barely—Illinois). But Stevens theorizes that states that have a high number of sightings could be feeding on that speculation.  "The desire to find, or think you saw, Bigfoot might be especially high if you've heard tales of giant, ape-like creatures calling the place you're in home," he notes. "A combination of environment and legend likely combine to at least put weary outdoorsmen on the lookout."  (Read more: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ... as data)  However, he admits, there's a potential flaw in that logic, since the population data in the study are based on the U.S. Census—and there's no differentiation in sighting reports on whether they came from residents or from people vacationing in the area.  Additionally, he notes, the reports are tied to the nearest city, rather than precise geopositioning coordinates. ("Would you really log a GPS reading while staring 'squatch in the eye?!" he asks.) That can skew the data in the direction of populated areas, when the actual sightings could be miles away.  As for Stevens, he's careful to note that while he's happy to compile the data, he's still not quite ready to join the Bigfooter movement.  (Read more: Debbie does Dallas—Porn gets statistical)  "I'm not convinced there's a descendant of Gigantopithecus playing hide and seek in the Pacific Northwest," he says. "But if respectable folks like Survivorman Les Stroud and primatologist Jane Goodall believe there's something more to the myth, I think it's at least worth putting on the map."  —By Chris Morris, Special to CNBC.com
Big data has been used for a variety of things, but its latest use might be its most strange yet: The hunt for Bigfoot.