NSW police searching for 'murdered' nomad's family after body dumped in forest

NSW detectives are working to contact the family of a semi-nomadic man believed to have been murdered and dumped in a state forest on the mid north coast.

Emergency services were called to a fire in the Yarratt State Forest near Taree in the early hours of December 27.

Soon after they found human remains while extinguishing the blaze.

The body was forensically examined and police now believe the man was killed at another location and dumped in the bush under cover of darkness in the hours before the fire started.

Police have yet to reveal the cause of death.

Strikeforce Gretna officers on New Year's Eve appealed for the public to come forward if they knew anything or had dashcam footage from the area.

The victim is yet to be formally identified but AAP understands he was aged in his early 40s, lived a semi-itinerant lifestyle and recently spent time in the area.

His lifestyle meant he was not close to his family and they have been difficult to track down as a result.

Detectives hope relatives can confirm the man's identity and assist their investigation.