Dark Outdoors – Details, episodes & analysis

Author and researcher Lyle Blackburn joins the program again and we give a detailed behind the scenes look at the new documentary Wild Men: The Search for Feral Humans & Lost Tribes that details reports of primitve people in East Texas in areas of the Trinity Triangle. This is our second show on this topic but now with fresh reports and new insight.

Watch the new documentary and subscribe to Chester Moore's YouTube channel here.

It’s our annual Halloween Monster Special! Lyle Blackburn returns to Dark Outdoors to dive into the legends of Momo, the Lizard Man, and the Lake Worth Monster in this chilling cryptid deep dive.

In this special Halloween edition of the Dark Outdoors podcast, we welcome back Lyle Blackburn—renowned cryptozoologist, author, and monster hunter—for our Annual Monster Episode. This time, we're plunging deep into the chilling backwoods lore of Momo the Missouri Monster, the swamp-dwelling Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp, and Texas’s own Lake Worth Monster.

These aren’t your average urban legends. These regional cryptids have sparked mass hysteria, eyewitness encounters, and intense investigations. Lyle unpacks the folklore, historical sightings, and what makes each of these monsters so unique in the world of American cryptozoology.

Whether you're a lifelong believer or a curious skeptic, this episode will make you think twice before heading out into the woods after dark...

🔍 Topics Covered:

• Origins and sightings of Momo in 1970s Missouri

• The strange case of the Lizard Man of South Carolina

• How the Lake Worth Monster terrorized North Texas

• Cultural impact and media coverage of these cryptids

• What these legends say about human fear, folklore, and the wilderness

💀 Perfect for fans of: Cryptids, Bigfoot, Halloween podcasts, folklore, Lyle Blackburn, The Legend of Boggy Creek, paranormal investigation, backwoods horror, and creepy creature encounters.

📌 Don’t miss this spine-tingling journey into the darker corners of the outdoors… because in the wild, you’re never really alone.

From Murder Mountain to grow ops, Chester Moore reveals chilling encounters in the wild—traffickers, killers, attack dogs, and survival stories that prove the outdoors can turn deadly without warning.

Encountering an illegal grow or trafficking operation is one of the most dangerous threats in the great outdoors—and in this shocking episode of Dark Outdoors, we share terrifying real-life accounts.

You’ll hear stories of:

• A savage trained killer dog unleashed on a hiker who stumbled onto a grow site

• The infamous “Murder Mountain” and its deadly legacy, made famous by the Netflix series

• A serial killer who turned himself in carrying a human breast in a bag

• A hunter held at gunpoint on a deer lease after crossing the wrong path

• A special defense and safety segment with Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, Florida

These chilling accounts expose the hidden dangers lurking where crime and wilderness collide—and why every outdoor enthusiast should take precautions.

Chester Moore unravels a bizarre case that begins with a man posing as a woman to poach deer in a city park—and spirals into a shadowy world of wildlife trafficking, exotic animal cloning, and black-market “Frankensheep.”

In this unusual episode of Dark Outdoors, we uncover one of the strangest wildlife crime stories ever told. It begins with a man posing as a woman to gain illegal access to a city park—and its vulnerable deer population.

But what starts as a bizarre poaching scheme quickly spirals into something far darker:

• A hidden web of wildlife trafficking and exotic animal cloning

• Shocking connections to the black-market trade of Marco Polo sheep

• The creation of “Frankensheep hybrids” for high-stakes deals in the underground animal trade

Join us as we follow the trail from urban deer blinds to the global black market, exposing a story where greed, cloning, and poaching collide in the darkest corners of the outdoors.

In a never-before-heard interview, the late Jerrie Dean shares chilling insights into unsolved disappearances, cold cases, and rural murders hidden in the Texas wilderness.

n this special lost episode of Dark Outdoors, we reveal a rare interview with Jerrie Dean, founder of the Missing Texas 40 Project, recorded before her passing.

Jerrie shares haunting perspectives on:

• Unsolved disappearances and suspicious deaths across Texas

• The disturbing case of a body found in a barrel

• A brutal murder deep in the Pineywoods of East Texas

• The broader mystery of rural crime and missing persons in America’s wilderness

This gripping conversation not only shines a light on forgotten victims but also honors the tireless work of a woman dedicated to uncovering the truth.

Dark Outdoors® is proud to continue Jerrie’s mission, with support from Texas Fish & Game, bringing awareness to missing people in every episode.

From vehicle ambushes to campsite assaults, Chester Moore and special guest Jeff Stewart reveal real-world survival strategies for anyone who ventures deep into the backcountry.

In this intense episode of Dark Outdoors, host Chester Moore dives into life-or-death survival tactics for those who may find themselves attacked in vehicles, campsites, or other remote locations. Whether you’re off-roading miles from cell service or camping in the deep backcountry, knowing how to respond could be the difference between survival and tragedy.

Joining Chester is Jeff Stewart—renowned author, gunsmith, and seasoned outdoorsman—who shares decades of tactical knowledge and backwoods expertise. Together, they cover:

• How to survive vehicle ambush scenarios

• Proven defensive tactics and practical gear recommendations

• How to mentally prepare for the unthinkable in remote areas

This episode is a must-listen for overlanders, hunters, campers, and rural residents who spend serious time off-grid.

And don’t miss our “Missing in the Wild” segment at the end of the show—brought to you by Texas Fish & Game—spotlighting unresolved wilderness disappearances that demand attention.

Four people were killed and one injured in a wave of shark attacks along the New Jersey coast in 1916. While history blamed a great white, modern experts suggest a far more adaptable—and dangerous—suspect: the bull shark.

In July 1916, a series of shark attacks along the New Jersey shore left four dead and one injured, sparking nationwide panic and later inspiring the iconic film Jaws. While a great white shark was captured and blamed, modern science points to another predator: the bull shark.

Renowned for its ability to thrive in both saltwater and freshwater—and its aggressive behavior—the bull shark may have been the true culprit behind the 1916 Jersey Shore shark attacks.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, we:

• Revisit the chilling events of 1916 and their cultural impact

• Examine evidence that challenges the “great white” narrative

• Explore the bull shark’s unique adaptability and hunting behavior

• Speak with a Texas shark expert about population trends

• Reveal a promising, simple shark deterrent that could protect both people and sharks in the future

Whether you’re fascinated by true crime, marine biology, or ocean predators, this episode dives deep into one of the most infamous—and misunderstood—shark attack stories in history.

From hooded figures around midnight fires to chilling satanic ceremonies, Chester Moore exposes real encounters with the occult in the wilderness—and the terrifying dangers they pose.

In this unsettling episode of Dark Outdoors, we confront the occult in the great outdoors through first-hand accounts of bizarre and terrifying rituals.

You’ll hear:

• A border patrol agent who stumbled upon hooded figures gathered around a ritual fire in an area infamous for satanic activity

• A security guard who witnessed a dark outdoor ceremony firsthand

• Three boys who came face-to-face with a disturbing ritual deep in the woods

These stories uncover the hidden world of satanic groups, sacrificial sites, and secret occult practices that can turn a night in the wild into a nightmare.

Special thanks to Chris James of the Strange Things with Chris James podcast for contributing one of these chilling accounts.

Please subscribe to Dark Outdoors® to keep up with true crime stories and terrifying encounters in the wild.

Dark Outdoors partners with Texas Fish & Game to bring you our Missing in the Wild reports. Learn more at fishgame.com.

👉 This way, the

Feral Apes in the American SouthcFrom an orangutan-like creature on a swamp porch to baboon sightings in the woods, Dark Outdoors uncovers chilling reports of wild primates lurking across Texas, Florida, and beyond.

In this eerie episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester Moore investigates decades of strange, unnerving encounters in the American South—not with native wildlife, but with creatures resembling feral apes and wild primates.

Firsthand accounts include:

• A woman who saw an orangutan-looking creature on her porch in a swampy homestead

• A hunter who encountered a troop of baboons deep in the wilderness

• A hairy hand reaching into a deer blind under cover of night

Some researchers suggest these sightings may stem from escaped or released primates dating back to the mid-20th century, when exotic pet ownership and roadside zoos were more common. Over time, populations may have adapted, creating secretive breeding groups in remote, unmonitored regions.

Wildlife journalists and field investigators have documented anomalous hair samples, chilling vocalizations, and ambush-like behaviors that align more with great apes than with any known North American species.

Join us as we explore the legends, theories, and eyewitness encounters that suggest something wild—and very real—may still be lurking just beyond the campfire’s glow.

From missing hunters to eerie swamp dolls, Chester Moore and author Lyle Blackburn explore chilling tales of disappearances, dark rituals, and even serial killers hidden in America’s swamps.

In this intense episode of Dark Outdoors, host Chester Moore is joined by renowned author and storyteller Lyle Blackburn, discussing his book Sinister Swamps and the unsettling mysteries that haunt these wild, watery landscapes.

Highlights include:

• Campers and hunters who vanished without a trace in the Everglades and Great Dismal Swamp

• The terrifying case of mysterious dolls discovered in an Alabama swamp

• Accounts of serial killer activity lurking in America’s wetlands

• Other eerie tales where wilderness and true crime collide

With Blackburn’s vivid storytelling and Moore’s investigative edge, this episode sheds light on the dark secrets hidden in swamps across the South.