Feral Apes in the American South

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.

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

Surviving a Grizzly Attack in Wyoming

In this unforgettable episode of Dark Outdoors®, Ben Verheul shares the full, uncut story of his harrowing grizzly bear attack in the remote Wyoming backcountry.

You’ll hear:

How he endured and survived a brutal grizzly mauling

Why he was certain the bear that attacked him was the same grizzly he had previously encountered

Firsthand insights into the split-second decisions that meant the difference between life and death

If bear encounters and survival stories intrigue you, this one will blow your mind. It’s a chilling, raw account of man versus nature at its most primal.

Dark Outdoors® is sponsored by Texas Fish & Game, who bring you the Missing in the Wild reports on our weekly episodes. Learn more at fishgame.com.

From crocodile massacres to tiger attacks, Chester Moore and author R.C. Bramhall uncover terrifying true stories of soldiers facing deadly wildlife in battlefields around the world.

In this chilling episode of Dark Outdoors®, Chester Moore sits down with R.C. Bramhall, author of Haunted War Tales: True Military Encounters with the Bizarre, Paranormal and Unexplained, to discuss the deadly wildlife threats faced by soldiers in wartime.

Topics include:

A crocodile-caused massacre that remains one of the deadliest animal attacks in history

Tiger attacks on soldiers in dense jungles

The harrowing story of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and shark-infested waters

Snakebites that proved as lethal as bullets

Encounters with huge bunker rats in Vietnam—and much more

These stories highlight how war zones are not only dangerous from combat, but also from the wild predators and creatures that lurk in the shadows.

Dark Outdoors® includes our important Missing in the Wild segment, brought to you by Texas Fish & Game magazine. Learn more at fishgame.com.

Dark Outdoors® investigates shocking reports of huge drones over Sabine Lake and deep inside Louisiana, and explores new tools to track these mysterious machines.

In this exclusive episode of Dark Outdoors®, Chester Moore delivers a detailed report on massive drone sightings across the Texas–Louisiana region.

Highlights include:

A huge drone over Sabine Lake on the Texas–Louisiana border

A report of a large drone in the interior of Louisiana

Additional eyewitness accounts of mysterious aerial activity in the region

Joining the discussion is Scott Tompkins, creator of DroneTracker.app, a mapping system designed to log drone sightings and uncover patterns behind what’s really happening in the skies.

This episode raises important questions about who is operating these drones, why they’re flying in remote areas, and what it means for outdoor safety and security.

From the East Coast to the Gulf Coast, mysterious drones are appearing—and in some cases, stalking people. Homeland Security claims they have no answers. Dark Outdoors® investigates.

In this special edition of Dark Outdoors®, Chester Moore dives into the unsettling wave of strange drone sightings reported across the United States.

Key details include:

Unexplained drones spotted along the East and Gulf Coasts

Reports of individuals being stalked by mysterious aerial machines

Homeland Security’s surprising admission that they “don’t know what’s going on”

The deeper questions: Who is behind these drones? Why are they targeting people? And what do they mean for outdoor safety?

This episode shines a light on one of the most mysterious and underreported outdoor threats emerging today.

Please subscribe to Dark Outdoors® for more true crime stories, wilderness investigations, and terrifying outdoor encounters you won’t hear anywhere else.

Dark Outdoors® is sponsored by Texas Fish & Game.

Author Lyle Blackburn joins Chester Moore to unravel the eerie true story of the Lake Worth Monster—also known as the Greer Island Goatman—in this chilling Halloween edition of Dark Outdoors®.

In our special annual Halloween cryptozoology episode, host Chester Moore sits down with acclaimed author and researcher Lyle Blackburn to discuss his latest book, The Lake Worth Monster: The True Story of the Greer Island Goatman.

This deep dive explores:

The legend and lore of the Lake Worth Monster

Why this case has been so misunderstood for decades

How the story of the Goatman of Greer Island continues to haunt Texas folklore

The broader place of cryptids and creepy creatures in Halloween storytelling

If you love cryptozoology, Texas legends, or spine-tingling mysteries tied to the outdoors, this episode will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Dark Outdoors® is brought to you by Texas Fish & Game.

Ben Verheul, a hunter from Wyoming, experienced two harrowing encounters with grizzly bears during an elk hunting trip that pushed his survival instincts to the limit. In an interview with Chester Moore on Dark Outdoors, Verheul recounted how the first incident occurred during the day when he was scouting the area.

He came face-to-face with a grizzly, narrowly escaping a direct confrontation. As if that wasn’t enough, a second, even more intense encounter unfolded later that night. While walking back to camp in the darkness, Verheul was suddenly attacked by another grizzly, leaving him in a desperate fight for his life.

The attack came without warning, and Verheul had to rely on his experience and quick thinking to defend himself. Injured and shaken, he fought the bear off and somehow survived the terrifying ordeal. 

From fatal animal attacks to chilling disappearances, Chester Moore and author Randi Minetor explore the most haunting cases from her seven-book series on death in national parks.

In this gripping episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester Moore speaks with best-selling author Randi Minetor about the shocking and often tragic stories she’s uncovered in her seven-book series on death in America’s national parks.

Topics include:

What kills more visitors than anything else in national parks

The harrowing and deadly “Night of the Grizzly”

Alligator attacks in southern parks

Mysterious disappearances where missing people were later found dead along the very trails that had been searched

And much more chilling detail from across the park system

This episode pulls back the curtain on the hidden dangers of national parks, blending history, wildlife encounters, and the mysteries that still haunt America’s wildest places.

Dark Outdoors® is sponsored by Texas Fish & Game.

From Trinity Bay to the Big Thicket, Chester Moore uncovers chilling reports of “wild men,” primitive tribes, and mysterious off-grid people living in the shadows of modern Texas.

In this wild and unsettling episode of Dark Outdoors, host Chester Moore digs into a forgotten book that chronicles bizarre encounters with alleged primitive tribes in the Trinity Bay area near Galveston and Houston during the 1960s and 1980s.

The investigation explores:

A longtime newspaper author’s report of similar activity in the Big Thicket National Preserve

Tales of a possible “wild man” haunting the Old and Lost River areas near Trinity Bay in recent years

The question of whether feral humans or off-grid people are living in ancient ways, hidden from society

Legends and firsthand accounts that blur the line between folklore, cryptid mystery, and real human survival

This strange and mysterious episode raises chilling questions about what (or who) might still be living in the remote corners of Texas wilderness.