Dark Outdoors

Could real wolves be learning to survive just beyond the lights of our cities?

Inspired by the chilling 1981 horror classic Wolfen, starring Albert Finney and Edward James Olmos, Dark Outdoors® host Chester Moore investigates the fascinating reality of wolves adapting to human-dominated landscapes.

From gray wolves living near Rome and other European cities to the eerie abandoned landscapes of Chernobyl, scientists are uncovering remarkable evidence of wolf adaptability. And on Texas' Galveston Island, researchers have discovered something equally mysterious: wild coyotes carrying the genetic legacy of the endangered red wolf, earning them the nickname "ghost w...

Imagine walking through the woods beside a quiet lake when your phone rings. You answer, and the voice on the other end says, "Hello, Chester? This is Betsy Palmer."

That's exactly what happened to Dark Outdoors host Chester Moore when the actress who portrayed Pamela Voorhees in the original Friday the 13th called him unexpectedly.

In this special episode of Dark Outdoors Week, Chester shares the remarkable story of how the woman who terrified generations of horror fans became a collaborator with his band Freak13® and eventually a personal friend.

He also explores t...

An isolated road in Southeast Texas. Mysterious bloodstains that supposedly appear at night. A terrifying hooded figure. And disturbing reports of ritual activity in the nearby woods.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, host Chester Moore revisits a frightening experience from his high school years on the infamous Blood Road in Orange, Texas.

What began as an October evening drive to get a scare took a disturbing turn when his cousin reported seeing a Grim Reaper-like figure near a wooded marsh. On the return trip, his girlfriend Jenny became terrified at the exact same location.<...

What if an artificial egg could help bring a giant bird back from extinction?

For centuries, creatures like New Zealand's towering giant moa have existed only in museums, scientific records and the human imagination. But groundbreaking work at Colossal Biosciences is opening new possibilities for the future of extinct wildlife.

In this special episode of Dark Outdoors, host Chester Moore welcomes renowned Australian geneticist Dr. Andrew Pask, chief biology officer at Colossal Biosciences, to discuss the development of artificial egg technology that could help overcome one of the greatest obstacles to bringing extinct birds back...

What happens when Jaws meets Faces of Death? You get Great White Death, a bizarre 1981 documentary featuring real shark attacks, actual survivors and shocking footage.

Narrated by Hollywood legend Glenn Ford, Great White Death took the terror of Jaws and combined it with the disturbing, exploitation-style presentation of Faces of Death. But unlike Hollywood's fictional shark thrillers, this film drew on real encounters with some of the ocean's most feared predators.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester Moore revisits this obscure and unsettling documentary, explores the real-life horror behind its most disturbing sequences and...

What happens when it becomes increasingly difficult to tell a real wildlife image from a fake one?

In this episode of Dark Outdoors®, award-winning wildlife journalist Chester Moore examines how artificial intelligence, manipulated imagery, viral misinformation and sensationalism are changing the way the public views reports of unusual and unidentified animals.

Cryptozoology has always existed outside the scientific mainstream, but some of its traditional foundations—eyewitness reports, photographs, video and field investigation—now face an entirely new challenge. Convincing images can be created in seconds, fabricated stories can reach huge audiences, and legitimate wildlife information can b...

For decades, Chester Moore has investigated reports of mysterious cats roaming the American wilds. Some can probably be explained as mountain lions. Others aren't nearly so easy.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors®, Chester digs into some of the strangest big-cat encounters people have personally brought to him—including the astonishing account of a Texas man who said he walked outside and discovered what appeared to be an African lion in his chicken coop.

Then there are the tracks.

Chester recounts his own investigation of enormous cat tracks that seemed far too large for...

Sometimes the strangest thing you encounter in the woods isn't an animal.

Over the years, Dark Outdoors® host Chester Moore has collected some truly bizarre stories from hunters, anglers and other people who spend serious time in wild places. In this episode, he digs into some of the strangest—encounters involving people who seemingly shouldn't have been where they were, doing things that made absolutely no sense.

It starts with a man who says he encountered someone in the woods dressed head to toe like a ninja, complete with swords.

Then there's Chester's fri...

Some wildlife crimes are difficult to comprehend.

Years ago, Chester Moore traveled to a location where someone had illegally killed a buffalo, removed its head with a chainsaw and abandoned the rest of the animal to rot. What he encountered there opened a window into a side of the outdoors most people never see.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester explores some of the most disturbing and bizarre poaching cases he has encountered and investigated over the years.

There are poachers willing to kill wildlife simply for trophies. Criminals willing to threaten...

Deep along the Brazos River, something attacked a calf in the darkness.

The people who witnessed the event couldn't see exactly what was happening—but they could hear it.

They heard the struggle. They heard multiple animals involved. And, most disturbingly, they described hearing bones being broken and the calf seemingly being pulled apart with astonishing speed.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors®, Chester Moore examines this chilling eyewitness account from the Brazos River country and asks what kind of predators—and what kind of circumstances—could produce an attack like the one describ...

ne night in the Texas darkness, Chester Moore found himself looking through the sights of a rifle at an animal he had every opportunity to shoot.

He didn't pull the trigger.

What Chester believes stood in front of him that night was a red wolf—an animal officially declared extinct in the wild across its historic Texas range decades ago.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors®, Chester tells the story of that encounter and others he has had with mysterious wild canines over the years. Some looked remarkably like the red wolves that onc...

What exactly is a feral human?

The phrase conjures images of people living beyond civilization—hidden deep in forests, mountains and other wild places. But the reality behind the idea may be stranger, and far more complicated, than the legends.

In this special episode of Dark Outdoors®, Chester Moore explores the concept of feral humans and expands the definition beyond the usual stories of mysterious wild people lurking beyond the edge of society.

At the center of the episode is a bizarre account from Oklahoma involving a helicopter, thermal imaging and a human fig...

In 1997, Chester Moore and his wife Lisa were driving to Pasadena, Texas, to visit a friend when they came upon a scene they would never forget.

Police and investigators had converged on an area near a retention pond. Chester and Lisa didn't know exactly what had happened, but they would soon learn they had driven upon the scene where, that very day, the body of 12-year-old Laura Smither had been discovered following a massive search.

Nearly three decades later, Chester returns to that moment in this deeply personal episode of Dark Outdoors®, exploring Laura's murder, s...

For Chester Moore, the question isn't simply an internet legend. It is connected to a mystery that has fascinated him since childhood.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester digs into his archives and revisits an investigation into reports of giant rattlesnakes, including an extraordinary account involving a rattlesnake said to have measured approximately 11 feet long. It's a mystery Chester first encountered as a kid and one he has spent years trying to understand.

How large can rattlesnakes actually grow? Where did some of the incredible historical claims about enormous rattlesnakes originate? And when stories...

Lightning can turn a fishing trip, hike, hunt or day on the water into a life-threatening situation in seconds. And some of the most dangerous storms can arrive with frightening speed.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester Moore reaches into his archives for an interview recorded several years ago with legendary meteorologist Greg Bostwick that has never before aired on Dark Outdoors.

Bostwick discusses the dangers of lightning, squall lines and severe thunderstorms, with important information for hunters, anglers, hikers, campers, boaters and anyone who spends time outside. The conversation explores how quickly dangerous...

Could black jaguars still roam Texas? Reports of black panthers, mysterious big cats and possible jaguar sightings have circulated throughout Texas for generations, but some eyewitness accounts are much harder to dismiss than others.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors®, Chester Moore talks with his friend David Cleaver, a dedicated outdoorsman and hiker, about an extraordinary black jaguar sighting in Texas. Chester considers David a highly reliable witness, and the details of what he saw raise fascinating questions about the possibility of rare big cats moving through the Lone Star State.

They also examine the h...

Before heading into the Missouri Ozarks for a story, Chester Moore received a strange warning from someone who had given him credible information about secretive organizations before:

Watch out for the Bald Knobbers.

The only Bald Knobgbers Chester knew were the famously silly country music and comedy entertainers from Branson. But behind that name is a much darker history.

In the 1880s, the real Bald Knobbers were masked vigilantes who held secret meetings in remote areas of the Missouri Ozarks. Some became associated with intimidation, beatings and murder. Members of the notorious Christian...

The New World screwworm is one of the most disturbing parasites in North America. Unlike ordinary maggots that typically consume dead tissue, screwworm larvae infest wounds and feed on the living flesh of warm-blooded animals.

The parasite was eradicated from the United States decades ago, but in 2026 it returned to the U.S. mainland, creating serious concerns for livestock, wildlife and anyone responsible for protecting animals in affected areas.

For generations, one of the primary weapons against screwworm has been the sterile insect technique—producing enormous numbers of sterile male flies and releasing them into af...

For decades, people along the Texas coast reported seeing strange, wolf-like animals roaming the beaches and marshes of Galveston Island. Most dismissed the sightings as coyotes.

They were only partially right.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester Moore investigates one of the most remarkable wildlife mysteries in America and explores how it unexpectedly intersects with one of the biggest scientific stories of our time: de-extinction.

From the groundbreaking work of Colossal Biosciences and the renewed public fascination with the dire wolf to the incredible discovery of the "Ghost Wolves" of Galveston Island—wi...

Did advanced technology play a role in Nancy Guthrie's disappearance, or are investigators and online sleuths reading too much into the available evidence? In Part 2, Chester Moore and Daniel from the Drunk Turkey Show take a deeper dive into one of the most debated aspects of the case.

The discussion explores digital evidence, cell phone technology, surveillance capabilities, location tracking, and other investigative tools that have fueled speculation that Nancy's disappearance may have involved someone using technology in ways few people considered at the time. The episode examines these ideas critically, separating documented facts from speculation while...

Nancy Guthrie vanished in the remote Arizona desert, leaving behind a mystery that has captivated investigators, true crime followers, and independent researchers alike. In this first installment, Chester Moore is joined by Daniel from the Drunk Turkey Show for an in-depth look at the disappearance that sparked countless questions and theories.

Together they examine who Nancy Guthrie was, the timeline leading up to her disappearance, the challenging terrain investigators faced, and why the isolation of the Arizona desert makes this case so uniquely difficult. They also explore how modern technology—from cell phones to digital evidence—has chan...

In Part 2 of this powerful Dark Outdoors interview, Chester Moore continues his conversation with registered nurse Chris Carroll, whose life was forever changed after swimming toward a woman who had been attacked by a tiger shark in the Caribbean.

After recounting the rescue attempt in Part 1, Chris reflects on what happened next—and how the experience reshaped his understanding of courage, fear, and the unpredictable power of the natural world. He shares the emotional aftermath of the attack, the lasting lessons it taught him, and why he believes ordinary people are capable of extraordinary acts when the mo...

A woman is screaming in the water. People on shore don't know what to do. Then one man makes a decision few ever would—he swims toward the danger.

In this gripping first installment of a two-part Dark Outdoors interview, Chester Moore talks with registered nurse Chris Carroll, who found himself in the middle of a fatal tiger shark attack while vacationing in the Caribbean. What began as a relaxing day at the beach became a life-and-death emergency that tested his training, his instincts, and his courage.

Chris shares, in remarkable detail, the moment he re...

Could the largest shark that ever lived still be swimming our oceans?

Scientists say the megalodon disappeared approximately 3.6 million years ago. Yet for more than a century, experienced fishermen, sailors, explorers, and divers have reported seeing sharks so enormous they defied explanation.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester Moore investigates the enduring legend of the megalodon. From Zane Grey's famous encounter in the South Pacific to Australia's mysterious giant shark reports, the legend of Baja's "Black Demon," and other intriguing eyewitness accounts, we separate documented history from maritime myth.

But if these...

Flash floods are among the deadliest hazards in the outdoors—and they can develop in minutes, often with little warning.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester Moore welcomes Dr. Tracy Fanara of Inspector Planet to discuss the devastating Texas Hill Country floods and, more importantly, the life-saving lessons every outdoorsman, hiker, camper, angler, and traveler should know.

Drawing on the recent Texas disaster, Dr. Fanara explains how flash floods form, why some landscapes are especially vulnerable, and how changing weather patterns are increasing the risk of these dangerous events in many parts of the co...

Most people assume the greatest dangers in the outdoors come from bears, sharks, snakes, or other wild animals.

After spending decades exploring remote forests, marshes, islands, and backcountry across America, I've learned something different.

Sometimes the most unsettling encounters don't involve wildlife at all.

In this deeply personal episode of Dark Outdoors, I share five true stories from my years in the field—encounters that reminded me the wilderness isn't always as empty as it seems.

From discovering a bizarre hunting blind unlike anything I've ever seen, to mysterious infrared lights de...

Twenty-four years ago, four-year-old Dannarriah Finley disappeared from her home in Orange, Texas. Three days later, her body was found on a remote stretch of marshland near Pleasure Island in Port Arthur. Despite decades of investigation, the case remains unsolved.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, award-winning wildlife journalist and conservation communicator Chester Moore examines one of Southeast Texas' most heartbreaking cold cases through the lens of the outdoors. From the role remote landscapes sometimes play in criminal investigations to advances in DNA technology that continue to give investigators hope, this episode explores why this case still...

As concerns grow over the northward movement of the New World screwworm, one of the most important lessons comes from an outbreak that occurred nearly a decade ago in the Florida Keys.

In 2016, the flesh-eating parasite struck the endangered Key deer, threatening one of America's most unique wildlife populations. What followed was a remarkable response involving wildlife biologists, veterinarians, entomologists, and conservation agencies working together to stop the outbreak before it spread further. The outbreak ultimately killed roughly 15% of the Key deer population, but it was successfully contained and eradicated through an intensive, coordinated effort.

...

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, we sit down with legendary African safari guide and wildlife expert Dave Fulson of Safari Classics and Facts Across Africa to explore some of the continent’s most intense and unforgettable snake encounters.

From heart-pounding close calls with the infamous black mamba—Africa’s fastest and most feared venomous snake—to dangerous encounters with well-camouflaged puff adders and other deadly reptiles, Dave shares firsthand stories from decades spent in the African bush.

Join us for an eye-opening conversation filled with adventure, survival, natural history, and respect for the wild places th...

Few wildlife threats are as horrifying—or as potentially devastating—as the New World screwworm.

Today on Dark Outdoors, we're taking a deep dive into a parasite that eats living flesh—and it's no longer a problem confined to the history books. The New World screwworm is in Texas, it is spreading, and wildlife professionals, ranchers, hunters, and animal health experts are sounding the alarm.

Joining me is legendary wildlife biologist Larry Wyzun, known throughout the hunting and conservation world as "Mr. Whitetail." Larry is one of America's most respected deer experts and one of the fo...

Nearly 51 years after Jaws changed movie history and forever altered the way people viewed sharks, Chester Moore sits down with Jeffrey Voorhees, the actor who portrayed Alex Kintner, the young boy whose shocking death scene became one of the most unforgettable moments in cinematic history.

In this special episode of Dark Outdoors®, Jeffrey shares memories from the set of Jaws, discusses the legacy of the film, and reflects on being forever connected to one of the most famous shark attacks ever depicted on screen.

From the iconic yellow raft scene to the cultural impact of J...

Deep in the California redwoods, beneath a towering owl statue hidden among the trees, robed figures gather around firelight as chants echo through the darkness.

For decades, Bohemian Grove has fueled rumors involving secret ceremonies, elite power, occult symbolism, and hidden rituals far from public view.

But what if scenes like this are not isolated?

In this unsettling episode of Dark Outdoors®, Chester Moore investigates disturbing similarities between the mysterious rituals of Bohemian Grove and terrifying firsthand encounters reported deep in remote wilderness areas.

Witnesses describe hooded figures gathered around fires…
...

In this episode of Dark Outdoors®, we explore the frightening reality of digital stalking, GPS tracking, location sharing, and how smartphones, apps, social media, and outdoor tech can expose campers, hikers, hunters, and travelers to real-world danger in remote areas.

From trailheads and campsites to isolated backroads and deep forests, modern technology can reveal far more about your location and movements than most people realize. We examine how predators, criminals, stalkers, and opportunists may exploit digital footprints in the outdoors — and how outdoor enthusiasts can better protect themselves.

If you enjoy true crime, wilderness mysteries, sur...

Are jaguars really being secretly released into Texas… or is the internet being flooded with AI-generated wildlife hoaxes?

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester Moore dives deep into the viral rumors, fake predator stories, AI-generated wildlife content, and online fear campaigns spreading across social media. From bogus jaguar release conspiracies in South Texas to fake trail camera images and AI-powered Facebook bot pages, this episode explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping public perception of predators and damaging real wildlife conservation.

Discover how AI-generated misinformation spreads online, why predator fear stories go viral, and how fa...

Cocaine sharks are real!

In this interview, environmental engineer and science communicator Dr. Tracy Fanara explains what scientists are actually discovering about sharks, pharmaceuticals in the ocean, and how chemical exposure could be affecting marine life.

From trace contaminants in coastal waters to broader questions about water quality, we explore how human activity is changing ocean ecosystems—and what that could mean for sharks, fish, and other wildlife.

How do substances like pharmaceuticals—and even drugs—end up in the ocean? What impact can they have on marine animals? And are these changes someth...

Deep in the dark waters of Texas, stories still surface about giant garfish lurking beneath the current. Recently, a viral social media graphic exploded online claiming a massive 12-foot alligator gar made an unbelievable journey up the Trinity River — igniting debate, fear, and fascination across the internet.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, I dig into the real story behind the viral image and track down answers directly from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

To verify the claims, I contacted TPWD’s media branch personally. According to TPWD media representative Kirk McDonnell, the department cons...

In light of the growing public interest surrounding UFO disclosure, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), and recent government revelations involving military encounters and unexplained objects, Dark Outdoors® is releasing a special exclusive mini-episode featuring a never-before-heard eyewitness interview from far offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

In this brief but chilling conversation, an offshore fisherman recounts a stunning nighttime encounter that took place more than 100 miles off the Texas coast. Alone in deep Gulf waters under dark skies, the witness describes unexplained lights and strange aerial activity unlike anything he had ever seen at sea.

As c...

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, I look into reports of sea snakes—like highly venomous banded sea kraits—being spotted in the Gulf, far outside their natural range.

After going through the available records and research, one thing is clear: there are no verified reports of true sea snakes in the Gulf of Mexico.

But sightings still happen.

This episode focuses on the research I’ve done into those claims, why they keep coming up, and what might actually be behind them.

There are stories from places like Haiti about people who were buried… and then seen again—walking through fields, along tree lines, and out on empty roads. Not dead. But not fully there.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, we take a look at the real idea of zombification—where it comes from, the documented case of Clairvius Narcisse, and how similar encounters are still happening today.

From rural Haiti to modern America, there are reports of individuals found wandering in strange, disconnected states—moving without awareness, not responding, and behaving in ways that feel deeply u...

In this Dark Outdoors mini episode, we step into the shadowy intersection of wilderness and human predators. Joined by Stephen G. Michaud, co-author of The Only Living Witness and Ted Bundy: Conversations with a Killer, we examine how Ted Bundy and other killers exploited false injuries, manufactured helplessness, and social trust to lure victims—and why those same tactics become even more dangerous in the woods.

Away from crowds and witnesses, trails and campsites offer predators distance, silence, and plausible deniability. This episode explores killer psychology, deception in outdoor spaces, and how moments meant for solitude can tu...