Retro Reviews Monsterquest Season 2

Review: Monsterquest 9-24-08

This episode went into attacks by giant bears, supposedly extinct for many millions of years, known as the short-faced bear. Dr. Blaine Schubert, one of the main experts on these ursus species, is interviewed on his expertise on the giant bears. Alaska is one of the main centers of study and research on these bears. Matt Bille, Cryptozoology author, is also interviewed, as is Jim Oltersdorf, a wildlife photographer who is open to the possibility of the giant bears. A Wildlife Biologist, Jim Hechtel, is skeptical of the existence of these giant ursine creatures. There was a giant bear known as MacFarlane's Bear shot in 1864 and thought to be a giant. This skin and skull is in the Smithsonian now, and was examined in 1918 by a scientist and thought to be quite unusual. In 2001, a hunter and his companion noticed a large bear track and a large bear near Anchorage, Alaska. The hunter shot and killed the massive bear, with a 12-inch wide paw and stood 11 feet tall and weighed well over 1,000 pounds. Dr. Schubert is being allowed to examine the remains of MacFarlane's Bear. They are also travelling to New Jersey to investigate a videotape of black bears invading people's yards. An expedition into the wilds of Alaska is also undertaken. The town of Lake Wanda, New Jersey, is being terrorized by bears invading. Oltersdorf is leading the Alaskan expedition across Skillak Lake. The two expeditions do find some interesting things, but not really enough to...well, I will let you figure it out for yourself.

Review: Monsterquest 7-23-08

This episode focused on the Chupacabras, or "Goat Sucker", seen in Texas and Puerto Rico. There were corpses found of animals with all the blood sucked out of them, and there were some eyewitness accounts of a hairless almost canine-like/kangaroo-like creature on four legs. Phylis Canion was among the first to see it in southwest Texas, and had some of her chickens sucked dry of blood. A reporter, Joe Conger of KENS-5 in San Antonio, took up the case as far as reporting. Civil Defense officials were put in charge of investigating these cases, but they are just as puzzled as everyone else. Interestingly enough, the description of the mystery animal is different in Puerto Rico then it is in Texas, looking much more like a spiny two-legged creature with glowing red eyes. A witness in the Island Nation was interviewed about an encounter he had with the mystery animal. A farmer in Texas has found his chickens drained of blood, and saw the Chupacabra 4 times. He had a rifle propped in a tree to attempt to kill the creature, which he did. Ken Gerhard and an associate go out to attempt to catch one of the beasts and to find trace evidence. The farmer did have the bones of the mystery animal he saw, and these are sent for DNA testing, with some interesting results. Plus, Phylis shows Gerhard some of the body parts she also has, which are also sent off for DNA testing, which results in...well, I will not reveal any more. Watch the episode for yourself. Next week, the Native American legends of Bigfoot are examined in a show titled Legends of the Hairy Beast, beginning at 9:00 EST/8:00 Central on History. Check local listings for time and channel.

Review: Monsterquest 7-9-08

This was a rather interesting episode, about the Black Beast of Exmoor, a large black panther stalking the English countryside which was seen 200 times in 2007 alone. It apparently targets livestock in the country and stalks the moors. There are big cat preserves in Britain, but they wouldn't explain necessarily this mysterious beast. Royal Marine Sharpshooters are dispatched to the area of the sightings to kill the mysterious animal, but the creature was not seen in the area while they were there. There have been several photos taken of the mystery beast, but some could be of domestic cats. A naturalist and a local woman come across a corpse of a deer which is determined to be of a big cat and not a dog, the only other predatory creature in the area. Several witnesses are interviewed as well of their sightings, and of course there are skeptics interviewed who think that it is impossible to sustain a population of these giant beasts on the island nation. In two weeks on July 23rd, I believe the Chupacabras is being profiled, with Cryptozoologist Ken Gerhard, beginning at 9:00 EST/8:00 Central on History. Check local listings for time and channel.

Review: Monsterquest 6-18-08

The first unknown hominid episode of the new season focuses on the Ohio Grassman, the Buckeye State's version of Sasquatch or Bigfoot, featuring local Ohio researchers Don Keating and Joedy Cook, who are seen in Salt Fork State Park searching for evidence of the Grassman. Chris Murphy is also interviewed discussing the history of Grassman sightings in Ohio, and a shelter structure found near Akron is shown as well. Cook presents a baboon skull, strangely enough, considering there are no baboons in Ohio, that he found. Don's August 2, 1992 video of a possible white Grassman is analyzed as well, and Keating hooks up with two individuals from Michigan, Chris Bergen and Greg Alderman, who have a small model helicopter specifically designed to carry cameras and film from above. After testing it during the day in the skies over Salt Fork State Park, they switch it to night viewing, with a thermal camera attached, and pick up a warm-bodied signature on the camera. Unfortunately, the helicopter begins to run out of power and has to be brought back down before further confirmation on the signature can be determined. Cook searches the area of the signature. Cook sets a decoy head and makeshift body out in the area, surrounded by game cams. Terry and Treba Jahn describe their encounter at Salt Fork as well,a midnight encounter. Don and Jody set out after dark in the Park to find evidence and attempt a communication with wood-knocking. Don also lets out a few whoops attempting to get a response. Jimmy Chilcutt is also shown receiving a handprint casting from Cook and he examines it. Dr. Esteban Sarmiento also examines a cry recorded by Keating which is deemed inconclusive, as well as the baboon skull. Chilcutt says that positively, the handprint is of a non-human primate. Rich Lamonica also describes his sighting, and his sighting is recreated.
Joedy does a bit of an experiment building a shelter similar to the one he and others found in 1995. It was one of the better episodes for sure, very well-done, and a big hand goes to History and the producers of the show, as well as the participants. Next week, the focus is on Giant Snakes, beginning at 9:00 EST/8:00 Central on History. Check local listings for time and channel.

Review: Monsterquest 6-11-08

This was a rather unique and interesting program, focusing on Ghosts, where several photos and videos were taken of alleged spirits, including one at a gas station in Parma, Ohio, one at the Vatican which turned out to be a misidentification and some older ghost photos, as well as a piece of footage taken at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania at the battlefield which appears to show two entities. An investigation is also made of the Lizzie Borden House where the famous Borden murders took place. Al Rauber and Dave Manganelli, Paranormal Investigators, are conducting that investigation, using all kinds of video and audio equipment, including the FLIR, Infrared and Night-Vision cameras. Another paranormal investigator, Matt Moniz, while he was investigating the house, had a camera moved by an unseen entity while the camera was in operation. An alleged EVP is also examined by a fellow named Tom Owen, who is an expert in identifying audio recordings (he successfully identified a recording of Osama Bin Laden in 2002), and he gives his assessment of the EVP, despite his skepticism of the phenomenon. Rauber and Manganelli also manage to capture a strange audio signal of some entity, but cannot readily identify it. Next week, Monsterquest examines the Ohio Grassman, the Buckeye State's version of Sasquatch or Bigfoot, which will include Ohio's own Don Keating, beginning at 9:00 EST/8:00 Central on History. Check your local listings for time and channel.

Review: Monsterquest 6-4-08

This was a rather interesting program, about something called a Vampire Beast which seemed to be almost a doglike creature, but was quite ugly. It all began in 1954 with a series of attacks in Bladenboro, North Carolina in which dogs and goats were all killed but not eaten, their bodies drained of blood. Several wildlife experts are interviewed, some which have a more open mind about the possibility of this creature than others. One biologist thought the attacks were the result of a coyote, but they did not seem to be that. Several residents of Bladenboro and Bolivia, both towns which are close to each other, are interviewed about what they have seen and found in their area. A footprint is photographed and appears to belong to a cougar. A photo is taken by a cell phone camera of what appears to be a cougar, which might be the explanation for all the attacks, although that seems strange in light of the fact that none of the victims were eaten. Next week, Monsterquest examines Ghosts (which is a strange topic in light of the fact that the show is called MONSTER Quest, but we will see where they go with it) beginning at 9:00 EST/8:00 Central on History. Check local listings for time and channel.

Review: Monsterquest 5-28-08

This was a rather interesting episode, featuring a look at large hogs across the US, more especially in Georgia and Texas. A couple of Texas hog hunters, Tim Hicks and Kevin Ryer, band together with two from the Pacific Northwest, Mark Peterson and a gentleman with the last name of Ramber or something similar. They set traps in the Texas wastelands attempting to first of all capture a Trojan hog to attach a camera to in order to film an actual giant hog. They did accomplish that first goal, but not the second. An ecologist named Jack Mayer is also interviewed and is given a skull of a large hog killed in West Texas in 2002 which was estimated to weigh upwards of 700 pounds or more. He does determine that the skull is of a wild animal, but also surmises that most large hogs are most likely escapees from farm pens, farm-fed and they somehow escape into the wild. A couple of individuals describe attacks they suffered from large hogs which did injure them, but they survived, fortunately. No large hog is filmed during the course of production, but there is interesting data for future possible expeditions. Next week, the hit series on History examines the Vampire Beast (most likely Chupacabras) beginning at 9:00 EST/8:00 Central on History. Check local listings for time and channel.