Investigators Share Cryptid Encounters in Land Between the Lakes

Posted Sunday, August 09, 2026

By Squatchable.com staff

So I stumbled across this gem of an interview over on the Of Dark Matters Podcast, and honestly, it's the kind of conversation that makes you want to grab your flashlight and head straight into the woods. Episode 14 features Mike and Trisha from Monsters Unleashed, and these two are doing some seriously compelling work out in the field. If you haven't checked out their show yet, this episode is a perfect entry point. The bulk of the conversation centers around their investigations in the Land Between the Lakes, that wild stretch of land straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee border that's practically synonymous with high strangeness. For anyone unfamiliar, LBL is a massive recreation area with dense forests, winding waterways, and miles upon miles of remote backcountry. It's the kind of place where the cell signal dies and the imagination starts running wild. And according to Mike and Trisha, it's absolutely crawling with activity. What really got me hooked was Mike's deer hunting story. He and his son were out on public land when they heard something start screaming at them. Not a quick call and done, either. This thing went on for nearly two hours. An hour and forty-five minutes of vocalizations that were enough to make a grown man decide it was time to pack up and leave. That's not a coyote yipping. That's not a bobcat. Two hours of sustained screaming is something else entirely, and Mike made the smart call to get out of there. Trisha's backstory is just as compelling. She actually captured a photograph of a Sasquatch down on some railroad tracks in West Virginia a few years back, which is what initially sparked their interest in boots-on-the-ground investigating. They hit the West Virginia Bigfoot Festival together, and from there, Monsters Unleashed was born. They figured they'd focus on Sasquatch since that's where the evidence pointed them initially. But the universe, or whatever you want to call it, had other plans. Their very first piece of photographic evidence after starting field investigations? A Dogman. Not what they were expecting, not what they wanted, but you can't argue with what's showing up on camera. And once the Dogman encounters started, they just kept coming. Trisha has had numerous experiences since then, and the two of them have built up quite a catalog of strange encounters in that LBL region. There's also a fun bit where they briefly touch on Trisha's other show, Crypted Awakenings, which is worth looking into if you're into this kind of content. The whole interview has that comfortable, campfire-chat vibe where people who've actually been out there are sharing what they've seen without trying to sell you anything. If you're into Sasquatch, Dogman, or just love hearing from folks who are actively getting out into the woods and documenting what they find, this episode is absolutely worth your time. Mike and Trisha come across as genuine, grounded people who aren't trying to manufacture drama. They're just reporting what keeps showing up. And what keeps showing up in the Land Between the Lakes is enough to make anyone think twice about heading into those woods after dark. Check out the full interview on the Of Dark Matters Podcast channel and definitely give Monsters Unleashed a follow if you aren't already. These are the kind of investigators who are putting in the work, and the evidence is stacking up.