Filmmaker Joe Doyle Discusses Blood Mountain Bigfoot Documentary

A new episode of STM Live just dropped over on the Small Town Monsters YouTube channel, and honestly, it's one of those conversations that hits different. Host Aaron sits down with Joe Doyle of Hellbent Holler for a laid-back but genuinely exciting chat about all things Appalachian Sasquatch research, and the big news is the upcoming release of their latest documentary, "Hunt for the Appalachian Bigfoot: Valley of the Giants." If you've been following Hellbent Holler's work, you already know Joe and Jesse don't mess around. These guys are out in the field doing real investigations, hauling all their gear on foot through some seriously rugged terrain. No flags deployed, as the running joke goes, because everything has to be carried on their backs. We're talking camera equipment, thermal imagers, audio recorders, food, water, first aid, the whole setup. It's a labor of love, and you can tell. Joe shared some really compelling backstory during the episode. He's been investigating since 2015 when he joined a small Bigfoot research group and headed out to a lake to check out reported footprints. They actually found a trackway in October of 2015, and while the size is still up for debate, the find was significant enough to keep him coming back year after year. He even recalled hearing a vocalization while sitting at a campfire near the lake about a year before the interview, which is the kind of experience that hooks you for life. The preview clip they showed from the upcoming documentary is genuinely suspenseful. It features Brooke Morland, a Bigfoot investigator out of Florida, during a night investigation in the Blood Mountain Wilderness area of North Georgia. The tension in that short teaser is palpable, and Aaron picked it specifically because it builds suspense without giving anything away. Smart move, because this documentary sounds like it's going to be a wild ride. For those unfamiliar with the area, Blood Mountain sits in the Chattahoochee National Forest in northern Georgia and has long been a hotspot for Sasquatch reports. The Appalachian region as a whole has a rich history of sightings, with locals passing down stories of large, hairy, human-like creatures roaming the mountains for generations. Hellbent Holler's approach of documenting anomalous activity rather than just relying on campfire tales is exactly the kind of fieldwork that moves the conversation forward. The documentary also features Steve Strange, who appeared in the LBL documentary, and follows the team as they split up during night investigations, leaving Brooke and Jesse stationary in an active spot while Joe and Steve continued on foot. The activity they captured sounds intense, and Aaron mentioned he watched the full thing just two days before the live stream and loved every minute of it. Beyond the documentary talk, the episode touches on the recent Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Conference, where Seth, Heather, and Courtney represented the Small Town Monsters crew. Aaron also teased the upcoming "Sasquatch Factor" show premiering August 9th, which sounds like it's going to be something special based on what he's seen behind the scenes. If you're into Appalachian Sasquatch research, Hellbent Holler's field methodology, or just love seeing dedicated researchers putting in the work, this episode is worth your time. The chemistry between Aaron and Joe is great, the behind-the-scenes look at documentary production is fascinating, and the preview of "Valley of the Giants" will leave you counting down the days until release. Head over to the Small Town Monsters YouTube channel and check out the full STM Live episode. Trust me, you'll want to stick around for the whole conversation.