For seven seasons now, audiences haven’t been able to get enough of “Mountain Monsters” — a cryptozoology reality television series centered around sightings of mysterious creatures in Appalachia. The plotline involving a group of trappers from West Virginia has been so popular that it spawned a side series titled “Mountain Monsters: By The Fire.” This separate series features behind-the-scenes extras and additional trivia related to the “Mountain Monsters” program.
After a short hiatus, fans can now enjoy the return of monster madness as “Mountain Monsters” made its eighth season debut in 2022. Whether you’re already a Sasquatch scholar or just want to find out what the heck the Cherokee Death Cat is, read on for fascinating information about the “Mountain Monsters” show and its main characters. Also, find out where to watch old episodes and episodes from the new season!
Where Can You Watch “Mountain Monsters”?
If you’re trying to catch up with the previous seven seasons of “Mountain Monsters,” there are several places to do that. The popular show can be purchased on Amazon Prime or Vudu. You can also stream all eight seasons on Spectrum On Demand. Destination America currently allows users to stream two seasons.
You can journey to the dark forest throughout the five seasons available for streaming on Fubo or DirecTV, or catch up with Kentucky Wolfman and Devil Dog in the six seasons available on the Travel Channel and Discovery Plus.
What Is the Premise of “Mountain Monsters”?
The idea behind “Mountain Monsters” is a simple one based on excavating the generations-long mythologies about magical creatures that originated in Appalachia. The show follows a wily group of six hunters and trappers, called the Appalachian Investigators of Mysterious Sightings (AIMS).
The team is led by team leader John “Trapper” Tice as they journey through places like West Virginia and Kentucky to explore eyewitness evidence of mysterious creatures, such as Mothman, Hogzilla, and the Lizard Demon. The AIMS team finds various forms of folklore as they proceed through each monster hunt and attempt to trace the histories of the monsters with reported sightings of these strange creatures.
Where Does “Mountain Monsters” Take Place?
“Mountain Monsters” is filmed largely in the storied hills of Appalachia, where more sightings and other reportings of mythical creatures abound than any other place in America. While the AIMS team members are mostly from West Virginia — and “The Mountain State” features most heavily in their monster hunts — the team also travels to other southern Appalachian and Appalachian-adjacent states, such as Kentucky and Ohio, to solve mysteries.
Meet the “Mountain Monsters” Cast
Despite audience interest in creatures like the Wampus Beast and the Grafton Monster, it’s the human characters of “Mountain Monsters” that captivate fans of this show the most.
The AIMS team comprises a primary cast of eight characters who are all willing to search for the world’s strangest creatures in each episode. The following sections will introduce you to the real-life men of “Mountain Monsters.”
Jacob “Buck” Lowe
Although he’s the “rookie” of the show, Jacob “Buck” Lowe has gained a loyal following of fans who like to laugh at his famously weak stomach and newbie antics. Buck is the youngest member of the show and routinely takes well-intentioned joshing from the other team members. Fans of “Mountain Monsters” love Lowe for his dedication to finding evidence of the paranormal and his unrestrained desire to find answers to ancient Appalachian mysteries.
Joe “Huckleberry” Lott
Don’t let Joe “Huckleberry” Lott’s funky name fool you. This hard-nosed monster hunter is a former United States Marine with 50 years of military experience behind him. Lott serves as Head of Security for the AIMS crew and is always looking out for team members in the field. Outside the show, Lott ran into some legal troubles involving illicit drugs in 2018, but his brush with the law hasn’t hurt his popularity among fans of “Mountain Monsters.”
Willy McQuillian
As the team’s brilliant trap builder, Willy McQuillian is responsible for creating the intricate devices that the AIMS team uses to capture mythic figures like the Grassman. As many AIMS hunts occur at night and involve bizarre settings, many viewers consider Willy McQuillian’s contraptions a highlight of the show. McQuillian is a skilled carpenter and a seasoned hunter. These qualities, combined with his unique creations, make him a vital member of the “Mountain Monsters” cast.
Jeff Headlee
Jeff Headlee is a technology expert and one of the original founding members of the AIMS team. His role in the show includes setting up recording equipment and other electronic devices that the monster-hunting heroes need to track elusive creatures like smoke wolves. Headlee is also an avid researcher; most of the written details and eyewitness accounts that the team utilizes come from his careful reviews of the folklore surrounding each monster.
William “Wild Bill” Neff
As his name might suggest, William “Wild Bill” Neff showcases a frontier spirit and serves as the right-hand man to Willy McQuillian. Like Huckleberry Lott, Neff is a former U.S. Marine. Wild Bill Neff left a longstanding and well-paid career he had for over 27 years to become part of the AIMS team. Now, Neff builds special relationships with fans at national meet-and-greet opportunities.
John “Trapper” Tice
The late John “Trapper” Tice, a retired construction worker, was not just the AIMS team’s fearless leader — he was one of the most popular characters in the “Mountain Monsters” series. Tice’s popularity with viewers sparked a special “Tribute to Trapper” episode centered around the hunter’s life after he succumbed to long-term health issues before completing the show’s current season. Trapper Tice was an experienced survivalist, a Vietnam veteran, and a lifelong resident of the Appalachian Mountains. Apart from a short break associated with emergency surgery in season four, Tice was a central part of the “Mountain Monsters” cast for every season.
Chad Nolin
Although not a consistent part of the show or a member of the AIMS team, Chad Nolin is known as “Nolan the Cattle Rancher” on “Mountain Monsters” for the season one episode, “The Wampus Beast of Pleasant County.” Nolin played a minor but memorable role in the episode after sharing a story about losing several calves on his cattle farm to the predatory Wampus Beast and sharing a video he shot of the mysterious creature. Nolin has made several more cameo appearances through varying seasons of “Mountain Monsters” and appears in season eight, as well.
Colt Straub
An Ohio native, Colt Straub is the producer of “Mountain Monsters” and a lifetime aficionado of the unusual, the unexplained, and the paranormal. Having traveled all over the world alongside his brother Duke, Straub has been filming fascinating real-world characters for most of his adult life and looking for anything that might make for must-watch television. When he stumbled on the key members of the AIMS team, he knew that he had found West Virginian television gold.
How Many “Mountain Monsters” Seasons and Episodes Are There?
The AIMS team just wrapped the eighth season of “Mountain Monsters,” released exclusively on Discovery Plus. Opening with its initial episode, entitled “Bigfoot or Bust,” season eight of “Mountain Monsters” kept fans on the edge of their seats with new adventures featuring the AIMS team.
The following table contains episode numbers and release dates for each season.
| Air Dates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Episodes | Original | Last Aired |
| 1 | 6 | June 22, 2013 | July 27, 2013 |
| 2 | 14 | April 4, 2014 | July 25, 2014 |
| 3: Bigfoot Edition | 8 | March 7, 2015 | April 25, 2015 |
| 4: Bigfoot Edition | 13 | January 23, 2016 | April 16, 2016 |
| 5: Secrets of the Dark Forest | 9 | April 8, 2017 | June 3, 2017 |
| 6: The Quest for Spearfinger | 10 | August 21, 2019 | November 20, 2019 |
| 7: The Mission from Trapper | 9 | January 3, 2021 | March 7, 2021 |
| 8: Tygart Valley Mysteries | 10 | January 2, 2022 | March 13, 2022 |
Most Popular Episodes on “Mountain Monsters” Season 8
Episode 4: Huckleberry’s Monster
Jeff’s “hillbilly hazmat suit” has got to be the best and most excessive use of duct tape ever seen on TV.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqWNCmDSfoU
Episode 5: Trapper’s Birthday
The AIMS team celebrates Trapper’s birthday with his favorite whisky, “Sasquatch Piss.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT0PHyVOoUE
Episode 6: World’s Biggest Bigfoot Nest
The AIMS team receives a hot lead on an enormous Bigfoot nest concealed in the Tygart Valley’s hills. With Cowboy Ken’s tech wizardry, the boys take to the air to find out where it is and uncover their best Bigfoot proof yet.
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