Beasts of the Backwoods | Seeing What Shouldn't Exist

You enter the woods expecting peace. You don’t expect to see something that shouldn’t exist. In this episode of The Paranorm Girl Podcast, we explore terrifying and strange Appalachian cryptid encounters that blur the line between misidentification, folklore, and something far too real. We’re covering: The Not Deer phenomenon in Appalachia — forward-facing eyes, wrong-jointed legs, uncanny valley response Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) vs. shapeshifter lore Ongoing reports of Black Panther sightings in Appalachia and theories ranging from outright fabrication to melanistic cougars The internet-born legend of The Rake — and why it matters in paranormal research The chilling 2021 Pender County 911 call involving a “not human” pale humanoid creature The creature many now call the Pale Crawler We also discuss how modern internet horror can blur into real-world sightings — and reports of a so-called “Glimmer Man” — a cloaked, predator-like entity described as a shimmering distortion in the woods. Are these creatures misidentified wildlife? Escaped exotics? Viral mythology bleeding into our reality? Or are people across Appalachia seeing something that truly shouldn’t exist? Stay safe. Keep the nightlight on. And sleep with one eye open. Support the Show at: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/paranormgirlpod Merch Store: https://the-paranorm-girl-podcast-sto.myspreadshop.com/ Join the Paranormal FM Waitlist: pfm.onl/join Follow the Show @paranormgirlpod on: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/paranormgirlpod/ BlueSky Social: https://bsky.app/profile/paranormgirlpod.bsky.social Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/paranormgirlpod/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@paranormgirlpod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@paranormgirlpod SOURCES: The uncanny tales of the Not-Deer: https://sharonahill.com/the-uncanny-tales-of-the-not-deer/ Mountain Lion or Cougar: https://www.richwooders.com/appalachian/wildlife/cougar.htm? Appalachian Black Panther: https://itsmth.fandom.com/wiki/Appalachian_Black_Panther? Are there large mystery cats in west virginia: https://www.appalachianoddity.org/are-there-large-mystery-cats-in-west-virginia/? From the woods of Montgomery County, AR: https://www.argenweb.net/montgomery/panther.htm? Black Panthers in Appalachia: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cryptozoology/comments/rgl4py/black_panthers_in_appalachia/ REAL 911 Audio: Dispatch Call Logs Reveal CLASS A Rake Encounter in North Carolina: https://youtu.be/acK1v75u6CM?si=r9-7dfDbuFuiRU1u Red River Gorge; Humanoid encounter: https://phantomsandmonsters.com/post/2178686811357292852 Dancing Glimmer Man: https://www.reddit.com/r/ParanormalEncounters/comments/1grvrxq/glimmer_man_encounter_in_woods/ Phantoms and Monsters Blog: https://phantomsandmonsters.com/ Direct Link to be notified of upcoming Livestream on Beer, Boos & Boogeymen: https://www.youtube.com/live/BrARHi2MGS4?si=WqBOpXPeiRa3-RBf Next Airing: March 6, 2026 | 6pm PST/8pm CST Topic: Stranger Danger | Creepiest Stranger Encounters Paranorm Girl Theme Music Created, Produced & Played by: Bear Cline Bandcamp: https://bearcline.bandcamp.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy