It is to laugh.

At least that’s the feeling I got after watching the History Channel’s Monster Quest episode in search of “mega-hogs”.  Kat’s teenage son likes to watch the show, and I’ve sat here on the computer while the intrepid monster hunters pursued such creatures as the australian box jelly, giant squid, and of course, sasquatch.  I find the show generally ridiculous, as the dramatic narration lays out the scenarios.  And, of course, they never find the monster… or if they do, it turns out not to be quite so monstrous after all. 

Jumping ahead to this morning, we flipped on the TV to find the Monster Quest cameras in search of the elusive and mythical chupacabra (the goat sucker).  After I stopped laughing… or at least when the belly laughs died to a low rumble… I realized the episode was almost done.  Despite the inconclusive data, the search apparently will go on. 

Then the next episode came on before I could find the remote.  It got my attention right away, as I spotted the familiar sight of bristled legs passing through brush.  Wild hogs!  Cool!  But monsters?

Turns out the show was all about the attempt to find a “mega-hog” similar to Hogzilla, Monster Pig, or some of the other huge pigs we’ve seen on the Internet and news rags over the last few years.  Now most of us know pretty well that a hog in the 400 pound range is pretty unusual.  Most hunters take a 200-pounder as a trophy and are tickled with it.  The idea of going out over a couple of trips and finding a 1000 pound pig seems kinda ludicrous… but I guess that’s what TV shows like this are made of.  It’s not the reality of the thing… it’s the idea of it. 

So anyway, I’m not gonna pick the show apart.  It was actually not a terrible show, once you get past the narration and the objective.  I didn’t find a lot of really useful information, but hey, that’s not what these programs are really about is it?

If you want information, though, and you’re in the San Francisco Bay area where you can receive KQED (public television), you’ll want to tune into KQED’s Quest program on Tuesday night, (07/14) at 7:30pm.  Look for the Hog Wild episode, and pay close attention.  You might recognize a face or two… like, maybe our own Holly, the NorCal Cazadora, or maybe even my goofy mug. 

I haven’t seen the finished product, and probably won’t until it airs, but as some of you will remember, Holly and I took the QUEST team down to the Central Coast for a hog hunt.  We had some huge, last-minute help from T. Michael Riddle and Sam McGuire of Native Hunt in accessing some private property for the show when my initial plan fell apart. 

Anyway, it was an interesting (and very real) hunt.  It didn’t all play out quite like we’d planned, but we had a good time and I think the show got some good footage.  We’ll see just how much good footage on Tuesday night.

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