Have you ever visited the Pure state of Michigan? Maybe you have even ventured into Wexford County, Michigan. Maybe even, while you were there, you witnessed a crazy looking seven-foot-tall creature that resembles a human with a canine head. This is exactly what witnesses have been reporting dating back as far as the year 1887. This creature would come to be coined as the Michigan Dogman.
The fame of the Michigan Dogman came to light in 1987 when Disk Jockey Steve Cook recorded a song titled “The Legend,” which was based off myths and legends of cryptids across North America. This song would come to be more commonly referred to as “The Cook Song.” However, before the recording of the song, Cook had no prior knowledge of the Michigan Dogman. In fact, Cook released the song as an April Fool’s joke.
Upon the release of “The Legend,” Cook began getting calls from several listeners describing their encounters with the Michigan Dogman. Although Cook believes that folklore is often created from imagination, he claims that he believes the accounts of many callers who have experienced an encounter.
Following the initial playing of the song, “The Legend” became the most played/requested song in the weeks after. Check out the song below:
It is estimated that the Michigan Dogman roamed the area of the Manistee River area when it was home to the Odawa Indian Tribe, remaining unknown until two lumberjacks encountered a mysterious creature in 1887, fitting due to the vast majority of encounters occurring in heavily wooded areas.
While on the job, two lumberjacks were going about their day as any other. Suddenly, both lumberjacks witnessed a creature stranger than any they have ever seen. As described by the two, the creature had a torso resembling a human male, remaining features being strikingly like a canine, and it was approximately seven-feet tall. Although, one lumberjack reported blue eyes and the other reported amber/yellow eyes. Unfortunately, these are the only details known of this first recorded sighting.
Following the initial sighting by the two lumberjacks, the next documented report of a sighting was in 1938, by 17-year-old Robert Fortney in Paris, Michigan. Fortney stated he was standing along the bank of the Muskegon River when confronted by a pack of wild dogs, five to be exact. Fortney continued to state that one of the wild dogs reared up onto its hind legs, had the body of a man, head of a canine, and a loud and hysterical scream. He would keep his encounter to himself for 49 years before coming public with his account. Reports of similar accounts derived from Allegan County throughout the 1950s, Manistee in 1967, and Cross Village in 1967.
In 1986, while driving home from Manistee Army Recruiting Station near Manistee, Michigan, Ray Greenway had his attention grabbed by something moving in the dark field alongside the rode he was travelling. Greenway saw, what he believed to be, eye-shine off a creature caused by the reflection of his headlights. However, the eye-level of the creature was much to high to be that of a dear or other local species. Suddenly, the creature raced towards him and made an astonishing leap, clearing the two-lane road with ease. Greenway exclaimed that the yellow eyes staring at him and the incredible leaping ability is something he will never forget.
One of the most memorable Michigan Dogman accounts occurred to a 13-year-old named Courtney living in Reed City, Michigan. It was wintertime and Courtney decided to sneak out to the backside of the family’s house to smoke a cigarette. What she wasn’t planning was to get the shock of her life. Courtney claims a speck of light moving through an old abandoned barn on the property caught her attention. As she followed the light’s movement, she realized that someone, or something, was in the barn. Suddenly coming into view, Courtney saw a some six-foot-tall black creature with the head of a dog starting straight at her. Understandably, Courtney fled. Days later, Courtney’s neighbors reported that they saw a dog-like creature the size of a buffalo in the abandoned barn.
Near Troy, Michigan in 2006, a man was driving down the road when he suddenly saw what he described as “a great big dog standing up.” The man swerved his vehicle, out of instinct. To avoid colliding with the creature. Resulting, the man’s vehicle ran off the road and flipped onto its side. The vehicle was equipped with OnStar and the man was able to acquire emergency assistance. No-one in the vehicle received any injuries, but OnStar caught the conversation of the incident on recording. Check out that recording below:
The last encounter we will discuss occurred in 2011 in Baraga County, Michigan. It was early morning and Chuck (no recorded last name found) was traveling towards Nestoria Road when he saw what he first assumed was a moose. Being a hazy and foggy morning, Chuck eased to a stop at an intersection and waited to ensure he would not collide with the moose. As the animal never showed, Chuck began to pick up speed when the creature re-appeared. However, it was not a moose. Chuck stated, “Immediately this animal ran out of the woods in front of my car and jumped across the road to the south side. I mean it took 3 long strides and was gone - almost like it vanished through an invisible wall!” Chuck observed the creature and later continued to state, “It was on all fours and had back legs like those of a large man. It had jet black fur and looked like a very large wolf other than the back legs and the human-like rump. There was no tail. The profile of the head and snout were that of a wolf. It didn't make a sound.”
Leading us to, what is the Michigan Dogman? Some speculate that it is the same creature that is known as “The Beast of Bray Road” in Wisconsin. The Beast of Bray Road is said by some to look like a werewolf, some compare it to a sasquatch, and others as a massive bear-hybrid creature or prehistoric wolf. Along-side the Beast of Bray Road, there are similar creatures across the United States such as the Kentucky Wolfman, Allegheny Werewolf, and the Rougarou of the Bayou. Could this be an unidentified species with a wide-spread population?
Biologically speaking, the yellow/amber eyes reported by the two lumberjacks and the yellow eyes reported by Ray Greenway line up with the expected eye-shine of a canid, which is yellow/amber and sometimes blue. It is logical to assume it is not a deer given a deer’s eye-shine is green, sometimes white. However, this is only ruled out given the reported encounters and eye-colors seen are accurate and not altered by psychological factors, such as fear and panic.
The most logical explanation is that this is simply an undiscovered or cataloged breed of wild canid. Many believe that the Michigan Dogman is a breed of prehistoric wolf, such as the Amarok. Others exclaim that it is a dog/coyote hybrid. However, the size reports are quick to debunk the Dogman being a dog/coyote hybrid.
The question remains, what is the Michigan Dogman?
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