Dogman
The first known sighting of the Michigan Dogman was in Wexford County in 1887. Two lumberjacks spotted a creature they said appeared to have the head of a dog on a man’s body.
A few years later, a man traveling in the Upper Peninsula made camp for the night in the woods. He left his horses tied up nearby. He claimed to find the horses dead from fright the next morning. Their carcasses were surrounded by large, canine-like tracks, too large to be from a wolf or domestic dog.
Robert Fortney was attacked by five wild dogs in Paris, Michigan in 1938. He claimed one of the dogs walked upright on two legs like a man.
Other documented accounts of Dogman encounters come from Allegan County, Manistee, and Cross Village.
Maybe you’ve heard of the Dogman
For decades, the creature – described as a man with a dog’s head, or a dog that walks curiously upright – has been spotted from Sparta to Bellaire and beyond.
Steve Cook has never seen the beast himself, but helped popularize it with a 1987 April Fool’s Day radio piece called “The Legend.”
“The Dogman song, right from the beginning, was a radio bit, and like most radio bits, we expected it to come and go,” said Cook.
You can hear it here: The Legend of the Dogman
But the spoken-word track became the most-requested song at the station in the following week. It described various encounters over the decades, with a creature that left paw prints frightening a team of horses to death, menacing the crew of a schooner, and peering into a van of hippies in the 1960s.
“We started getting all kinds of calls from people who said, ‘That’s no joke. That’s a real legend around here,’” he said. “’ I’ve seen it,’ several of them said.”
In the nearly 30 years since Cook has heard of maybe 100 sightings of the beast. There have been two short films, both starring Michigan native Larry Joe Campbell.
Is the Dogman and legend or tale or is he really out there? What do you think?
Read More from the Source: Dogman
About the cache
The cache is a small-size container hidden just off the Horse Trail. As always, please use stealth and return the cache to its original location. Also, when trading please trade fairly with items of equal or greater value.
Crosswinds Marsh Rules
No fires
No bikes / ATVs / personal watercraft
No swimming or ice fishing
Dogs must be leashed
No alcohol or illegal substances
No camping
Fishing in designated areas only
Collecting plants & animals prohibited
Park only at N 42° 05.744' W 83° 26.552'
All Geocachers must follow the above rules.
Crosswinds Marsh is open from DAWN to DUSK. Admission is FREE.
The Crosswinds Cache Crew pledges to develop and maintain quality, interesting geocaches in the marsh consistent with geocaching and Wayne County Parks rules permit process.
