The Hodag of the Northwoods
Since 1893, the Hodag has crept among the Northwoods in Wisconsin. This creature, while terrifying, also has a playful and mischievous side. It was first spotted by Eugene Shepard, who claimed the creature had the head of a frog, the grinning face of an elephant, and thick, short legs ending with huge claws. It’s back resembled a dinosaur, complete with a long tail covered in spears. It has green eyes, fangs, and, of course, two horns.
Eugene Shepard encountered the beast while on a hunting trip with his hunting dogs and friends. When they saw the strange, monstrous being they attempted to corner it with their dogs. They shot at the creature, to no avail. The creature tore apart the dogs. After several hours of fighting with the beast they resorted to dynamite to blow up the beast.
But, this wasn’t the first time Shepard had discussed hodags. In fact, he had told stories and tried to hunt these creatures for several years before the standoff mentioned above.
Shepard not only gave us the first physical description, but he also described the creature’s apparent personality. He called it a “terrible brute” with great strength, but also the “cunning of a fox.”
This wouldn’t be the last he saw of this species, and, in 1896 he would come face-to-face with another hodag. People asked for proof. So, a few days after that, he showed a hodag in a dimly lit tent at the first-ever Oneida County fair. Emphasis on dimly lit. Instead, this was a hoax - he created the body with wood and got hides straight from a tannery to create a beastly smell. His sons and friends moved the beast around to indicate life. People were quickly ushered in and out, “for their own safety.” So, not much scrutiny was paid to this creature.
You see, the hodag was what was going to get Shepard rich. He had planted the story in isolated lumber camps, where good stories and folklore were a kind of currency since they were so separated from the outside world. Then, he would go on to create this grand marketing scheme with the hodag beast, bound to captivate those who had heard the story in the camps, and those who had heard the stories from uncles, husbands, and friends.
Columnist J McCormick covered the story of Shepard and the hodag and wrote, "Thousands of people came to view the Hodag," he wrote. "And not one them went away without having learned a little more about north Wisconsin.... (A)nd many who came out of curiosity only, have come to make their home with us, either permanent or for a few weeks or months out of the year. Long live the Hodag!"
However, though Shepard claimed it was a hoax...there are many of those who have seen a creature similar or even the same as the hodag. For example, these interviews: Hodag Sighting, and another Hodag Sighting.
Thanks to Adam M for this blogstonishing suggestion!
The blog image used is in the public domain and is the direct imagining of the hodag from Shepard himself!
