Sighting Report

Investigated by: Melissa Hovey


Length of Observation: Approx. 5 to 10 Minutes.
Date of Observation: June 16, 2006
Time of day: Between 6 and 7 am
Weather conditions: Partly Cloudy/Overcast

ANIMAL DESCRIPTION

Approximate height: 7 1/2 to 8 Feet Tall
Approximate weight: 550 to 600 pounds
Torso, stocky, thin, muscular? Stocky to muscular Build
Shoulder width: Broad (Witness was looking down on it at an angle)
Hair/Fur color: Dark Brown to Black
Hair/Fur length & Texture: Shaggy, long, Matted on the legs and lower section of body. Animal observed while it was in and out of the water.
Was hair neat or matted? Matted on lower half of body
Was hair/fur more like an animal’s or human hair? More like an animals.
Did witness collect hair samples? No
How many? N/A
Was skin or blood attached? N/A
Where were samples found? N/A
Will the witness provide hair samples? N/A
Did witness see facial features? Yes
Eye Color: Darker color - brown or green
Nose details: Flat Nose
Mouth/Lips: Only visible while it was eating, but witness could not describe them due to the eating.
Teeth: Could not see the teeth due to the animal eating fish.
Skin color: Dark brown
Brow ridge: Witness made no note of this.
Facial hair: Yes
Head shape: Large - upside down Acorn shaped head. Witness states "I thought maybe the hair was bunched up on the top of the head, and maybe getting wider going down."
Did witness see ears? No
Was there a muzzle? No remarks about this.
Was the neck visualized? No, just shoulders and head
Arm length and apposition: Longer than a human arm - would add 10-12 inches to a human length, not sure on length - but witness reports the hands hung down to the knee.
Hands or paws: Hands
Leg length, shape and details: 40' approx in length, massive (like tree trunks) Fur/Hair covered.
Proportion of legs to arms and torso? Largest part of the body was the lower section. Arms were half the size of the legs, in muscle mass.
Feet: or paws? Couldn’t Tell - animal was in Canary Grass
Number of toes? N/A
Was odor associated with animal? Not sure.
Description of odor: Musty Wet Dog Smell. The entire area had this scent by the water. Witness could not attribute this odor to the animal completely.

LOCOMOTION DETAILS

Standing, walking, sitting, squatting, lying down? Standing while Grabbing for fish.
Direction of travel: South on the river.
Where was the animal going? No idea, woods everywhere down there.
What was the animal doing? Standing in water trying to grab fish
Description of Gait: Kind of hunched over, almost like bad posture, large steps.

SIGHTING AREA

Terrain: Heavily wooded, with hiking trails, river.
Description of area: Heavily wooded Park land surrounded by Private property.
Longitude: N/A Latitude: N/A
Available water sources: Embarrass River
Available food sources: All kinds of wild life. Deer, Bear, Turkey, Wolf and ample vegetation.
Bedding areas, if any, describe: None seen.
Any cave systems in the area? Not sure, he has never seen any.
Where in relation to sighting/vocal/tracks: N/A

TRACKS

Were tracks found? Didn’t look, animal observed in Canary Grass and in the river.
How many? N/A
Length of track: N/A
Depth of track: N/A
Width at ball: N/A
Width at heel: N/A
Number of toes: N/A
Dermal ridges: N/A
Casts taken: N/A
Number of casts: N/A
Custody of casts: N/A
Contact information: N/A
Stride characteristics and length: N/A
Tracks aligned or not: N/A


VOCALIZATIONS

Were vocalizations heard? Yes
Date heard: June 16, 2006
Time heard: Between 6 and 7 am
Recordings made: No
Date of recordings: N/A
Custody of recordings: N/A
Contact information: N/A
Number of vocals heard: Multiple. The witness is unsure of the actual number.
Duration of each vocal: Very short
Type of vocals heard: Grunts
Description of Vocals heard: Short duration Grunts
Animal activity during vocalization: As the Animal was attempting to grab fish from the river.
Number of witnesses: 2
Names and contact information: Witness requests anonymity. I will turn over any information on this to a follow-up investigator.

SCAT SAMPLES

Length: N/A
Diameter: N/A
Consistency: N/A
Texture: N/A
Undigested material: N/A
Found where: N/A
Specimen collected? N/A


ADDITIONAL INORMATION NOT COVERED ABOVE

Location of sighting: Hayman Falls County Park, Shawano County near Pella Wisconsin.

An investigator sent me a report he located on the internet of a fairly recent sighting that was reported on a website called "Cryptozoology.com", I was asked to follow up and talk to the witness. After exchanging a couple of emails with this witness, he then agreed to speak with me by phone. Our conversation took place on June 29, 2006 at approximately 2:00 pm, and the contents of that conversation are disclosed in this report.

Witness says he didn't note any indication that this animal was female, so he assumes it was male. Witness went into this park with his son who is 13 years of age to do some hiking, looking at fish in the river, and "hopping the rocks".

Witness reports they were walking up a trail, from a shelter. They went over a small hill, and just over that hill is an area where you can swim and kids can "hop rocks." The witness and his son took a trail for hiking that goes off to the left of this area. The witness then reports, he and his son, left the trail to look at a stream 100 yards off the trail, when they heard splashing in the water. Witness's son was the first to spot the animal. Both the witness and his son then ducked behind cover where they observed the animal standing in water to its knees trying to catch fish. The animal reportedly moved between the water and what the witness called "Canary Grass" which obstructed the witness’s view of the animal’s feet. After the witness and his son viewed the animal for approximately 5 to 10 minutes, the witness stated he thought the animal had maybe noticed something or someone in the area, because it then stopped what it was doing (trying to catch fish) and "took off." The animal appeared to be startled by something. While the witness reported that the animal "took off" he also went into detail stating, "while it looked to be moving quickly, it really was not. The animal appeared to move fast because its stride was so long; it covered a lot of ground very quickly". Witness states when the animal left the area, it did so upright on two legs, witness reports all walking and movement by this animal was bipedal.

It should also be noted, the witnesses' view of any facial features was obstructed, because in their words "We viewed the animal from above it, on a ridge approximately 80 to 120 yards away." Also, when the witnesses could see the facial features of this animal, it appeared to be eating fish.

The witness describes the muscles on the back were massive, and he could see them flexing, as well as the arms and legs. After the animal in question left the area, the witness and his son left the area immediately.

Witness reports he will not return to the area. While the witness and his son report the animal did not see them, the witness is fearful of seeing this animal again, but is willing to give directions, so an investigator can get to the area and follow up if so desired.

The witness is employed with a local paper mill, and is an avid hunter. Although this sighting happened on June 16, 2006, this witness still seems to be quite shaken by what he saw. He in fact requests anonymity. The son attempted to leave the area before the father when the father remarked "Where are you going? There could be more." The son then returned to his father. I find this witness to be open and honest. He did not attempt to impress me with extra or exaggerated comments. He answered all my questions in a straightforward manner, and even answered follow-up questions as necessary. He seemed more concerned with the safety of himself and his son should he decide to ever go into this area in the future, although he states he does not see that happening any time soon. I did discuss with the witness that the majority of reports given about this animal are just as he witnessed, overwhelmingly the animal wants no contact with humans and generally leaves the area before the human does. He did not seem too impressed by this commentary. He laughed and said "Well, I’m not going back there at this point."

Investigator Notes on this area:

Information on this area: Highly scenic Hayman Falls Park is located on the Embarrass River approximately 13 miles southwest of the city of Shawano. The park occupies 35 acres, with approximately five acres of the west side of the river and 30 acres on the east side.

I could only find one report from this county, details are at this website:

http://www.bfro.net/GDB/show_report.asp?id=135

Shawano County Information: County population: 40,664

Land area: 892.5 sq. mi.
Water area: 16.8 sq. mi.

Local Area Latitude Longitude Hayman Falls County Park Clintonville North 44.75 -88.84

Notable locations in this county outside city limits: Lakes, Reservoirs, and Swamps: Spring Lake, Hennig Lake, Pine Lake, Smith Lake, White Lake, White Clay Lake, Bahr Lake, Baker Lake. Streams, Rivers, and Creeks: Pony Creek, Packard Creek, Rose Brook, Kroenke Creek, Cleveland Creek, North Branch Embarrass River, Logemanns Creek, Wilson Creek, Murray Creek.Parks in Shawano County include: Navarino State Wildlife Area, Jung Hemlock-Beech Forest State Natural Area, Shawano Lake State Fishery Area, and Hayman Falls County Park.