There have been Bigfoot sightings from all over the United States. It seems every state has a Bigfoot, which makes sense for the numerous sightings. 

What is surprising is there is one cryptid that is reported more times than Bigfoot. This blaring statement came from an online news site, The Vintage News. Timera Media owns The Vintage News, which reports on technology and history. 

Who, you might ask, is this cryptid seen more often than Bigfoot? It is a human body topped with dog-like characteristics. The Michigan Dogman is over seven-feet tall with glowing blue or gold eyes. It was first reported in 1887 by two lumberjacks going home. Image provided by Валентин Симеонов from Pixabay

Dogman sightings continued over the years, with the majority of sightings being in the forest. Their stories similar when they describe the events. Usually, they are by themselves at night on lonely, isolated roads deserted. 

Not surprising is loggers make the majority of these reports. Unseen forces are scratching their tents and strange noises in the woods as night. 

Witnesses, not loggers, tell of a strange human-dog creature that leaps out at them. It jumps in front of scared driver’s cars, and in one report, it caused the vehicle to flip over. 

In the 1930s, witness Robert Fortney was fishing in the Muskegon River. A pack of wild dogs rushed him running out of the trees, so Fortney fires his gun. The noise scared all of the dogs except for one sizeable Black dog. It didn’t run, and in fact, stood up on its hind legs and locked stares with Fortney. It attempted to intimidate Fortney by glaring at Fortney with its glowing gold eyes. Fortney shot in the air again, and this time the defiant canine ran back into the woods.

In 1961, a night watchman working his patrol in Big Rapids, Michigan, saw a strange sight. He was walking a manufacturer’s plant when he spotted an intruder. Calling out to the person, it turned towards him, and he saw canine features. Startled, he drew his revolver to shoot it before remember his camera and took a picture of it. The print has yet to be proven fake and still amazes people who see it.

There have been many hoaxes with people dressing up in costumes. Then there are other cryptids reported, which can add to the confusion. There have been sightings of cat-like creatures reported and still reported. The wildlife society states there are no indigenous cats, but there have been sightings.

Naturally, the combination of cat and now dog sightings isn’t an unusual occurrence. The citizens of Michigan wave away the sightings as one big joke. It didn’t help matters when a young man named Mike Agrusa filmed the Gable Film. Agrusa was on vacation with his family when he saw and filmed the Dogman. 

The video caused a humongous reaction, but unfortunately, Agrusa admits that it was a fake. When you have people like Agrusa making fake videos topped with reports of people putting on hairy costumes? If there is a Dogman, belief in him is tenuous at best because of all of the hoaxes.

Until 1986, when Ray Greenway saw glowing eyes in the woods staring at him. Since Greenway lives in Manistee, Michigan, seeing critters at night is not unusual. Wildlife is bountiful in rural Manistee, Michigan, where Greenway lives. 

These eyes were glowing high off the ground, making it larger than most critters living in that area. To make matters worse, it emerged from the woods and rushed Greenway before leaping across the road. Disappearing into the trees on the other side of the road, but not before Greenway caught a quick look at dark fur. 

When he told Ranker News his story, Greenway told them he might not remember what it looked like, but he will never forget those glowing yellow eyes. Those eyes were staring at him, which is creepy as hell.

Local police investigated an attempted cabin break-in, and the only evidence discovered was canine prints. The authorities believe it was the Dogman. 

Whether the sightings are real or not, the Dogman legend escalated. In 1987, Steve Cook of WTCM Radio in Traverse City wrote a song about the Dogman. The “Legend of the Dogman” made its debut April Fool’s Day on his radio station. Cook did it as a tongue-in-cheek joke.

Unhappy listeners inundated the station with claims that the Dogman is real. They described the Dogman as having human and canine features. Covered in black or gray fur, it can walk on all fours or two feet.

Cook became a believer and hosted a website and a Facebook page about the Dogman.

Several books, movies, and TV shows inspired by the Dogman have made their appearance over the years. One of the books is titled “The Michigan Dogman: Werewolves and Other Unknown Canines Across the U.S.A.,” written by Linda Godfrey. 

Researching her novel, she had witnesses tell her about their run-ins with this mysterious creature. In 2000, one lady from BattleCreek, Michigan, driving home late at night, approached a crosswalk and slowed down. At first, it looked like a dog was crossing the street until he got close to the woods. Then he stood up on two hind legs, turned to stare at her. 

It scared the crap out of her badly enough; she didn’t give her name. If that wasn’t scary enough, another lady called Godfrey with her tale. Scared, she only gave her name as “Nelly.” Nelly worked at the Fort Custer Recreation Area, told Godfrey of her sighting of the Dogman. Nelly’s witnessed a young Dogman; she described it as looking like a young boy. 

Like the other sightings, he stood up on his hind legs and stared at Nelly. She also said he had weird eyes and appeared hungry, but it still scared her to death. Nelly drove off, escaping the monster, except she relayed to Godfrey, she had the feeling it could have stopped her.

Battle Creek, Michigan, seems to be a hotspot for the Dogman as additional reports continue. You can read about them in Godfrey’s book.

There are too many sightings and reports about the Dogman from all over Michigan. You have stories from the late 1800s still being relayed today. It makes it difficult to pass the Dogman off as a hoax. 

If you drive through any part of Michigan, especially at night – be careful, you don’t run into the Michigan Dogman. Image is provided by Валентин Симеонов from Pixabay