05/09/2024
My name is Jake. I’ve been hunting, fishing, and camping in Michigan’s wilderness for over thirty years. I know these woods like the back of my hand, or at least, I thought I did. What I’m about to tell you isn’t something I ever thought I’d say, but I can’t deny what I saw out there.
It was October 23rd, 2023. I’d decided to spend a weekend alone in the Huron-Manistee National Forest, far off the beaten path. I’ve done this countless times before—set up camp, enjoy the peace and quiet, and maybe catch a few fish. But that night, things were different. From the moment I set up camp, I felt like something was off, like I was being watched. I told myself it was just nerves, that I was overthinking things. I’ve heard the stories about the Michigan Dogman, but I never believed them. Until now.
It was around 9 p.m. The sun had set, and I was sitting by the fire, just relaxing. Then I heard it—a deep, rhythmic pounding sound, like something big was moving through the woods. I tried to brush it off as a woodpecker or a deer, but it was too heavy, too deliberate. It didn’t sound right.
As the night went on, the noises got closer. There was a low growl, just beyond the firelight, and the snap of branches under something heavy. I grabbed my flashlight and shined it into the woods, but the beam didn’t reach far. That’s when I saw them—two glowing eyes reflecting back at me from the darkness, higher off the ground than they should’ve been. Too high for any animal I’ve ever encountered.
I shouted, "Who's there?" but there was no answer, just more growling and the sound of something massive moving closer. Then it stepped into the light.
I can hardly describe what I saw. It was huge, easily seven feet tall, standing on two legs like a man but covered in dark, matted fur. It had the head of a wolf—long snout, pointed ears, and those eyes. God, those eyes. They were intelligent, like they were sizing me up, deciding what to do with me.
I knew, in that moment, this was no ordinary animal. This was the Dogman. The legends, the stories—I knew they were all true.
I tried to back away slowly, not wanting to provoke it, but it snarled and bared its teeth—razor-sharp, jagged things that looked like they could tear me apart in seconds. It lunged at me, faster than anything that size should be able to move. I grabbed a burning log from the fire and thrust it toward the creature. The flames caught its fur, and it let out this horrific scream, like a mix of a wolf's howl and a man’s scream.
I didn’t think. I just ran. I ran like hell through the woods, the branches tearing at my clothes and face. I could hear it behind me, crashing through the trees, getting closer. I don’t know how, but I made it to the dirt road where I’d parked my truck. I jumped in, started the engine, and tore out of there. As I drove off, I looked in the rearview mirror and saw it standing at the edge of the woods, its eyes glowing in the darkness. It was watching me, almost like it was letting me go, like it enjoyed the chase.
I didn’t stop driving until I was miles away. I haven’t been back to those woods since, and I don’t think I ever will. I’ve heard the stories from others—hunters, campers—but none of it seemed real until that night.
Believe me or not, but I know what I saw. The Michigan Dogman is real, and it’s out there, watching, waiting.
Read real-life Dogman encounters in my book "Mysterious Creatures: Cryptid Encounters - Dogman Special" here 👇
www.dogmanencountersbook.com