A 7-Foot Dogman in Michigan? The Legend That Won’t Stay in the Woods
Picture this: You’re walking through the Michigan woods when something lets out a howl that sounds suspiciously like a man screaming. Then a seven-foot creature stands up on two legs.
Congratulations. You now have a perfectly good reason to become an indoor person.
Apparently, mosquitoes weren’t doing enough to ruin camping. Now we have to worry about a legendary beast that supposedly prowls our woods.
What Is the Michigan Dogman?
If you’ve spent a Halloween season in Michigan, you’ve probably heard about this alleged half-man, half-dog creature. Descriptions typically include a dog’s head, a humanlike torso, enormous teeth, and a howl you definitely don’t want to hear outside your tent.
Folklore places an early encounter in 1887, when two lumberjacks in Wexford County supposedly spotted the creature. That’s part of the legend, however, rather than proof that a seven-foot werewolf has been avoiding Michigan property taxes for over a century.
Read More: A 1929 Kalamazoo Murder Reveals a Chilling Witch Hunt Far From Salem
How a Michigan Radio DJ Helped Spread the Legend
The Dogman story got a major boost in 1987 when Traverse City radio personality Steve Cook aired “The Legend” as an April Fools’ Day joke. Afterward, listeners began sharing their own alleged encounters.
The story also ties Dogman appearances to a ten-year cycle, with the creature supposedly returning in years ending in seven.
A monster with a schedule. Honestly, that’s more organization than I expect from anything living in the woods.
As a radio guy, I appreciate that an April Fools’ bit helped turn into a Michigan legend. Most of our questionable ideas just end with a meeting.
Was the Michigan Dogman Caught on Film?
The infamous “Gable Film” gave the legend another boost. The footage looked like an old home movie from the 1970s, complete with a mysterious creature charging toward the camera.
Terrifying? Sure. Actual proof of Dogman? Nope.
Mike Agrusa created the hoax using a ghillie suit and vintage film to make the footage look decades older. Author and researcher Linda Godfrey, who participated in the MonsterQuest episode exposing it, described watching a re-creation of his performance.
Turns out the scariest thing in the woods was a guy with a costume and considerably more free time than I have.
The Michigan Dogman Even Has Movies
The legend also inspired filmmaker Rich Brauer’s 2011 movie Dogman. And that sequel mentioned in older versions of this story? It happened. Dogman 2: The Wrath of the Litter followed, and the series eventually became a trilogy with Dogman 3: Fight to the Finish.
Yes, the Michigan Dogman has a film franchise. Meanwhile, I still can’t get my dog to cooperate for one decent Christmas photo.
Below is a 2012 interview with the filmmaker about the original movie.
Want to head farther down this furry rabbit hole? The Michigan Dogman has a fan page. You can check it out by clicking here.
Believe the legend or don’t. Personally, if something seven feet tall starts howling in the woods, I’m not sticking around to ask who’s a good boy.
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