An experienced hiker, while trekking along the Au Sable River in Michigan, encounters the scariest creature he has ever seen.
I recently received the following account:
"I was hiking along the Au Sable River in Michigan during the summer of 1999. This is in the counties of Oscoda, Alcona and Iosco. I remember one of my most scariest encounters with the wilderness.
While walking east down along the river around 1 hr. prior to dusk I heard, what to my ears to be, a wolf howl. I have seen wolf prints and seen wolves at my home in Long Lake, MI., but never have I heard a howl so deep and almost human-like in my life. I got spooked and set up camp and made a fire...larger than most due to my fear.
At dusk I heard that the howling was getting closer, directly across the river. I had heard stories of the wolfman from native powwows and in my family folklore covering the whole USA. But never have I personally seen what I saw that night or the next day.
That night, after eating beef barley stew from my canned good collection, I laid down by the fire with my huge folding knife closely gripped by my chest. I was watching and listening to the surrounding wood line for about 30 minutes. When the average night noises stopped, to this me meant two things. Either something had spooked the local animals, and that it made me very uneasy.
I looked out away from the fire and shot the fire away from my eyes using the unarmed hand. I looked across the river which was only about 100 meters across from my fire. That is when I saw the most unnerving sight ever. On the sand was a creature standing maybe larger than the average sow black bear, with black fur, large long skull and yellow reflecting eyes like the wolf. I closed my eyes and hoped I was imagining things and then it gave out the howl again. I opened my eyes and it ran up the bank and disappeared into the night. As it ran, it didn't run on all fours like a bear nor a wolf. Unlike the local bigfoot it wasn't full upright like a human or primate.
I was so scared that I slept the rest of that night in a damn tree about 20 foot off the ground. it took me 3 hours and praying to easy my fear so I could sleep." HN
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'The legend comes to life, centered on the 19th-century Bell family of Robertson County, Tennessee, near the town of Adams, along the Red River. From 1817-1820, the Bell family is tormented by an entity determined to exact fear and pain. This is a well-produced film by Small Town Monsters that details the folklore associated with this timeless Southern tale. I'm sure that you'll enjoy it.' - Lon Strickler