Sasquatch Chronicles Blog

Oct 27

It was kind of like a gigantic wolf but not just a wolf

I spoke to the witness today and found this very compelling. The witness is a very private person and was willing to share what happened. A listener writes “My name is (Name removed) , I’m 57 and I discovered your podcast when you appeared on the Chris Jericho show back in March; I’ve been an avid listener ever since.

I’d like to tell you about an incident that happened to my older brother, (Name removed) almost 20 years ago. I’m not sure if there are enough details to warrant inclusion on your show but I think you’ll find it an interesting story nonetheless. The lack of details is due to the fact that (Name removed) suffered a serious concussion as a result of his encounter, which was pretty violent.

I will do my best to give you the gist of the story as I understand it but if you’d like to hear more, you’ll need to reach out to (Name removed) directly. As to why I’m the one writing to you and not him that’s because my brother’s a private guy and I’m the one pushing him to get his story out there. If you’re reading this, that’s because he’s finally acquiesced to my request to sent it.

Since 1975, (Name removed) lived in the Lancaster/Palmdale area of Southern California’s Antelope Valley and although he’s retired now, for over 30 years of that time he worked as a (Job title removed) Air Force Base.

This incident took place early one morning during the winter of 1998.  As was his daily routine back then, he was on the lonely, dark desert road heading to work shortly after 4 in the morning. As anyone that knows the area can attest, the stretch from Lancaster to (Air Force Base) is pretty flat and desolate, with little more than Joshua trees, rocks and sand along the way.

Given the time of day, the decades of familiarity with the trip and the expectation of total emptiness before him, (Name removed) was cruising along at a steady 80mph in his ’95 Saturn when his headlights suddenly shone on something unusually large ahead. There, straddling the middle of the two-lane road and perpendicular to his onrushing vehicle was this massive wolf-thing.

Why the addition of “thing” and not just wolf? This is how (Name removed) has described what he saw and what happened next:

“It was kind of like a gigantic wolf but not just a wolf; it was way too big and muscular and the way it moved was unlike anything I’d ever seen, before or since — a kind of rapid staccato-like jerkiness. It was crouched and positioned in a manner that suggested it was just about to pounce on some off road prey when I came barreling in on it. Because of my speed and its size — the body length took up more than half the widths of the east/west lanes — I had no choice but to hit it.

Thankfully at the very last instant, it realized the danger and tried to get out of my way — a move that saved my life but not its own. No longer dead-center on the road, it had shifted enough to my right that the collision wasn’t so head-on that his large frame collapsed onto the roof of the Saturn — instead the body wrapped around my right front end with its head smashing into the passenger door. Going as fast as I was, it must have broken its neck and back upon impact.

Also upon impact was the deployment of the airbags and I recall little after that. I woke up the next day, in my house, being attended to by my then girlfriend and 20-year-old son.

They said that I had somehow managed to drive the nearly totaled car back home and passed out as I entered the house. I was taken to an emergency room where I was diagnosed with some mild whiplash, sore ribs and a concussion. I was told to go home and rest. I remember none of this. I do remember waking up after the fact and getting into an argument with my girlfriend because I insisted on being taken to the scene of the accident.

I can’t actually recall exactly when I did return to the event location but I do know I was struck by the peculiarity of what I saw. Struggling with a bad headache, I looked upon the roadside carcass of something that still defies logic. Its body length well exceeded 7 feet, with a weight of well over 300lbs. In overall appearance it was wolf-like in that it had a long canine snout and pointy ears but it also had a lengthy thick mane around its neck and shoulders. Its overall color was a light brown and even dead it looked terrifying.

Although it had been a few days there were no signs of birds picking at the carcass, nor flies feasting, nor the smell of decaying flesh…that much I do recall in detail.

As for the damage done to my car in the collision, the front bumper was crushed and the passenger quarter panel was shattered; the engine mounts on the passenger side were also sheared away from the frame. As I said before, the wonderful airbag (which definitely saved my life) deployed and was no longer usable. Lastly the creature bent the car’s frame as it shimmied a lot long after the incident.

When I was replacing the front bumper and right fender I found 6”-8” strands of hair on the jagged broken parts; I thought then they were unusual if not very odd. I knew it wasn’t dog hair, it felt coarser, and it was dark.

In the days that followed, the body would remain there by the side of the desert road and I wasn’t the only one to see it on that route to (Air Force Base). A few co-workers had heard about my accident and would make comments to me about what I’d hit. One of them even said that it looked like I’d killed a large lion. I recall that person telling me how ‘it’ was there on his way to work, and on his way home it was gone… completely. He said it looked as if someone hauled it away. He also commented on how it hadn’t decomposed. I’ve always found that odd.”

22 Responses to “It was kind of like a gigantic wolf but not just a wolf”

  1. Trent M

    I’d certainly like to hear from the individual in this encounter!! I’m curious to whether or not there were other stories of similar creatures on that Air Base? I’m really glad his brother pushed him to share this. It’s amazing how much these creatures are the same all over the country, especially the “mane”. Thanks!!

  2. Joyce E

    Thank-you for sharing your brother’s encounter. I’m really glad he wasn’t more severely injured, and recovered. I believe he was lucky the impact killed the creature. Otherwise he may have had an even worse problem to contend with. The description of the creature is amazing. Thanks again for sharing and thanks Wes for posting.

  3. Karen C

    These desert Dogmen are becoming more frequent, I think back when I’d be out at night in the desert riding around (open dune buggy) and never had any fear, but not now! Thank You for the heads up…

  6. Daniel D

    Wes, if at all possible you should try and get this guy on the show. I find it very strange that the body showed little or no signs of decomposition while dead on the side of the road, I mean I don’t doubt the guy but does that suggest it’s other worldly? That’s the only semi rational explanation I can come up with. Very cool encounter and I think he’s lucky he killed it on impact because an injured dogman (if that is indeed what this creature was) would have been a serious threat.

  10. Richard C

    Makes you wonder, “why didn’t he take pictures of it”? I think if I had been in an accident like that, hitting something strange, then found it again (on the side of the road), I’d dam sure take pictures.

  11. Alexander F

    This was the late 90s, and days upon days this giant unknown creature was sitting on the roadside, and not a single shot was taken of it? The local news would surely have jumped on it, aside from the thousands of onlookers who’d have surely made it a roadside attraction. Hell, I’d bet a P.T. Barnum-type would rope it off and sell tickets.

    Also, this really doesn’t seem to jive with all the reports of government men stepping in whenever there’s a body or physical evidence, and immediately taking it away. I mean, it was literally within eyeshot of an Air Force base…

    Listen, I’m a professional copyeditor–have been for over 10 years. The style and grace of this writing is professional, or nearly so. Don’t buy it being an amateur encounter recounting for one solitary second. Sorry. Just my 2 cents.

    Here’s the thing, though–I don’t care if it is fiction! That’s how I feel–it’s a GREAT story! That’s all that truly matters, here. But, we should be aware that it surely is just that: fiction.

    • Martin Z

      I’m also from that area. What puzzles me is what do these dogmen eat in this desert. This particular desert only has rabbits, rodents, turtles etc. There’s no big game to sustain the metabolism of such a large creature. Maybe in the Tehachapi mountains they could find deer but not much to eat in the desert.

  14. Jack33

    Had any of these people ever heard of a camera?

    It’s an optical instrument used for recording or capturing images.

    It would’ve have been great if someone had used one of those things.

  15. Daniel S

    I worked at the military base for 22 years and grew up in Lancaster. The San Gabriel Mountains are about 5 to 20 miles, depending where you are from Lancaster/Palmdale. Whatever he hit, probably ly came out of the mountains. Once you get anyway from the mountains, it desert. Not sure an animal that size would be able to live well. I don’t recall hearing anything about this until I read this. I am curious if I know the person it happened to.

    I now work at another military base, farther out in desert, but I still work at the other base now and then. I am going to ask around. I sure would like to hear the full story.

Leave a Reply