2004, Marinette County, WI. “I had gone up to visit a friend of mine and I was driving home.
It was just getting dark. I was South, outside of Peshtigo WI. I had gone to Marinette WI for the weekend. I looked down to turned on my radio when I looked up a huge black and brown creature ran across in front of my car about 60 ft in front of me. I slowed down to about 35mph not sure what I had seen.
I looked in the direction it ran and didn’t see anything through the trees. I had my window cracked and smelled a skunk type smell. At that point I locked my car door rolled my window up and got out of there.”
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Rick Reles:
I spoke with the witness about her experience in detail. I also visited the section of Highway 41 she described.
The highway is two lanes northbound and two southbound with intermittent fields and wooded sections. There is a grass median also.
Kate saw the creature when her headlights caught it crossing the two southbound lanes she was driving in, at 55 MPH. She slowed to 35, and watched it go across the median, then the Northbound lanes and into the woods. It was seen for several seconds, as it crossed the distance in front of her.
Kate described the creature as 7′ tall and over 600 lbs. The shoulders were “as wide as a small car”. She saw muscles bulge in the thighs as it moved.”If I hit it’… my car would be totaled” she said.
The creature ran on two legs, upright, at a moderate pace, unconcerned with her. The gate and stride were very large. The arms moved from side to side. Kate heard no noise from the creature. She described it as being black and dark brown in color with matted hair. She rolled her window down and described skunk/fox smells. (Kate worked with rescued animals so knows this). She felt anxiety, and her heart pumping, and decided to get out of there. No other cars were on the road.
State owned lands are located along the Lower Peshtigo River, south of Peshtigo, Wisconsin. It includes the Peshtigo Harbor State Wildlife Area, and the Bloch Oxbow State Natural Area.
