A listener writes “I had a strange experience about 20 years ago in northern wisconsin while camping with some friends and has bugged me ever since and wanted your take on it. There were 3 of us and when we went to check in, they must’ve figured 3 young guys from Illinois – probably going to be loud and what not, they’d give us the furthest site from the other guests as possible. I think there were over 200 sites. We might have gotten 200. The campground/resort didn’t hardly have anyone there either. I would guess 15% full but we sure didn’t mind.
The 3rd night there maybe, we got in from fishing and had started a campfire. 1 by 1 we tired out and went in the tent to sleep, my friend John being the first. The tent was maybe 10 feet from the fire. My friend Rich was sitting by the fire making s’mores when I was getting ready to turn in and I told him to be sure to put all the food away in the cooler and then the car too because of bears. I was dozing off in the tent lying closest to the fire and Rich came in about 30 minutes later.
The fire was still going a bit and the glow from it illuminated the side of the tent I was closest to. I was just lying there enjoying the night forest sounds and flicker of the firelight. Then I heard a raccoon or some small creatures enter the campsite. I woke Rich up and asked him if he forgot to put away the s’mores stuff. He said he forgot. We heard the critters going through what was left and we were kind of laughing and didn’t think much of it as it was all gone now anyways.
All of a sudden everything split from the campsite and got incredibly silent. I thought that weird but tried to stay awake. Maybe 10 minutes later I heard breathing. Very heavy, not snorting, but just heavy breathing – big lungs is all I knew. All this time otherwise dead silence. Whatever this was came into the site and walked between the tent and the fire. John was sound asleep and i woke Rich up to be ready for something. Neither of us wanted to see what was out there – I wish I would have but couldn’t do it. The thing blacked out the illuminated side of the tent as it passed and then proceeded to urinate on our campfire. It never bothered us or our tent. All I could focus on was the breathing, it was weird, and hoping it would go away soon. Shortly after it did and that was that.
What that thing was – I have to assume was a bear – but it has always stuck out as not right. Have you ever heard anything similar?
I also now live in northern wisconsin and twice I’ve seen those straight line trackways in the snow near my home. The 1st time on my property. Can’t rule out some bounding animal double tracks but just no evidence of that. Wish I would’ve taken pictures but I didn’t. And although there are plenty of owls around, last year I heard them calling to each other – I figured some mating thing – but the 1st time I started hearing it, it sounded like grown men making owl sounds. I thought who would be joking around like that middle of the day in gun country. Crazy loud and seemed to be on my property of 15 acres, but just out of range. And I hardly have any neighbors. I’ve heard of this owl sound imitation recently while listening to your shows and it reminded me of that. 800 lb owl sounds about right. It’s an owl like sound – but you clearly get the feeling that it is imitated. I thought this before I ever heard of bigfoot possibly being associated with it.
Definitely keeping my eyes out and thanks again for your show”