YEAR: 1983

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

DATE: ?

STATE: Wisconsin

COUNTY: Forest County

LOCATION DETAILS: Highway 8 runs between Crandon and Laona (approximately 13 miles between them.) (DN)

NEAREST TOWN: laona/crandon

NEAREST ROAD: Highway 51

OBSERVED: i was 15 at the time i vacationed at johnnies resort every summer w/ my family. we were there to fish and i had been the every summer since i was 5.it was about 8:00 pm and i was in my bot fishing close to shore when i heard alot of splashing thinking it was a large muskie in shallow water i used my trollong motor to get closer it was in tall bull rushes when i was about 10 ft from the spot i started to smell a strong bad odor like fish mixed w/ rotton cave smell i stood up and started to cast my lure when it stood up to apprx 20 ft fom me in knee deep water.i froze it stared at me and stood there .it felt like forever but was probally 15-20 seconds it was about 8-9 ft tall very big with a man like face alot of brown matted hair.it was not a bear i had seen pletty of them in my life.i ran the back of my boat to start the motor and i fell in the boat i think i scared it because it made a hi pitched scream which gave me chills to this day and im 36.i got back to the cabin my mom and dad new somthing was wrong i told them what happend they tried to tell me it was a bear we went back there the next day but saw nothing when we told the owners of the resort they laughed it of but acted like they knew what i saw.this was in the back part of wabikon lake

ALSO NOTICED: the loud scream and strong smell

OTHER WITNESSES: only me

OTHER STORIES: no

ENVIRONMENT: pine forest lake connecting to another lake via creek.8 pm 75 degrees sunset

Follow-up investigation report:

The observation was short and from a distance of 20-25 ft.. Witness further described the animal as being very muscular with a heavy odor. It's hair was wet and greasy looking and colored Auburn. It's eyes were very dark.

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