If you’ve been following this blog with any regularity you’re likely aware of a bizarre creature sighting at Holy Hill this past September. The creature was 4-feet tall, hairless, muscular, and had backwards bending legs like a goat or a dogs.
Following that blog post, numerous individuals came forward with similar sightings from all around Southeastern Wisconsin. Another individual has stepped forward with a peculiar encounter.
A gentleman named Spence posted about a strange creature sighting near Holy Hill on one of the older blog entries. His experience occurred in autumn of 2006 or 2007:
“It was about 9:00 or 9:30pm and I was traveling east on Highway 167 towards Holy Hill. There is a winding section of road just about a mile west of Holy Hill Road that has some rather large embankments. The creature I saw must have stood between 6′ 5″ and 7′ feet tall, approximately 200-300 pounds. The creature was large enugh to bound down the embankment acrross the road and down into the ditch in about 4 strides and its hips were as tall as the hood of my truck. I do have quite a few lights on my vehicle but it was dark and i was going aproximately 40 to 45 mph. I know those are not the best circumstances, but I could not deny what I saw.”
Spence invites others to come forward with any encounters they’ve had. FYI, during 2006 there was an outbreak of hairy hominid and anomalous bruin sightings across Washington County and surrounding areas, with the initial sighting taking place a few feet from the entrance of Holy Hill, on Highway 167.
http://jnathancouch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/j-nathan-couch.png00J. Nathan Couchhttp://jnathancouch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/j-nathan-couch.pngJ. Nathan Couch2014-12-29 13:48:392019-06-09 13:51:34Bigfoot-like Creature seen at Holy Hill
Back on November 1st I published a blog about a strange creature sighting near Holy Hill, an area outside of Hartford with a history of anomalous activity. Essentially, a woman by the name of Mindy Rossette reached out to me in late October about an extraordinary experience she and her teenage daughter had while driving near County Highway K and Highway 167 at night on September 17th. A 4-foot tall, hairless, bi-pedal creature with backwards bending legs ran in front their car.
Eyewitness sketch of a mysterious creature that dashed in front of a moving car near Holy Hill. By Mindy Rossette.
Mindy and her daughter were very upset by this encounter, and asked if I was aware of any creature like it. Because of the backwards bending legs, I was immediately reminded of the Goatman, a legendary creature that allegedly occupies nearby Hogsback Road. Mindy has never heard of Goatman, but remarked that the legs reminded her of a canine, while her daughter remarked there was something almost extraterrestrial about the entity. To sum up how deeply disturbed these two were from their encounter, Mindy remarked “It’s something we’ll never forget. The vision of this thing is etched in our lives.”
At the end of that blog, I asked that anyone with information regarding the sighting or the strange thing the Rossettes witnessed contact me. If nothing else, knowing someone else has seen such a peculiar thing can alleviate much of the stress that comes from such a puzzling experience. Its always heartening to know you aren’t alone.
To my delight, several individuals responded with their own encounters.
Andre LeMieux: “Golfing at Ironwood [in Sussex, WI], the eastern most part of the course. Saw what appeared to be a large dog over road kill when it stood up on hind legs and walked into small grove of trees going out of sight. A friend of mine said he saw a similar creature at his brother’s backyard which is not far from there… . My sighting was about 6:30 pm with full sunshine in summertime about three years ago [2011]. Appeared to stand about 4 to 5 feet tall on hind legs.”
Josh Hughes: “My father and I experienced something very similar to this [strange creature] while hunting in the area. It happened [around 2006] when all the Sasquatch sightings were going on. [Mindy’s story] brought up the old memories and I thought it might be good to share with you.”
Salem: On the night of December 27th, 2006 a friend and I had an encounter with what I can only describe as a supernatural creature, that resembled a wolf/dog in the Menomonee Falls area of Wisconsin. We got a pretty clear look at it too.”
Not all of the stories involved strange animals. Luther Banks shared some details regarding a UFO he witnessed. Certainly not off-topic since so many people have noted the alien qualities of Mindy’s sketch.
Luther Banks: “On October 30, 2014 I saw an object in the sky shaped like a falcon. It was metal and dark, took tight curves like it was looking for something. Tip of the craft was dark, no movement of the wings. The sun hit it right and I could definitely tell it was made of some sort of metal. [This happened at] approximately 0940 and was visible for no longer then a minute till it quickly was out of vision. This was sighted from the ground from the outskirts of Watertown, WI.
After reading Luther’s message, I myself was reminded of 4 glowing, amber orbs of light that I, and more then 50 bus tour patrons witnessed flying near Jackson, Wisconsin, on September 12th, 2014 during a Washington County Historical Society event. The orbs were flying in a rough V formation, and changed directions several times before we lost view of them. This sighting occurred just 5 days before the Rossette encounter. Of course, none of these experiences explains exactly what the Rossettes saw, but it does prove their incident was not isolated.
Some responses were skeptical.
Vintage Basil: “I have lived in the Holy Hill area for almost 37 years. There is a man who lives out in the wilderness up near Holy Hill. He wears all kinds of hats on his head to keep warm, and also carries all of his belongings with him. He stashes his stuff wherever he decides to spend the day and walks around at all times of the day and night. The Carmelite [friars] have tried to help him, but he has some mental issues and prefers to live outside. He has caught my eye from a distance, more than once. He doesn’t look human until you get up close and see him. They probably saw him. Night time, darkness, wilderness…all sounds like a fairy tale creature, but most likely, it’s not.
Chris: “I’m just wondering why hunters haven’t gotten any pictures or eye witness. I am a hunter in the area just a little west of Holy Hill am curious but in disbelief. Mapleton, WI had a cougar for 5 years. It had a tracking collar on but that’s it for anything out of the ordinary. I’d like to know more.”
A few people on social media sites theorized that it was a deer.
A deer never, ever runs or walks on two legs, and an eccentric loner in a funny hat doesn’t have backwards bending legs. As for Chris’s question, I can’t speak for all the hunters in the Holy Hill area, but if I put myself in the Mindy’s shoes, this how I think it would go: I’d never be driving while using my phone, especially at night. After I swerved to avoid the creature, and got over the initial surprise, I’d have to get into my pants pocket for my phone, type in my four digit access could, and find my camera app. By the time all that happened, I’m sure any frightened animal/humanoid would be long gone.
The mystery remains just that, a mystery. Once again I extend an invitation to readers: I’ve you’ve experienced anything usual that may relate to the Rossette’s experiences, please comment below or email me. If enough people come forward, perhaps we can at least try and guess at what is going on.
http://jnathancouch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/j-nathan-couch.png00J. Nathan Couchhttp://jnathancouch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/j-nathan-couch.pngJ. Nathan Couch2014-11-19 14:09:252019-06-09 14:13:07Holy Hill Creature Update
On October 28th a woman named Mindy Rossette posted the following sketch and message on my Washington County ParanormalFacebook Page. Mindy has graciously allowed me to publish it on my blog in the hopes that someone else may come forward with a sighting, or perhaps offer some explanation as to what she and her daughter encountered.
According to Mindy:
“At the urging of friends I am reaching out to you about an encounter me and my teen daughter had at about 9:40 pm on September 17th. We were traveling near Highway K and 167 near Holy Hill.
“I can only say [the creature] was maybe 4 ft tall, hairless, grey/brownish, and running on its hind legs. It seemed to brace for impact as my car barely missed it. Below is the picture I drew as soon as i got home. Any ideas?”
Eyewitness sketch of a mysterious creature that dashed in front of a moving car near Holy Hill. By Mindy Rossette.
The countryside surrounding Holy Hill has more than it’s fair share of anomalous activity. In 2006, a large bearlike animal with canine characteristics dragged a dead deer from the back of a county contractor’s pick up truck. The authorities recorded the encounter as a “yeti sighting” and started a minor media frenzy, attracting Bigfoot Hunters from as far away as California. Following the Bigfoot clamor, numerous eyewitnesses came forward with sightings of various strange animals ranging in description from the infamous Bigfoot, to odd bear/wolf hybrid creatures.
Also nearby is Hogsback Road, an area that local teenagers claim is haunted by an even stranger cryptid, Goatman. Goatman is exactly what he sounds like, a strange humanoid with caprine characteristics. To my eye, this creature, while almost assuredly not a human/goat hybrid, could put someone in mind of the legendary creature, particularly with those very unsettling legs which seem to have backwards bending knees.
Stories about Goatman have been told around Washington County campfires and in parked cars since about the late-1960s. While the creature seems to be mostly urban legend, creatures with a blend of human and goat attributes have been reported sporadically across the United States, with the oldest I’m aware of occurring in 1830s Minnesota.
Pictured above: Amber Michelle Russell’s interpretation of Goatman for the cover of my most recent book.
When I told Mindy that it reminded me of Goatman, she’d never heard of the creature. When she asked me what Goatman was, I was hard pressed to answer her.
She continued with her description:
“It’s elbow was set low on the arm. Legs seemed to bend back at the knee like a dog’s. Muscles very defined. Thighs especially. I couldn’t make out the hands because of the way it was running. I couldn’t see the feet as I couldn’t see past the car hood.
“Instantly i knew this was something incredible. We were shocked and confused trying to figure out what the heck we just witnessed. We don’t live far from that rural area so we are pretty much freaked out to venture outside when its pitch black. It’s something we’ll never forget. It was a monumental moment. The vision of this thing is etched in our lives.
“I really want to know what that was. It was tangible. Not our imagination. I wish I’d seen the face but it braced itself and tucked its head down. I wish i would have hit it. Not to cause harm, [but just so people won’t think I’m crazy].”
Those who have seen the drawing so far have remarked that it looks extraterrestrial to them, likely because of that large head that resembles the classic “grey alien” description given by alleged UFO abductees.
I’ve pondered the drawing all weekend, and the only rational explanation I can think of isn’t rational at all. It looks vaguely like a tailless kangaroo or wallaby, but just how did one of those make it’s way to Southeastern Wisconsin? One can’t solve a mystery by introducing a second, equally puzzling mystery.
Interestingly enough, I talked with a man two weeks ago following a Downtown West Bend Ghost Walk who described a creature similar to one Mindy saw outside of his house in Southern Kewaskum. A few winters ago he heard gunshots outside. He peered out his window, expecting to see coyotes running down the snowmobile path near his home. He instead saw a 4-foot tall, grey-brown creature with a horselike head running extremely fast down the snowmobile trail before it dashed away into the woods. The only major difference separating the thing he saw from the one sketched above was that it was covered in shaggy fur.
