In a conversation with a friend who grew up in rural Walworth County, she mentioned the Bray Road beast, and suggested that I look into it. While this is in the realm of cryptozoology, it is one of those tantalizing "unknowns" that is so much a part of rural Wisconsin.
I had heard about the Bray Road beast through the years, reportedly a werewolf-type creature. In the early 1980s, there were reports of sightings of a similar creature near our farm in Jefferson County. I also heard several reports about dogs or farm animals that disappeared or were found dead, often mutilated. The very idea of a werewolf always made me roll my eyes, figuring people were actually seeing a large dog, wildcat or bear. But a werewolf? Still, when ordinary, down-to-earth people report seeing a bi-pedal, fur-covered creature out in the fields and alongside country roads, something unusual must be there. These are people who certainly know the difference between a grey wolf and a werewolf!
I went to the local library to see if I could find a book about the Bray Road beast, and was surprised to find that there was actually quite a lot of information about it, although no clarity about just what the beast is. I was especially intrigued by Linda S. Godfrey's book, The Beast of Bray Road: Tailing Wisconsin's Werewolf.* Stories of werewolves, in various forms, appear to be universal. In the US, these stories long predate the European settlers. Some Native America tribes regard this creature as spirit, rather than a physical beast, known as the windigo.
It is from this perspective that I include the Bray Road beast here in Ghosts of Wisconsin. I would like to hear from anyone who has first-hand knowledge of this creature -- not only what you actually saw, but what your impression was of the Bray Road beast. (If requested, anonymity is absolutely respected, promised and assured.)
Update: This past December marked 20 years since Linda Godfrey wrote The Beast of Bray Road. There are still occasional sightings of the creature, though fortunately I've heard no reports
in recent years of farm animal mutilations. You can learn more about Ms. Godfrey's research of the Bray Road Beast at her website.
You can read more about this mysterious creature at Linda Godfrey's blog here, and view this video from Animal Planet of local folks talking about their experiences.
* The Beast of Bray Road: Tailing Wisconsin's Werewolf, Linda Godfrey, ISBN: 1-879483-91-2 Prairie Oak Press, Black Earth, Wisconsin.
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