Every so often, we have a reader write in and share their experience with Michael and me. This is one of them. We would like to thank Joe for sharing his encounter with us and for letting us share his story with you.
On the evening I have seen the hyena-like animal I was small game hunting along a heavily wooded seismic exploration trail that looked fruitful for rabbits. I generally hunt alone but carry a shotgun because all too often during these often successful rabbit and grouse hunting journeys black bears and occasional wolf packs were nearby and a 22 rimfire is a poor caliber for self-protection here in northeastern Alberta.
During my hunting walk along this one west to east goat path, I noticed a turkey vulture was always overhead and if you watched your six an owl always trailed me. This is very routine there. What was not, in my opinion, a routine thing was an unusual noise animal source never found. A constant coughing sound I describe best as like a cat coughing up a fur ball but no change in pitch or volume or cadence. It sounded like a sound effect generated by a studio. Certainly what animal has the lung capacity and vocal cords to generate this very strange sound??
Tell you what this is almost more worrying than the sighting itself.
On this day I just came to the decision to ignore this sound and continue hunting. This particular forest trail had two small rises along my direction of travel to the east and over the second hump, a small game was more frequently seen I think because the main road was far enough away that small animals felt safer there behind the second mound. Soon I heard what was larger than a rabbit was just off to my right and I was later than unusual arriving there and the daylight was rapidly fading.
Thankfully this was at the intersection of two trails and I seated myself on a large rock on the opposite side of the trail and sat looking in its direction with my trusty shotgun across my lap felt very confident in my ability to protect myself and I always keep two shotgun slugs really handy to swap out the birdshot in my over-under just in case I had a bear encounter at close range I seen this dog like animal as it came around a large tree. It had dog-like ears and dog-like snout. But it’s front legs were certainly longer than its back legs! Never seen this before or since! Also appeared to have very muscular back and chest. Almost hump-backed to me.
Was this a wolf with a deformed broken back or the now ten thousand years extinct American hyena? I don’t know and I have seen several wolves in the past and innumerable coyotes and fox so I feel well qualified to speak about canine animals.
Also, it’s incisor teeth looked unnaturally long and I think it had a greyish coat with some strange yellowish or red patches on its back. Very hard to confirm in the dusky light. Its eyes had a strange yellowish color to them. I was unsure whether to shoot it or not but decided to leave this area immediately. I know well enough not to run as to appear to be prey to a predator. But kept my loaded shotgun at the low ready just in case. Stopping often to check my six just like an infantry soldier on a patrol. I left and never actually returned to this spot.
On another occasion, I heard the large animal getting up in the woods at least twice in a totally different place again while small game hunting. I had a distinct feeling I was being watched. This was near a registered trapline I later discovered so was easy to find an excuse not to return there. Some months later I found two thoroughly mutilated calves and a cow someone really took their time with. Again at a different location about ten miles from here as the crow flies.
The cow had an ear tag and I reported it to the RCMP they tell me in a later phone call this incident was forwarded to local livestock inspector. I must say perhaps just rustled cattle butchered right there But seems stupid as it is at corner very busy forest road.
Maybe a mutilation maybe not I just hope these strange occurrences are it for me.
I had a recent health scare and do not need any more drama in my life!
Joe in AlbertaToggle