There’s a mystery going on at Haserot Beach. But first, a little warning – if you’re at all freaked out by photos of wild animals that are no longer living, stop reading now. If not, read on… I’m posting the photos at the very bottom of this story, so you can read at least part-way down without seeing them.
My friend Morgan Leigh Kelsey, who lives in the little village of Old Mission, sent me some photos last night of a creature that washed up on the shores of Haserot Beach, and we’re trying to figure out what it might be. At first glance, it sort of resembles a raccoon or maybe a mink or badger…?
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A few years ago, Tim and I saw what we think was a wolverine trundling off into the woods on Brinkman Road, so maybe that’s a possibility.
Mysterious things washing up on shores across the country is not uncommon. In 2008, there was a story about a “Montauk Monster” that washed up on the shores of Long Island. Last year, someone posted a photo of this strange carcass on Staten Island. And then there’s this toothy carcass that washed up in Santa Barbara.
Maybe we now have our own “Old Mission Monster.” Hey, maybe it’s the offspring of the infamous Northern Michigan Dogman, made famous by WTCM’s Steve Cook and crafted into a 2011 movie by Traverse City’s Rich Brauer. Baby Dogman?
Aside from the identity of the creature, there are other questions – namely, why did it expire and how did it come to wash up on the shores of Haserot Beach?
Check out Morgan’s photos below and tell us in the comments below what you think it might be.
Coyote
I think it’s a muskrat
Not a coyote. Did anyone contact the DNR?
Google Lens identifies as possible hog badger.
I think so, too.
Raccoon. What did I win? Hopefully not the remains.
Wolverine?!
It reminds me of Sid the sloth from the movie IceAge.
Honestly I’d say a dog but that turned up snout and the fact you can’t see any ears, has me baffled.
Really everyone? It’s a badger…poor babe
No question Raccoon..
It’s too big to be a raccoon, to small to be a Wolverine (which only appear in Michigan in certain football stadium, too big and the wrong color to be a coyote — which makes it a land based badger (note the lack of webbed feet)
For more details, see for example
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badger
What we’ll never know is how it wound up in the Bay !!!
Raccoon
Why not ask a veterinary?
I google photos of the Wolverine and the teeth and hair coloring look very much the same.
I looked up wolverine on the Wikipedia page. The picture there looks very much like this poor critter.
I think wolverine. Sad tale(no pun intended).
Hog Badger
Do we have a final word on this critter?
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I think a ice burg melted and released it. it’s not known to science
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