Hunting the Tennessee Wild Man

I’m not a lot into folklore, however I’ve to say that the Tennessee Wild Man has intrigued me ever since I first discovered about it whereas taking part in golf in Tennessee. This was throughout our household’s evacuation from Hurricane Katrina. I used to be taking part in a spherical of golf at Gallatin Nation Membership. I hit my ball into the woods, and the man I used to be paired up with (I forgot his title, it’s been a very long time since then) warned me to be careful for the Wild Man. Being from Louisiana, I didn’t know what that was. All I knew was our cryptid that goes by the title of Rougarou. Properly, I requested a number of questions and he advised me all in regards to the legend of the Wild Man. That received me considering: if I did are available contact with the Wild Man, how would I defend myself? Higher but, what if I had been to hunt the Wild Man? How would I’m going about doing that?

Bodily Description

The Tennessee Wild Man seems like a furry human with pink or grey fur, vivid pink eyes, and smells actually unhealthy. Individuals say it’s 7 to 9 ft tall, very robust and quick, and imply towards people, particularly canines and ladies. These pink eyes counsel good evening imaginative and prescient, giving it an enormous benefit in low-light situations.

The Wild Man makes a disturbing struggle cry that may scare anybody, and smells like a skunk. As a hunter, that sound might assist find the creature, but it surely would possibly freeze you up when it’s good to act quick. The creature is territorial and aggressive, concentrating on canines and ladies, although assaults are by no means profitable.

Habitat

The Wild Man has been noticed in locations like Elizabethton, Bee Cliffs, and McNairy County. The Smoky Mountains and Cumberland Plateau supply the tough wilderness the place most sightings occur. The final recognized sighting was over 20 years in the past close to Elizabethton when Robb Phillips noticed the Wild Man hanging onto a tree about 15 ft away throughout an evening hike.

Looking the Tennessee Wild Man

Given how huge, robust, and imply this factor is meant to be, looking the Wild Man would wish severe firepower and planning. This wouldn’t be like looking deer. This is able to be extra like looking a harmful predator that wishes to harm people.

For weapons, I’d advocate no less than a .300 Winchester Magnum or .338 Lapua Magnum for the stopping energy wanted to drop one thing that dimension straight away. You’d must cease it instantly, no monitoring a wounded animal. A wounded Wild Man can be extraordinarily harmful and prone to assault reasonably than flee.

Because the Wild Man appears to come back out largely at evening, thermal imaging or evening imaginative and prescient scopes can be needed. A superb backup gun, like a .44 Magnum, can be wanted, too. Physique armor can be sensible since this factor might most likely throw rocks or logs with sufficient drive to trigger severe harm.

This is able to undoubtedly should be a gaggle hunt. Many teams of males have gone out looking for the creature, however more often than not, they don’t discover something or one thing actually unhealthy occurs. I’d advocate no less than 4 hunters working collectively, with good radio communication and predetermined escape routes.

Tennessee Tablefare?

Following the Louisiana rule of “in case you kill it, you eat it,” the Wild Man would most likely be edible, although I believe the meat can be robust and have a powerful style. Given how huge and muscular it’s alleged to be, the meat would doubtless be darkish and thick, like bear, however with a stronger taste due to what it eats and the creature’s unhealthy scent.

Cooking it could want loads of area dressing and getting older to interrupt down the robust muscle. I’d advocate an extended soak in acidic liquid like apple cider vinegar and citrus to assist make the meat tender and canopy up any robust flavors. Salt brining for no less than 24 hours would additionally assist draw out blood and any gamey flavors.

For cooking, low and sluggish can be the way in which to go. A conventional Tennessee session would include smoking the meat over hickory for 12-16 hours, like how mountain folks prepare dinner bear. Or, a stress cooker with root greens and plenty of spices might break down the robust elements. The liver and different organs would most likely should be thrown away as a result of we don’t know what the creature eats, and it might need parasites.

Current Sightings and Pop Tradition

In 2012, Matt Seeber claimed he noticed the Tennessee Wild Man close to his dwelling in McNairy County. He mentioned it was 8 ft tall with pink hair and eyes, growling and chasing his canine. Current experiences embody caveman-like sounds heard in Oak Ridge in 2019.

The Wild Man has appeared on TV exhibits like “Monsters and Mysteries in America.” The Tennessee Wild Man and Cryptid Con in McMinnville brings collectively followers and researchers yearly. The creature has helped native tourism with monster-themed merchandise all through Tennessee.

Closing Verdict: Fantasy or Monster?

Scientific proof for the Wild Man’s existence continues to be lacking. Many sightings might be defined by mistaking recognized animals, particularly bears standing on hind legs in darkish situations. Nonetheless, the large variety of constant experiences over time suggests there could also be extra to the story than simply errors or pretend tales.

Closing Ideas

Whether or not the Tennessee Wild Man roams the mountain forests or exists solely in our creativeness, the legend reminds us that thriller nonetheless exists. In the event you’re decided to seek for this cryptid, give attention to distant areas across the Cumberland Plateau and jap forests close to Elizabethton throughout daybreak and nightfall.

However bear in mind, if the Wild Man is actual, it actively desires to harm people. In contrast to Bigfoot, this creature seems for fights. Any journey needs to be well-armed, well-planned, and finished in teams. Ensure that somebody is aware of your location and return time.

As somebody who’s spent numerous hours in Louisiana swamps, the woods maintain secrets and techniques we don’t perceive. The Wild Man could also be a type of secrets and techniques higher left alone. However in case you’re decided to seek out out, be sure to’re ready for no matter you would possibly encounter in these Tennessee mountains.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award-winning out of doors journalist who resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly out of doors column for the Slidell Unbiased Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s VisitTheNorthshore.com. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Outside Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery. To contact Keith e mail: keithlusherjr@gmail.com