Seems like I'm not the only one, though. Whatever it is, I don't want to run into it at night! Heck, I don't want to run into it even in the daylight!
The Taxidermied Canid No One Can Identify
By Joshua T. Garcia on Friday, January 3, 2014
In 1886, a mysterious creature was on the loose in Madison Valley, Montana. Mormon settler Israel A. Hutchins shot and killed the animal the second time it roamed onto his ranch. He then sold it to local taxidermist Joseph Sherwood, who stuffed it, dubbed it the “ringdocus,” and put it on display. Over a century later, it has yet to be identified.
One morning in 1886, Israel Ammon Hutchins awoke to find a mystery beast loose on his land.
Hutchins had moved to Madison Valley, Montana, for the same reason many Americans were settling west: fertile, cheap land provided more opportunity for his family than did anything back East. But Hutchins probably didn’t expect to run into an unknown predator—a ferocious-looking animal that seemed to be part wolf, part hyena.
The first time Hutchins spotted the creature—which was running after his cows—he took a shot at it and missed, accidentally killing one of his own cows. The second time it wandered onto his property, his shot found its mark: The creature was fatally wounded, though it exerted the remainder of its strength attempting to reach and harm the Hutchins family.
During the month between the creature’s visits to the Hutchins ranch, it had terrorized the livestock of Madison Valley, preying upon cows and sheep. Its bloodcurdling cries kept residents fearful. Hutchins traded the beast’s body to local taxidermist Joseph Sherwood for a new cow. Sherwood mounted the animal—which he named “ringdocus”—and displayed it in his shop across the Idaho border.
The ringdocus was popularized by Hutchins’ grandson, naturalist Ross Hutchins, who mentioned it in his autobiography. Cryptozoologists Loren Coleman and Jerome Clark later linked the ringdocus to the shunka warak’in, a creature from Native American folklore in Cryptozoology A to Z. The mount went missing in the 1980s. Jack Kirby, also a grandson of Hutchins, made a mission of finding it. He tracked it to the Idaho Museum of Natural History in 2007, which then allowed the ringdocus to be displayed at the Madison Valley History Museum.
The ringdocus has never been scientifically identified. It’s unknown why the animal has yet to receive DNA testing or an X-ray analysis—the Madison Valley History Museum may lack the proper rights to authorize such inquiries, as the Idaho Museum of Natural History is still allegedly the owner. It’s also possible that a formal identification could ruin its quality as a museum exhibit.
There are sure a lot of strange and curious critters out there! Probably a lot I don't want to get that close to, I reckon!
Coffee in the kitchen this morning! They are calling for 21 degrees here at the patio and that's too chilly to be outside!
17 comments:
At least it didn't have cloven hooves.
Hey Gorges...
And for that we can all be grateful! Strange, for sure!
Thanks for coming over today!
Looks like it is part wolf and part dog! Coffee inside sounds great - it's bitter cold and windy here, too! I'll bring powdered jelly donuts!
That is one ug-ly critter! Coffee inside for sure here. -7 wind chill -29. right now. Coldest temps for about 20 yrs they say in these parts. Save a donut for me :))
It's the Chupacabra, el Norte version.
It sure is something I would not want to encounter. Looks like pictures I have seen of the Chupacabra. Definitely coffee inside. It is -17 F with the wind chill at -41 F. Save me a donut.
Wicked looking bugger. It's intimidating even 'stuffed'.
Thought it was bad here but only 0deg. with ice holding my door open. No wind, I reckon.
Oh, my, that next electric bill will be a whopper.
Thanks, Hermit, donuts and HOT coffee sound so good.
Bubba -
Nice to still hear from you every day - so many of the bloggers seem to have taken a time out. Too cold for Billy Bob, and others just have not heard from in weeks. But you and Dizzy can always be counted on. Guess Texans are made of sterner stuff, or maybe the computers are all frozen up north - ha, ha. Look forward to our visit every day....
Big hugs -
Bubba -
Nice to still hear from you every day - so many of the bloggers seem to have taken a time out. Too cold for Billy Bob, and others just have not heard from in weeks. But you and Dizzy can always be counted on. Guess Texans are made of sterner stuff, or maybe the computers are all frozen up north - ha, ha. Look forward to our visit every day....
Big hugs -
Ugly beast. My guess is that it's some bad mix of canine genes. Coyote, wolf, dog?
At any rate, maybe we should be glad it appears to be one of a kind.
I agree with Sixbears maybe even to much inbreeding.
I feel for all you people in that freezing cold. I can't complain with our temps at all and here I am stuck in the house with just short outing with Fred. stay warm everyone.
There always has to be something out there in the wilderness to scare kids when the stories of these beasts are told around a campfire. You wouldn't believe the monsters that appear in campfire stories. . . Dang, Jim, you always come up with something unexpected for your posts.
I've seen some strangely looking dogs in my days but I'm not sure about this one :-)
I do like the idea that it is the mythological crature and in a way I hope they don't check its DNA, some things should be allowed to be mysteries :-)
Have a great day!
Christer.
Very interesting, this gives me some hope that there is yet other strange things waiting to be found.
Great post, thank you.
Keith.
While winding among the ravines and aspen groves, we obtained an indistinct view of a strange-looking, dark-colored animal, that my companions pronounced a "carcague."
Of the character, or even the existence of such a creature, I cannot speak from positive knowledge—this, if one, not being sufficiently near for a scrutinizing observation, and no other of its kind ever came in my way; but, in answer to inquiries, I am enabled to give the following description, for the correctness of which, however, I will not vouch, though, for my own part, inclined to accredit it.
The "carcague" is a native of the Rocky Mountains, and of a family and species found in no other part of the world as yet known. He seems a distinct genus, partaking the mixed nature of the wolf and bear, but is far more ferocious than either.
His color is a jet black, hair long and coarse, and body trim and slender. His head and neck are like those of a wolf, but his tail and feet assimilate he bear, and his body presents the marked qualities and appearance of both.
In size, he is considerably larger than the common cur-dog, and is more agile in his movements. Unlike the bear, he will not run from the presence or scent of man, and regards the "lord of creation" with neither fear nor favor. Hence he is looked upon as a creature much to be dreaded by all who are anywise conversant with his character and existence.
The representatives of his family are seldom met with, which affords the principal reason why so little, comparatively, is known of his nature and habits.
If the information contained in the above description, is correct, (aid that it is so, I have not the least doubt,) the "carcague" presents, either the extraordinary phenomenon of the creation of a new race of wild beasts, or, the living relics of an order now almost extinct; and, whether he be tie one or the other, his existence is vested with deep interest to all lovers of the marvellous.
An old trapper related the following story, soon after the incident above noticed, which will serve to give some idea of this ferocious animal:
ROCKY MOUNTAIN LIFE By Rufus Sage is where I found this. It meets the description of the animal.
The simple answer as to why DNA testing isn't done is that the processes used in taxidermy in the late 19th century destroys DNA.
Now, it could be a wolf-dog. Just bred with a strange looking dog. Happens all the time. Or it could be a wolf/coyote hybrid. They tend to look strange as well and it does happen in the wild on occasion.
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