I've only been to Rhinelander once, years ago - but as a native Wisconsinite, I knew a few vague tidbits about the legend of the hodag.It wasn't until I read Wikipedia's entry about the hodag that I learned there were different types, several of which were rumored to roam the hills of southwestern Wisconsin, where I grew up.
Although a fair number of loopy tales had found their way into the regional lore, I can't recall hearing a single thing about hodags. Prairie dogs, yes - but not hodags.
Somehow, the name of my hometown, Prairie du Chien, was sufficiently twisted by non-French-speaking residents to result in a widespread belief that the area once had been overrun by prairie dogs. So, where did they all disappear to, I always wondered ...
Maybe the hodags chased them off.
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