The Fulton Scribe
Date: August 12, 2024
Headline: “Hauntahk Fisherman” Spotted? Local Woman Selectively Shares Photos of Cryptid’s Tool with Media

From the archives. Contributor: Spence Hutchins, Curator of the Fulton Hills Historical Society.

Huxley Drake, Staff Writer

FULTON COUNTY— Fulton County’s favorite cryptid, the Hauntahk, has once again leapt from the pages of local folklore—this time with a fishing spear in hand, if one resident is to be believed.

Ashley Grant, a 26-year-old newly minted Cat Claw County resident, claims she came face-to-face with the legendary creature while enjoying a quiet afternoon of fishing along the Poah River. According to Grant, the encounter began innocently enough, with her noticing a shadowy figure crouched in the shallows about 50 yards away.

“At first, I thought it was a person, but like in a ghillie suit,” Grant recounted. “But then I realized it wasn’t wearing clothes, and its fur looked… I don’t know, kind of like that Spanish moss stuff.  But also like it was part of the water. So, I pulled out my phone just to zoom in. I wasn’t sure what all I was seeing.”

What followed was a series of shaky videos and blurry photos that could generously be described as “ambiguous.” The star of the show? A single, surprisingly clear image of what Grant claims is the Hauntahk’s fishing tool—a long, sharpened stick with two small fish impaled on it.

“It looked handmade,” she said. “The stick was smoothed down like it had been worked on. I didn’t think Bigfeets or Foots or whatever- I didn’t think they used tools, but there it was, clear as day.  Now I’m sure they do.”

Let’s pause for a moment. The Hauntahk – let’s forgive the new arrival to our sister county her faux pas – is now supposedly… using tools? Specifically, a fishing stick. You can forgive me for raising an eyebrow or two, can’t you? 

After all, this is Fulton County, where every shadow on a moonlit trail and every snapping branch is apparently evidence of something supernatural. Or the “shadowed” to use local trending terminology.  Isn’t anything ever just as it seems?

But Grant stands by her story, insisting that the creature was real and that her photo proves it. “It moved so fast, and so quietly,” she added. “One second it was there, and the next it was gone.”

The photo of the alleged tool has already sparked a frenzy in cryptid forums and social media groups, with enthusiasts hailing it as groundbreaking evidence of the Hauntahk’s supposed intelligence. Of course, skeptics – including yours truly – might suggest it’s more likely the result of a Bored Camper meets Random Piece of Driftwood.

Even experts are weighing in. “It’s an interesting story,” said Dr. Margaret Lang, zoologist at Crystal Falls University. “But extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. What we have here is intriguing, but not definitive.”

Despite the lack of conclusive proof, local legends remain rife with tales of the Hauntahk’s supposed craftsmanship. Stories of the creature crafting rudimentary spears, setting traps, and even mimicking human behavior – and voices – have circulated for generations. For believers, this is just one more chapter in the ever-growing lore.

For others, like this reporter, it’s another exercise in patience. Perhaps I’m just no longer built for the leaps of imagination required to see a stick and call it a breakthrough. But hey, stranger things have happened – right?

Ashley Grant, for her part, seems unfazed by the skeptics. “I know what I saw,” she said firmly. “I don’t care if people believe me or not. It’s real, and it’s out there.”

What do you think? Did Ashley stumble upon the Hauntahk in action, or are we just looking at the world’s most overhyped stick? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Grant has refused to share the images with the Fulton Scribe or the Internet at large leading to further disbelief in her story.