Wyoming is home to some legendary mythical creatures, including bigfoot and the jackalope. Another that could end up on that list is the “Swamp Moose” of the northern Wyoming Bighorn Mountains, spotted over the Fourth of July weekend by several people driving on U.S. Highway 14.
The dangerous and elusive Swamp Moose is a bipedal creature covered in green camouflage with a single large antler prominently growing out of the top of its head.
It has only been observed in Bighorn National Forest during the summer, lurking near fence lines and popular campgrounds where it can wave at tourists driving on the highway.
However, Swamp Moose goes by another name — Bridger Knox, a mischievous 8-year-old who eagerly volunteered to bring some cryptic amusement to a family vacation in the Bighorns.
When life gives you a ghillie suit and a moose antler, make a mythical creature for people to gawk at.
“My son has a great sense of humor,” said Steve Knox, Bridger’s father. “We were laughing about tour buses causing traffic jams, wondered what they’d do if they saw us in the ghillie suit, and Bridger took over from there.”
All In The Family
The Knox family lives in Cheyenne, but they’ve been taking family trips to the Pine Island Group Campground in Bighorn National Forest, only 2 miles from Burgess Junction, for decades.
“It’s a longstanding tradition in my wife’s family,” Knox said. “We’ve been camping at that same area for two weeks around the Fourth of July for 30-plus years.”
While enjoying their excursion, the family couldn’t help but observe the tourist traffic as it flowed along U.S. Highway 14. Much like Yellowstone National Park, people will stop whenever they get a glimpse of the local wildlife.
“We watched tour bus after tour bus and car after car slam their brakes and cause all sorts of traffic jams every time the moose came out of the willows by our camp,” Knox said. “It seemed like a fun opportunity to see what they’d do with a costume.”
Swamp Moose was the spontaneous creation of a different family prank. Knox’s sister-in-law brought the ghillie suit to the campground.
“She and her kids wanted to scare her husband near the river,” Knox said. “That didn’t do what they wanted, so we were eating lunch and wondering what the tour buses would do if they saw someone in the ghillie suit. And we said, ‘Let’s try it.’”
With the addition of a shed moose antler found nearby, Swamp Moose emerged from the woods near the Pine Island Group Campground. The reaction was about what you would expect.
Turned Heads And Slammed Brakes
When Swamp Moose emerged from the trees and walked along the fence line near the camp, several vehicles were already stopped to observe a nearby moose.
“There were probably eight or 10 cars already stopped, with people pointing and looking around,” Knox said. “Then, we noticed cars coming down the highway were noticing Bridger and slamming on their brakes.”
Bridger played up the part, wandering into open fields with a Bigfoot-like gait, holding the moose antler over his head. He also hopped up to take a seat on the wooden fence where he could wave at passing vehicles.
Knox said everyone realized they were looking at a person, but it took them a moment to catch their bearings and realize it.
“We could see their faces in their vehicles, wondering what in the world they were looking at,” he said. “Most people slammed on their brakes until they realized it was a person, and some people stopped and took pictures.”
The elusive Swamp Moose was highly visible for about two hours. Bridger kept wandering the fields and fence lines near the campground until it was time for the mythical creature to disappear into the forest.
“There was a steady flow of traffic all day, and it got the same response the whole time we were out there,” Knox said.
A Viral Family Prank
Knox posted photos and a video of the elusive Swamp Moose on social media, where it’s been viewed more than 70,000 times. The Knox Family has since returned to Cheyenne, but that doesn’t mean the elusive Swamp Moose will never be seen again.
“We talked about bringing better suits next time,” he said. “But then there's the fear of a stray person coming by and thinking it's a real moose. You could get poached or something, and that wouldn’t be ideal.”
Then there’s also the danger of running afoul of an actual moose. Swamp Moose is the natural enemy of many woodland creatures, which is why it remains so elusive.
Nevertheless, Knox believes cryptid comedy might become another ongoing tradition for the family during their two-week camping trip in the Bighorns. Mythical enthusiasts might want to plan a trip to Bighorn National Forest next July if they want to catch a rare glimpse of the elusive Swamp Moose.
“It was an absolutely spontaneous thing, we thought it would be funny, and there you go,” Knox said. “And it was pretty funny.”
Contact Andrew Rossi at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
