What’s a Hodag? A Wisconsin High School Mascot is Named America’s Favorite

By Christina Lorey

November 4, 2022

This fall, SBLive Sports pitted some of the country’s most unusual high school mascots against each other for its “Best Mascot in America” contest, and the winner hails from Wisconsin’s Northwoods.

After narrowly beating the Wyverns in the preliminary Mythical Creatures Bracket, the Rhinelander Hodag cruised to a decisive victory in the championship round, topping Idaho’s Shelley Russet by a margin of 183,455 votes to 72,502.

So what is a Hodag?

Good question! The mythical creature, featured prominently in early Paul Bunyan tales, is a large bull-horned carnivore with a row of thick curved spines down its back. It has strong ties to the city of Rhinelander, which claims to have discovered it.

“Hodags are not only our high school mascot, but a symbol of our community,” Kerry Bloedorn, director and curator of Rhinelander’s Historical Complex told SBLive. “Hodags have been around for 130 years in Rhinelander, and everywhere you go in our town, you will find its image: statues, murals, businesses, etc.”

“Once a Hodag, always a Hodag,” he added.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ckdp_TQp_q1/

Author

Christina Lorey

Christina is an Edward R. Murrow-winning journalist and former producer, reporter, and anchor for TV stations in Madison and Moline. When she’s not writing or asking questions, you can find her volunteering with Girls on the Run, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and various mental health organizations.

View all posts

CATEGORIES: Uncategorized

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Wisconsinites and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at UpNorthNews has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Wisconsin families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.