Fearsome Critters - the scary, whimsical & bafflingly bizarre beasts of tall tale folklore!

In this article:

1. The Scary Ones!
2. The Weird & Whimsical Ones!
3. The Misfits & the Sad Ones!
4. The Hunters & the Hunted Ones!

Lots of people know the legend of Paul Bunyan and his giant blue ox, Babe (at least, you’ve probably at least heard of him if you’re from the US). 

But as well as all the creatures from those tall tales, there were also others from the logging camps of the Big Woods - a magical menagerie of bizarre, fantastic beasts, birds and fish - a genre of folklore known as Fearsome Critters. There's no direct connection but if you enjoyed Roald Dahl's whimsical and creative naming in some of his books, you'll enjoy these!

There are so many to choose from so I’ve gone ahead and grouped some of my favorites based on the main roles they played in the stories. Enjoy!

Published: 18th Aug 2025

Author: Sian H.

The Scary Ones!

These creatures and their legends were born from the deep-seated anxieties of the North American lumberwoods - the fear of the unknown, the risk of getting lost and the constant dangers of logging life that always seemed to be imminent.

• The Flitterick: A type of flying squirrel that was said to be very dangerous due to the speed of its flight. One was said to have killed an ox simply by striking it between the eyes.

• The Hoop Snake: A venomous reptile that could bite its tail and roll like a wheel. The only way to escape it was to jump through its hoop-like body as it approached.

• The Log Gar: This large, vicious fish had a snout with saw-like teeth. It would saw through logs to get to the lumberjacks riding the river and would make "mince meat" of them in the water.

• The Snow Snake: A very poisonous and savage reptile, this all-white snake was more plentiful in the winter. Its legend served as a warning of dangers on the snow-covered ground.

• The Snoligoster: Another fearsome reptile, it had a seven-foot tail that ended in a razor-sharp point. It would swing its tail like a scythe to cut down trees. Its tale served as a warning against the unpredictable dangers of the swamps.

• The Cougar Fish: This savage fish lived in the Big Onion River and had sharp claws. It would claw river drivers off logs and pull them beneath the water.

• The Moskitto: These mosquitoes were so large they could straddle a river and pick lumberjacks off the log drive with ease!
  

The Weird & Whimsical Ones!

I suppose all of the creatures on this page could be described as weird and whimsical but these ones were particularly odd - not intended to strike fear (mostly) but more made up for general merriment and fun and meant to bring a bit of joy and absurdity to the long, hard days. These beasts defied all natural laws, making them all the more beloved in a world of tall tales.

• The Goofus Bird: This bird was an enigma, as it flew backward, building its nest upside down. The legend goes that it "doesn't give a darn where it's going; it only wants to know where it's been."



• The Sidehill Dodger: This animal was a testament to the strange terrain of the woods. It lived only on hillsides and its legs on one side were shorter than the other, so it was destined to travel only in a circle.

• The Teakettler: This small animal was harmless but strange. It made a noise that sounded exactly like a boiling teakettle and would walk backward by choice, with clouds of vapor coming from its nostrils.

• The Gyascutus: This beast, also known as the Stone-eating Gyascutus, was said to have telescopic legs to graze on hillsides and a long tail it would wrap around rocks when its legs failed. Its diet of rocks and lichens made it a bizarre legend.
  

• The Axehandle Hound: A dachshund-like creature with a head shaped like a hatchet. This mischievous beast was said to prowl around logging camps at night, eating only axe or peavey handles (a peavey was a tool used to handle logs).

• The Upland Trout: A bizarre species of fish that never entered the water. It built its nests in trees and was said to be "very adroit.” (or skillful).

• The Gillygaloo: This hillside wading bird nested on steep slopes and laid square eggs, which prevented them from rolling downhill. Lumberjacks would collect these eggs, hardboil them and use them as dice - pure ingenuity!

• The Phillyloo Bird: This bird had a long beak and long legs but very few feathers. It would fly upside down to keep warm and to avoid rheumatism in its limbs.



• The Whirligig Fish: These fish always swam in circles. The loggers would smear the edges of holes in the ice with bacon rind and the fish would swim faster and faster until they whirled themselves out onto the ice.
  

The Misfits & the Sad Ones!

Undernneath the humor and the horror, a couple of fearsome critters told a bit more of an emotional story. These were creatures of isolation and sadness that perfectly captured the strange, solitary nature of the deep woods.

• The Squonk: This creature is said to be the most miserable of all critters. Its body is covered in warts and imperfections and it is so melancholy that it dissolves into a puddle of tears if it’s ever caught or seen. Aw.

• The Hugag & The Hodag: These two are classic examples of regional folklore variations. The Hugag was a sad, lumbering herbivore whose legs were stiff and jointless, so it was unable to lie down. It could only sleep while leaning against a tree.

• Similarly, the Hodag is a legendary creature said to have terrible horns and claws, but it also never laid down to sleep and would sleep by leaning against a tree.

Note: The Hodag is sometimes mistaken for a cryptid but it is most certainly an entirely fictional creature and not something yet to be confirmed by science!

The Hunters & the Hunted Ones!

The struggle between man and beast was a central theme in lumberjack folklore. These creatures were very much a symbol of the wild.

Fearsome Critters are some of my favorite folklore stories and a real snapshot of a bygone era. They represent a time when the wilderness was a vast and unknown place (which it often still is but modern tools at least make it a bit easier to navigate). 

You can just imagine what it was like being out there deep in the woods, danger at every corner and then bunking down with your fellow lumberjacks and just trying to keep spirits up. 



Their legacy stories bring out the inner child in me and I hope you enjoyed them too! 

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