Lumberjack Folklore
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Shovel-Faced Oscar
The Shovel-Faced Oscar is a strange creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It has the “scientific name” Caputpala borgesia. They are creatures with four legs and a face shaped like a shovel that lives solely underwater. They use their shovel-like faces to dig out the burrows where bass then leave their eggs. Supposedly they are named after a man named Oscar Wicklem, who was one of the first people to encounter this creature. Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
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Salvager Sucker
The Salvager Sucker is a strange fish from Lumberjack Folklore which is considered rare and endangered. They are found in the water of Discovery Bay in the Puget Sound. They measure two feet long with powerful fins, and a tail that moves up and down. They notably have a growth like a suction cup just below the mouth. They use these growths to produce a suction so strong it creates a seal that can only be broken with dynamite. With this seal, it makes strong movements through the water and can lift incredibly heavy objects out of the water. It’s believed they can be trained by tying a rope to…
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Rattlerrabbit
The Rattlerrabbit is a creature from the Mimbre Valley of the American Southwest. It’s thought to have lived there 1000 years ago, and it’s now presumed to be extinct. It has the “scientific name” Lepus casteneta. It has the body of a rabbit all the way down to the waist and a big rattlesnake tail. It is very obscure and is only known through Native American pottery. Citations: Wyman, Walker Demarquis. Mythical Creatures of the U.S.A. and Canada. United States, University of Wisconsin-River Falls Press, 1978.=
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Oomph
The Oomph is a weird creature that comes from Lumberjack Folklore. It goes by the “scientific” name Ranaincumbramentum alvinshwartzi. They are sneaky creatures that are difficult to catch, and eat eggs they find in bird nests. They are roughly the size of a dog, appear to be a hybrid of lizard and toad, with long claws, sharp spines along their backs, and large spots all over their body. They are named after the sound that it makes when finding bird nests, which sounds like ‘oomph oomph.’ Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
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Sizzerbill
The Sizzerbill is a creature from Lumberjack folklore from Minnesota and Wisconsin. They have the scientific name Fortesrostrum coxi. They’re rare creatures becoming even rarer, and they’re thought to be half bird and half some other animal. They hang around reeds and marshy riverbanks, keeping themselves hidden from sight. When they see a fish struggling on a line they use their scissor-like beaks to cut the line and free the fish. Citations: Yarns of the Big Woods, Written and Illustrated by Art Childs
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Log Gar
The Log Gar is a fish from Lumberjack Folklore. It has saw-like teeth. They can cut through anything in the water and cut off limbs immediately. They will go through anything to kill prey. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016. Rose, Carol. Giants Monsters and Dragons: An Encyclopedia Of Folklore Legend And Myth. United Kingdom, WW Norton, 2001.
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Landlocked Walrus
The Landlocked Walrus is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore in Maine. It has the “scientific name” Odobenus rosmarus var. chesuncookia. It’s described as smaller than the oceanic walrus and lives in freshwater in the region of Chesuncook Lake. It’s thought they became trapped in this area during the ice age. They are typically thought to be more dangerous than the typical walrus due to having less marine territory. They have been known to attack people and capsize boats with their tusks, or break through the ice to attack those walking on it. They are rare and not often seen, with them being seen as likely extinct now. Citations: Packard, Christopher.…
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Joint Snake/Glass Snake
The Joint Snake is a strange creature from Lumberjack Folklore. It’s a small snake most notable for its ability to reassemble its body if it is dismembered. If cut into pieces, all the pieces of this creature would wiggle until they reconnected. It quickly darts away after it reassembles itself. If a piece from the middle is removed before it heals however, the Joint Snake can’t recover and dies. Some accounts also say it had a horn at the end of its tail as long as a needle and incredibly sharp. Citation: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Ice Hornets
The Ice Hornets are creatures from Lumberjack Folklore in Maine. They have the scientific name “Vespula glacialis.” They’re often found when ice fisheries drill into the ice, and unintentionally hit a nest inside the ice, causing the hornets to swarm. They’re difficult to find unless they’re disturbed and can only be found during the winter. It’s unknown how they survive during the summer. They resemble large ill-tempered wasps camouflaged for winter and have incredibly barbed stingers containing large amounts of venom. Stinger can only be removed with blackberry brandy. One way to escape a swarm is by jumping into open water, which comes with its own separate risks. They can…
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Hugag
The Hugag is a creature from Lumberjack Folklore. They’re thought to be prehistoric looking creatures that live in lake states. They are roughly the size of and shape of a moose, with leathery heads, necks lacking hair, incredibly long upper lips that hangs low and prevents them from grazing, long tails, ragged, uneven floppy ears, and bushy coats. They have no ankle or knee joints, and four toed feet. They are constantly moving and wobble as they move. They eat leaves and tree bark. When they sleep, they lean against trees to keep themselves stable. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States,…
