The Sidehill Gouger is a Fearsome Critter of the lumberjack stories of North America.
Description[]
Sometimes, it was described as a deer with rabbit ears and fangs while it has also been described as a kind of giant lizard; storyteller John Dashney spun a yarn about his grandfather hunting them on the regular and claimed they were built along the lines of a razorback hog. The Sidehill Gouger is characterized as having some legs shorter than others which gives it the ability to walk easily on hilly and rocky terrain. It also swung from the trees with a powerful tail.
However, the Sidehill Gouger is best known for being a goat-like mammal that is deer-sized with a graceful face, long rabbit-like ears, an ample tail and a shaggy coat. It is shy and pitiful, and is easily scared often. Their meat are deadly when cooked and eaten, but their fat is prized for its ability of curing the poisoning caused by the will-am-alone's lichen balls and the snow snake's venom, which proves to be more powerful than tanglefoot oil.
It was once a part of a wild animal show in a circus. Many people paid to see it but the circus entertainers warned that it had escaped. People fled in fear and the entertainers were able to profit from all their takings. Another tale tells of a farmer who was able to breed the beast with his sheep producing a pet that easily walked the hilly farms but was slow on flat roads.
The Sidehill Gouger was a popular creature among the early Americans and consequently has many names. The other names are Sidehill Dodger, Sidehill Badger, Sidehill Guano, Sidehill Hoofer, Sidehill Slicker, Sidehill Walloper, Sidehill Wowser, Sidehill Winder, Godaphro, Sidehill Sauger, Cutter Cuss, Dodger, Gouger, Badger, Hoofer, Guano, Slicker, Wowser, Winder, Sauger, Goatitthro, Gudaphro, Gwinter, Gyascutus, Haggletopelter, Hunkus, Wapahoofus, Wampahoofus, Mountain Stem-winder, Stem-winder, Prock, Rickaboo Racker, Side-swiper, Side-Swiper, Stem-Winder, Mountain Stem-Winder, Side-Swipper, Mountain Side-Swipper, Stemwinder, Sideswiper, SideSwiper, Mountain Sideswiper, Mountain SideSwiper, Sideswipper, SideSwipper, Mountain SideSwipper, Sidewinder, SideWinder, Mountain Sideswipper, Mountain Stemwinder, StemWinder, Mountain StemWinder, Mountain Sidewinder, Mountain Side-Winder, Walloper, Yamhill Lunkus, Dahu, Dahut, Sidehill Dowager, Dowager, Sidehill Linger, Linger, Sidehill Doger, Doger, Sidehill Bear, Bear, Rackabore, Sidehill Dodge Hodag, Sidehill Wampus, Dodge Hodag, Wampus, and sometimes, Wampus Cat.
The Sidehill Gouger should not be confused with the Giasticutus, a large demonic bird from Arkansas, as well as the Wamfahoofus, a strange flat humanoid animal with one bubble-shaped eye with green skin and one right arm that's deceptively strong for its small size and likes to steal people's footwear.
Gallery[]
.jpg "Sidehill Gouger (2021).jpg (51 KB)")
See also[]
- Wild Haggis, another creature with different legs.
- Dahu, another creature with different legs.