Fearsome Critters, creatures and cryptids of North America

The forests of North America have long been a place of mystery and wonder, home to creatures both real and imagined. The tall tales that emerged from these wild, untamed places—especially within the logging camps of the Great Lakes region—gave rise to some of the most fascinating and fearsome creatures in folklore. These “fearsome critters,” as they came to be known, were not your average woodland creatures. They were beasts of legend, brimming with both humor and terror, conjured by the minds of loggers and pioneers to explain the strange noises and uncanny events that often occurred in the deep, dark woods.