Sidehill gouger

Lore & Background

Sidehill gougers are mammals that dwell in hillside burrows, occasionally depicted as laying eggs, with litters of 6 to 8 pups. Because they are footed for hillsides, they cannot stand on level ground; if they fall from a hill, they can easily be captured or starve. When a clockwise gouger meets a counter-clockwise gouger, they must fight to the death since each can only go in one direction. The creatures are said to have migrated west from New England, accomplished by a pair clinging to each other with their longer legs on the outer sides, like a pair of drunks going home from town.

A Vermont variation is the Wampahoofus, which farmers reportedly crossbred with cows so the cows could graze easily on mountainsides. Others claim a pair of Wampahoofus circle the summit of Mount Mansfield, mating as their paths cross. Frank C. Whitmore and Nicholas Hotton, in a tongue-in-cheek response to a Smithsonian Magazine article, expounded the taxonomy of sidehill gougers (Membriinequales declivitous), noting the sidehill dodger of Wisconsin's Driftless Area. A special award, the Order of the Sidehill Gouger, is awarded by the Alberta Group of the Royal Canadian Air Force Association for volunteer efforts.

Reader's Guide

The sidehill gouger is a notable example of a 'fearsome critter' in American folklore, a category of mythical animals used in tall tales and humorous storytelling. Its defining trait—legs of unequal length—serves as a whimsical explanation for natural phenomena such as hoodoos and terracettes, and its inability to walk on level ground creates a built-in vulnerability that drives many stories. The creature's lore reflects the American frontier tradition of inventing absurd creatures to explain landscape features or to entertain. Its various names (sidehill dodger, sidehill hoofer, gyascutus) and regional variations (the Wampahoofus in Vermont) show how the tale spread and adapted. The tongue-in-cheek taxonomic treatment by Whitmore and Hotton, as well as its appearance in popular culture—including a 2016 story, a 2009 Xbox puzzle game, and a story by John Dashney—demonstrate its enduring appeal as a subject of humor and creativity. The Order of the Sidehill Gouger award further shows its adoption as a symbol of volunteer service.

Did You Know?

• Sidehill gougers have legs on one side shorter than the other, allowing them to walk on steep hillsides in only one direction.
• When a clockwise gouger meets a counter-clockwise gouger, they must fight to the death.
• The formation of terracettes has been attributed to gouger activity.
• A Vermont variation, the Wampahoofus, was reportedly crossbred with cows so they could graze on mountainsides.