Hidebehinds: A Lumberjack's Nightmare

Have you ever heard of a Hidebehind? I hadn’t, but I have to tell you I love the name.  There is no cryptic meaning or spooky innuendo here; instead, it’s just a simple name that explains exactly what it does. It hides behind things, mostly trees and bushes. And it excels at it. In fact, it has a remarkable gift for evading human sight, until it’s too late. 

The lore of the Hidebehind was born out of the landscapes of the American frontier and the booming lumbering regions of the 19th century. Most tales originated from the Pacific Northwest and the Upper Midwest. As a native Michigander, I was surprised I had never heard of these creatures, but I was pretty geeked to have a member of the “cryptid community” right in my backyard.  It is even categorized among the "fearsome critters"—a collection of tall-tale beasts said to terrorize the isolated logging camps of the North and West. 

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/5b2a4f_9cb0a2d522344cd993563ade792bd5a5/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Hidebehinds are described as being at least 6 feet tall, very slender, having glowing eyes, and covered in dark fur. They are exceptionally skilled at hiding behind tree trunks because they can stretch their bodies, making themselves as thin as needed to stay hidden. If you do come face to face with one, you will likely be dragged to its lair and become dinner, since Hidebehinds love human intestines. Therefore, Hidebehinds were blamed for the many mysterious disappearances of lumberjacks, or those who simply wandered too far into the deep forests.

Because the logging industry was incredibly dangerous and many loggers vanished with no indication of what happened, Hidebehinds became a common explanation.  Most likely, these loggers met their unfortunate fate due to drowning, becoming lost or disoriented in the immense forests, or suffering a bear attack, but camp bosses were known to log that the reason for the missing person's disappearance was a Hidebehind. 

How do you protect yourself from this elusive creature? Stay out of the woods once the sun sets and GET DRUNK! Seriously. I’m not kidding. Hidebehinds have an aversion to alcohol and will avoid abducting a drunk human. Alcohol serves as a Hidebehind repellent. Loggers would frequently use this outlandish claim as a justifiable reason to drink heavily before heading into the woods at night.

Hidebehinds served as a useful tool to warn rookie lumberjacks of the very real dangers that lurk in the wilderness. The psychological toll of surviving in such remote, unforgiving environments is no joke, and it’s easy to see how the lore of the Hidebehind came into existence. 

Next time you're hiking and feel like you're being watched, just remember—you probably are!