Snaggle Tooth Roc

February 1895

Addison, Webster County

From Cherry River to Sugar Run, the appearance of a giant bird alarmed locals; sightings hinted that the ave nested within Owl Mountain— specifically in Snaggle Tooth Knob—which is almost inaccessible to humans because of the steepness of its cliffs and dangerous winter conditions.

Feb. 1

Landy Junkins was a ten-year- old a mile and a half from home. Sent by her mother after lunch, Landy was checking in on one of their neighbors and friends—a sickly woman known as Mrs. Warnick. When 5 p.m. drew near, her mother became worried that she had still not returned; when Mr. Junkins arrived home from work, he left immediately to find her—his wife staying in the cabin in case Landy came back.

He walked the familiar path through the snow as the sun began to set. Coming to Mrs. Warnick’s cabin, he knocked loudly on the door, expecting to find the old woman and Landy chatting over warm milk and sweetbread; however, with a few words, he discovered Landy never arrived. A horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, he rushed back down the path, scouring for clues. As the ground was covered in several inches of snow and the sky clear, Mr. Junkins could easily see his daughter’s footprints on the trail. Missing them on the way up, he now saw that they veered off-path mid-way down the trail. The tracks stepped off into a field, where they appeared to turn around in circles; Landy appeared to be avoiding something. Leading to a mess of steps and motions, the footprints suddenly disappeared.

Mr. Junkins returned in a panic. Locals searched for Landy deep into the night, calling for her and brightening the woods with lantern light; though the forests and surrounding fields were scoured, her body was never recovered, nor were any animal tracks spotted nearby.

Feb. 7

A crisp, sunny morning, Deputy Rube Nihiser was deer hunting with his son near Sugar Creek (which lies at the base of Owl Mountain). Following deer tracks, the pair came to a clearing made by a forest fire the previous year; there, they heard a terrible, loud screech. Two- hundred yards ahead, they saw a gigantic bird circling and diving at a doe with her fawn, making horrendous screams as it attacked. The two men watched in astonishment as the bird soared 50 - 60 ft in the air, plummeting towards the bleating creatures; with a final, agile swoop, the roc grasped the faun in its claws and flew away above the trees and out of sight— heading towards Snaggle Tooth Knob. Shakily, Rube looked at the doe; it lay still and in pain, as both of its eyes had been gouged out by the bird’s claws, its hide tore to ribbon, and body wounded so badly that it was unable to stand. They put the creature out of its misery and warily headed home.

That evening, Hanse Hardrick hurried to feed his sheep in Rattlesnake Run, hoping to make it home before nightfall. In the barn, he discovered his animals acting strangely; usually, the sheep could be found grazing in the field, yet they huddled in a corner of the building, clearly frightened. One, he noted, was missing. Bits of wood covered the floor and he felt wind blowing in from above; looking up, he saw that a hole had been ripped into the roof, pieces of wool snagged on the edges. Horrendous stories on his mind, he quickly nailed crosses of hemlock boughs on the barn door; he had heard tales of evil, bird-like creatures plaguing the night sky, looking for men to take to their nests to feed their young. Frightened, Hanse refused to walk home, staying in a nearby friend’s cabin instead.

Feb. 12

Peter Swadley was hunting on Piney Ridge with his dog, Gunner. Following a bear’s tracks into a clearing, both were startled by an ear-splitting screech. Swooping down at him, a gigantic bird tore at his back with large claws, tattering his coat and flesh. Desperately struggling in the snow, Peter lost hold of his rifle and hunting knife, fending the creature off with his bare hands and sustaining several injuries; the worst damage he received was over his left eye, where the roc gouged 3 in. out of his scalp. As the bird battered Peter, his dog jumped on the beast; with its attention drawn to smaller prey, it quickly slit open the dog’s belly and flew off with it in its grasp. Peter stumbled down the mountain, where another hunter found him; he was nearly dead from blood loss. As he was being treated, he could not recall much about the bird’s appearance, though he did remember being lifted off of his feet twice.

Other mountaineers saw the giant bird in the valley near Owl Mountain for several more days. Most outsiders didn’t believe their tales, as they thought the locals liked to tell lies and over-enjoyed moonshine and pine-top whiskey. “Pap” Tammen—one of the oldest mountaineers in Webster County at the time—recalled seeing and hearing about two similar birds several decades earlier; he said that the pair loomed over the region during winter, attacking several men and livestock before vanishing.

FLYING GIANT OF THE MOUNTAINS

The largest bird to fly over West Virginia, the Snaggle Tooth Roc is a tremendously sized eagle that lives in the mountains. Named for its appearances near Snaggle Tooth Knob in Owl Head Mountain, this enormous beast elicits terror and wonder from those who see it below.

APPEARANCE

The Snaggle Tooth Roc is a tremendously sized eagle that can grow up to 6 ft tall with an 18 ft wingspan. West Virginia’s giant eagles are covered in wide, dark or light brown feathers on most of the body, with white ones found on the ave’s underside and wingtips; the roc’s wide, circular eyes are a shimmering brown hue with flecks of darker colors.

DIET AND FEEDING

Though they do not exclusively hunt large game, they have been known to attempt to make a meal out of humans of any age, as well as their pets, livestock, and hunter-killed game.

ACTIVITY

Wintering in West Virginia

The Snaggle Tooth Roc spends most of its life in the Canadian wilderness, occupying West Virginian territory only during the winter. It lives in wide stretches of forest and semi-open woodlands with steep mountain peaks, rocky cliff-sides, and riverside bluffs. They nest on arduous, difficult to access precipices surrounded by trees, vegetation that are located far from human activity. Each nesting season, these rocs lay 2 - 4 eggs; nests are twice the size of a single roc and may contain pieces of fencing, entire skeletons, young trees, mosses, grasses, bark, rope, and other man-made and natural materials. Females and males take turns hunting and incubating, as the young require 4 - 6 weeks of incubation. Once hatched, females do most of the hunting and males defend their nest and offspring. The youths mature after 5 weeks, leaving their nest and heading northward: juveniles are much lighter in color and less adept at hunting and flying. After their first winter, they seek out a mate—usually the first roc of opposing sex. Like other eagles, this species of roc courts through “sky dancing”. During this courtship ritual, males perform over 20 steep dives and upward swoops while beating their wings at the top of their flight; females consenting to the match will mirror the male’s motions.

Males and females may winter together or separately, depending on the results of their child-rearing; if large broods were successfully raised, the couple will remain together another season—else, they go separate ways. When migrating south, the birds eat any creature they can—from wild game to human hikers. If farms lie near their roost or path, they pluck every animal from the location before moving on, unless threatened by fire or violence. Additionally, they will engorge on fish in rivers, streams, and ponds, severely lowering the water’s population. When the birds reach a favorable location, they do not build a nest but pile up branches, grasses, discarded feathers, and other soft material to rest on. Beds are usually located in high elevations and within rocky crags or gaps that are near sources of food.

When hunting, the Snaggle Tooth Roc dives from great heights, clutching weak prey with little effort before maneuvering backward and returning to its roost. Couples may hunt together, one running on the ground towards prey, disorderly flapping its wings, while the other swoops in for the kill. Pairs may also play with one another, carrying sticks, dead animals, or other objects high in the sky before dropping them; the other tries to catch it before it hits the ground. Rocs may also hunt on the ground alone, picking off smaller creatures from treetops, cliff sides, or riverbanks with necks outstretched and ready to strike.