John is a young boy growing up in an isolated, mountainous region of Tennessee. He lives with his mother in a dilapidated house and attempts to support them by hunting and setting animal traps. Raised on false stories about his absent father, he seeks out older male figures to teach him how to survive in the rough environment.

Arthur is an elderly resident of the Red Branch area who lives alone in a damp, cellar-like cabin. He relies on his deep knowledge of the wilderness to survive, hunting and gathering ginseng roots to trade. Highly suspicious of government authority, he actively opposes modern structures placed on his territory and hides the emotional pain of his past behind tall tales.

Marion is a smartly dressed bootlegger who transports illegal alcohol across the state in a fast coupe. He operates by his own pragmatic rules, treating the law as an obstacle to his survival. He frequently uses his car to intimidate others for his amusement, but unexpectedly takes on a paternal role toward a local boy who helps him.

Kenneth is a World War I veteran from Red Branch who abandons his family to drift along the state's rural roads. He survives by stealing items and exploiting vulnerable people, including the injured victims of a collapsed inn. He relies on the threat of force to get rides and money from strangers.

Mildred is John's mother, raising him alone in a deteriorating home. She maintains a highly idealized and false memory of her absent husband, describing him as a God-fearing provider. She relies on her son to help support the household and insists he find the person responsible for his father's disappearance.

Gifford is a local police officer tasked with enforcing the law in the rural mountains. He tracks down illegal bootleggers and investigates the destruction of government property, representing the organized authority that mountain locals resent.

Legwater is a police officer who assists Gifford. He questions locals about criminal activities, conducts searches in dangerous mountain terrain, and aggressively seeks to recover specific items from crime scenes.

Warn is a youth living in Red Branch who invites John to join his hunting group. He knows the local woods well and shares stories about the area's history, including the locations of bootleggers and recluses.

Boog is a boy from Red Branch who hunts in the mountains. He claims to understand the history of the local caves and attempts to start a fire inside one, imitating the historical figures he imagines lived there.

Johnny is a Native American boy living in Red Branch who owns two hunting dogs. He joins Warn and Boog on excursions through the woods and shares stories about his family's past.

She is Marion Sylder's partner, living with him in Red Branch. She expresses frustration over his tendency to place himself in dangerous situations but provides practical help when he returns injured.

Ellen is Arthur's estranged wife. She bonds with a pet panther cub that Arthur brings home but grows terrified when the mother panther arrives, eventually leaving Arthur for a traveling Bible salesman.

Scout is Arthur's elderly, loyal dog. The hound follows Arthur everywhere through the mountains and stands as the old man's only constant companion.

Lady is Marion's prized hunting dog. She produces a litter of puppies that Marion offers to John, and she later sustains an injury while wrestling a raccoon in the creek.

Garland is a member of a local family with a long history of making whiskey. Left alone after his family members die or are arrested, he carries illicit alcohol to the orchard for transport.

Ef was a local whiskey maker who died in a car accident. During his life, he used threats to force the closure of an African American church, leaving a violent legacy for his son.

Mrs. Garland is an elderly woman involved in the local bootlegging trade. She spends time in jail until she is released following a severe medical diagnosis.

Jack is a friend of Marion's who rides along in the fast car. He drinks from mason jars and helps Marion intimidate young hitchhikers on the rural roads.

Mr. Eller is a local man who observes the events in Red Branch. He gives John a lift and a quarter, and later watches the recovery of remains from the orchard pit.

Huffaker runs a store where locals gather to talk and trade. He purchases ginseng roots from Arthur and provides a central location for the police to wait for suspects.

June is an older local man who, along with his wife, takes in John and Marion after their accident in the creek, providing them with coffee and a ride home.