Geographical Index > United States > Oregon > Washington County > Report # 7148
(Class B)
Submitted by witness on Tuesday, October 21, 2003.
Hunters find bower and footprints near lake
(Show Printer-friendly Version)
YEAR: 1993
SEASON: Fall MONTH: September STATE: Oregon COUNTY: Washington County LOCATION DETAILS: ONE OF THE GRAVEL ROADS AT THE BACK OF HAAG LAKE. I TRIED TO FIND THE AREA AGAIN IN 2001, UNSUCCESSFULLY. NEAREST TOWN: NEAR FOREST GROVE BEHIND HAAG LAKE. NEAREST ROAD: HWY 47 OBSERVED: IT WAS IN THE FALL OF 1993. MY SONS AND I WERE DEER HUNTING BEHIND HAAG LAKE IN THE OREGON COAST RANGE. THE AREA WAS A NEW HUNTING GROUND FOR US THAT WAS RECENTLY MADE ACCESSIBLE BY A LOGGING COMPANY. WE SPLIT UP AND BEGAN OUR AFTERNOON HUNT.I WENT DOWN A GAME TRAIL FOR A WHILE AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO A FORK IN THE GAME TRAIL TO HUNT A DIFFERENT AREA. AT THE FORK I NOTICED A DARK AREA IN A BRUSH PILE. I WAS CURIOUS AND DECIDED TO INVESTIGATE. WHAT I FOUND WAS WHAT APPEARED TO BE A HUT OF SOME KIND MADE OUT OF LIMBS AND BRUSH. THE DIRT FLOOR WAS DUG OUT BUT DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DONE MY ANY TOOL. IT WAS A DRIZZLY DAY BUT THE HUT WAS PERFECTLY DRY. IT WAS LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMODATE AT LEAST FOUR MEN. I WENT TO LOCATE MY SONS TO SHOW THEM THIS HUT. BY THE TIME WE GOT TOGETHER IT WAS DARK.
WE CAME BACK TO THE AREA THE NEXT DAY AND BROUGHT A CAMERA. WE WERE TAKING PICTURES OF THE HUT WHEN MY OLDEST SON CALLED US OVER TO THE GAME TRAIL. THERE WERE SOME LARGE FOOTPRINTS ABOUT 18 INCHES LONG WITH A STRIDE OF ABOUT 4 - 5 FEET. WE ALSO TOOK PICTURES OF THESE. MY SON WEARS A SIZE 12 SHOE AND ONE OF THE PICTURES SHOWS HIS BOOT NEXT TO ONE OF THE PRINTS. THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE THERE I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING WATCHED FROM THE THICK BRUSH AREA AROUND US. WE DECIDED THAT WE WOULD LEAVE AND NOT DISTURB THE AREA ANY LONGER. WE NEVER WENT BACK.
PLEASE NOTE:
IT DOES NOT MATTER IF I AM CONTACTED ABOUT THIS. I JUST WANTED TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR GROUP. THE PICTURES HAVE BEEN QUITE A CONVERSATION PIECE OVER THE YEARS.
MY SONS AND I HAVE HUNTED IN OREGON FOR 25 YEARS AND NEVER RAN ACROSS ANYTHING LIKE THIS. THIS AREA HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DENSE FORESTS WITH NO ACCESS. I DO NOT BELIEVE ANY HUNTER OR OUTDOORSMAN MADE THE HUT AND SURELY NOT THE FOOTPRINTS. ALSO NOTICED: NONE OTHER WITNESSES: ME AND MY TWO SONS ONLY. OTHER STORIES: NONE TIME AND CONDITIONS: AFTERNOON TO DUSK. OVERCAST DAY WITH SLIGHT DRIZZLE. ENVIRONMENT: FORESTED COAST RANGE.
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Dr. Wolf H. Fahrenbach:
The witness reports that the scooped out hollow in the ground showed apparent finger marks in the 2' high surrounding walls. The dimensions of the structure were approximately 6' by 6' by almost 6' high. It incorporated a thick tree trunk into its perimeter and was very inconspicuous to outside viewers. Its floor was basically bare except for a small tree trunk partly embedded in the soil. The location of the bower was adjacent to the intersection of two game trails with elk and deer prints on them. The observed footprint was an estimated 18" long. Photographs shown to me conveyed a good impression of the structure and its insides as well as the footprint.
| 
