Anomaly1995-11-14
First let me begin by saying that I began going hunting with my Dad when I was about 5 years old. I have spent a great deal of time in the forest. I have been fortunate to have seen almost e…
both described footprints · 57 km away
I entered this part of the Coos County Forest at its western edge, looking for possible hiking trails that I could follow to the top of the hills. I walked east along an old dirt logging road but it ended at the edge of a steep creek. The brush was very thick and I couldn't get through so I followed the creek in a southerly direction, walking through the "slash" (all the debris left over from clear cutting.) Actually, stumbling is a more apt description of my mode of travel. If you've been in a clear cut you know what I mean. Anyhow, I came upon a small spot of soft dirt next to a trunk and saw a footprint about an inch deep. It was a bare foot and just slightly bigger than my male size 10 1/2 in combat boots. I could plainly see the toes. I couldn't imagine how anyone could walk barefooted in that area. I found I couldn't get where I wanted to go due to some wicked stickers so I left. I kept thinking about that print and decided to go back with a camera. Unfortunately, it rained for about 4 days. When it cleared up, I went back and stumbled around some more but it was washed pretty clean. However, I found some other prints that were bigger than the original, and some impressions that were smaller than my own foot (a youngster?). I tried taking pictures and can send them, but they aren't very clear. I could sort of see the track they took and I figured the stride to be about 6 feet between prints. The next day I entered the forest from the north. I followed a dirt road that led to another clearcut. From a high point I could see the area I had been in the day before, so I was sort of north-east of the original spot on the other side of the creek. I saw a beautiful deer and a snake there and found some more impressions. They appeared to be about 15 inches long with the same 6 foot stride. They were not well defined as the ground was hard and may have been made before the rain. I'm not a tracker, but I stood at the print and looked in the direction of travel and could see what appeared to be a trail. That's how I figured the stride. 2 of my strides=6 feet. I'm not a hunter or tracker but once I saw that print, I found it easier to spot others.