Reading these reminded me of another occurrence. I was hunting a National Forest land--th elast time--and I had already moved twice becasue of peope coming in at daylight, clanging stands, shining their flashlights up trees, while talking outloud, and one guy , later came walking up within 50 yards of me. I was crouched down trying to figure how to best salvage wgat oppurtunitit I had left. When he saw me, he stopped, looked kind of insecure and lost and proceeded to crouch in teh same position as I was in. He then looke dat me further, and turned in the same direction. I was puzzled, to say the least, and I repositioned my self, and he imitated me again! I can't quit efigure, to this day,what that was all about. I moved--again,and I sat for a while, and I heard a noise like a critter scampering up a bank. I heard it again, and then several more times. I eased over toward teh sound, and I nearly rolled on the ground in disbelief.I didn't know wheter to laugh or cry. Here was this guy, who couldn't have been more than 5' 1" or so, weighed down with a climber,and gear, and he was trying to come up out of a swale!! He would go back, get a running start, and nearly make it to the top,and couldn't get enough momentum to get over the hump!!!!
I watched him repeat this 4 or 5 times,run, run, run, run, and then run out of steam to have to do it again! I never saw him make it out!! All of ths before lunch time tehsame day. I never did hear about a missing hunter, so I assume he finally made it. I couldn't bring myself to embarass him by letting him know I was there!!!!! I have never returned to public land since.