BFRO #7148: Hunters find bower and footprints near lake
π Location
Henry Hagg Lake Recreation Area (Haag Lake), near Forest Grove, Oregon, Forest Grove, OR
Specific Location: Behind Haag Lake along a game trail in Henry Hagg Lake Recreation Area, Washington County
Coordinates: 45.59656, -123.25258
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45.5966Β°, -123.2526Β°
π Description
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.
π Circumstances
ME AND MY TWO SONS ONLY.
π€οΈ Weather Conditions
AFTERNOON TO DUSK. OVERCAST DAY WITH SLIGHT DRIZZLE.
βΉοΈ Additional Details
AFTERNOON TO DUSK. OVERCAST DAY WITH SLIGHT DRIZZLE.
π Sources (1)
π₯ Community Contributions
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Case Information
- Case ID
- cmizfdxjd02pp8fyst5td38on
- Primary Source
- BFRO
- Added to Map
- December 10, 2025
- Last Updated
- December 10, 2025