I came across these while grouse hunting near the BWCA if anyone knows what they are or can comment on them. Ground deer hunting blind? they were in the same area and each bit off a foot or snowmobile trail but I did not see a pile/mound of dirt / earth that would have been next to the depression.

That's just weird. My 1st though was poachers - night hunters shining deer. Seems to perfectly round for a natural feature. Watching this to see what other's here think. I would check with the DNR.

Borrow Pit ?? Place where material was dug out to build up a low spot in the trail elsewhere/nearby.

Poachers?

Salt lick. Some hunter put a block of salt there. Probably had a nice place to sit not far away.

I confess. I have one on a piece of land I bought and I was there with a local and he knew. He even found the sitting place.

Salt lick leading to this hole??

Hmm. I don’t see many hunting blinds that needs to be dug down like this. Have all those straight branches fallen in or were all those covering the hole? Perhaps something buried there and it settled lower than the rest. Or an old foundation. Or it’s nothing. :)

What region were you in?

CabinAfter: "Hmm. I don’t see many hunting blinds that needs to be dug down like this....?"

If a hunting blind, where is the excavated material? Should be a berm around the perimeter.

bobbernumber3: "

CabinAfter: "Hmm. I don’t see many hunting blinds that needs to be dug down like this....?"

If a hunting blind, where is the excavated material? Should be a berm around the perimeter."

I would just think sink hole...

nctry: "

bobbernumber3: "

CabinAfter: "Hmm. I don’t see many hunting blinds that needs to be dug down like this....?"

If a hunting blind, where is the excavated material? Should be a berm around the perimeter."

I would just think sink hole..."

yep... I agree.

It's not where hunters sit, it's where deer and I'd guess other animals lick a block of salt, over years. It kills the vegetation and organic material decays and the slobbering creates the depression. Nothing is excavated. Google for images of deer salt lick holes.

Aliens

Native Americans use to dig holes like that next to rice beds, they would pick the rice than put it in holes like that to thrash it. Seen them in the Mille lacs area.

Pinetree: " Native Americans use to dig holes like that next to rice beds, they would pick the rice than put it in holes like that to thrash it. Seen them in the Mille lacs area."

And how far away did they carry the dirt?

billconner: "

Pinetree: " Native Americans use to dig holes like that next to rice beds, they would pick the rice than put it in holes like that to thrash it. Seen them in the Mille lacs area."

And how far away did they carry the dirt?"

They didn't they just dug the impression to work the rice. I think it was called Jigging?

Those holes are to new and were dug for some other reason as I look at them. Also looks like a somewhat new cutting so wonder if a vechile could motor up to the site before growing up.

billconner: "Salt lick. Some hunter put a block of salt there. Probably had a nice place to sit not far away.


I confess. I have one on a piece of land I bought and I was there with a local and he knew. He even found the sitting place.


"

Exactly my thoughts.

FISHONFISHOFF

fishonfishoff: "

billconner: "Salt lick. Some hunter put a block of salt there. Probably had a nice place to sit not far away.



I confess. I have one on a piece of land I bought and I was there with a local and he knew. He even found the sitting place.



"

Exactly my thoughts.


FISHONFISHOFF"

Deer would have eroded the sides getting in and out of the depression. The OP depression edges are undercut...

images of salt licks

Small sink holes - my guess

podgeo: "Aliens"

Absolutely.

possibly an old latrine?

" this means something!"

These are definitely salt licks. For aliens.

Salt lcks like that would be many years in the making and like someone said the sides would be trampled in.
I still wonder if that area was wide open before new growth forest grew in and they dug dirt to fill the trail or road somewhere?

I would think sink holes. I saw a few of these around the angleworm trail this past weekend.

Really, really big hailstones...

schweady: "Really, really big hailstones...
"

LOL

well that was fun - thanks all for the replies/guesses. The branches seem to have fallen in naturally. I was in the Crane Lake area trails in the Lac La Croix district.

I did email the forest service and confirmed them to be 'borrow pits' of old as "practice in more recent times, as in the past 20 years or so, is to try to mitigate the impact, take less from one spot, have them be shallower, fill in pits with rocks, boulders, and tree debris to hide them among the landscape and so that they are not a safety concern to people or animals." The round hole likely dug by hand and rectangular one done with scoops from backhoe or excavator.

aholmgren: "...and confirmed them to be 'borrow pits' ..."

I'll take "Strange Sightings in BWCA" for $200, Alex.

Well, obviously if government agents are invovled, it's aliens.

billconner: "Well, obviously if government agents are in loved, it's aliens."

I think its Paul Bunyans babe the Blue Ox footprints.

aholmgren: "well that was fun - thanks all for the replies/guesses. The branches seem to have fallen in naturally. I was in the Crane Lake area trails in the Lac La Croix district.


I did email the forest service and confirmed them to be 'borrow pits' of old as "practice in more recent times, as in the past 20 years or so, is to try to mitigate the impact, take less from one spot, have them be shallower, fill in pits with rocks, boulders, and tree debris to hide them among the landscape and so that they are not a safety concern to people or animals." The round hole likely dug by hand and rectangular one done with scoops from backhoe or excavator."

Haha, that settles it. Thanks for the follow up.

Nice 870

Collapsed coffin ?