# Strange find



## Beagles N Boykins (Dec 16, 2018)

I was rabbit hunting in Oglethorpe Co today and came across a very strange structure. It was made of grass and resembled a pup tent. Small sweegum trees were broken off and weaved in the grass. It was open at both ends with a hole just big enough for a beagle. Closest town is Maxey’s and no home within a mile or two. Any ideas? This thing is well made and the four of us are stumped.


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## Beagles N Boykins (Dec 16, 2018)

Another pic


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## Beagles N Boykins (Dec 16, 2018)

This thing was in a cleared area of broom sage in pines above a big creek bottom. My buddy hunts the land regular and has never seen anything like it. A guy on the neighboring property did see something like it a week or so ago.


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## Pig Predator (Dec 16, 2018)

No worries, that's just the blind that @b rad GON use to wrangle his 475 wild boar with...


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## Hillbilly stalker (Dec 16, 2018)

Been any prison escapes in the area ? Illegals ? Looks more like concealment than cover.


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## littlewolf (Dec 16, 2018)

Looks like Rambo needed a shelter for the night


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## Timberman (Dec 16, 2018)

Somebody practicing their bushcraft skills


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## Beagles N Boykins (Dec 16, 2018)

Really not big enough for any man to get in. Even a boy would have to be pretty skinny to fit in the holes


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## Cmcharles (Dec 16, 2018)

I have no clue what makes them but have found several over the years here in North Florida. Weaved out of wire grass and about the size of a house cat where the hole is. 
I’d love to see if anyone has an answer on this.


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## Milkman (Dec 16, 2018)

Go back and put a trail camera.


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## Beagles N Boykins (Dec 17, 2018)

Trail cam was placed late yesterday. I’ll update y’all if we get any pictures.


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## Beagles N Boykins (Dec 17, 2018)

Cmcharles is right on the holes. My smaller beagles walked right through but the 15” males in the picture couldn’t fit.


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## b rad (Dec 17, 2018)

Pig Predator said:


> No worries, that's just the blind that @b rad GON use to wrangle his 475 wild boar with...



no thats bigfoots hunting blind


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## JustUs4All (Dec 17, 2018)

Littlefoot!


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## NCHillbilly (Dec 17, 2018)

Debris hut. Someone practicing survival skills, as Timberman said.


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## Milkman (Dec 17, 2018)

Do trappers ever do anything similar to that??


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## Buck70 (Dec 17, 2018)

Could a bird have made it? I saw a nature tv show one time that had a bird building a nest like this to entice a mate.


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## NCHillbilly (Dec 17, 2018)

Buck70 said:


> Could a bird have made it? I saw a nature tv show one time that had a bird building a nest like this to entice a mate.


Birds don't cut sweetgum saplings. It's a debris hut. They're made small on purpose-small holds your body heat in better.


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## Beagles N Boykins (Dec 17, 2018)

The survival practice was our original thought but the distance to any homes is far and there are 6 trail cams on the property with no signs of trespassing. The thing is really too small for anyone but a small child too. I would also think a person would cut the saplings instead of breaking. I’ve reached out to several professional biologists and old time woodsman. No answer yet. Hopefully the trail cam works.


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## Beagles N Boykins (Dec 17, 2018)

I do hope it’s a trespasser really. Better than a baby Bigfoot house. That’s what the land owner’s 8 year grandson thinks.


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## greg j (Dec 17, 2018)

Maybe made by a person who wanted to make a shelter for Quail of some other 
critters.


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## j_seph (Dec 17, 2018)

Or made by someone in an attempt to make someone wonder what is this.


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## Hooty Hoot (Dec 17, 2018)

I am not a trapper. I wonder if it is not some kind of snare set?


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## doenightmare (Dec 17, 2018)

Beagles N Boykins said:


> I do hope it’s a trespasser really. Better than a baby Bigfoot house. That’s what the land owner’s 8 year grandson thinks.



Where there's a baby Bigfoot there's a momma and daddy Bigfoot.


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## buckpasser (Dec 19, 2018)

I’ve rarely seen where wild hogs would bite off some palmettos down here and make a crude little bed with them, but I can’t imagine them making a roof.


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## NCHillbilly (Dec 20, 2018)

Beagles N Boykins said:


> The survival practice was our original thought but the distance to any homes is far and there are 6 trail cams on the property with no signs of trespassing. The thing is really too small for anyone but a small child too. I would also think a person would cut the saplings instead of breaking. I’ve reached out to several professional biologists and old time woodsman. No answer yet. Hopefully the trail cam works.


The saplings look like they have been cut partway through with a stone knife or flake, then snapped. Exactly as a survivalist would do. Debris huts are purposely made small, to hold in body heat. They're not designed to sit up in, just to sleep in. 

Anybody who practices primitive survival skills is also probably observant enough to not walk in front of your cameras. I would guess it's a teenager interested in primitive skills, and I would seriously doubt that he will hurt anything. Sounds like they're headed down the right path and trying to learn about nature instead of the wrong one like so many young folks nowadays.


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## j_seph (Dec 20, 2018)

NCHillbilly said:


> The saplings look like they have been cut partway through with a stone knife or flake, then snapped. Exactly as a survivalist would do. Debris huts are purposely made small, to hold in body heat. They're not designed to sit up in, just to sleep in.
> 
> Anybody who practices primitive survival skills is also probably observant enough to not walk in front of your cameras. I would guess it's a teenager interested in primitive skills, and I would seriously doubt that he will hurt anything. Sounds like they're headed down the right path and trying to learn about nature instead of the wrong one like so many young folks nowadays.


Is it even long enough to get in without head and feet sticking out both ends?


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## mallardsx2 (Dec 20, 2018)

Looks like a place for someone to hang a snare who is trapping....Did you even look closer to see if there was a snare? You probably didn't even see it hanging there.


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## NCHillbilly (Dec 20, 2018)

j_seph said:


> Is it even long enough to get in without head and feet sticking out both ends?


Could just be practice on technique instead of something that someone actually intends to use.


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## Al Medcalf (Dec 20, 2018)

Whiteboy said:


> We have a school bus parked at our camp.  We opened the hood once and some type of rat (assumption) had pulled all type of sticks and debris thumb size and larger up into the engine compartment. Even found old smaller antlers and other trash mixed in.  We raked it all out once and built a big fire.  It was a huge pile.  I noticed the other day looking underneath that there are a few sticks wedged in where the critter couldn't get them maneuvered through.  The bus is about 15 ft from our fire pit.  We have never seen anything run in or out.  No one has ever heard enough noise to wake them when staying in bunks in the bus.  It is a mystery critter for sure.  Almost all sticks and nothing small like grass or any other insulating material.



Pack Rat.... We used to have some in one of our old barns.  they had screws, nails, electric fence insulators, sticks and all kinds of stuff in them.  I live trapped one and he lived a long time in captivity until a snake got in his cage and ate him.


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## Cmcharles (Dec 20, 2018)

The place I had them on in north Florida was in a high fence enclosure. It wasn’t human made and was way to small for a human to be in other than a baby.


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## Cmcharles (Dec 20, 2018)

I used to tell girls I carried up there that it was a skunk ape nest, always got some good reactions


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## Buck70 (Dec 27, 2018)

Anything from the trail cam?


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## hopper (Dec 31, 2018)

Classic Chupacabra nest!!


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## Beagles N Boykins (Jan 2, 2019)

Been down with the flu. Get your flu shot boys this stuff is terrible. Nothing from the trail cam yet. The thing is too small for a man. a small boy could fit but could move around. I’m still at a loss on what made it.


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## mguthrie (Jan 4, 2019)

Buck70 said:


> Could a bird have made it? I saw a nature tv show one time that had a bird building a nest like this to entice a mate.


That would be a bower bird. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowerbird


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## mguthrie (Jan 4, 2019)

Hooty Hoot said:


> I am not a trapper. I wonder if it is not some kind of snare set?


Snares are illegal unless using for beaver within 10' of water is how the law reads in Georgia. If there were snares I'm sure the dogs would have got caught in them if set right


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## SGADawg (Jan 4, 2019)

I have seen a wild hog make a bed/nest similar to that when she was ready to farrow (give birth).


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## olcop (Jan 9, 2019)

I wouldn't want to deal with the redbug bites I'd get from sleeping in one of those (even if I could get in it)


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## Buck70 (Jan 11, 2019)

Anything on the trail cams?


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## Beagles N Boykins (Jan 12, 2019)

My buddy checked the camera today and still nothing but a few deer. Should be running bird dogs there in a week or two. I’m gonna go back and take a closer look


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## Beagles N Boykins (Jan 13, 2019)

My buddy went back to his land yesterday and found another one. It was about half the size of the first one. When he walked up to it a small hog ran from the back of it. Not saying the hog was using it but it was either in it or right behind it. This one was about 250yds from the first one.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 13, 2019)

Hogs didn't build that.


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## Beagles N Boykins (Jan 13, 2019)

Didn’t think so, but I’m still at a loss on what did. He put a camera on this one too so maybe we’ll get a picture. Like I said I’ll be there in a few weeks. We are gonna release some quail and pheasant. We’ll spend the weekend so maybe we can figure it out.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 13, 2019)

Beagles N Boykins said:


> Didn’t think so, but I’m still at a loss on what did. He put a camera on this one too so maybe we’ll get a picture. Like I said I’ll be there in a few weeks. We are gonna release some quail and pheasant. We’ll spend the weekend so maybe we can figure it out.


It's somebody practicing building debris huts, IMO. They're not designed to sit up in, live in, or any of that. Just to be the minimum size to hold in body heat for someone who is laying down sleeping.


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## Pig Predator (Jan 13, 2019)

I think a hog may HAVE built that with the cold weather and all...The newborns would freeze to death other wise. I would be expecting a little boom in your piggy sightings. Looks like ya'll got a couple smart ones.


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## Milkman (Jan 13, 2019)

Beagles N Boykins said:


> My buddy went back to his land yesterday and found another one. It was about half the size of the first one. When he walked up to it a small hog ran from the back of it. Not saying the hog was using it but it was either in it or right behind it. This one was about 250yds from the first one.



Post 39 said he saw sows do similar.


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## SemperFiDawg (Jan 14, 2019)

NCHillbilly said:


> Hogs didn't build that.



Shhhhhh.  This thread is becoming very entertaining.


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## SemperFiDawg (Jan 14, 2019)

SGADawg said:


> I have seen a wild hog make a bed/nest similar to that when she was ready to farrow (give birth).



Yep.  Hog nest for sure.  They just use what's available nearby.  I've heard of ones being made from straw, sticks and even bricks/stones.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 14, 2019)

I've seen a good many hog nests. Most hogs that I've met lack weaving and thatching skills, and the planning and architectural skills to go offsite, obtain and trim saplings, carry them back to the site, construct a frame out of them, and then go collect thatching material and weave it neatly through the frame.


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## doenightmare (Jan 14, 2019)

NCHillbilly said:


> I've seen a good many hog nests. Most hogs that I've met lack weaving and thatching skills, and the planning and architectural skills to go offsite, obtain and trim saplings, carry them back to the site, construct a frame out of them, and then go collect thatching material and weave it neatly through the frame.



Hooves make it a little hard to weave.


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## NCHillbilly (Jan 14, 2019)

Or maybe it's a new race of superhogs. Be afraid. Be very afraid.


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## Pig Predator (Jan 14, 2019)

I read an article on fishgame.com about a guy in texas that raised a baby feral hog and she made a nest just like these when she matured. Theres a video of her sleeping in it on youtube.


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## Wycliff (Jan 14, 2019)

I just googled hog nests and they do look similar, just can't post a picture. Not saying that's what it is, cause I've never seen anything like it


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## Pig Predator (Jan 14, 2019)




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## Possum (Jan 14, 2019)

I think it’s a hog perfecting survival skills, unfortunately it won’t last long if the big bad wolf comes around.


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## tree cutter 08 (Jan 14, 2019)

My votes hog nest. Only reason I say is i found one similar in the mountains in a recent clearcut. It used brush, briars and broom straw. About the same size to. Found a nest against a log one time that hog had pushed up brush and carried it from several yards away. It didn't look as neat though.


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## littlewolf (Jan 14, 2019)

Could a pig really break off small sweet gum saplings and weave them into the grass?





SemperFiDawg said:


> Yep.  Hog nest for sure.  They just use what's available nearby.  I've heard of ones being made from straw, sticks and even bricks/stones.



Yep if you are seeing these types of pig dwellings then there are probably no big bad wolves around.


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## SemperFiDawg (Jan 15, 2019)

Call me crazy, but I'm beginning to think this is legit except for the "weaving".


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## Hillbilly stalker (Jan 15, 2019)

Only "hog nest" I've ever seen was built out of river cane. I walked thru an area near a slough and noticed an area about 25 yards around had been cleared and everything was in a flattened out pile. Looked like beaver dam that had been run over with a 18 wheeler. I first walked on past it thinking someone had tried to make a ground blind. I stopped and went back to it, I kicked a bigger stick hanging out and a 150 ish pound sow came straight up like a smallmouth bass with a hula popper. I had looked at thing for several minutes standing right beside it. She grunted as she ran and one little small 5 pounder came out and ran after her. I looked and looked and finally found the little rabbit hole the were entering . That's live action when your totting a bow. New one on me. But that nest was big as a truck bed.


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## buckpasser (Jan 16, 2019)

Looks like post 56 has pretty much solved the mystery for me. I’m sold. The small hog sighting combined with the video and testimony from others is enough for me to let the illegal aliens and skunk apes off the hook and convict Boss hog instead. Nothing but the sentencing left for the OP now. I’d grant Mr Hog mercy based on the amount of education and entertainment he’s privided us all during this thread. Case closed.


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## Beagles N Boykins (Jan 21, 2019)

Thanks fellas. I’ve been in South Ga rabbit hunting a few days and just got to check gon. I feel much better now. I can deal with a pig, Bigfoot not so much. 

BKT


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