Report 10609: Hiker finds large footprints in Northern Highlands State Forest.

Back in 1991, I went for a hike on the woods just north of my families cabin, in the area east of the Lac Du Flambeau Indian Reservation and within the Northern Highland State Forest.It was a big mistake not to bring a compass when I started hiking west off of Rux Road, in the town of Arbor Vitae, at the southern edge of the State forest and I soon became turned around, going in circles. Everyting looked the same eventually no matter which way I headed, and I kept ending up in the same place. I have been fishing and hiking in this area since I was a child though, and knew that if I followed Mishonagan creek, then headed away from it westward, I would eventually reach civilization. I couldn't find the creek any longer however, but knew that I had to go past the swamp. There is absoulutely no development or even roads in this area,(except a few old logging trails) and it took me 12 hours and having to cross a swamp in waist deep water and knee deep muck until I reached the Reservation. At around midday or so, I went out into a large bog near Devine Lake, I believe, which is a complete wilderness lake, and tried to wave down a passing plane, to no avail. There was a mucky deertrail going through the bog, with many animal tracks. But then I saw something I thought was fascinating, in the mud, there were huge footprints in the bog that looked almost human, but were probable twice the size of my own (I wear size 12). I don't think they were large bear tracks, as there were no claw marks, nor did it look like the tracks of a four-legged animal. They looked like huge human footprints, with really big toes. They ended where the ground became more dense and was covered with moss and weeds. I know what I saw, it was in broad daylight, and I wasn't drinking or anything. I studied them for quite some time before I decide to try to find a way home. Also, after I got out of the swamp, late in the day, I had to make may way through some dense thickets of shrubs and raspberries, and stopped for a moment to eat some of them. I then heard some grunting sounds, but couldn't see anything as the visiblilty was about a foot in front of my face. It could have been a bear, but sounded strange. I got out of there and finally found a dirt road and got a ride home.