Report 27906: Unknown early morning visitor heard by a youth leader in the Uwharrie National Forest

I backpack in Uwharrie with a group of up to six kids on a regular basis as a trip leader for a wilderness outing program.  This past winter I experienced the same strange occurrance on two different occasions in the same spot at a primitive campsite our group had scratched out along the Super Tree Loop in the Woodrun area of the forest.  During the wee hours of the morning in Dec. and once again in Jan. I've heard footsteps crunching through the heavy layer of dried leaves on the forest floor.  This "person" was buswhwacking and not walking along the trail.  "It" also came from the direction of deep woods just behind my tent and not anywhere near the main trail.  Both times it crossed over the trail and continued on bushwacking through the woods in an easterly direction.  I have to admit I was a little nervous about even moving around in my tent because I didn't want to attract attention.  I laid there frozen both times until the thing was gone and didn't get a look at it.  Both incidents happened on especially cold nights in Uwharrie (mid to upper teens).  Hunting season was long over as well.  Whatever it was did not use a flashlight and walked through the dense woods of this area smoothly without missing a step.  The last thing I expected to see was a person out there in that weather at that time of the night with no flashlight.  On another occasion in Jan. My co-leader had the exact same experience.  He never looked to see what it was either.