Backpackers find long, oval shaped nests, three miles from camp witnessed in Madison County, Arkansas

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I live in Kansas City Mo the year was 1983 some friends and I went on a backpacking outing in Arkansas just across the border from Missouri close to Fayettville Ark about 20 miles east of town.The area was very wooded with lots of hills and valleys on our second day there about 3 miles from our camp we came across 3 nest they were about 8 foot long oval shaped nest I call them nest because they were made from rocks positioned in a oval pattern and the inside filled with leaves and beside 2 of these nest there were large tree branches cleaned of bark slick we stood around looking at them a few minutes when someone yelled come look at this doody the pile that was there was huge we guessed maybe bear stuff but ive never seen bear stuff but the hair stood up on my neck we left walked about a mile when we came upon a pine tree the bark had been striped off it I mean like something climbed to the top sunk in its fingernails and slid down peeling it off in strips 15 ft long we stayed 2 more...