Every time you go in the woods you need to remind yourself to watch where you put your feet. That's even more important during the growing season when greenery may hide things like this old bell-shaped cistern. If you fall in this thing, you are not climbing out! It had boards over the opening, but they have rotted away, making it a deadly trap for unsuspecting wildlife and humans. Tell a landowner they need to fill it in and seal it and they typically respond with, "Don't turn me in!" I always carried a whistle, just in case I needed a noisemaker to attract rescuers if I fell down one of these things, but it seemed a joke more than a comfort.
I knew of a deep hand dug well in an extremely remote area, and on a visit to the property I noted that it had been filled. I thanked the landowner when I called him to report on my visit and he said, "Huh?" That's a mystery.... Be careful out there.
Once they get overgrown with vegetation they are impossible to see - until you step into one. Might not even get a cell phone signal either, so not a bad idea to let someone know where you will be - kind of like you should do for any back country excursion...
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