Autumn disappearances in UK forests - pattern or coincidence?

I've been collecting reports of unexplained disappearances in UK forests during the autumn months (September through November) for about two years, and I think there might be a genuine pattern here rather than just seasonal coincidence.

What's interesting is that a disproportionate number of these disappearances involve people who go missing for 2-5 hours, are found without explanation of where they've been, and often report missing time or confusion about the elapsed time. Weather doesn't seem to be the primary factor - some of these happen in decent conditions.

I'm not saying it's cryptids - I'm genuinely agnostic - but something seems to be happening. Scottish Highlands, Lake District, New Forest, Sherwood Forest - all have clusters of these reports. Does anyone else track missing persons data? Would be interesting to see if there's a geographic or temporal pattern I'm missing.

Interesting observation. The missing time aspect is the real anomaly here. Could be explainable by panic response, disorientation, or medical episodes like temporal lobe seizures, but the consistency across locations is worth investigating. Have you looked at ley lines or geological formations? Some researchers suggest mineral deposits might affect perception or navigation.

This is the sort of pattern-finding that makes cryptozoology difficult - you start seeing connections everywhere. That said, autumn is migration season for various animals, and stressed animals behave unpredictably. Could there be increased predator presence? Not saying we've got unknown apex predators, but perhaps known animals are being more aggressive. Just a thought.

New Forest missing persons are interesting because that area has a genuinely high missing person rate compared to equivalent areas. But it's also heavily populated and heavily used by tourists, so selection bias is worth considering. Still, the missing time element is bizarre and hard to explain away. Definitely worth cataloguing properly.