Hi Bill -
Yes poison ivy in a forest can look like little stems growing up from the ground. I have seen it and the plants are pretty sparse but the usual characteristics are still there. The stem is woody, the leaves alternate, 3 leaflets per leaf with the middle leaflet on a longer stem, the leaflets are generally egg-shaped ending in a point (this varies).
Could this be skunkbush (Rhus aromatica)? In its early forms it looks a bit like poison ivy / oak. Here are some links to information on this plant. I'm not very familiar with it but have seen it (Alberta, Canada) and did a double take.
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