Found rifle

grfox92

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3 years ago antelope hunting, crossed a barbed wire fence and leaned my gun against a fence post to hold the barbed wire down for my uncles to easily cross. We continued on out way and after about 20 minute I realized I didn't have my rifle. Ran back and it was leaning against the fence post. I bet it would still be there right now 3 years later due to where we were. That's the closest I have ever come to losing one.

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Rdoehne

Rdoehne

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Years ago we found a nice Mossberg turkey gun in a parking spot by where we were taking the horses to ride.

I had my wife turn it into the local Sherrifs office. Told us 90 days and it was ours. On the 89th day the guy called in and asked about it. Sucks, it was a nice gun. 😕


ETA: Gun was left with a round in the chamber and a full tube. Laying in the gravel.
Yeah same thing here. This wasn’t at the trail head we were all tagged out and on our way home from the week long hunt. This way at a pull out spot right on the Hwy. It had been there a couple days sitting on the bipod. We talked about leaving it but figured if the wrong person found it then it would be gone. We knew we were going to do what we could to get it back to them. We contacted the sheriff for that county and the two that are adjoining to see if anyone has reported it. Called the local stores from the nearest town to put the word out with the locals. Unfortunately we live 18 hours from where it was found so I don’t have any local connections. Also have calls/emails into the company that put the gun together along with the scope manufacturer to see if we can get in contact with the owner. Hopefully one of the things we have in motion will work out. I would love to have this set up but it’s not mine and knowing what this setup cost I guarantee the guy is sick that he left it sitting there.
 
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Yeah same thing here. This wasn’t at the trail head we were all tagged out and on our way home from the week long hunt. This way at a pull out spot right on the Hwy. It had been there a couple days sitting on the bipod. We talked about leaving it but figured if the wrong person found it then it would be gone. We knew we were going to do what we could to get it back to them. We contacted the sheriff for that county and the two that are adjoining to see if anyone has reported it. Called the local stores from the nearest town to put the word out with the locals. Unfortunately we live 18 hours from where it was found so I don’t have any local connections. Also have calls/emails into the company that put the gun together along with the scope manufacturer to see if we can get in contact with the owner. Hopefully one of the things we have in motion will work out. I would love to have this set up but it’s not mine and knowing what this setup cost I guarantee the guy is sick that he left it sitting there.
How do you know how long it had been there?
 
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Rdoehne

Rdoehne

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How do you know how long it had been there?
Well the length of is just a guess. The trigger guard had a little rust on it that cleaned off pretty quick so it was pretty new I would say. We hadn’t had any moisture in that area for a couple days. Two days before that we got a dusting of snow that stuck around. There was no tire tracts in the snow going into there off the Hwy. From the snow around the gun it looked like it was sitting there before we got the dusting of snow. But it’s just a guess to be honest.
 

packer58

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Yeah same thing here. This wasn’t at the trail head we were all tagged out and on our way home from the week long hunt. This way at a pull out spot right on the Hwy. It had been there a couple days sitting on the bipod. We talked about leaving it but figured if the wrong person found it then it would be gone. We knew we were going to do what we could to get it back to them. We contacted the sheriff for that county and the two that are adjoining to see if anyone has reported it. Called the local stores from the nearest town to put the word out with the locals. Unfortunately we live 18 hours from where it was found so I don’t have any local connections. Also have calls/emails into the company that put the gun together along with the scope manufacturer to see if we can get in contact with the owner. Hopefully one of the things we have in motion will work out. I would love to have this set up but it’s not mine and knowing what this setup cost I guarantee the guy is sick that he left it sitting there.
Guys like you never fail to restore my faith in humanity, good for you for doing the right / honorable thing.
 

thinhorn_AK

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How? How does someone lose a rifle? Drunk?
About 7 years ago I found a rifle and a backpack. Eventually I traced down the owner and that’s exactly what it was……guy went moose hunting and hit the flask….and then another flask…..then a bottle….
 

Fatcamp

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Yeah same thing here. This wasn’t at the trail head we were all tagged out and on our way home from the week long hunt. This way at a pull out spot right on the Hwy. It had been there a couple days sitting on the bipod. We talked about leaving it but figured if the wrong person found it then it would be gone. We knew we were going to do what we could to get it back to them. We contacted the sheriff for that county and the two that are adjoining to see if anyone has reported it. Called the local stores from the nearest town to put the word out with the locals. Unfortunately we live 18 hours from where it was found so I don’t have any local connections. Also have calls/emails into the company that put the gun together along with the scope manufacturer to see if we can get in contact with the owner. Hopefully one of the things we have in motion will work out. I would love to have this set up but it’s not mine and knowing what this setup cost I guarantee the guy is sick that he left it sitting there.

Same, in the end I was glad the guy got it back. If the Sherrif had given it to us I never would have felt right about it.

I never even took a picture of it. 😕
 
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Rdoehne

Rdoehne

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Same, in the end I was glad the guy got it back. If the Sherrif had given it to us I never would have felt right about it.

I never even took a picture of it. 😕
Oh I took a picture of it. Sent it to the wife on the way home and told her to take it easy on Christmas shopping because I had blown the Christmas budget on a new gun. I think the picture was just enough to really sink the hook in good 😂😂
 
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Apr 9, 2023
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Easier than one would think to leave something behind. Start loading a bunch of stuff into a vehicle at the end of a long day in the field or at the range, set that rifle on the side or an ammo box on the bumper ( ask me how I know about the ammo box! ).
 
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I know I would hope that someone would do it for me if I was on the other end of it.
Coworker and I found a wallet sitting in the middle of a county road one day, full of cash and an Iowa drivers license. We travel a lot and that was the only thought I had, "Man that would suck"
Talk about a pain to track a guy down. I eventually was able to find him on Facebook and they were staying about 20 miles away from where they lost it. Dude was pretty happy as I guess everything they had was in his wallet and they were getting ready to cancel credit cards and borrow cash from the In-laws to get back home.
Just emphasizing its good to see somebody trying to do the right thing, and anyone out there that doesn't have their phone number in their wallet, its not a bad idea to leave some kind of contact info in it.
 

packer58

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Yep, things get left behind all the time for various reasons. just this season in the the unit I guide in my client says STOP, he jumps out and grabs a full set of keys. Turns out a friend of a friend of a friend new the guy that lost them and were returned.
 
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Duck hunting in coastal Louisiana. Headed for the blind loaded down with gear, walking in. Tromped around in the muck and pond setting out decoys. Realized about an hour later, " I don`t have the car keys." Hunting buddy says, " You ARE s......g me, right? " Talk about a sick feeling! Sun comes up, I know there`s no chance, but decide to walk back up to where we came in. WALKED 100 YARDS STRAIGHT TO THEM !
 

willtim

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It's easier than you think. I am paranoid meticulous. I never, and I mean never, lose anything. Several years ago I took my two young boys duck hunting. Afterwards I cased the shotguns, loaded the decoys, waders, dog, etc and drove home. I was lying in bed almost asleep when I had an "Oh shit!" moment. I forgot to load up the shotguns. Fortunately it was private property and all three guns were still lying on the ground where I left them. To this day I never drive off without walking around my truck.
 

Scoot

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I think it's mine. Did it have a trigger, stock, and barrel? If yes, it's mine!


In all serious, I hope you find the owner.
 

ODB

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Years ago my friend lost a shotgun bird hunting, leaned it up against a tree, loaded the dogs, got in his truck and drove home.

There is an old ad from Kahles scopes where a dude in Austria (?) leaned a rifle against a rock only to be forgotten and then found again almost 30 years later - still leaning against the rock.
 
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