What’s the coolest thing you found in the back country

[Duckhunter14]

Got flown out on a caribou hunt this year in the north brooks range. We were placed on a lake about 25-30 miles off the haul road and traveled up a creek to harvest a bull we had spotted a long ways from camp. We killed the bull about 4-1/2 miles from the lake and packing the meat back to camp I noticed something stuck in the tundra, completely buried by my boot. I pulled it out and it was an old aluminum arrow shaft. I don’t know enough about arrows to know when it may have been from, but thought it was pretty cool. I was too wet and exhausted to pull out my phone and snap a pic.

This year in Northern Nevada I was pitching my tent in a flat spot on a scouting trip and I’m my headlamp saw a glimmer of something and thought it was metal so grabbed it so it wouldn’t cut my tent or pop my sleeping pad and realized it was an arrowhead. Pretty cool. Only my third arrowhead. Found one in Eastern MT and one in Eastern WA.

 

[COJoe]

Found this archery release hanging in a small pine tree about four feet high. I noticed it as I had just finished crawling on my hands and knees out of this miserable spot I accidentally put myself in this past elk hunt. I thought there was an easier route to the top of the mountain, wrong! Way to many small pine trees and blowdown to get through so I had to exit across a small creek and straight up the adjoining hill about 700 feet to escape. I feel for the poor guy who probably did the same thing I did then realized he didn't have his release no more! I ended up leaving it in the tree for the next poor guy to find. The sun was starting to fade it out and rust so maybe it was there a couple years?

 

[TheGrayRider]

Found this old 15 lbs. blacksmith cross penn sledgehammer along an old abandoned fencerow in Indiana. Through my online research, this sledgehammer was "probably" made by Fayette R. Plumb, Incorporated in Philiadelphia, PA between 1890 to 1910.

Customers could order hammers and other supplies using Telegraphic Code phrases over the telegraph which was introduced in their Catalogue in about 1888 before land telephone lines were common. Interesting history.

The local high school welding class sandblasted and cleaned the sledgehammer up. Cool piece in the mancave. Should be around for another 100+ years. Picture below.

 

[M44]

Another time I was hunting coyotes on a ranch in Colorado. The old Sante Fe trail ran through the ranch and was well defined.

While sitting on stand I spotted a brass headboard sticking out of the sand about a mile or so away. Finished the stand and took the sxs in order to investigate. Sure enough, that's what is was with the springs and frame buried. I took a couple pictures and created a waypoint on my gps. It was a mystery to me why this bed was located a long distance from the trail.

I got home and posted a picture of the bed on a forum that knew about old beds and received a reply that it was from the late 1800's. I also researched the Sante Fe trail through that area and the old maps showed a shortcut to the south from the trail. It was very close to my gps waypoint. The shortcut was supposed to take 5 days off the trip. Problem was there was no water and the area was full of Indians. When I think about it, I often wonder what happened there. Did the pioneer need to lighten his load in order to proceed or was he attacked and met his demise at that precise spot?

 

[COJoe]

told me this is a Mano, a stone that was used to grind such things as corn and wheat.

Now that you mentiojned that, years ago, my wife and I were out hiking, not too far from home and found a 10" or so concave rock with what looked like a grinding stone such as is in your picture resting in it. It looked like someone just used it and walked away. Couldn't find anything else nearby but just left it be where we saw it. Maybe used by the local Pueblo Indians at some point?

 

[gobblinglawyer]

Found a really cool “submarine pot” style liquor still in the GA turkey woods a few seasons back. Apparently the Dept of Revenue found it first and dropped a stick of dynamite in there to disable it.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Found a really cool “submarine pot” style liquor still in the GA turkey woods a few seasons back. Apparently the Dept of Revenue found it first and dropped a stick of dynamite in there to disable it. View attachment 660116

My great grandpa had one of those up in MIchigan. I only saw pictures of it.

 

[Pony Soldier]

As you wander through the pucker brush in sw Mt you find the remnants of stills in some of the darndest places. It evidently was a flourishing business through the prohibition and even up into the 60s.

 

[505Wapiti]

Bumping to the top to revive another good thread.

 

[wyosam]

Coolest thing to find in the backcountry- absolutely nothing. Love to realize I haven’t seen any sign another human has been to an area for a while.


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[Mtns2hunt]

Found an old still years ago. No picture as cell phones were not invented. Also found an old cook stove, strange because it was just siting in woods. No house around.

 

[Pony Soldier]

In 1979 one of my projects for the US Bureau of Mines was to evaluate the proposed Domelands Wilderness Area in California for placer gold deposits. As I mapped my way through the deposit I ran into a number of naked women sunbathing on outcrops next to the Kern river. It was an enlightening experience.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

In 1979 one of my projects for the US Bureau of Mines was to evaluate the proposed Domelands Wilderness Area in California for placer gold deposits. As I mapped my way through the deposit I ran into a number of naked women sunbathing on outcrops next to the Kern river. It was an enlightening experience.

My wife and her sister may have been some of them.

 

[eddielasvegas]

In 1979 one of my projects for the US Bureau of Mines was to evaluate the proposed Domelands Wilderness Area in California for placer gold deposits. As I mapped my way through the deposit I ran into a number of naked women sunbathing on outcrops next to the Kern river. It was an enlightening experience.

If only it was 2019 so you had your smartphones with you.


Eddie

 

[DuckDogDr]

Last fall I was archery hunting mule deer above timberline. I got busted on a stalk up high and the herd headed over the ridge and out of the unit. I also enjoy hiking 13ers and 14ers here in CO, and there was one pretty close so I decided to check it off the list since I was within 500' of the summit and there weren't any other deer around at the moment. I found this right near the top (approx 13,100 ft summit elevation). Some kind of fossilized sea sponge? I have no idea what it is exactly, or how it got there but it was certainly interesting to find it up that high.

View attachment 158370

And of course, about 100' below the summit there was also a decent buck bedded in a cliffy area that I had no idea was there until he stood up and looked at me...

More evidence of Noah’s flood of your a believing man

 

[Novahunter]

Not the backcountry, but a buddy of mine asked to metal detect on some property my wife and I owned (what was left of the family property she grew up on).

I went out with him too, and over the course of 4 or 5 outings we found over 150 civil war mini-balls, plus buckles, melted lead, backpack hooks, grommets, and quite a bit of other stuff.

This was the haul from one of those afternoons.

 

[DuckDogDr]

Once hiking in Idaho found some petroglyphs on an old rock formation. I’ll have to find the pics on my old computer.

Guy I dive with found a spear point, and on the same trip I found an old old intact whiskey jug… no markings but estimated to be from 1800’s supposedly.. Better pics of the whiskey jug later.. only ones I have now have identifying landmarks in background


This past two weeks when it was so cold out, My other buddy and I stumbled upon 2 pair of ditched waders, some tools and a boat key.
We searched around the area honestly looking for a frozen body as the high that day was 11..
Turned everything in to the game wardens and apparently we had talked to those guys at another ramp that morning. Guy had just bought a new mudmotor was trying it out and got some water in the boat. Apparently taken the plug out to let drain on the way to the new spot, and forgot to put it back in resulting in a swamped boat.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Not the backcountry, but a buddy of mine asked to metal detect on some property my wife and I owned (what was left of the family property she grew up on).

I went out with him too, and over the course of 4 or 5 outings we found over 150 civil war mini-balls, plus buckles, melted lead, backpack hooks, grommets, and quite a bit of other stuff.

This was the haul from one of those afternoons.

That is some fantastically cool stuff. Great find.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Once hiking in Idaho found some petroglyphs on an old rock formation. I’ll have to find the pics on my old computer.

Guy I dive with found a spear point, and on the same trip I found an old old intact whiskey jug… no markings but estimated to be from 1800’s supposedly.. Better pics of the whiskey jug later.. only ones I have now have identifying landmarks in background
View attachment 664881View attachment 664882

This past two weeks when it was so cold out, My other buddy and I stumbled upon 2 pair of ditched waders, some tools and a boat key.
We searched around the area honestly looking for a frozen body as the high that day was 11..
Turned everything in to the game wardens and apparently we had talked to those guys at another ramp that morning. Guy had just bought a new mudmotor was trying it out and got some water in the boat. Apparently taken the plug out to let drain on the way to the new spot, and forgot to put it back in resulting in a swamped boat.

Really great find. That is one neat obsidian spear head. I would never let that out of my possession.

 

[4rcgoat]

I was a big fan of the creepy thread that’s been going around on here, but wanted to expand this discussion beyond weird/creepy/paranormal. So what’s the coolest thing you’ve found?

My sanity!