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

[ztc92]

I finally have something to contribute to this thread after doing some exploring this weekend!

 

[loboelk422]

Nothing crazy found a full unopened can of Copenhagen once

 

[Sinistram]

My coolest thing was while hunting elk in Wyoming about 25 years ago. We were in the middle of absolute nowhere in the mountains, and came upon a good glassing knob that looked across a wide valley. I knelt down to start looking and found an absolutely ancient and deteriorating Winchester 45-75 casing! Some old timer apparently thought this was a good spot to look too, and took a shot at something.

It still sticks with me today and was a pretty powerful connection to past hunters. Hard to tell it's age, but that's a long obsolete caliber, so she'd been sitting there a while.

(Not a typo for those questioning. It's a 45-75, not a more common 45-70. The former was only chambered in the Winchester 1876 rifle and was designed to "improve" a bit on the 45-70's performance. Fun read if you want to look it up.)

 

[AHayes111]

I found these three stones way of the beaten path on the Custer in SE MT. One of the stones is broken and hidden by the sage. Natural or grave stones is up for debate, but I am leaning on grave stones. You just don't find three flat sandstone rocks standing up in a row at least a 100 yards from other sandstone. Been there a long time from the looks of it. Has got to be an interesting story.

 

[manitou1]

My coolest thing was while hunting elk in Wyoming about 25 years ago. We were in the middle of absolute nowhere in the mountains, and came upon a good glassing knob that looked across a wide valley. I knelt down to start looking and found an absolutely ancient and deteriorating Winchester 45-75 casing! Some old timer apparently thought this was a good spot to look too, and took a shot at something.

It still sticks with me today and was a pretty powerful connection to past hunters. Hard to tell it's age, but that's a long obsolete caliber, so she'd been sitting there a while.

(Not a typo for those questioning. It's a 45-75, not a more common 45-70. The former was only chambered in the Winchester 1876 rifle and was designed to "improve" a bit on the 45-70's performance. Fun read if you want to look it up.)

Yes, it is pretty awesome to find old casings in the exact spot you decide to set up.

I find old casings 4-5 times a year here in WY on high points where I set up to glass or when scouting.

Never found a 45-75 though.

Great minds think alike!

Some years ago we had lumber cut from an old tree. while we were planing it we hit about five mini balls deep in the tree.

 

[Decker9]

A few years back, my dad and I were on a fly in sheep hunt. We came across a caribou that we couldn’t pass up.

Half way through breaking it down to pack out, dad had to “go set a bear trap” (aka taking a dump)

Enjoying his mountain side bear trap taking in the veiw, he looks over and see’s an old leg hold mossed into the mountainside. In it, 3 toe bones still.

Only thing we can think of, is the trap had a marten in it, and maybe a wolverine drug it up above treeline? We were km’s away from the nearest marten type habitat / timber.

We ended up forgetting the trap on a rock by the lake, luckily the next year we flew in, it was still there, with toe bones intact.

 

[pmkvt14]

I always think mylar baloons are good luck. somewhow they end up so deep in the backcountry

 

[Mt Al]

A few years back, my dad and I were on a fly in sheep hunt. We came across a caribou that we couldn’t pass up.

Half way through breaking it down to pack out, dad had to “go set a bear trap” (aka taking a dump)

Enjoying his mountain side bear trap taking in the veiw, he looks over and see’s an old leg hold mossed into the mountainside. In it, 3 toe bones still.

Only thing we can think of, is the trap had a marten in it, and maybe a wolverine drug it up above treeline? We were km’s away from the nearest marten type habitat / timber.

We ended up forgetting the trap on a rock by the lake, luckily the next year we flew in, it was still there, with toe bones intact.

OK...you win! The toe bones make it so, way cool!

 

[fmyth]

View attachment 686909

Looks like Laetiporus sulphureus A.K.A. Chicken of the woods.