Author Topic: Strange finds! (Read 2148 times)

the rifleman · « **on:** June 14, 2003, 10:36:32 PM »

This happened several years ago, while hunting mulies, in the Poison Mountain area of British Columbia. Its not a scary tale, just a wierd one.

I was back up the side of a mountain, hunting some draws for the big mulies that tend to hang in them. I was several miles from any road, and there was no signs of anyone having camped in the area. As I try to approach ridges as quietly as possible, I often look down to make sure I don't step on any twigs. I saw a flash of something in the pine needles on the ground, which didn't look normal, so I poked around a bit. I am still baffled by how this item may have ended up way out in the bush, maybe fell from a plane or something?

It was a chrome, cake top decoration, that read, "Happy Mothers Day".

I have also found other items in the bush, in areas that seem pretty remote. Once I found a Mini-Mag light. New battery, and it still worked. I once found a recurve bow, leaning up against a tree. No one around for miles, and it looked like it had been there awhile. New string, works fine.

Came across a fresh plane crash site, on the top of a mountain one time. I was with a hunting partner, and we were both pretty upset, when we figured out what it was. We imagined that we may have been the first to come across it, and we were nervous about finding bodys. The crash wiped out about a 1/2 acre of trees and brush, and parts of the plane were spread all across the area. We looked around at the devestation, and were relieved to find no bodys. We found out a few days later that, this flight was flying in fog, and had it been a hundred foot higher it would have missed the mountain top. It had actually happened about 10 days before we came across it. It sure is a wierd feeling that comes over you when you come upon a scene like that.

Another wierd thing we found, that still makes us laugh, when we think about it. Again hunting for mulies, this time up in the area north of Cache Creek, B.C.. There was about 6 inches of snow on the ground and we had been pushing bush for a couple of hours, without seeing anything but doe's. The snow started to fly again, pretty heavy so we decided we would quit for awhile and head back to the truck for some grub. We headed through the bush, and when I was stepping across a log, I noticed something odd. There was something red coloured just under the snow. I pointed it out to my buddy, so he bent over and reached through the snow, and picked it up. We both went into shock, before starting to laugh, till tears ran down our faces.
I still cannot for the life of me imagine how we found a "used tampon" way out in the bush, in the middle of winter. Have those doe's been watching TV? :grin:

Bill

bullet maker · « **Reply #1 on:** June 15, 2003, 01:52:09 PM »

Hello Rifleman

That was some weird finds. Was the flashlight and the Bow leaning against the tree, in the same area or same hunting range? Was it in the Poison Mouintain Area? One just doesn`t go off and forget his weapon in the case his bow, unless he is attacked and killed, or had the crap scared out of him. Interesting story though, it really could streatch the imiganization.
The only thing I`ve ever found like that was a beautiful buck knife still in the scappard. Figured the guy must have got it on the barb wire fence as he crossed between the wires, and it jurked in out of his rear pocket, cause thats were I found it, at a fence and he did not have his belt through the loop of the scabbard, must of had it in his hip pocket. Still have that knife today.
Have there been grizzly bears in the poison Mouintains ? maybe thats why the bow was left behind.
bullet maker

the rifleman · « **Reply #2 on:** June 15, 2003, 05:35:03 PM »

Bullet maker.
No, the items were not found togeather or even close to one another.

I always wondered more about the bow than the flashlite. I could see a flashlite falling out of someones jacket pocket, but the bow is pretty odd. I often wonder if a fellow may have shot something with the bow, leaned it up against a tree while cleaning the animal, or retrieving the animal. Maybe he then packed out the game, to his vehicle, and then couldn't find his way back again to the exact spot, where he had put the bow. I don't know but it was one idea. There are grizzlys in the area, but I don't recall having heard any storys of somebody going missing, although it may have happened a year or two before I stumbled across it?

Your story of finding the knife reminds me of the one I lost. Well not really lost, more like left behind! We had packed camp to head back home after a week or so of hunting. The last thing we do is load the quarter's of moose into the trailer. I would cut the rope, and let my partner grab the quarter, quickly put the knife down and help him with the quarter. Last quarter was loaded, tied securely, and away we went.
About two hundred miles later I realised it was missing. The fellows offered to turn around, but I felt bad, as I knew we had just come the roughest, and slowest miles of the whole trip, and were finally on blacktop again, and declined.
I managed to get a hold of the fellow that was in the camp beside us when he got back from his trip, a week or so later, on the off chance he may have wandered over to our old camp. He said that not more than an hour or so after we left, another group of hunters pulled in to where we had been. The new fellows didn't mention finding a knife to him but, I am sure they must have picked it up. It was a darn nice Puma folding knife, and it still bugs me to this day, that I forgot it! Oh well you lose some, you find some!

Gatofeo · « **Reply #3 on:** June 16, 2003, 02:46:00 PM »

When I was a reporter in northern Idaho a couple of loggers came into the office and said, "C'mon out and see what we found way up in the hills."
So I grabbed notebook and camera and went out.
In the back of their pickup they had a 12-inch square piece of lead plate. About 3/4 of an inch thick.
"Now here's the weird part," one of the loggers said, and with a little effort turned it over.
"What do you think of that?
His finger pointed to a faded sticker with the international symbol for radiation on it.
I just about jumped out of my skin!
About that time, the editor came out to see what I had and I told him to remain in the doorway, call the police, and ask them to bring a geiger counter.
I also told him to post a couple of people 50 feet away on both ends of the sidewalk, to divert pedestrians around the scene.
The two loggers wanted to beat-feet but I told them, "Nothing doing. You stay right here. We may all be exposed to radiation."
After the longest 30-minute wait of my life, a Civil Air Patrol member showed up with a geiger counter. I told the loggers to stay put, and walked over to get the device.
The CAP member nervously showed me how to operate it, and demonstrated what a normal reading looked like.
I brought it back to the lead plate and ran it all over the plate.
No sign of radiation.
We all breathed a sigh of relief.
They'd found this lead plate on the backside of a wildly overgrown ravine and, with no small exertion, hauled it out. They wanted to make fishing sinkers out of it then decided it might be of interest to the newspaper.
How in the heck that heavy, lead plate got way up in the woods was beyond any of us. I figure it must have fallen from an aircraft but I just can't imagine any aircraft lugging that around.
As far as I know, it got converted into fishing sinkers.
You can't imagine the sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you think you've been exposed to radiation. I could almost feel my white blood cells running amok in a cancerous onslaught of other cells.
I couldn't concentrate on writing the rest of the day.

bullet maker · « **Reply #4 on:** June 16, 2003, 06:09:25 PM »

Hey Rifleman;
Where is the Poison Mountains that you were hunting in British Columbia? What the closest town or highway?
I`m referring to that bow you found by its self and no one around, interesting story.
Not ever have been to Canada, I was trying to find the location on the map, where you were at.
Thanks
bullet maker

the rifleman · « **Reply #5 on:** June 16, 2003, 09:45:16 PM »

Gatofeo, I am suprised that the government didn't want to get a closer look at that lead piece. I figured anything like, that found where it was, may be something that they would be interested in. It was obviously part of a radiation shield, from something. Dropped from an airplane would seem the likliest way that it got to such a remote spot. I wonder if the government, back in the 40's and the 50's may have been stuck for ways to get rid of possible hazardous items, and dropped them into the wilds, figuring that it would be unlikely a human may come across them. After a few years, pine needles, leaf's and forest debris would cover them up.
I wonder if a fellow explored that area with a metal detector, if he would come across any more stuff like that? Very interesting.

Bullet maker, see your PM. I'll try to give you an idea of the location.

Gatofeo · « **Reply #6 on:** June 21, 2003, 02:37:33 PM »

I don't think that lead plate fell from an aircraft.
The other side had "R.I.P. Jimmy Hoffa" printed on it ... :-D

Mouskie · « **Reply #7 on:** August 12, 2003, 08:44:53 PM »

Some years ago I was whitetail hunting in a remote part of Jefferson County, NY and literally stepped on a hunter's back tag (which all deer hunters are required to carry pinned to the back of their hunter-orange outerwear).

The tag was 3 years old but still readable in its clear plastic sleeve. I took it home and sat down and wrote a letter to the person whose name and address appeared on the tag.

"Dear Man-Person:

"I was foraging up around Red Lake, east of Farmer's Bay along the Indian River marshlands where the pignut hickories drop lots of delicious mast, when I heard you coming through the woods. I've seen your kind before, plenty of times.

I stood very still behind some chokecherry bushes and watched while you climbed over two big deadfalls. By this time you were no more than 20 feet away. Then I saw you trip and fall, and heard you curse because dirt was jammed up your rifle barrel. I also watched you slam the barrel against a tree trunk time after time, trying to clear it. I almost laughed out loud.

After you left, I walked over by the deadfalls and noticed your hunting license on the ground. As a good sportsman, my duty is to see that it's returned to you.

Next time, look around. You'd be surprised what's out there, watching.

With kind regards,

Twenty-Two Point Buck (Atypical)"

ringo · « **Reply #8 on:** August 13, 2003, 01:39:14 PM »

Poison mountain is outside of Lillouet BC. the coastal mulies come in to winter range there. It is not uncommon to take out a 300+ lbs deer!

the rifleman · « **Reply #9 on:** August 27, 2003, 09:33:44 PM »

Ringo! SHHHHH! Lets not advertise...... :wink:

kevin.303 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 12, 2003, 09:13:38 AM »

a buddy and i where fishing last summer and there on the trail was a fresh from the box, unfired .375 H & H round. now this is not a very commonly used round in my neck of the woods and it was still clean and shiny so it couldn't have been there to long.could it have been bear poachers? the area we where in had problems like that before