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History Found In the Field

Next time you travel from Gardiner to Mammoth in Yellowstone Park, stop at the Rescue Creek Trailhead for a short hike. Hike across the bridge and up the hill to the large flat open. At the top of the hill just off to the left is a teepee ring, with obsidian flakes to be seen strewed on the ground (look and leave them be).
Then look north toward the river and notice a distinctive berm, which actually was constructed by the US Cavalry as part of a shooting range. Hike to the berm and you will find a pit with concrete wall for protection of those manning the target structures which were raised and lowered. On the berm you may find pieces and whole expended bullets (please leave them for others to see), as the 6th graders are finding during their week stay for Expedition Yellowstone educational camp.

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Took that same trip when I was in 6th grade at GGS. Happy to see they are still doing it!
 
Took that same trip when I was in 6th grade at GGS. Happy to see they are still doing it!
Unfortunately the Covid cancelled the Sept 2020 Expedition Yellowstone for GGS. My sixth grade granddaughter and I were very disappointed. It would have been my fourth year in a row as grandpa and/or chaperone. It is great program and hope it returns this upcoming school year.
 
Unfortunately the Covid cancelled the Sept 2020 Expedition Yellowstone for GGS. My sixth grade granddaughter and I were very disappointed. It would have been my fourth year in a row as grandpa and/or chaperone. It is great program and hope it returns this upcoming school year.
I chaperoned my daughters trip a couple of years ago. Ennis 8th graders get to go. I’m assuming it’s the same program. Hoping to go again with my son. I really enjoyed it. We are so fortunate to live close to Yellowstone.
 
Certainly the most significant find we made while investigating the aftermath of the Custer Battle in eastern Montana, a cartridge case and bullet most likely fired in battle in an unknown area east of the battlefield..

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I love finding old stuff in the field. It lets me imagine myself living in a completely different time period, which in turn makes me appreciate all the conveniences we now have! I’m not against anyone taking a nugget they find in the field, but I’ve always liked to examine things, maybe take pictures of it, think about the person that left it there, and then put it back in its place so that maybe someone in the future can have that same experience.
 
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2 years ago I found an old pair of hand forged logging chains. I should have taken them, but I didn't. I went back to find them several times and have been unable to locate them again.
 
Years ago I found some petroglyphs while hunting on the San Diego / Imperial Valley border, just inside the USA. Very remote, so they were still there. Can't find the pictures.
 
in one my favorite colorado wilderness areas where i used to guide backpacking trips for highschoolers. right around timberline. a classic stop we always made for the kids on the alpine loops. i'm scared it didn't survive the fires this summer. luckily made a visit with my wife a few years ago and have some pictures of it

there's a specific b17 crash site near this wilderness area that's a somber and neat spot to hike to as well, can't find my pictures of it though


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An area I was squirrel hunting with my dad several years ago was first logged in the late 1800s. Horses were used to skid logs down the valley to a railroad grade that was built up into the valley a few miles. I found a horseshoe with a few square tacks still in it laying on top of a boulder. I have it hanging up now, I'll have to get a picture.
 
I'm on episode 004 of Randy's hunt talk and he talks about finding the arrow head while he was hunting goats and how he started thinking back in time of who was here before him. It got me thinking about things I've found in the field, old mugs, rotten tree stands, old stools, old trappers cabins, and how I'll sit there and reflect on the past. When I was little I use to climb those rotting away rusted nail tree stands just to be able to sit in it and imagine who was in it years before me and why they took the effort to build it there.

What I'm hoping to accomplish is to start a picture thread of items you've found in the field that made you reflect. Unless this has already been done lol

The most memorable thing I've found was last year. Back in 2004 I shot my first buck ever, 15yrs old. I'll never forget that day, it was raining, i didn't want to wake up. We were hunting a new spot and we set down before dark and my dad was like no lets move up so we can see down into the hollow. I mumbled but went along anyways. I'll let it be known I missed my only chance on my first encounter with a buck after 3 years of hunting the week before by not being fast enough. So i was not in the best mood. First couple minutes of daylight start then all the sudden my dad goes "buck buck TJ!" but I can't see it, i look and look and cant see it. Then after insisting he shoot it I end up finding it. The words my dad says he'll never forget was "Got em" then BANG and the buck dropped. Here's a pic of my buck, sorry for the crappy pic:
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Now we ended up not hunting that piece much and 10yrs later I was hunting it on my own. I was walking around doing some still hunting due to the snow and wind. I get up on top of this hollow and I was like man I really recognize this spot. Then I was looking around and it caught my eye, this is what I saw:




It's nothing big but it meant a lot to me and to this day he never told me about this and I never told him I found it. After finding it I sat down at that spot and hunted out the rest of the day reliving that moment of shooting my first buck.

Fastforward to this year.... My dad killed his first elk ever and he was in the passenger seat to watch me arrow my first bull ever also.
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Great story that is a great memory you have of ur dad and you
 
in one my favorite colorado wilderness areas where i used to guide backpacking trips for highschoolers. right around timberline. a classic stop we always made for the kids on the alpine loops. i'm scared it didn't survive the fires this summer. luckily made a visit with my wife a few years ago and have some pictures of it

there's a specific b17 crash site near this wilderness area that's a somber and neat spot to hike to as well, can't find my pictures of it though


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Great pictures it is amazing how life was back in history and the shape that is in after all these years is actually very impressive, I grew up in Ward and as kids we walked and hiked all over them hills finding places like that and all the old tailings from the mines our home was actually the old Utica Mill its in the Colorado ghost towns hardback book . I have a copy ill get a picture and post it its a pretty good book with alot of historic info of all of Colorado
 
Found this hunting knife high on a ridge in the mountains of SW MT while elk hunting a few months ago. Sheath belt loop was broken and it was dropped. I'm going to restore it when I find time. It's a Ruana 12A sticker made in Bonner MT. Some of them in nice condition are worth a lot of money apparently
 

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Found this hunting knife high on a ridge in the mountains of SW MT while elk hunting a few months ago. Sheath belt loop was broken and it was dropped. I'm going to restore it when I find time. It's a Ruana 12A sticker made in Bonner MT. Some of them in nice condition are worth a lot of money apparently
Great find
 
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