people are awesome

[Coach]

I was down in 23 this weekend for the HAM hunt and had a muzzle loader bounce out of my ranger. It wasn't just any muzzle loader, it was an old Thompson Center Hawkens .50 cal that belonged to my grandfather. I know - how stupid was I to let that happen? I debated taking it but grandpa killed a lot of white tail in Oklahoma with hand poured balls. It's been sitting here in my office for years, and I just thought it would be really cool if I killed a pig with it and his ammo.

 

Of course, I was devastated to have lost it. I re-traced every road I had been on trying to find it with no luck. Everyone I met, I asked if they had seen it. None had, but some took down my phone number - asked where I was camped, real, honest folks hoping to find it and get it back to me.

 

I stopped by a big camp close to mine and asked about it, and the guys kinda grinned and said, yeah, we found it. Really great guys - they said as soon as they found it they knew it meant a lot to someone and weren't sure whether to put up a sign, or how to get it back to the guy who lost it.

 

I just want to say, THANK YOU 1000 times over to these guys. They could have just kept it but they didn't. That's just awesome.

 

And to the guys who took down my phone number, looking to get it back to me if they found it or heard about it. As I was driving out today, one guy came running out and flagged me down. He was one of they guys I had met earlier and just wanted to know if I had found it.

 

Not too often you find people like this that are so honest and caring. I just want to say how grateful I am to the good hunters in AZ that look out for each other. If any of the folks I bumped into are on this site - thanks for being such stand-up people.

 

I know a lot of members here have found optics or a gun that someone else lost and went to great lengths to find the owner. You guys are top notch in my book.

[Kaffer62]

Wow. I am glad to hear you found it. I can only imagine how you felt when you noticed it missing.

[218buck]

That's awesome

[MuggyMan]

So often you hear about negative stuff. So much better to read these accounts.

[naturegirl]

Awesome! You are very lucky the right person found it.

[Mocha1545]

So very glad that you got it back. There's nothing that can replace family treasures. i hope you kill something with it someday.

 

As to the great people that found and gladly gave it back to you. You are great! I have found that "most" hunters are honest and will gladly help out another hunter in almost any way possible. That is one of the many reasons I love to hunt.

[Non-Typical Solutions]

Had a similar incident up in unit 10 happen to me.......and it is great that you were able to get that gun back....kudos to those honest hard working people out there who have the dignity to treat others as they would like to be treated....great story.

[rclouse79]

It is nice to be reminded that for every dirt ball there is at least one good person in this world. Seems like the dirt balls get a lot more attention.

[mattys281]

So very glad that you got it back. There's nothing that we can replace family treasures. i hope you kill something with it someday.

 

As to the great people that found and gladly gave it back to you. You are great! I have found that "most" hunters are honest and will gladly help out another hunter in almost any way possible. That is one of the many reasons I love to hunt.

 

+1 to that. Just the fact that somene is willing to put in the time and effort to collect their food the old fashioned way says a bit about their character.

 

Im glad you got your weapon back. Cant wait to see what you take with grandpa's muzzle loader.