Rifle from 1882 found leaning on tree in Nevada park
 

"Archaeologists have found a 132-year-old rifle propped against a tree in Nevada's Great Basin National Park.

It is unclear exactly how long the Winchester rifle had been left there, but it was long enough to leave the stock cracked and buried in dirt.

"It really is a mystery," said Nichole Andler, a spokeswoman for the park." see BBC for a pic & the rest of the story.

Ian

Nice patina on that unit. :)

It has only been a national park since 1986, so it was probably open for hunting before, as national forest. That means it may only have been there 29 years.

I have to admit, I have had to look for my rifle before when out hunting. You lean it against a tree to have both hands to drag an animal, after dusk ... where's my rifle??? :eek: I have always found mine, just follow the drag trail, but this fellow was apparently not as lucky!

G

Wow! Crazy. It seems like the metal is in pretty phenomenal shape.

Detail pic from the dailymail UK site.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/...1333522351.jpg

I hope that tree had a permit for that rifle.

High desert, stuff lasts a long time. That is Nevada, they believe in the 2nd Amendment there

I lost a sofa once... Remembered it 8 years later. I can see it happening.

The missing Sofa King!

So that is where put it!

I say we waterboard the tree and get to the bottom of this.

I could fix that..

Especially if whatever he was hunting found him before he could get to his rife! :eek: Is that area known for bears and/or mountain lions?

Careful, it could be an assault tree.

This is the rifle that killed the bear that killed me - Hatchet Jack

Hmm, since the rifle has not killed anyone in the past 132 years, it is obviously defective, hence the reason it was initially abandoned against the tree.