Ever find a shotgun while hunting?

[Bret GRAVELINE Graveline]

Years ago a bud and I were rabbit hunting in the mountains near Gold Hill, CO. We spotted a Subaru in the snow with the tailgate open. Thinking it had been stolen, we walked up to it. I moved around to see the driver's side. A body with most of the head missing leaning against the door and a lever gun between the legs! We immediately headed into Gold Hill and called the sheriff!
Awful sight! Had nightmares for years.
Sadly his mother called me a couple of times (I guess my name and number were on record?) crying and saying "my son didn't commit suicide!" Rather upsetting for me too.

That's rather disturbing now I'm gonna have them,

 

[PartsJr.]

Early one morning my dad lost his favorite gun, his Browning A5 in the duck slough. He and his hunting partner set out their decoy spread well before first light and then pulled the John boat into the cattails. Once settled in he started looking in the boat for his gun. It wasn't there. His buddy brought him back to the truck. Not there either. He drove all the way home to see if he left in the garage. Nothing. By the time he got back to the duck slough it was day break. He carefully push poled a second John boat from shore through the cattail path leading to open water and luckily spotted it 3' under water along that path. I think he purchased a floating gun case after that and made sure it was tucked in where it wouldn't get bumped out of the boat easily.

 

[Turpentine21]

Had someone leave a pretty little Remington 20ga LW 1100 in the dove field about 20 years ago. No one has ever called or inquired about it. It's killed a ton of doves since then.

 

[Citified]

I sure am thankful I don't have any stories like that. YET

 

[Bucklowery]

I have never found a gun but I would think it would be pretty easy to find the owner of a serial number of the firearm

Thanks

Buck

 

[HRM Johnny]

My little cousin was chasing pheasant this morning and stumbled across this in a heavily trafficked public hunt area. I'm curious how often this happens? I feel like camo shotguns are especially susceptible to this.

This has been a great great so far. There of been a lot of interesting stories. Thank you for starting it.

 

[marksman1941]

I have never found a gun but I would think it would be pretty easy to find the owner of a serial number of the firearm

Thanks

Buck

The majority of states don't register serial numbers. The only way it would be known is if someone put in a report with the local law enforcement, and the finder turned in the firearm. Beyond that, there's no real way to run the serial number backwards in most states

 

[marksman1941]

This has been a great great so far. There of been a lot of interesting stories. Thank you for starting it.

Thank you! I am glad this one took off

 

[Turpentine21]

Had someone leave a pretty little Remington 20ga LW 1100 in the dove field about 20 years ago. No one has ever called or inquired about it. It's killed a ton of doves since then.

 

[DarryH]

I was riding with four friends to go to our trap shooting league. The old boat of a car was a real rust bucket. All our shotguns were in cases in the trunk. When we got to the range, the car owners gun was not there. He retraced the route and luckily found it off the edge of the road, several miles outside of town. Surprisingly it was not damaged. We figured out the gun had slid around in the trunk and fallen through one of the large rust holes. That was the last time he drove us to the range!!!!

 

[Brushcutter]

According to my Mom, when my uncle Bob watched westerns as a kid, he wanted to go to those battlefields and pick up the guns they left. It wasn't exactly what he wished for when he grew up and went to Vietnam.