Return to Montana

[Mason Jarr]

A little over two weeks ago I headed back up to Montana for an elk hunt with my buddy who lives there. After a six mile horseback trip we spent 10 days in a great area trying to coax an elk into bow range. Although we had lots of opportunity including one at 20 yards, we never could get an elk to give us a broadside shot so we came out empty-handed. So it goes with bowhunting.

I took along my CTX and spent the last 5 days of my visit doing a little detecting. I managed to dig up 11 pieces of silver; five coins, five pieces of jewelry and one that was a little of both. I also had a double first when I found an 1872 IH cent. It was my first IH and my first coin from the 1800s. It's not in great shape, but it was my favorite find of the trip. I also picked up some various doo-dads and about $15 in clad. I drove back home yesterday and when I left Montana it was 37 degrees and snow was down to around 4800 feet on the mountains. Very scenic, but definitely a reminder that this season is coming to a close soon. Here's some pics:

The silver coins
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0802.jpg

The silver jewelry
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0804.jpg

A 1943 Swiss Franc that someone modified and made into a necklace. It took me a while to figure out what it was.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0806.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0807.jpg

Close-ups of the coins
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0808.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0810.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0813.jpg

The IH Cent
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0815.jpg
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0816.jpg

Some Wheat backs. Oldest was 1927.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0803.jpg

Some odds and ends.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l281/Mason_Jarr/DSC_0805.jpg

The Swiss Franc was the last silver I found and it was my 100th for the season. I've found 82 coins, 17 pieces of jewelry and a cocktail fork. It sure has been a lot of fun.

Thanks for looking and I hope you were successful if you got out today.

 

[GKMan]

Nice story and nice pics.
Would love to do hunting like that someday.

 

[hershey1]

Congratulations on your finds. Sounds like a great time. Good decision on taking your detector also a good decision on letting the elk pass. It is hard to do sometimes but every hunter should know the capabilities of themselves and their equiptment so a decision like you and your friend made is always the right thing to do. HH

 

[unearth]

Nice digs!