Hunting for History

My favorite way to hunt is to walk our draws and hills at the ranch. I am a VERY claustrophobic person, and after just a few dull, non-action moments in a blind, I’m done! I always say if the animals aren’t coming in, or to the feeders, get out and “make something happen!” Besides making the hunt more exciting, you never know what piece of history you will find.
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In just the last 12 years I’ve hunted Kevin’s family’s ranch in Doss, I’ve found many treasures. These don’t even include the ones that Kevin and Holt have come across. Just today Holt and I found an old bell. You may think what the heck is so exciting about that old rusty bell, but to us it’s a treasure that’s been recovered from years back. Kevin’s family used to raise hair goats, or Angora, and this is one of the bells that was on one of the goats so they could be heard, making them easier to find when checking on them or rounding them up. Throughout the years, we’ve found 3 of these bells now, in various parts of the ranch.
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Another common item we’ve all found is tons of worked flint chips, and when we’re lucky, the occasional arrowhead! One of my favorite points to hunt off of at the ranch happens to be one of the higher points in the Doss Valley that the Indians used for smoke signals. If you dig below the dirt in the area you can still find smoky stained rocks from the fires.
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One of my crazy, yet favorite finds on many of the hill ledges I walk and glass is different kinds of old ammo casings. I’ve found all calibers, and many are very old. We just found another one, Holt and I, a couple days ago. If these shells could talk, how interesting would it be to know just who shot them, and what at! It’s neat to know that these people were just as intrigued with these hilltops and views as I am. Holt loves to add these to his collection of brass as well.
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A couple more common items we find are the old horseshoes and many deer sheds. My family shed hunts every summer, but they are like Easter eggs, always some to be found later on! The old horse shoes are really awesome too, because they’re supposed to be great luck.
I’ve heard of some people finding old rifles, muzzleloaders, new rifles, handguns, etc. out in the woods before. When we vacationed in Red River New Mexico, we say old rifles that had grown into the trees that people laid them against years ago. These are very collectible, and people pay a lot of money for these treasures. Wouldn’t it be awesome to trace those serial numbers back and see what person, possibly famous in history, owned this magnificent find?
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I’d love to hear more of the treasures some of you have found while hunting, and what you do with them!