I found a .300 weatherby and a pair of swaros set on a fence at the end of a truck road one night during the rifle deer hunt. No one was around, I was the last one off the hill. Knowing that area had some shady characters around, I took them with me with the intent to contact the county sheriff when I got back to cell service at camp. Shortly after I got to camp, I saw an atv haulin the mail back up the mountain. I suspected that was the owner, so I waited for them to drive back down. About 30 minutes later I saw them come back down the road, so I stopped them. Asked the guy if he was missing something. You could see he was relieved immediately when I said that. Offered to pay me $100. Of course I declined.
another time opening day of the pheasant hunt, coming down a popular road for hunters while returning from duck hunting, there was a black hard case in the road. I knew it was a gun case. When I opened it, I was surprised to find not 1, but 2 browning O/U shotguns in it. About .25 miles down the road a truck met me headed in the opposite direction. Again, another relieved hunter.
I’ve found knives, bullet boxes, shooting sticks, sweat shirts, gloves, etc... before as well. Those kinds of things I’ll pick up and take. Most likely they will sit up there awhile before anyone else finds them. Anything more than that I’ll definitely make an effort to find the owner.