Wierd-

I didn't forget it--I just can't make my phone download a pic to this site while in the field:

KIMG0357.JPG
 
Sleeping bag, camp stove, camo shirt, tarps, several freeze dried meals, shovel, bottle of Crown Royal, etc.

About two miles from the nearest road, 150 yards off the main trail.
 
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I worry about that too, but I don't remember hearing about any missing persons this past hunting season. Not 100 percent positive this is a hunter, even though the camo shirt would indicate such. The Continental Divide Trail passes within a mile, and if someone took the wrong fork I could see how they might end up in this spot. It looks like they intentionally hid the Crown Royal under all the freeze dried meals, so I think they intended to come back. Everything is covered in thick dust, and there were no fresh footprints on the nearby trail going in or out.
 
There was that freak snow storm last hunting season (don't remember the month), so that could be what happened.
 
Yeah it could be a non resident that got snowed out and had to get back for work, a death in the family, medical emergency, etc. and may or may not come back. As long as there are no essentials (wallet, gun, gps, etc.) it might be someone that had to leave unexpectedly and couldn't come back. Or got home and decided it wasn't worth the trip back.
 
Well, hopefully they'll see this and go back for it. I was already packing a turkey or I might have thought a little harder about bringing it all out and dropping it off at the BLM office. At some point it's got to be considered litter.
 
I found one a couple of years ago bear hunting,no one was around. One night I was watching the Bears on my bait, they got spooked and ran, I know I didn’t spook them, so I dropped down into the creek bottom just before dark. I was following the creek down stream and ran into a dozen small gardens dug out throughout the willows, I finally came up behind the tent and just stood there listening and waiting. All of a sudden the zipper of the tent opened and a guy stood out of the tent, it scared the **** out of me, he did not see me and we were only ten feet apart. I said hey what are you doing, he said who is with you and I said my five hunting buddies are sitting right above you and don’t come any closer because I have a rifle on you. I gave him the choice to be packed up and gone before I got back in the morning or I was bringing the Sheriff, I slid off into the night. My Bear hunting got a lot better.
 
I once found a "cheap" Coleman frame pack, 5-6 MRE meals, 6 cloth game bags and a couple other miscellaneous items under a bush. The white game bags were pulled out and scattered, which is what caught my eye. But the MREs hadn't been touched which I thought odd if it were an animal that pulled out the bags.

In your case I'd definitely report it.
 
Looks to me a first year hunter - and solo at that, decided this wasn't for them and decided to pull chocks, not come back, and never to go hunting again. 6-7 days solo back country is a long time for most people. Youtubers really glamorize the sport, and people don't realize how difficult it is.

That tent screams 1st year hunter
 
That’s just me reserving my camping spot for this coming year. Why are you messing with my spot?

I have found a couple of abandoned camps through the years. I always wonder what’s really going on?
 
I think there are two possibilities.

#1 They were unable to remove camp due to physical or mental limitations. A guy may have been unable to find his camp. Don't overestimate the woodsman ship of some people.

#2 Laziness. They didn't want to pack camp out. Maybe they intended to at a later time but then became lazy. Same type of person that leaves other garbage in the forest for the rest of us to pick up.

It would be interesting if you find out the story behind it. I agree that it becomes litter when it has been abandoned for months.
 
I got a call back from BLM LE today--they're going to check it out.

I hope it ends up being something like what BrianID described above and not something more serious.

If nothing else, I feel better... :cool:
 

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