[WayneS]

Hoax?

[The Great RJ]

Strange that someone would just leave their rifle behind when in this wilderness. While the article mentions that this was not a particularly expensive rifle, I doubt that someone would just prop it against a tree and forget it when they left regardless of how inexpensive it was to purchase. Who ever left this rifle was carrying it into this wilderness for a purpose either hunting protection or both. To me it would be strange if not inconceivable that they would just leave without taking the rifle with them. Too bad we may never know why the rifle was left, but the story is intriguing.

[Brother Cracker]

[molson209]

Can you check the serial number like you can with Colt ?

[afraidfortherepublic]

It was unloaded. I say that its owner was on foot, carried more than one weapon, and left it behind as useless since he had no more ammo.

Or, maybe it didn’t shoot straight and he got frustrated, much as a golfer is purported to break his club around a tree after missing a shot.

[Tanniker Smith]

Don't tree grow over 132 years? Wouldn't the rifle have fallen over in all that time? Isn't it more likely that it was left there more recently?

[Nea Wood]

So it’s been sitting there for 132 years and didn’t kill anybody?!

[JimRed]

ANOTHER ONE???

[DickBrannigan]

Reminds me of the end of the Twilight Zone episode “A Hundred Yards Over the Rim”.