# Oldest tree carvings ever! (pic.)



## goofy elk

While up muzzy elk hunting this week I found the oldest tree marks ever.[attachment=0:3fmibkn5]fred.jpg[/attachment:3fmibkn5]
now seriuosly, The oldest "legit" ones I've found were on the Paunsy, 1897.


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## 400BULL

I don't recall what the oldest one the I have seen was but the coolest one that I ever seen was one the my grandfather carved into a tree when he was a young boy. He talked about that tree all the time. When he passed a way his boy's cut down the tree and now place the carved section on his grave every memorial day.

400bull


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## Doc

We go look at a tree every year with the name of a young man lost in the English Channel during world war II. He was my good friends uncle and what we know about him is from the stories we have heard every year around the campfire. The time he carved his name was his last time on the mountain. It won't be much longer before the tree comes down. It may even be down this year. What's worse is his last remaining brother, my friend's Dad, probably won't be out there too many more times either.


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## TEX-O-BOB

Wow, I've seen a lot of em up on chalk creek and over by Whitney dating back to the 20's and 30's but never one pre turn of the century.


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## fixed blade XC-3

:lol: Good one goofy.


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## wyogoob

That is cool.


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## BPturkeys

When I was young, dad would take us up in the Uintas and I recall seeing many fine pieces of art whittled 7 or 8 feet high up in Quakie trees. Dad informed us that sheepherders and cowboys would sit on their horses and do the work. Don't see that much any more.


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## ktowncamo

This could very well become a nice thread about tree carving sightings. The oldest one I've seen was out in the Oquirrhs dating back to 1912. A grove I was in had some very large aspens and some old carvings to match.


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## stuckduck

MAN i just spit pop all over my key board!!!!

thanks for the good laugh!!


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## goofy elk

It was SMOK'EN pretty, In 14 days I had 23 bulls I saw inside 100 yards, 2000+ bugles.[attachment=0:2598300t]autum-1.jpg[/attachment:2598300t]
Those are some great comments from all of ya., Thanks much.


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## Kevin D

In one grove of old growth aspen on the Cache, there are some ancient bear scratchings that I suspect were made by a grizzly. Human carvings on the trees in the same grove are in the 1910 range. Old Ephraim, the last recorded grizzly in Utah, was killed in 1923, so who knows??


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## Kingfisher

part of the reason we may not see carvings older than 100 is that aspen trees genetically dont last that long. now the carvings by the basque sheepherders in nevada are short on names and dates but really really long on what sheepherders are most short on... if you get the drift. those guys were really lonely - but great anatomical memories of the little lass left at home. there is a basque restaraunt in minden that has about a dozen of these carvings on the way to the little sheepherders room.


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## jubal

My dad used to carve the year on the same tree every year that we went bow hunting to this one particular area. When he died in '07, my wife and I went and added his death date to the tree. Here's the pic.


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## rockroller

back in the the late 80's or early 90's while hiking on the mountain NW of Fishlake I found one dated 1897 prob from a herder, that is the oldest I have found .


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## Huntoholic

jubal said:


> My dad used to carve the year on the same tree every year that we went bow hunting to this one particular area. When he died in '07, my wife and I went and added his death date to the tree.


Those were some sweet archery hunts. I sure miss those simpler days.


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## swbuckmaster

I have a few iv seen near strawberry and skyline drive that sheepherders made that still to this day will make a grown man blush. LOL nasty :shock:


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## P.S.E Hunter

I seen a rock that had carvings on up on the wasatch that said 1909, and 1929, It was pretty cool so i added mine to it this year.


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## hunter_orange13

i think my oldest was up by beaver towards the idaho border. it said 1930 something. but honestly, do you think every one is real? or punk teenagers messing around


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## jubal

This may be the oldest tree carving in Utah. It was made by the Spaniards and points the way to a Spanish mine. When standing facing this tree, if you look back over your shoulder you will see what looks to be collapsed rubble in a hillside. The sword tip is supposed to point the way to the mine. Found up near Fish Lake in the Uintas.









The Spaniards were here in the late 1700s to early 1800s.


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## wapiti67

Pro and I found an Aspen on the Dutton with the date of "Aug 1872" ...the guy went to a lot of work with it...It was written in Old English style


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## JERRY

I've seen one with Caleb Rhodes name on it. They say that Aspens won't live to be much over 100 years, yet I have seen dates well over 100. Maybe they carved their name and or date when they were saplings. :shock:

http://bss.sfsu.edu/geog/bholzman/cours ... /aspen.htm
This says 150 years.


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## colorcountrygunner

The oldest tree carving I have seen was on Cedar Mountain and it was dated 1919. The carving simply read, "Deb, Parowan, Utah, 1919." And as far as the basque sheepherder stuff goes wow! I'm a sheepherder and had never even heard of that!


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## goofy elk

I think jubal may have won the contest if that's truly a Spanish carving.

Horsesma,,,,That's a pretty intresting link! heck, I just learned a few things.

And I'm 99% sure the 1897 carving's I found on the Paunsaguant are the real thing,
Most of them have the Heaton's name attached,,,,,,I know they were some of the 
first ones to settle that country down there.


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## Huntoholic

Some I found on the Hunt. I think I spent as much time looking at trees as I did for deer.[attachment=3:186y1x6t]1916.JPG[/attachment:186y1x6t][attachment=2:186y1x6t]1929.JPG[/attachment:186y1x6t][attachment=1:186y1x6t]1930.JPG[/attachment:186y1x6t][attachment=0:186y1x6t]1933.JPG[/attachment:186y1x6t]


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## .45

horsesma said:


> I've seen one with Caleb Rhodes name on it.


Yeah? You just stay out of that country....nothing but bad spirits and bad luck will come of it... <<--O/



jubal said:


> This may be the oldest tree carving in Utah. It was made by the Spaniards and points the way to a Spanish mine. When standing facing this tree, if you look back over your shoulder you will see what looks to be collapsed rubble in a hillside. The sword tip is supposed to point the way to the mine. Found up near Fish Lake in the Uintas.
> 
> The Spaniards were here in the late 1700s to early 1800s.


You too jubal !!!! _O\


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## goofy elk

Wow fat bass,,That's a good one!

My Bedrock tree is still the only prehistoric one though... 8) 8)[attachment=0:1bacshw3]fred.jpg[/attachment:1bacshw3]


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## Oaks

I find this topic very interesting but is there a way to know if the carvings are legit? I could go carve one today with 1888 on it and in 50 years would you be able to tell the differents? I have wondered into some carvings dated in the 1920's and it sparks my imagination on what could be going on at that time in history. I just wish I could know if they are for real or not?


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## sawsman

:O--O--O:

I dug up this photo of an old tree carving I ran into a few years ago. Best I can tell, the date is 1914, maybe 1911. ??
[attachment=1:9fcl7tmq]old.one.jpg[/attachment:9fcl7tmq]

Then on the way back down the mountain I found this one of Wilma that Fred carved. 
[attachment=0:9fcl7tmq]wilma.jpg[/attachment:9fcl7tmq]


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## goofy elk

Now thats funny stuff dude! :lol:


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## tyler11385

Im gonna start paying attention to the date people carve, but how many people probably lie about it and carve something different?


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## goofy elk

tyler11385 said:


> Im gonna start paying attention to the date people carve, but how many people probably lie about it and carve something different?


I honestly believe 99% of anything carved with dates over 25 years old and the tree
and markings are older looking,,,,,,,There probably authentic..

Especially anything pre 1950,,They didn't know how to,,or,,have any reason to lie.
...........You could buy or sell your house with a hand shake back then!


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## killdeer

In our area there is a lot of history in the trees. I have seen dates in the 1890's, one guessed to be in the 1880's. As the trees age the dates and names become distorted. With a lot of the old names I was able to talk with people (all deceased now) who know some of the individuals (most were stockmen and loggers). I have look for several years for some of those carvings and can't find the pre 1900 ones. I think the trees have died and fallen down. The oldest I know of now are in the early 1900's ('09, '10). Several of my wife's grandfather.


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## goofy elk

Here's a cool one,,,,,I've seen it years ago but finally got a picture today.[attachment=0:1omniopi]tr.jpg[/attachment:1omniopi]


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## NHS

I know exactly where that is goofyelk. Neat area.


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## goofy elk

NHS,,It was nice out there today![attachment=0:32p8f76d]hc.jpg[/attachment:32p8f76d]


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## NHS

Looks a lot colder than when I was was there.


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## goofy elk

:shock: :shock: WAAAAAY COOL!


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