Late last night I was returning from Anaconda, Montana via Twin Bridges, Montana to Dillon, Montana when what do I see in the road but 2 lumps. One was a pair of horse saddlebags with tools and rope inside and the other lump was a padded binocular case with the remains of a set of Swarovski binoculars inside! The binoculars were ruined as apparently they had been run over! I would like to get them back to the owner so they can maybe make an insurance claim or at least inform them they were not stolen or misplaced. They apparently fell off of or blew out of a vehicle? The saddlebags and gear inside are fine! But the Swarovskis are probably a total loss!
If anyone knows of some one missing a pair of Swarovskis from SW Montana have them contact me. I called the MHP but no word yet. I will put an ad in the paper ASAP.
Sure a shame!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Send em back to Swarovski, and see how good their warranty is!

VarmintGuy

All Swarovski optics has a serial number, often stamped on the metall part of the binocular. Write it down the number and call Swarovski, maybe the owner has sent in his warranty card to Swarovski in USA.

/ JOHAN

[ 10-19-2003, 14:58: Message edited by: JOHAN ]

VamintGuy,
You are a honorable man,even if you do like Remingtons.

The posse was too close for him to stop.....

Johan: Thanks for the tip! The serial number on the metal part is - D713280675 and I see now they are the expensive SLC 10 x 42mm model! I am even sicker now than when I found them. I will start my search for information from the USA Swarovski folks now!
My efforts to get back this gear will not be nor would it have been interupted by the condition of the gear. I do not keep things that are not mine!
As a matter of fact I do have AT LEAST 16 pairs of my own binoculars by various makers including Leupold, Nikon, Monarch, Bushnell, Bausch & Lomb (made in Rochester, N.Y. only). Yes - at least 9 of those 16 binocs are the incomparable Bausch & Lomb American made Zephyrs in 7x35, 8x30 and 9x35's! I have owned and collected these fine optics (the Zephyrs) since the mid 60's and find them to surpass even Swarovski and Zeiss for extended field use like in Antelope, Mt. Goat, Varmint Hunting and high plains Mule Deer Hunting. Less eye fatigue with the American made Bausch & Lombs than with the Zeiss and Swarovskis I have tried!
Well heres to finding the rightful owner of them and the gear.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Again thanks Johan as the Swarovski people got back to me and they gave me the name of the owner of the binoculars. Its a fellow named Dickey out of Kalispell, Montana and I have left a call on his machine and am awaiting instructions for the return of his gear!
While searching the web for the Swarovski site I came across a site that had the Swarovski binos in question ON SALE for $909.95!!!
I literally became nauseated! I am just hoping that Mr. Dickey has some insurance for covering the loss! The people at Swarovski U.S.A. were very helpful and dilligent. The owner had purchased them in June of 2002! Again I am just sick for him! Big Game Rifle season starts here this coming Sunday (October 26th) and if need be I will loan Mr. Dickey a set of my binos to get him through the season! Kalispell unfortunately is 302 miles from me and I am soon to be heading the other way for the opener!
Lets all remember to secure our expensive gear and make sure it is safe as can be at all times!
This reminds me of my Hunting partner Ben's ordeal with his Zeiss 10X40's 2 years ago! His son woke up one Sunday morning in June and decided to go Hunt Gophers before Church service time! Well his mom picked up Ben Jr. along the road where he had walked from to Hunt Gophers! Ben Jr. came to the family sedan and put the Zeiss binos on top of the car while he put his Rifle and other gear in the trunk. Well after Church the Zeiss binos were discovered missing and the search began! We literally walked the road both sides repeatedly from the pickup spot to church for days after the loss. A want ad got results though and a ranch hand had found the binos in the gravel road but they also had been "run over"! The $999.99 binos were sent to Zeissland and $360.00 later they were as good as new! Ben Jr. had to work off the repair bill! Lesson learned!
Well I feel better the owner will "know" what became of his gear anyway and can go from there!
Case almost closed!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy,

Though I don't know the fellow who lost the binos, I would like to say thanks for being a fine man. We need more like you in today's world!

Of course the Gentleman is an HONEST MAN.
He's from Montana!!

FN

VarmintGuy, you are a "Good Man"

Case closed in Montana! I am not quite a Montanan yet but I hope to be some day! This is the start of my 6th year here and I could tell stories about the trust and generosity of Montanans that would astound you! I will only relay a few quick examples.
My partner and I had been on a hot dry 10 day Elk Hunting archery back pack trip into the Anaconda-Pintlar Wilderness some years ago. On blistered and stinky feet we hobbled out of the mountains literally able to TASTE the shower we were going to buy at the Motel in Wisdom! We got there and unbeknowst to us at the time the motel was closed due to a death in the family of the owner! No signs and no ideas I walked across the street to one of the few homes in that town of 75 people and knocked on the door. The neighbor lady knew of the closure and insisted that my Hunting partner and I shower in her home! We tried to refuse and she would not hear of it! She got out two full sets of towels and wash cloths and hand towels and made us shower there! She had no idea who we were or anything other than we were needing comfort! After our showers she had fresh baked chocolate chip cookies and lemonade for us!
It was a battle I am not sure I should have won but I eventually made her take $20.00 and we thanked her profusely!
I literally can go stay in about 5 corners of Montana with friends and borrow their homes cabins campers and tent camps - AT A MOMENTS NOTICE! Montanans I think work so hard for what they have and many can not afford all they want so what they have they share! I was just invited to an Elk camp to share a horse and Hunt the opener here in SW Montana. I originally turned that invitation down as I had other plans with another Hunter. That Hunter just now had troubles at the last minute and had to back out. I may just be Horse Hunting this Sunday in the beautiful mountains and buttes of SW Montana after all!
I am trying but it will be a commitment to become a full fledged Montanan. Especially after being born and raised then living all but 6 years of my life within sight of the original Skid Road in Seattle!
One more please:
I literally was hitchhiking down I-90 with our second flat tire in 50 miles last Sunday at midnight! A "family" from Big Timber, Montana picked me up and wanted to keep me at their home all night until the tire store in town opened Monday morning! This was a family retuning from a visit with two teenage daughters in the van! I insisted on waiting at the all night truck fuel stop in Big Timber and after a few hours a deputy sheriff tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was the guy with the flat tire! It was 2:30 AM late Sunday night or early Monday morning! The deputy had heard of my plight after my calls to tire repair services had gone unanswered! The deputy said the owner of the tire store had been awakened and was on his way to repair my tire! We met at the shop and our second flat of the night was repaired and then the sheriff drove me the 18 miles back to our rig on the side of the road! Saving us not only many hours of downtime with dead Antelope in the truck (in record heat) but insuring my partners safety beside the road being in jeopardy for as short a time as possible!
I could go on and on and on about the great people here in Montana's back country and rural areas but the point is made! I mean in what big city would a fella get up at 2:30 in the morning (night?) to fix a "strangers" tire! He wanted $20.00 for the feat and I would have paid 5 times that to get out of that fix! I made him take a tip in addition to his fee!
Yeah I like Montana and in about 10 more years I will declare myself an honorary Montanan!
Long live Montana and Montanans!
Oh yeah last evening I took the gear and the remains of the binoculars in question and drove them to Twin Bridges to the owners mothers home. He is coming down from Kalispell to Hunt this weekend and the remains will help him with his insurance claim!
Case closed.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Good stories. I went to Montana with my father when I was in High School and we were both impressed with the kindness of the people. We went to a bar at a small town(population 16 as I recall) and everyone was there. We could not get folks to stop buying us drinks(don't tell mom). One thing that stuck me was the fact that in the corner of the bar was a section for the children. There were cribs and play toys for the kids. Everyone got together in the evenings to have a drink and socalize even the kids. Kindest people I ever met and I have no doubt everyone of them would have opened up their home to us. The world needs more people like that.

Enjoyed the heck out of the trout fishing and the woodchucks
Bama

[ 10-24-2003, 02:13: Message edited by: Bama ]

VarmintGuy

Good to hear that it got sorted out.

Are yo looking for a pair of binos or any other toy? www.aaacamera.com

Now, don't blame me if you credit card get hammerd because of all they things you just have to have

Cheers
/ JOHAN

Johan,

You did me a great favor and a horrible trick at the same time. That web site for optics is outstanding and if I had the bucks I'd be $800+ lighter over the Swaro SLC 10X42 they have at nearly $300 less than anywhere else.

[ 10-25-2003, 10:25: Message edited by: Dave In LB ]

I hate to be a butthole, but this guy spent $900+ on a pair of binoculars and didn't even care enough to make sure that they wouldn't fall off of the truck. Now maybe he had other things effecting his thinking that were serious like an emergancy at home etc.
I bought a nice little pair of Japanese made Dana binos at a pawn shop for ten bucks about the same time this guy bought his. They are nothing to write home about but the optics are clear and the field of veiw is great. I carry them in the truck everyday they have been on two whitetail hunts and a black bear hunt in Co and never been scratched. My dad has had a pair (can't remember the brand)he bought while guiding pack trips in yosemite and still carries them in the original case 40+ years later.
My point being unless there was some good excuse for his neglect I would have to say serves him right.