SANDPOINT - Bonners Ferry resident Robert Yoder wasn't expecting to find a local man's ancient history when scouting for moose this summer.

But that's exactly what happened in late July on Bald Eagle Mountain in Boundary County. Yoder and his friend, Steven Girod, were hiking and investigating game locations when they spotted something amidst the woodland foliage that didn't quite fit in.

"It actually blended in really well with its surroundings, so we almost missed it," Yoder said.

Investigating the situation, Yoder and Girod discovered an old, weather-beaten wallet just off a trail near Boulder Meadow. According to the credit cards and licenses contained within, the wallet belonged to Scott Barksdale. Deer tags found within indicated that Barksdale had lost the wallet around 1984.

"I was really surprised it was still around after all this time," Yoder said.

Once he and Girod had returned from their hike, they took the time to search his name on Google. To their surprise, they found contact information for a man living in Bonner County.

"It was amazing he was still in the area," Yoder said.

For his part, Barksdale could hardly remember the loss of the wallet. After all, 27 years can take its toll on even major life events. It took some contemplation to remember what exactly brought him to Bald Eagle Mountain all those years ago. At first, he thought it might have been a snowmobiling trip.

"Then I remembered a time when some friends and I drove into the area on motorcycles," he said. "Somewhere in the mix, my wallet must have dropped out."

After further consideration, Barksdale began to recollect the loss more cohesively.

"I remember not worrying about it because I figured no one could use it where I lost it," he said.

The wallet was appropriately weather-beaten after more than two and a half decades of exposure. It contained a JC Penney card, some old bank cards, a driver's license and some long-outdated inclusions like a Montgomery Ward card and a Sears card that retained the name Roebuck in its branding. A black bear tag costing $6.50 and a deer tag costing $8.00 - compared to the current $19.75 - were also present.

Although the wallet didn't contain anything particularly useful, Yoder felt strongly that he should return it. The two met early this month at Bread Basket Bakery in Bonners Ferry and had lunch together. During their mealtime conversation, the two discussed their mutual love of the outdoors and hunting.

"He was a really nice guy," Barksdale said. "It was really noble of him to get this wallet back in my hands."