Can Arrowheads, be found in most Rivers & Creeks?

[(())RandY(())]

Were is good places to search for Arrowheads in Rivers & Creeks. In the water? On the banks? Are they easy to spot do they look the same in water as they do on land,as far as color? ''I live in Tennessee''....

Thanks....

[Cannonman17]

The short answer is yes: they can be found in nearly any river or creek. The truth is that it's a bit more complicated in terms of the artifact concentrations and how much luck you will have. Geographically speaking there are a number of different types of creeks/rivers.. I don't remember the names of all of them but soil type and bedrock as well as topography all play a role in what type of creek/river will form in a given area. Some types lend themselves better to finding artifacts. Some types of creeks are quite stable, allowing for good grain stratification to occur... letting the various sized gravel and cobbles sort them selves out into "beds". Creeks that develope these concentrated gravel beds and do not meander a lot are the best for finding artifacts IMO. On the opposite end of the spectrum some areas are in predominately sandy or sandy-loam soils along with a fairly smooth bedrock (without any major faulting going on) so the streams have a tendancy to move around a whole bunch, the main creek channel may slide over a mile or more in some instances in only a few years.. this usually doesn't allow for really good gravel beds to develope as much and it's wildly changing course may cut through an indian site one year and be far from it the next... making it more of a hit and miss as far as finding artifacts goes. I'm no expert on TN topography but I would guess that for the most part creek hunting could be productive for you, specially if you are aware of good sites in fields bordering a creek... when that's the case there are almost certainly going to be artifacts in the creek as well.. pay special attention to areas of errosion!

[(())RandY(())]

Thanks for the info Cannonman! Spent about 5 hours looking, havent found any yet..How about mabe a Dry Creek bed?...

[pickaway]

I've only found 3 brokes and 2 whole pieces and 1 whatsit in creeks,From the pics of finds on the net seems like some creeks are better than others.I hunted the Scioto river yesterday downstream from many a sites for 4 hours found nothing...Its hard also to see them the way the stain and the algea that gets on them.Keep at it yes dry creek beds can work.

[pete83]

Hey Randy, If your close to Clifton on the river you can walk the beaches when they lower the water and find some nice points.

[(())RandY(())]

I've only found 3 brokes and 2 whole pieces and 1 whatsit in creeks,From the pics of finds on the net seems like some creeks are better than others.I hunted the Scioto river yesterday downstream from many a sites for 4 hours found nothing...Its hard also to see them the way the stain and the algea that gets on them.Keep at it yes dry creek beds can work.

Thanks for the Info & the pic

[(())RandY(())]

Hey Randy, If your close to Clifton on the river you can walk the beaches when they lower the water and find some nice points.

Thanks Pete ..I'm in Warren County Tennessee, about 168 miles from there ..""Nursery capital of the world'' so alot of plowed Fields here ..Just have no places to hunt at this time.. Trail of tears not far from me at all ...

Thanks ...

[The Grim Reaper]

I find nice pieces along the banks and the beaches of the Ohio River, but I have never found one in a creek in my area. I have tried creek walking a few times in creeks that are very close to or cut right through known sites but to no avail. Maybe I just need to retrain my eyes to get used to looking through all the rock and gravel.

[(())RandY(())]

I find nice pieces along the banks and the beaches of the Ohio River, but I have never found one in a creek in my area. I have tried creek walking a few times in creeks that are very close to or cut right through known sites but to no avail. Maybe I just need to retrain my eyes to get used to looking through all the rock and gravel.

Be nice if i could just find at least a broke Arrowhead in the creek, ive been walking,just to know they are in there ..oh well i will never give up

[MEinWV]

Check out www.nativewayonline.com

They have a arrowhead hunting section that is full of good info.

Good luck!

HH

[(())RandY(())]

Check out www.nativewayonline.com

They have a arrowhead hunting section that is full of good info.

Good luck!

HH

Thanks for the site!! Were in WV are you? I have a bunch of relatives there..mostly in Preston county...

[razor]

Randy, listen to Cannonman on this forum, he knows what he is talking about. As far what I know about creek and river hunting... well... it is an art form. I have been told it is probably about the hardest way to look for points and it is a skill that takes time to learn. When looking for creeks or rivers to hunt you want to find those with a fair amount of gravel in them. Something like this:


or this


It's important to take your time. Set up a hunting pattern. I'll drag my stick behind me, and when I turn around I'll put my opposite foot in the foot print I just made in order to keep the pattern tight. You'll turn over half the river at first, but you'll learn what are and are not points. Some times they'll be laying flat out like this:



On there side like this:



Or buried like this:



Remember to look in the water too. Sometimes your best finds will be in the water.

Google Earth is an invaluable tool when looking for creeks and rivers. Just take your time. Go after it rains. And remember to be patient. You must develope an eye for this kind of hunting, and it doesn't happen over night, but you'll be suprised at just how much an aritfact will jump out at you once you develope it. I hope this helps, good luck and good hunting, Razor

[(())RandY(())]

Yea i can tell Cannon knows what hes talking about ..And you also seem to know alot about Arrowhead hunting ...Thanks for the pictures that are showing what i should look for ...

Thanks,
Randy

[chong2]

i dont check the creekbeds, too many flash floods. if you know of indian wells, would be a good spot, also look for flint shrapnels, or flakes, first good head i found was in arizona sand dunes, wierd......

[razor]

Yea, Chong brings up a good point. Always know what the weather is upstream of where you are hunting. It's simple, if it's raining upstream, don't get in. It's a good way to get dead. I know a couple of people who got caught, and both said it wasn't fun. Both got out okay, but it envolved some fast manuvering and a rather long walk through the woods to get back to the truck. Normally though, if you take your time and use your head you'll be okay. Razor

[(())RandY(())]

i dont check the creekbeds, too many flash floods. if you know of indian wells, would be a good spot, also look for flint shrapnels, or flakes, first good head i found was in arizona sand dunes, wierd......

When you say flash floods are you meaning that Arrowheads cant be found in creeks that have them? Or the dangers of the fast moving water? What is a Indian Well,are they easy to spot? Thanks..

[(())RandY(())]

Yea, Chong brings up a good point. Always know what the weather is upstream of where you are hunting. It's simple, if it's raining upstream, don't get in. It's a good way to get dead. I know a couple of people who got caught, and both said it wasn't fun. Both got out okay, but it envolved some fast manuvering and a rather long walk through the woods to get back to the truck. Normally though, if you take your time and use your head you'll be okay. Razor

I also use these Rivers /Creeks for fishing never had a problem with flash floods,the only place around here i worry about is below a dam but they let off sirons when letting loose of any water ...But yes i know what you are saying.. Thanks

[ohioriver hunter]

I find nice pieces along the banks and the beaches of the Ohio River, but I have never found one in a creek in my area. I have tried creek walking a few times in creeks that are very close to or cut right through known sites but to no avail. Maybe I just need to retrain my eyes to get used to looking through all the rock and gravel.

I agree Dork,
Finding points in a creek,at least in southern Ohio is next to impossible.Not worth the time and effort!I,ve answered this topic before.Has anyone ever dropped an arrowhead on the floor? Nine times out of ten ,it breaks.Now you take a creek which floods several times each year.Big rocks,small rocks,gravel etc are moved each time,rolling down the creek.What are the chances of finding a good point?After doing this for hundreds,thousands of years.Well your chances of finding anything are slim to none.I,ve found one in 34 years and like Dork I don,t think it is our eyesight.Have you all seen all the artifacts he has found?River and creek banks is a different story though.Try putting a point in a rock tumbler for one minute and see what you get.Its not like we don,t have some great looking creeks in this area that run along campsites.I prefer other methods of hunting myself.A lot less snakes too!

Jeff

[(())RandY(())]

I find nice pieces along the banks and the beaches of the Ohio River, but I have never found one in a creek in my area. I have tried creek walking a few times in creeks that are very close to or cut right through known sites but to no avail. Maybe I just need to retrain my eyes to get used to looking through all the rock and gravel.

I agree Dork,
Finding points in a creek,at least in southern Ohio is next to impossible.Not worth the time and effort!I,ve answered this topic before.Has anyone ever dropped an arrowhead on the floor? Nine times out of ten ,it breaks.Now you take a creek which floods several times each year.Big rocks,small rocks,gravel etc are moved each time,rolling down the creek.What are the chances of finding a good point?After doing this for hundreds,thousands of years.Well your chances of finding anything are slim to none.I,ve found one in 34 years and like Dork I don,t think it is our eyesight.Have you all seen all the artifacts he has found?River and creek banks is a different story though.Try putting a point in a rock tumbler for one minute and see what you get.Its not like we don,t have some great looking creeks in this area that run along campsites.I prefer other methods of hunting myself.A lot less snakes too!

Jeff

poison snakes around that area? Copperheads & rattlers here!!

[Bum Luck]

Good advice from Razor and CannonMan.

I have hunted points for some years, and it is an acquired skill. You can find an obvious point laying flat, but not all worked objects are points. Knives, scrapers, etc all look different, and they don't always lay flat. It takes a lot of practice to find them, but it is fun.

I have found only one scraper in the large river near here, but it jumped right out at me, but I can't imagine that anyone else would have seen it. It was stained brown like the river, from centuries of tannic acid in the water from the swamps north of here.

What you have to do is train your eyes to see "worked" edges. That takes sharp eyes and lots of practice.

I think it takes practicing on land first.

Take a stick to turn stones over to avoid bending.