I took the plunge

[newenglander]

I've been thinking about and admiring MDing since I was a kid. My grandfather got into it in the early 80's and he also got me into coin collecting at a young age. Now that i'm 35, I got a subscription to W&E treasures and got my first detector - a Fisher F5. For the last year, I've been watching Bill Ladd on Youtube. He's about my age and a fellow New Englander (I can spot that accent from a mile away), so he's become a bit of a hero of mine. Being from Mass, the ground just thawed a few weeks ago, and i've been going in my yard with my son. I've found enough iron to build a tank so far, but I also found a 1942 nickel, 1942 wheat, and a 1918 wheat, so I remain optimistic.

So, here's why i'm writing: It's time to get out of the yard, but to where? I know....schools, parks, beaches, etc. The problem is that I still have a bit of stage fright and I don't want to be out in the open yet. So, I'm thinking about the deep woods. The problem with that is that I haven't done my homework yet and so I don't want to just find a random patch of woods and waste my time wandering aimlessly through thickets and getting lyme's disease from the 1000 ticks that will no doubt feast on me. There is a wildlife preserve just down the road from me, but when I went there this morning, I noticed the sign from the Environmental police that said "No digging or removal of archeological finds". I assume that that means me.

Question: Anyone out there from Western Mass or Northern Connecticut know of anywhere a beginner can go to learn. I'm not asking for your secret spots, but there must be some common locations out there where I can go.

Thanks.

 

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[mick56]

Try the public places you mentioned, the parks and beaches. Get there at sunup, you might have a couple of hours being alone. Schools, go early, but only on days when school is not in session.

 

[lafatlife]

Definitely start at the schools and parks if you can dig them in your area. A lot of parks up here are old and you may just do well there.

Start by asking your friends if you can detect their yards as well. Sometimes people will get interested and let you scan their yards as well.

Good luck and welcome to the hobby!!!

 

[Jeep]

I agree, start with the schools and parks.

Start early and hit the tot lots. I go early sunday morning and never see anyone.

Do research on the local history before venturing in the woods.

Also, try posting on the forum for your state here on Tnet and see if someone is close to you
and would like to partner up.

Good luck

 

[randazzo1]

Hey New Englander - I ran into the same problem - here's how I remedied it:

Assuming you live in an area of the Country that has been occupied for many years:

Open Google Maps and input your address

Then trace every major roadway (not new highways) coming away from your general area and look for undeveloped land.

Mark these spots and then drive by them to see if they look friendly - ie not fenced, not obvioulsy posted. A lot of times land in the public trust has not been turned into parks - these are areas where people often walk dogs or take hikes but no one seems to know who owns it. I've rarely had a problem on these types of areas (and I live in over-developed New Jersey )

Then - go to each spot that passed the friendly test and bring a shovel. Dig a 12 inch diameter hole down about thirty inches. Take a flash light with you and examine the side walls of the whole. If the area was farmed at some point (every spot I've evert checked with the exception of the pine barrens in NJ was farmed at one time or the other) then you will notice stratigraphy that is fairly easy to identify. The first layer will likely be leaf cover and root mass - this is the humic layer. Then there will be a dark area of relatively fine soil - call this the A Horizon - immediately under this layer will hopefully be a plow zone that runs many inches followed by granular sub-soil. Now these descriptions are really for my area - but there will be distinct layers in your area and you should be able to pick off the plow zone. Other indications of farming = plow scarred rocks, low lying rock walls and large rocks just sort of dumped at the perimeter of reasonably flat area. You should also look for a water source - stream, brook etc.

Once you have a farm - you have finds. These grown over farms are great spots.

Hope that was helpful and not confusing.

randazzo

 

[swent1]

i like to hunt in the town forests and follow the low stone walls you gotta
think that whoever built those walls must have dropped something while
moving those rocks

 

[newenglander]

wow! Thanks for the replies. Definitely some useful info for my area. On a side note, I went to my fathers house yesterday and found a 18k emerald ring that my step-sister lost about 29 years ago. it was only about 3 inches down too. And a canadian cent from 1951. It has a picture of a king on it. I never knew who was on the money before elizabeth.

anyway, thanks again, guys.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

I too enjoy Billy's videos but you might have huge expectations of your own hunts. He really seems to know where to go and how to do it and has a great attitude.

Might not find that Spanish reale in a tot lot 3" down if you know what I mean.

Congrats on the F5, I hear very good things about it.

PS> I am from Mass originally.