Research Pays Off in More Ways Than One

hunter_46356

Hero Member
Feb 12, 2012
502
306
Indiana/Florida
Detector(s) used
NOx 800, AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I've been researching and area outside the town I live in. I've found I already had a great source of information in a book published by a local historian that I had purchased years ago. Actually never read it till about two months ago. Long story short I found a place that was settled in the early to mid 1800's that over that time had four schools that had been built and lost to fire or out grown. After some map research and field work I'm pretty certain I've located the site of the last school. Now for the permission part. Found the farmer who farms but does not own the ground and located the owner though him. I talked to the farmer about what I was looking for and he said lets take a ride. Taking me to a spot he thought I might want to see. He explained every time they plowed this particular spot they would drag up large stones and sometime old red brick. Typically around here plowing only happens every so many years as no till farming is more of what happens. We have had several days of rain and low and behold looking out into the field you could see many pieces of broken red brick.
Planning my pitch for permission to the owner I compiled all I had found about the area and why I thought the school site might be on his property. Upon contacting him I started by asking if I could ask him some questions about the history of his farm and family. As the conversation went on and when I was telling him more about his history than he knew, he got real interested. When I finally told him why I actually called (for permission to detect) and told him I had still more info to show him he was more than happy to let me come out. He doesn't know about the other three older school sites yet but hopefully that will come next.

So I guess my point is if you can learn as much as you can through good research to the point you peak a landowners interests as well as showing them your interests is in the historical not monetary value of your finds, You may just have them begging you to find something on their property. I obviously offered to show him everything I find and made it clear if anything was family related it was his to keep. His ancestors were some of the original settlers. I did make it clear I would hope to be able to keep at least some of what I find and was mainly interested in coins. He didn't seem to have a problem with that. We'll see, another 2" of rain on top of yesterdays 2" doesn't make for slopping around in the fields. Farmers don't like that either. Hope to have something to post soon.
 

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vpnavy

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jun 15, 2008
35,088
18,581
York County, PA (USA)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
outstanding.gif
Outstanding approach hunter_46356. I will be honest - never ever gave it a thought but will from now on. Thank you very much.
 

WIDirtFishing

Sr. Member
Apr 29, 2010
322
129
Twin Cities, MN
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800

Past:
Tesoro Tiger Shark
Tesoro Silver uMax
AT Pro
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Same method I used to gain access to a sandstone formation that has been used by Indians for hundreds of years & also used by explorers & townspeople as a picnic/meeting area.
If you get them involved and get them to care it makes it a lot easier to gain access. I haven't been out to my spot yet though. Waiting on the snow to go away :-(
 

GMD52

Silver Member
Feb 22, 2013
2,518
2,724
Lake Champlain, Vt.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I really admire your hard work and the approach you took with the landowner. If nothing else you've cast a favorable light on the hobby, and sounds like you have also generated some interest in a person that didn't show any before. Good luck, you've certainly got a good start, and have also given me some insight on the next time I need to approach a private landowner either as a consulting forester, or just an individual asking permission to hunt his land. HH:icon_thumright:
 

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OP
hunter_46356

hunter_46356

Hero Member
Feb 12, 2012
502
306
Indiana/Florida
Detector(s) used
NOx 800, AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Forestry Consulting!!! That's an awesome way to get the chance to break the ice. You already got a reason to be there. When you go into a property with prior knowledge of the history of that property people could tend to be impressed a bit. If their not they're just the opposite "PARANOID" and I've run into a one of them lately. Good Luck GMD52
 

BigTonyB

Tenderfoot
Feb 14, 2013
8
1
New Hill, NC
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i, Whites Prizm IV
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
WTG, Hunter! Your method is perfect.
Good luck with the hunt.
 

63bkpkr

Silver Member
Aug 9, 2007
4,069
4,617
Southern California
Detector(s) used
XLT, GMT, 6000D Coinmaster
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
You've done some great presentation and 'ground work' now best of luck with the actual ground when it is not quite so muddy, mildly damp would be good though..............63bkpkr
 

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