Advice

[MIG73]

Tomorrow I will have the opportunity to hunt the yard around a house built in 1898. Does anybody have any advice as to prime locations to hunt, or any general advice to increase my odds of a productive hunt?

 

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[BenVA]

hunting around an old house

I have always heard around the mailbox, the clothesline or where the clothesline was. I also think near the driveway, sidewalk, around trees especially big ones. I would also recommend near the front and back door or porches. I think I would hit these places first, but look at the layout of the place and you will also think of other places. Try to think of places where the adults would have most likely lost something. Then try to think where kids would have lost something. By the way I have never found a coin near a mailbox, but I have read and heard that is a good place. BenVA

 

[Chiz]

one other place is the area visible from the master bedroom. A lot of families that "buried" their valuables outside, normally did it within sight of the master bedroom so they could keep an eye on it. Like Ben said, the driveway and walkways are a good bet... Good luck!

Chiz
8)

 

[Lowbatts]

Depends on whether this is a urban or rural homesite. Was the first owner an immigrant? Much of the practice from the "old" countries was to place whatever stash you wanted to conceal in a tin in the garden plot, if the home was in a urban or residential area. Next big hideout was in the dirt floor of the basement or work shed or carriage shed/stable if not in part of the building structure.

If there is still an "octopus" in the basement (one of those large old coal burners) then everywhere attached to it. Remember, those old heating appliances required coal, so there will be a very "noisy" side of the house for your detector if this is the case. Other than that, goota go with Ben, those old clotheslines produced a lot more dropped goodies than expected in many cases. Some might include nice buttons so keep the disc. low!

 

[MIG73]

Update...

Well, a friend and I hit the yard yesterday. We found mostly clad coins, a few bullets, a bit of trash, and a few wheaties. Overall it was a fairly big disappointment. Both of us however were left with the impression that the dating of the house was inaccurate, but we have no proof. Most items were found at 4" or less, so we can only wonder if the older stuff was much deeper. Oh well, maybe we'll go back some time, but until then we'll keep looking for better sites. Anybody with any suggestions for good SC sites feel free to drop me a note.

 

[MIG73]

There was in fact a slight grade from the street to the house. Not sure about fill dirt or not but it makes sense.

 

[dodgers11]

Another good place to look is around the chicken coop if there was one. The problem is, finding it! You may have to do some diggin' for some old pictures of the house, that would also give you the locations of clotheslines, outhouses, and the stockyard aka chicken coop. What better alarm than a bunch of chickens. Sounds crazy but you may be surprised.

 

[Doug-Iowa]

I like to hit the clothesline..then the left side of the main sidewalk leading to the house when facing the home. For some reason it is alway the best side.

Ok now for the stuf more important then where you hunt in the yard. Take your time. Be sure to overlap your swings and work very slowly. It is amazing how much stuff a persone will miss in a new good yard because they get excited about hunting a new place. Go through and cherry pick the hot spots in the yard. Then go hit the areas big enough for kids to play. If it is a yard you get to hunt many times be sure to remember where the real good spots produced and hit them from more then on directions. Coins on edge are gonna hit real good from one direction and not so good for the other.

Good Luck with your hunt and most of all have fun

Doug-Iowa
Djs Detectors

 

[geatley]

If there are any real old big trees, check aroung their base. Kids love to climb trees and hang upside down. Adults like the nice cool spot .

 

[wayne]

mig73 - don't be dissappointed at what you found at a shallow depth. the age of an item may not have anything to do with depth. a lot of things that have been deep start to rise to the top again after a long cold winter passes and the underground frost melts and starts to push the coins etc. upward. of course after while they start down again - my advice - get them as close to the top of the ground as you can and be thankful for all the targets except pull tabs. wayne