Old Home Sites.....Tips for beginners

m bryan

Hero Member
Jun 12, 2010
691
49
east texas
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Delta 4000 and Garrett 300 Teknetics T2 Minelab Explorer SE Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Detecting old home sites is a great way to get started in the hobby. Relics ,jewelry, coins and other neat things can be found at old home sites. The good thing about old home sites there is no end to them. There are several that I have hunted and they produce something almost every time I go back. Here is just a few things that I have learned over the years.

1. Around where the front porch is (or was) is a good place to hunt. Coins were dropped around the porch area. People would drop things on the porch and they would fall through the cracks to the ground. My very first find was a wheat cent I found at my wife's grandparents home.

2. Around old clothes lines is a good place to detect. Things would drop out of the pockets after they were hung out.

3.Drive ways is a hot spot. People would get in and out of their vehicles or buggies and drop coins etc...

4. If old trees are still standing hunt around them. People didn't have A/C back then and spent a lot of time outdoors under the shades in the summer.

5. Look for a place that looks lower than the rest of the yard. Could be where they dumped and burned their trash. Relics and old bottles can often be found there.

6. Around the old well is a good place to hunt also....

7.When detecting, slow down and take your time. Good targets are often missed by trying to cover too much ground at once.

8. Detect from different directions. East to west and then north to south with the coil. Some targets will sound going a certain way and not the other.

9. Keep the coil level with the ground at all times(even at the end of your swings). It keeps the coil closer to the target and can detect the deeper targets.

9. Don't get discouraged with the hobby. Have the mind set that you are going to stick with it. I have been wasp stung, fire ant stung, poison oaked and hunted all day and nothing to show but a couple pull tabs and some rusty nails, but the next time out found some keepers.

10. Practice and learn your detector. It makes a world of difference if you know your machine.

11. If you have trouble finding old home sites, talk to an older person and they can tell you where they were. Ask your friends about their parents, grandparents or great grandparents where they were. Many times they still own the old family land and you can get permission through your friend........These are just a few of the tips I have learned. I am still learning and am a work in progress so maybe the more experienced guys or gals can chime in on this topic.
 

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DiggerGal

Hero Member
Oct 12, 2013
564
505
California
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Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
This is GREAT stuff!!! I can't wait until daylight! I live on an old piece of property and have been practicing here at home before I venture out. I have found coins, (my first wheatie), along with some old 1920's era scoops (perhaps a child was playing with it). I found the coins under what I thought used to be where a clothesline was and the tin scoop and an old tin elephant toy under a huge old tree.
 

Harlierab

Greenie
Jul 17, 2013
10
5
Thomasville, NC
Detector(s) used
Garrett At Pro
Garrett Pro Pointer
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I have been most successful around front porch area's and will always find additional coins & other items when making my second or third sweep over the same area.
 

wild eyed willey

Full Member
Oct 25, 2012
187
56
Southbridge, MA.
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bounty hunter, fast tracker
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
look for distinguishing places, huge boulders that cant be moved easily or perhaps an easily identifiable stone near the bottom of a stone wall, possibly the intersection of two stone walls. these would be good places for a stash of cash. you might also look at the corner stone of the old barn, a large flat stone in the grass and behind a low hedge row. all would be good places and easily identifiable for some old timer to burry their savings. Just a tip, not related, never through out an old book you find without going through it, Money has been found in so many old books you wouldn't even believe it.
 

woody_g

Sr. Member
Mar 5, 2006
493
119
SPRINGTOWN TX
Detector(s) used
GARRETT GTA 1000
around older curbs and sidewalks there was no rebar in them.even spots that have been hunted you can find things right up next to them.
 

TerryC

Gold Member
Jun 26, 2008
7,735
10,996
Yarnell, AZ
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Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Also try where the rural mailbox was. Postage was often paid for by putting the coins in the box. If in snow country, dig where the pick-ups plowed the snow to. much of the dropped change will be there. Try to find OLD picks of local homes. Compare them to the current land "outlay". You may discover where long-forgotten trees and out-buildings once stood. Old gardens, now sodded over, may also show up in the pics. Look for rows of foliage not indigenous to the area to find some of the gardens. Check some of the good publications of this hobby for LOADS of tips! And best tip... TALK TO THE OLD PEOPLE of the community to find out where the kids gathered! TTC
 

Frankmacera87

Greenie
Oct 21, 2013
15
5
Rhode island
Detector(s) used
Garrett ace 250
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
The guy I go out with always has luck by boundary markers and the inside corners of rock walls. Was with him when he recovered 2 old mason jars with coins.
 

skeeter86

Jr. Member
Oct 22, 2013
91
18
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Being a beginner Ithought I was on to something with the clothes line tip I was detecting my father inlaws yard when I notes the straight line of hole that lined up with the old clothes line hooks Great Spot>
 

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m bryan

m bryan

Hero Member
Jun 12, 2010
691
49
east texas
Detector(s) used
Delta 4000 and Garrett 300 Teknetics T2 Minelab Explorer SE Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
There is no end to old home sites. They pop up everywhere if you seek them out....Just found one that was there during the Civil War..
 

Pointman

Silver Member
Feb 18, 2013
2,575
1,549
Arkansas
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1
Detector(s) used
I’ve used about all modern ones but right now: CTX 3030, White’s MXT Pro, XP Deus, Vaquero, White’s TRX
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Walkways always produce for me. Other spots are the water hydrants and gas meters and around the mailboxes.
 

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