My Creek - Too Sandy?

[BrettCo124]

Hi all,

I've posted many times about the creek I hunt for arrowheads. It runs in a major river (Delaware river) in Pennsylvania, and has been considered a "through way" for native Americans, NOT a place where they set up camp. Closer to the river (I'm about halfway to the main river and to the start of the creek), there have been artifacts found, and supposedly artifacts closer to me as well, although I have yet to see actual proof.

My question is, I've been searching and searching, not every day, but I've been to this site about 20 times for about an hour each time (I understand it's not a lot of time each visit, but it's all I could do). I never found a thing. My creek is full of nice gravel beds, with all different size stones. When I decided to dig the gravel underneath (just to look at what's underneath the stones), you can see in the photo that it's made up of smaller pebbles. Is this what could be problem? Is it too sandy? The photo doesn't show what lies on top, which again, is very nice sized stones, perfect sizes to be points and artifacts. I'll try and find other photos I've taken to show the gravel beds, but many on this forum has said it looks promising to them - I just couldn't find one even If they had little trackers on them. I'm about to call it on this creek...

 

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[BrettCo124]

Thanks everyone. Pennypack really looks like the perfect creek to search, it's just that nothing ever shows up. And I want something to, lol.

Filmiracl - do you have any further info you could share on pennypack? I've never met anyone that even knows of the creek I am talking about lol. I'm curious if you know people have ever found anything. That creek makes me want to keep on looking, but I question it all of the time. Do you think that somewhere, artifacts are DEFINITELY present? Or would that only be at the mouth of the creek where it spills in to the Delaware river?

 

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[crj1968]

I've never had much luck looking in creeks either.

I would look on high areas around the creek- small hills etc to see if you can at least find some flakes. Even on major waterways like the Colorado river one hill could have nothing, the next one over or a tier up could be loaded with stuff.
But- if you don't go, you'll never know. Good luck!!

 

[joshuaream]

Creek hunting just isn't much of a thing in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. I don't know if the rivers are too slow, if they aren't original, too much silt, etc. No one that I know has much success outside of rare deposits that erode out of the bank. I've done great hunting some reservoirs, but for the most part that is deflated surfaces during dry spells and wave action against sites.

Obviously relics are there somewhere, but my guess is that they are buried and the creek/river bed simply doesn't move enough to uncover them once they are buried.

I'm not a great creek hunter, but it's not normal to be skunked when I've gone in Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Montana and some tropical places. My pure skunk in Indiana & Michigan is decades long even when hunting huge sites right beside a river.

 

[smokeythecat]

I've not done well in creeks, and I'm near Delaware. The Chesapeake and Delaware bays have stuff all around them. Maybe it's with all THAT available, why settle for a creek? I have a creek right near me and it's mainly bigger gravel. Nothing has even been found in it, although a few items have been found in my garden. Friend has a spring on his property 5 miles from here, he tears it up on the artifacts. Nearest creek is 2 miles from him. Go figure.

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks all. This is very interesting. I think when I get the itch to look for artifacts quickly, I will do so in the pennypack because it sounds like there are, indeed, artifacts that could potentially be found. The creek is basically in my backyard. When I have the extra time, I will drive down to Maryland to my friend's place. The extra hour and a half drive sounds like it would be more worth my time.

I just wanted to add this in here: I understand YouTube videos are obviously edited, and down time is removed, and best artifacts are uploaded, etc... but when I watch people creek hunting on YouTube, I immediately want to jump in my Creek and search. It sucks that they all basically reach on in and pull out perfect artifacts, and I'll mess around for an hour and come out with a marble from 2010, if I'm lucky.

 

[filmiracl]

Filmiracl - do you have any further info you could share on pennypack? I've never met anyone that even knows of the creek I am talking about lol. I'm curious if you know people have ever found anything. That creek makes me want to keep on looking, but I question it all of the time. Do you think that somewhere, artifacts are DEFINITELY present? Or would that only be at the mouth of the creek where it spills in to the Delaware river?

I can tell you without a doubt that there are DEFINITELY artifacts in Pennypack... But they're either inaccessible or buried somewhere not to be found until they washed out or dug up. I do know of at least two people who found stuff there, but again, the finds seems to be so few and far between, I wouldn't waste my time there. Sure, it's nice to be out and about near the creek, but if you're going to look for artifacts and you don't find any day in day out, it kind of takes the fun out of it. People might tell you keep looking and you'll eventually find something, which may very well be the case, but my honest advice is to look somewhere else. I have two spots within 1 - 5 miles of NE Philly that produce at least something nearly every time I go. They are around, you just need to find them.

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks so much. That's exactly where I'm located. I'm in Montgomery county, but right at hatboro area.

I'm going to try every so often, but keep going to where I've found my two arrowheads, the only two things I've ever found. I'll never forget that feeling.

 

[sandchip]

"...that explains a lot".

I only search about a 100+ square foot area in my creek... I do it alone, and I'm always nervous walking down the creek and suddenly sinking in a deep area, getting my foot stuck on a branch and falling in, etc... I'm not that adventurous. One thing for sure is, the small area I check gets a really good looking-over, but no, I am not walking the creek for hours/miles.

I know, I should be. And I know, I shouldn't be getting frustrated at the creek when I am limiting myself so much. I just simply don't want to walk the creek...

I don't think anybody has said it, but I will. That does indeed explain a lot. If you are limiting yourself to an area the size of a small bedroom, little wonder you haven't found anything yet, nor should you expect to have found something by now. I guess we're all different, but I love creeks, whether I'm looking for artifacts or not. The flowing water is a great escape from all that life throws at me. Finding something just makes it that much better. I don't know what to tell you other than what you don't want to hear. As soon as levels return to normal after a good rain and the water clears, get in there and yes, walk it for a mile or two, enjoy the sights, stick with it even after trips when you don't find squat, and I'm confident that you'll find something. If I had given up on my creeks after the numerous times finding nothing, I would've really missed out on some great finds. By the way, judging from the pictures, yours is not a sandy creek. I can show you some sandy creeks, and no, they don't produce. The artifacts are in there, just not accessible.

Clear bottomed bucket, sunny day, walk upstream, enjoy!

 

[BrettCo124]

This is excellent advice, and I couldn't agree more that I am limiting myself. I guess there is just something about being alone that freaks me out.

Some areas get really deep, so I wouldn't even be able to walk it. Some areas have small falls, and I wouldn't be able to cross it. I'll try to expand my walking in the future. I'm simply going to visit this creek from here on out as a means of escape, relaxation, and also in hopes of running in to the elusive artifact.

Does the bucket trick really work? Seems like a lot of searching. Wouldn't you prefer just searching gravel beds? Does sifting work in creeks? I could do that too...

 

[sandchip]

Does the bucket trick really work? Seems like a lot of searching. Wouldn't you prefer just searching gravel beds? Does sifting work in creeks? I could do that too...

I've had more luck just walking than fanning or digging and sifting. Other folks, vice versa. I use the bucket for the areas where surface ripples prevent you from seeing the bottom clearly. Sounds like a big creek. You'll have to maneuver around the problem areas, or even find smaller feeder creeks that run into Pennypack. My only Paleo point came out of a little bitty creek that I otherwise wouldn't have thought twice about. If you have any young'uns, take him and/or her along. Kids usually love creeks. My son goes with me, and although it took several years, he finally made some really good finds that would've blown me away when I was his age.

 

[NCPeaches]

It looks like a great creek to hunt, just be patient and take your time.

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks everyone! I actually have one small feeder creek that is literally in my backyard that leads to the pennypack creek... but it's not long at all! Maybe less then a mile long...

is it worth trying in that little thing? I have no idea if it was anything back in the day or not..

 

[sandchip]

Thanks everyone! I actually have one small feeder creek that is literally in my backyard that leads to the pennypack creek... but it's not long at all! Maybe less then a mile long...

is it worth trying in that little thing? I have no idea if it was anything back in the day or not..

If there are spots of gravel in it, then it's worth looking.

 

[NCPeaches]

Yes it's worth looking over especially where it feeds into the larger one. Good luck!

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks! Is it better to search in the smaller feeder creek right at the point where it feeds the larger creek? Or vice Versa? Wasn't sure if there was more of a chance in one over the other.

 

[coosakid]

Thanks! Is it better to search in the smaller feeder creek right at the point where it feeds the larger creek? Or vice Versa? Wasn't sure if there was more of a chance in one over the other.

If you're just searching the creek I'd just look wherever the best gravel bars are... But if there was ever a camp there I believe it would be at the start of the spring..... Hard to say cause everywheres different .. . Could be one anywhere down the bank of it. I know my input probably hasn't helped much but good luck...

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[BrettCo124]

Thank you! Everything is helpful to me.

 

[redbeardrelics]

I can't claim to be much of a creek hunter myself, and can't recall ever finding a point in the creeks, although I sure spent enough time in them turning over rocks looking for crayfish or whatever else might be under them. I suspect that only certain types of creeks would be high producers of artifacts. Those would be the creeks located in relatively flat areas, where over time the creeks can shift courses and cut through pre-historic sites leaving the artifacts amongst the other gravels. I don't think you should expect to find many artifacts in creeks that are located in well defined and relatively deep valleys or ravines. By this I mean creeks that due to their geography did not shift much over time and thus gouge through pre-historic sites. I believe the only artifacts you should expect to find in those type creeks, are the artifacts that were left directly in the creeks, or right on the edge where they could get washed in. There will probably be some in those creeks, but no where near as many artifacts as are found in creeks that can easily shift their selves in and out of sites.

 

[11KBP]

I can't claim to be much of a creek hunter myself, and can't recall ever finding a point in the creeks, although I sure spent enough time in them turning over rocks looking for crayfish or whatever else might be under them. I suspect that only certain types of creeks would be high producers of artifacts. Those would be the creeks located in relatively flat areas, where over time the creeks can shift courses and cut through pre-historic sites leaving the artifacts amongst the other gravels. I don't think you should expect to find many artifacts in creeks that are located in well defined and relatively deep valleys or ravines. By this I mean creeks that due to their geography did not shift much over time and thus gouge through pre-historic sites. I believe the only artifacts you should expect to find in those type creeks, are the artifacts that were left directly in the creeks, or right on the edge where they could get washed in. There will probably be some in those creeks, but no where near as many artifacts as are found in creeks that can easily shift their selves in and out of sites.

For not being a creek hunter yourself you have an excellent insight as what to expect depending on the local topography. Having hunted streambeds in the central Great Plains for five decades I can say what you stated holds true in this region.

 

[BrettCo124]

Amazing advice. Thank you. I appreciate everyone's input.