Finding spots to detect in your area

[dragonflyguy73]

It's almost 6:30 AM and I'm still awake(lol), so I'm going to try to make this short and to the point. I get kind of discouraged because when I go to the library or check topographical maps of my area, I find nothing! I mean I know what to look for, but it seems like every time I do this, nothing really jumps out at me. I mean, I've read what to "look for," but there's something in my process that seems to be missing. I also tend to dismiss privately owned properties quickly, because I'm a very shy and somewhat antisocial person >_< . Anyone have some good tips for a semi-newbie?

I'm from upstate NY. Not sure if that really tells you anything :P

[Blind.In.Texas]

i have a similar problem. i live in urban houston and looking for places to search for antiquated items are few and far between as far as i am concerned. my living area of houston is still young. houses are 50-60 years. the oldest coins i have found have been a couple of 28 and 29 wheaties.

something i consider when deciding to MD is the age of the area's buildings or near-by buildings. honestly the areas that have been built up in the last 50 years here are built up a foot or more because of our addiction to flooding (makes the streets hold the water instead of your living room). this makes it hard to find anything over the age of your neighborhood simply because the man-made build up is anywhere from 1'-3' feet of clay/sand.

Finding anything in urban areas here usually requires a pocket-sized or larger back-hoe.

many small towns have just a 'main' street or 3-4 square blocks of business and thats it. you check the edges of side walks and between the buildings. old old old old old bridges are a favorite of mine. i love em. i have found all sorts or neat bottles and old jars with just my eyes. found a bunch of bullets buried in the sand the other day.

look for side walk excavations and search the bed. dont tell any one, but, historical markers on highways are not always at the exact location. search an area wide around it, as long as its public land....... i will soon be hunting for an old spanish mission site near a river here.

if you live areas where the near-by woods are filled with small trees it is a good chance that it has been dozed over a while back and the trees are still young which makes for a lot of painful digging because of the thousands of roots. find areas with large trees representing old growth and you will have easier digs with less roots.

river banks with some shoreline are also worth a look. even if it it not a people-traffic spot.

the brazos river in San Felipe has yeilded many relics and coin finds. When Stephen F. Austin first brought his people to that place a ferry was built there. It was the only places to cross that river in east or west for many many miles. to this day finds are still made all the time.

search for the age of bridges in your area. many are very old and were at one time hop, skip, jump paths across creeks and rivers.

i'm no expert this is just what i think of when trying somewhere new. but, sometimes i just find open fields to sweat in because i get stir crazy.

[damz68]

Yea, I have the same problem. I live in, probally the best state to detect in, SC. And I just can not figure where to go. I am not antisocial but I am shy. I just get the feeling like people think I am up to no good. How do you ask someone for permission to dig up there yard. I guess I am just insecure. Like a week ago, I was out driving around looking for this site where a indian massacre happened and I ran across this old plantation. I get into that stuff and would have loved to take a picture of the house but thought, if someone sees me they will think I am casing the joint. I dont look like a criminal but I also dont look to respectable. I look like a cross between a geek and a redneck, if there is such a thing? I guess the real problem is people are just to paranoid now and think everyone is out to do them wrong. This is a great hobby but you really have to be a go-getter to excel in it.

[Jeffro]

Well, I dunno about that- most places I hunt, I barely see anyone else. Parks I do early, or out of the way ones. I work weekends, so I can go during the week when they're not busy at all. Of course, swimming holes are the same way during the week, pretty much all the other public sites as well.

There's always fairgrounds, anytime of year a fair isn't on.

Look for books in the library by local authors. Used book stores are even better.... easier to find stuff.

There's a lot more history where you're at (I'm in Oregon) so there should feasibly be a lot more sites, and a lot more older coins/relics where you are. Just takes a little creativity to work around limitations sometimes. And patience, lots of it.

After you make a couple nice finds, it'll give you more enthusiasm to really get creative with your reasoning and research.... at least, it has for me. Hope some of this helps!

[Blind.In.Texas]

I think Jeffro has a great point too about the history of your state. Lots went on there for a very long time. Something I like to keep in mind is that a lot of roads were based originally upon trails. Those trails carried many different people for many years prior to getting concrete or blacktop. You could always just get out on a long and lonely 2 lane-r and give it a try. Who knows?

Some folks are serious hunters and will go out of their way because they believe in the logic of something. The go getters go to areas not yet proven or that they have never heard any details about. The rest ofus just shoot coins and jewelry in our areas. ALL of it is good.

My grandmother-in-law lived in Ashville and that place is quite full of history and there only probably only a few roads in and out there for the longest time. If you have been there you can see why. A CSI approach is very helpful.....GL and HH

[phxAZ]

Just google "history of X". X meaning your town or city. You'll end up knowing where the first roads were, the social spots, first parks, first school, etc... from a single result on google I can end up with 6+ spots to detect. So there are probably literally dozens of solid leads to check in every town/city, so just its just process of elimination.

[stoney56]

Dragonfly, try reading a little history on Montgomery County, New York.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgom...ty%2C_New_York

[Born2Dtect]

Dragonfly,

I understand completely. I also find it hard to get permission for private property. I am currently trying to recruit a hunting partner as I am sure it would make me more confident. If all else fails and no advice appeals to you, try the Nike thing, Just Do It! Happy hunting.

Ed D.

[shootist]

You basically have the largets library ever known right in front of you,try a search on the main road in your town,not the interstate but main st,I drive around alot os Im always looking for good spots,when I first started I couldnt think of many places to try and now I really have to many. Always look for any kind of construction. They are always tearing places down,building new places,working on the street,sidewalks,even if you see some work getting done on a house,if you see raw dirt you gotta try it if the coast is clear.If someone allready has half their yard dug up they are a lot more inclined to let ya hunt I would think. My state has an historical society that has a lot of stuff online,if you allready go to the library do the leg work at home on the net then when you go to the library have a list of maps or items that you are looking for,dont just waunder around its just too overwhelming. I think the very best way to find places is to talk to people anyone you meet especially older people,older people just love to talk,keep a notepad in your car of places you think might be good that you happen upon,and after you talk to someone and get in your car make a note of some places they may have mentioned. Another thing is always be looking for driveways that disappear,find where some old schools used to stand,Ive got an old football field real close to my house that was built around the turn of the century,its still used for jr. football but its a good spot I think,though Ive found nothing but clad.Take your dog with ya when you go,people are a lot more friendly if you have a dog usually,really there are a lot of places to hunt once you start really looking you will find them,though I cant guarantee that womeone wasnt allready there:} HH

[BigMESA]

Hey damz68, I live in the Charleston area but I have a truck and will travel If you ever are in need of having someone with you to hunt an old site you can drop me a line! Sometimes it is easier for someone to do something if they have company with them.

[fldiver]

I have found that it's the same as many other things, you gotta network as well as research. There are untapped resources for research and avenues not thought of for gaining access to a target. i'll list some that have helped me.

Old folks homes: These old people are a wealth of knowledge on local history and if you just sit and talk with them they will tell you many things, plus they enjoy the company.

Re-enactment groups: These often know the history of their specific battle or whatever intimately. If you listen to them they will tell you many things that can help you with research, plus they sometimes let you play with their toys. I got to help load and fire a cannon

Feed and Seed stores: Growing up in N. Fl and S. Ga. in the middle of plantations and farms I learned early that these are a hub for networking with property owners and managers. You can buy your pet food from them and many other things but if you hang around and become one of the regulars you get contacts for gaining access to old homesteads or hunting a plowed field for artifacts. Sometimes permission to hunt and fish also

Contractors: I'm a General Contractor myself and I can't tell you how many relics and stuff I've seen dug up when digging foundations. Many Contractors will give you access if you'll help them out by running other people off and guarding their materials. They know you'll be there evenings and weekends when homeowners or thieves are doing projects and might need "just a couple" pieces of plywood or studs etc. We like all the eyes and ears we can get.

House Movers: There isn't generally too many of these per town so they're easy to find. I've had good success with these guys, and alot of planning goes into moving these things. They call me sometimes a couple of months before moving an old house and let me know. I help them out by letting them know if I find any pipes, wellheads, septic tanks or whatever info that can help them with their job.

All of these have helped me, maybe they can you too.

[Night Stalker]

I like to seek out old colonial houses for sale by a real estate agency, I call the agency and ask permission, they normally tell me the owner is outta state and they will ask them next time they speak with them. This being the case, I usually just go on and search the yard....nobody around to run me off and if a nosey neighbor strolls over, I just tell them the "real estate agency" didn't have a problem with me searching the grounds.

[rolltide]

I use Google Earth to find places that I would never normally find. You can check the "church" box and a few hundred churches will appear in just a small area. I was excited to see there was a church not even 500 yards from my house that i never knew existed! The name appeared on google earth as "Mt. Olive Church (historical)" and G.E. even gave me specific directions on how to get there! So I went all of these backroads and sure enough! Also, try the "schools" button. It even told me of a school that hasn't been a school since the 50s. It was an abandoned house. I went inside (illegal on my part...don't try this :P) and everything was still there...old pianos...decorations....jewelry...books...pictures ... Was incredible.

[Gadget]

DFG, you need to explore all aspects of your town's history. My ancestors came from nearby Washington County, NY in the 1790s, so I wish I could join you in your search. The problem is I'm 4500 miles from there.

Here's some things to check out:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyherkim/amster.html

[musstag]

I read that one fellow, carries a cheap "turn on and hunt" MD with him, and when asking permission, tell them he has one they can use If they want to try it out, they keep what they find, he keeps what he finds.

[Postalrevnant]

Dang I am going to have to try that google earth. One question to all. Is using google earth an invitation to spam or adware?

TY for your input. It is important question to my network at home.

Postalrevnant

[Jeffro]

I haven't had any spam or adware related to Google Earth that I know of- I use a popup blocker though.

[DirtyHowi]

google earth is a download that you load on your PC and uses the web to load the files, love it personally, great toy to monkey around with, i'll have to try the school and church button, i know of a few abandoned churches in the area, so i am sure there are more.

[Tykit]

Hi, another way to get permission to search private property is to stop at garage sales and ask the owner how old the house is, etc, then ask if the yard was ever searched with a detector, and that you would love to give it a try. Say you would let them have their pick of the items found, or 50/50, or whatever. Hand them a home made business card with your name address, phone number. Hope this helps, Dave