advice/tips/tricks requested please

[vegalyrae]

i normally hunt fossils on grades and rock slides and have very little experience in fields....mainly just walking through them and hoping for the best. Friday I will be going out on a hunt to the scioto river bottoms near the fuert hill site, VERY excited might I add. it is a large plot of farmland that floods every winter with the scioto river and ohio river spilling into the lowlands.

however...I havent been very successful in finding points thus far, in fact, i have yet to find one, EVER, even broken. Now i have found an axe but to be honest that thing was HUGE and impossible to miss. lol

my question is this...what advice you would give to a beginner who is looking for MUCH smaller artifacts? it has been raining for days (remnants of sandy) here and this particular area was plowed about 3 weeks ago before the rain hit. (not sure if that helps any) I knew it's going to be very very muddy. what kind of tools should i bring with me, what should i be keeping my eyes out for? ect


any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

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[unclemac]

since you are hunting in the great flat expanse of farm country, I would suggest you think like an Indian.....where would you go to hunt?...look for fields that are closer to rivers and streams....where would a wounded animal go? Some people have good luck at building sites too...anywhere the ground has been disturbed. After a storm look for trees that blew down and check out the roots, my logger friends tell me that is a good source. And try to scout out where a good place to seasonally camp would be too... close to water and food sources...

 

[larson1951]

i can try to help
first learn what type of small artifacts might be in the field you are gonna hunt
after learning the basic types try to do this:
look at what a small portion of that artifact may look like if partially uncovered by rain
for instance when we see a heart shaped piece with no flaking...it may very well be that when you flip it with your stick you may see a
flaked thumb scraper which is a uniface artifact (just look at the last post of my friend twitko he shows the front and back of that tool)
or try to envision what a tip of a point or the end of a blade would look like ....if you have any then cover most of the piece up with your hand
in different ways and look at that,,,it is what it would look like if it was partially washed by a hard rain
or if you have bone look at just the end of an awl in case you see it sticking out of the ground
last of all what i do is take one step....then scour the area with the eye thoroughly....then take another step and do the same
for me, walking a bit too fast hurts my finding an artifact............. walk SLOW....sometimes walking where there was once a
good water supply or natural fortification can help

and last if it is hardstone and shows no flaking, let it be....don't pick it up and see "if it fits in the hand"
or do not look for a place where "it has a nice spot for the thumb".....as one of the tnetters said a while back...."if you go by the last two
things i just mentioned, it will grate on you" and last of all this is not always true but it is a lot of the time...........................
...................if it is an artifact you will know right away (most of the time) and if it is not.......................
..............................don't try to ROMANCE it into an artifact... please don't get me wrong...i think everyone knows what i mean by this

one thing i see you mentioned about a plowed area......try to get there first....only only wait until after the first good rain
i hope this helps, answering questions like THIS is one of the reasons i believe Tnet is for

steve b
larson1951

 

[larson1951]

i can try to help
first learn what type of small artifacts might be in the field you are gonna hunt
after learning the basic types try to do this:
look at what a small portion of that artifact may look like if partially uncovered by rain
for instance when we see a heart shaped piece with no flaking...it may very well be that when you flip it with your stick you may see a
flaked thumb scraper which is a uniface artifact (just look at the last post of my friend twitko he shows the front and back of that tool)
or try to envision what a tip of a point or the end of a blade would look like ....if you have any then cover most of the piece up with your hand
in different ways and look at that, it is what it would look like if it was partially uncovered by a hard rain
last of all what i do is take one step....then scour the area with the eye thoroughly....then take another step and do the same
for me, walking a bit too fast hurts my finding an artifact............. walk SLOW....sometimes walking where there was once a
good water supply or natural fortification can help

and last if it is hardstone and shows no flaking, let it be....don't pick it up and see "if it fits in the hand"
or do not look for an area where "it has a nice spot for the thumb to fit in".....as one of the tnetters said a while back...."if you go by the last two
things i just mentioned, it will grate on you"...... this is not always true but it is a lot of the time.....................if it is an artifact you will know right away (most of the time) and if it is not.......................don't try to ROMANCE it into an artifact.............................
..................please don't get me wrong...i think everyone here knows what i mean

one thing i see you mentioned about a plowed area......try to get there first....only wait until after the first good rain
i hope this helps, answering questions like THIS is one of the reasons i believe Tnet is for

steve b
larson1951

 

[vegalyrae]

Thank you so much unclemac and steve!!! I hadnt thought to become familiar with what these things look like partially exposed. are there any signs to look for that would suggest i'm in the right area?? i know my husband has found many points at the park right across from these fields but that was long ago and it has since been covered in grass and such with a baseball field. but i did a bit of research on that location and it was a known hunting ground. i dont even care if i find something good lol i just wanna find SOMETHING

 

[Age_old]

Sounds like you are on the right track! I think you should get a metal rod or stick and use it to flip over ANY rocks in the field. Like Larson said, sometimes an artifact can look like a rock at first. Sometimes that TINY little rock is the tip of a beautiful arrowhead. Check everything you can, and take it slow. Walk the fields methodically. After you get a feel for what to look for, you'll be set.

I just know you will find some great stuff very soon, so post what you find!

Good luck, and happy hunting!

- Sam

 

[bede2691]

If I was looking in a river bottom I would check the flood channels that cut across the bottom and along the edges of these floodchannels. Most artifacts are buried after being there for possibly thousands of years and eroded areas are good places to look whether that be a hillside exposed by farming or water cut channels through bottom ground.
Flint flakes are one of the best signs. Flint flakes meaning the scraps that are made during manufacture or resharpening and larger flakes can be tools. I don't know how your fields will be but here in central Ilinois when walking new ground I look for any rock in areas that are naturally free of rocks. I don't mean gravel. More along the lines of what Larson mentions is frequently shown on this board. And I do agree, if you can't tell for certain it is something and have to ask it probably isn't an artifact but could be a sign of occupation depending on the geography of your location. If you find an area that has a lot of broken hardstone this can be what is known as fire cracked rock and a possible indication of a camp or cooking area. Also don't automatically think flooding left those rocks, as I did that for several years and passed over several good sites until I realized that's not always the case. Whenever you find the signs slow down and look the specific area over closely. There are always exceptions but most of the artifacts I have ever found are not just random finds but are found in formerly occupied areas. So some of the best places to look are places where you know an artifact has already been found. That counts double for axes.
Farming practices nowadays don't show near the sign as good ol' moldboard plowing used to leave so if you are finding any sign it's probably a good indication you are in a good spot. Isolated sites that were only temporarily used won't always show very much sign and sometimes can take years of checking to make a good find. While I am hunting I also mark the spot where I find any good sign with something and if you get several marked spots, stop, look over the area with your marks and then walking the area in and around can sometimes be productive. If I don't have anything handy I just mark a big x with my foot for a marker. These are things that work well for me here in the black dirt of Illinois. I don't know if the same will apply to your area or not but good luck.
You were asking what to take; myself, I don't like to carry anymore than I have to so the most I might take besides necessary clothes, is a drink I can shove in a pocket. And I never wear boots unless it is freezing cold. I wear old tennis shoes. Might get a little wet and muddy once in a while but tennies covered in mud might weigh as much as a pair of clean rubber boots and don't seem to hold and carry as much mud either.

 

[NC field hunter]

Thank you so much unclemac and steve!!! I hadnt thought to become familiar with what these things look like partially exposed. are there any signs to look for that would suggest i'm in the right area?? i know my husband has found many points at the park right across from these fields but that was long ago and it has since been covered in grass and such with a baseball field. but i did a bit of research on that location and it was a known hunting ground. i dont even care if i find something good lol i just wanna find SOMETHING

I wish I could help, but I don't want to send you on a wild goose chase. I would love to see the axe that you have, and can tell you if you found an axe in a spot, that is a good spot for points.

 

[vegalyrae]

this is a picture of the axe we found, the location is the same place we will be going to look for anything esle we can find really lol but i would love to find a point

 

[bede2691]

Nice! Been looking over 25 years and haven't found one that big. Where you found that is where I would start looking again. Chances are good that that spot could be a former camp. Not definitely, could be an isolated find? Go slow and look closely. Look the ground over where you found it and you may see the signs of what to look for (flint, rock, broken rock) when seeking new sites. If your field has any terraces up out of the flood plain, especially the first one back, I would look there in addition to the flood channels.

 

[newnan man]

Good luck on your hunt. I grew up north of you near Columbus and lived in Scioto Village. Went to grade school at Scioto Trail school. I would walk those fields for hours usually in the winter and fall. Now it is a lot of no-till and hard to get permission. If your near that river in a plowed field just keep your head down! If you've had rain bring rubber boots (tight fitting) and a small trowel to scrape the mud off them so you can walk. Some of those fields are huge and I've found points over a mile from the river itself.
That river was thick with game and thus many sites dotted its course which is over 200 miles. Scioto they say means Deer River in Shawnee speak. All periods represented from paleo to French/Indian/British. If a creek flows into it so much the better. Travel up it a few bends and start looking. Have fun, this post brought back a ton of great memories. Looking at my old finds right now! Have fun and nice axe.

 

[old digger]

If you are looking for some ground to hunt, and there is no worked farm ground to look, you might want to check out a pasture area that has mole hills. You would be suprised at what those little critters can bring to the surface.

 

[vegalyrae]

thank for the excellent idea!!!

 

[Buckleberry]

KIller AXE!


The conditions you've described for that fields/area are perfect....freshly plowed, known artifacts there ( your axe) and right by the river, some great advice given here so far.

I'd add that as long as you can take the weather, slightly over-cast wet days are the best for me...no shadows to distract and the flint/chert absorbs water and tends to "glow" with color.....of course after you get them home a few days later they dry out and fade a bit, but it sure makes them easier to find....

Also keep going back to that field after every rain, the character of fields change frequently, I hunt them here all year round as long as I can see the ground.

Best of Luck!

 

[NC field hunter]

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=694405"/>

this is a picture of the axe we found, the location is the same place we will be going to look for anything esle we can find really lol but i would love to find a point

Thank you for the view. It is a beauty! Is 3/4 grooved? You should find lots more at that spot. Keep us updated. I got lucky and found a raised ridge that is 9 inches long. Axe heads have been my favorite artifact since. Good luck!!

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Brooke, are you hunting fields just below the Feurt site out by Clay Township? I have hunted those fields before and never found a thing there. I think it may be because they flood so much every year and there is so much silt deposited that the artifacts are too deep to be brought up. Now the fields that are up by the highway on the upper ridge are loaded with artifacts.

 

[larson1951]

keep in mind if you hunt a plowed field after a rain the dirt will be dark when it is still wet.............
........the lighter colored material will show up better when you have wet, dark soil

OTOH when the ground dries it will be lighter colored which will then lend itself to showing the darker pieces

so that is why it can sometimes work to surface hunt a spot (that you know has artifacts) two times once when wet and then a day or so later when it has dried

hope this will help a little my riend

steve b
larson1951

 

[vegalyrae]

THANKS for the heads up!!!

 

[vegalyrae]

Brooke, are you hunting fields just below the Feurt site out by Clay Township? I have hunted those fields before and never found a thing there. I think it may be because they flood so much every year and there is so much silt deposited that the artifacts are too deep to be brought up. Now the fields that are up by the highway on the upper ridge are loaded with artifacts.

that was my main concern, and yes thats where we were planning on going. so...stick to the high ground then??

 

[RGINN]

I have found many points and artifacts but never an axe head like that. A good tip I believe is look for rocks for that don't belong. Material that doesn't occur there, or a large rock in an otherwise flat area. I found a lot of manos, metates, hammerstones, and anvil stones along fencerows, because farmers would toss them there out of the field. Best tip of all, keep your eyes open, which goes back to 'look for rocks that don't belong'. And as an aside, I don't care for the 'think like an Indian' remark. I understand how it was intended, and that's fine and some good pointers, but just think like yourself and how you would utilize an area.