2 Early Tennessee Home Site Hunts With tenn. digger & Dman TODAY-VIDEO

VOL1266-X

Gold Member
Jan 10, 2007
5,589
2,909
Northern Middle Tennessee
Detector(s) used
Fisher 1266-X, F75 X 2
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
We invited our friend tenn. digger (Donnie) to hunt with us today. Our focus was two early 1800s home sites. In the morning, we hunted a site Donnie had discovered over 20 years ago. This site was where a Revolutionary War Veteran and his family lived during the early 1800s. Donnie had only hunted the old home three times and felt that the site might still hold more relics. Donnie dug a nice flat button that had a waffling design on it. He also dug a cuff button that had a squirrel sitting on a log eating an acorn. That will make a nice addition to his sporting button collection. We all dug buttons, a few musket balls, & brass relics. Site #1 finds for the 2.5 hour hunt are shown on the darker blue towel. Donnie had the best iron find-a curry comb. I thought I had dug the only brass drawer pull for the day but Doug trumped me at site # 2 with a huge brass pull after lunch. Doug & Donnie are shown standing in the old family cemetery there.
Site # 2 was a late 1700s home site near a large spring. This home belonged to a Captain who was an officer in Gen. Andrew Jackson’s Army. Doug had the best find on our 2 hour hunt with a brass “Neck Stock” buckle worn by army Officers that dates to the late 1700s. Donnie said he has only seen 2 of those dug in 40+ years of detecting. Our finds for that hunt are shown on the light blue towel. The buckle is shown in the last pic.
Note-The 2 brass cartridges in the pic are examples of WW2 army maneuvers that we routinely dig in our area. These 2 were dated "42" & "43" on the base indicating a 1942 & 1943 manufacture date code. They were unfired.

We all dug several pieces of very early Tennessee history and enjoyed the day hunting together. HH from Donnie, Doug, & Quindy.
 

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I knew when DMan found that buckle that it was pretty rare but if Johnnyblaze has never found one in his part of the country, then it is SUPER rare to dig one down here. The man that lived in that house was in the Kentucky militia in the late 1700's and was a Major General in the war of 1812. DMan made a real historical find no doubt. Hunting with Quindy and Doug is always a lot of fun. We made a full day of it and my legs are still sore!

I have only found one neck stock buckle. It was on a 1758 British controlled French and Indian War site.
 

Nice job guys,I always love your videos and the neat way you display your relics. We got out a bit hunting yesterday and a good thing too as the next few days are going to be brutal! Any of y'all going to The Dalton show?
 

Tennessee Digger ( Donnie ) I am fascinated by the fact that you appear to be using an older Tesoro of some sort. Tell us about it ? How does it compare in performance and depth to the other detectors used on the hunt
 

Tennessee Digger ( Donnie ) I am fascinated by the fact that you appear to be using an older Tesoro of some sort. Tell us about it ? How does it compare in performance and depth to the other detectors used on the hunt[/QUOTE
I can tell you a little about the guy behind the machine but Donnie will have to tell you about the machine. He is one of the best relic hunters I have ever met. He's like Labron James is to Basketball, Peyton Manning is to football and, Wayne Gretzky to hockey. He can take that machine and hunt rings around people with newer machines. I have learned it is not as much about the machine as it is the guy behind it.
Doug
 

Thanks Dman, I just been hunting a LONG time. Actually Quindy and Doug are much better with their machines than I am, and that's the truth. Doug was digging stuff a foot deep with his Minelab and Quindy, who really doesn't like to hunt house sites but did it for me yesterday is also very good with his F75. He can find stuff in the trash as good as anybody. My old Tesoro is a Golden Sabre plus....not too good in depth but is pretty good in trash. Brass and lead have a different tone most of the time but deep iron sounds good however. I'm just used to that machine. The key to success in relic hunting is finding a new site and being the first one there, it's not so much the kind of machine that you have but be the first! To the victor goes the spoils. Also having good hunting buddies doesn't hurt either:laughing9:, I'm blessed. Dman, did you look up that buckle? It's a good 'un! Tennessee digger aka Labron Payton Gretsky!!!:laughing7:
 

Roaddust66...to answer your question, the newer machines are MUCH better than my old Tesoro. No comparison. I'm just used to it in trashy areas and it doesn't pick up a nail even on 0 discrimination. It is like having an old truck with 200,000 miles on it but it still runs good and you are comfortable driving it. The F75's and many others a much better however, make no mistake about it.
 

Tenn Digger , I know exactly how those old Tesoros are on iron :icon_thumleft: And I have known people who can go out with a group and be snickered at because of the brand or age of a machine their using only to put a " hoo doo " on all of them ! LOL Seeing you running that old Tesoro put a smile on my face and i had a pretty good ideal why you were using it !
 

Tenn Digger , I know exactly how those old Tesoros are on iron :icon_thumleft: And I have known people who can go out with a group and be snickered at because of the brand or age of a machine their using only to put a " hoo doo " on all of them ! LOL Seeing you running that old Tesoro put a smile on my face and i had a pretty good ideal why you were using it !


Ditto to what Dman said R66. Donnie began relic hunting shortly after he returned from his service in Vietnam. He knows the 2 machines that he hunts with like Peyrton knows football. He introduced me to the "Star Trek" hunting methodology. When hunting a place that has been hunted hard, go where no one has gone before. He and our friend John Freeman from OK are the best hunters who I have had the honor to hunt with. HH, Q.

 

Well that looks like it was a blast. You know, there's still some stuff to dig at a place where you can recover a drawer pull like that. Nice tombac button there from the second site, and of course the neck stock buckle too. Please let me know if that stock buckle is going to end up in the 69 cent bin at Dman's store. I'd appreciate a call if it does, I might just have to make a trip to TN while there is a sale on bullets and more.

Cheers,

Buck
 

Man that looked like some great times there fellows. I wish I had one buddy that liked to detect as good as me but I don't think there is one around me. Congrats on the finds & making great memories. Good Luck On Your Next Site :thumbsup:
 

Tennessee Digger ( Donnie ) I am fascinated by the fact that you appear to be using an older Tesoro of some sort. Tell us about it ? How does it compare in performance and depth to the other detectors used on the hunt[/QUOTE
I can tell you a little about the guy behind the machine but Donnie will have to tell you about the machine. He is one of the best relic hunters I have ever met. He's like Labron James is to Basketball, Peyton Manning is to football and, Wayne Gretzky to hockey. He can take that machine and hunt rings around people with newer machines. I have learned it is not as much about the machine as it is the guy behind it.
Doug

Be careful, Digger. From what I have read about Dman, he may be buttering you up to buy lunch! J/K....he has to be ok wearing an USAF cap.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Great hunt guys and great video! I get excited to see relics from the 1700's around here. It's not often to find sites that old in Tennessee. Can't wait for the next one :icon_thumright:
 

Awesome finds there Quindy. Haven't been on here for a couple days and just now saw it. Gotta love those colonial/revolutionary war finds. They are just as fun finding as civil war relics. Good to see y'all getting out. We are hoping to get out this weekend. Congrats on your finds.
 

Thanks for all the replies. BB, I'll buy some of those 69 cent .69 cal. dropped CW 3 ringers for you at Doug's store-LOL. I won't tell the story but it will be revealed in the letters to American Digger Magazine in an issue later this year. Believe me, it's worth waiting for and hilarious. Only Doug. BTW, those who think that we are so hard on poor old Doug, send me your address and we'll send him to aggravate you to death for a while-LOL. HH, Q.
 

Thanks for all the replies. BB, I'll buy some of those 69 cent .69 cal. dropped CW 3 ringers for you at Doug's store-LOL. I won't tell the story but it will be revealed in the letters to American Digger Magazine in an issue later this year. Believe me, it's worth waiting for and hilarious. Only Doug. BTW, those who think that we are so hard on poor old Doug, send me your address and we'll send him to aggravate you to death for a while-LOL. HH, Q.

Q-
I heard the story and laughed my butt off. :laughing7: I wish I had known about the sale, it would have been worth the drive over. That's cheaper than Walmart!
 

Well that looks like it was a blast. You know, there's still some stuff to dig at a place where you can recover a drawer pull like that. Nice tombac button there from the second site, and of course the neck stock buckle too. Please let me know if that stock buckle is going to end up in the 69 cent bin at Dman's store. I'd appreciate a call if it does, I might just have to make a trip to TN while there is a sale on bullets and more.

Cheers,

Buck[/QUOTE
That hurts deep Bucks. I have been going to therapy since my employee sold my .69 cal. and .58 cal. bullets for 69 and 58 cents. You may have pushed my recovery time back by a few months. LOL
 

DMan.....That CSA buckle that you found is actually a Cub Scouts of American buckle so I'll do you a favor and give you $5.00 for it. Deal? Oh, by the way, you got any .54 caliber bullets?
 

Sound like a really fun day, that neck stock buckle is a really good find and having the good weather sure made it nice, being were covered with artic temps again.
good hunting,stay warm. Bill
 

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DMan.....That CSA buckle that you found is actually a Cub Scouts of American buckle so I'll do you a favor and give you $5.00 for it. Deal? Oh, by the way, you got any .54 caliber bullets?[/QUOTE

You , Quindy and Buckleboy know how to kick a guy when he is down. You three will be removed from my Valentine's card list and put on my, " Hope you find a pull tab list".
 

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