Hunting old home sites?

[TwT]

I never hunted old home sites before and have found a few standing fireplaces with no structure in the middle of the woods and some in fields, know of 5 total standing fireplaces, they are all stone fireplaces and some with just the fire box left, none are whole anymore, I have asked a few people about them and some were from the mid 1800's in age, My question is what am I to expect when hunting these area's? I have a Sovereign GT and have learned to use it pretty good but never really hunted real trashy area's. I know I will go in with all metals wide open, back the where was the popular spots for caches? close to the house, behind fireplace? out in the woods by the house? I know it could be anywhere just wondering if there is a popular choice to find them? but any hint on hunting a home site is what I really need to know and what to exspect?

 

[lastleg]

TwT:

I would concentrate on the insides of the now gone structures to start.
I have made good finds around where the doors were located. I've found
old silver just outide the back door. At one burned cabin many clay marbles were discovered at the six inch deep level. No they were'nt detectected but
after digging metalic signals the marbles were found in each shovel full. Coins
may be scarce but collectibles should be still there. You just have to dig all
signals in those old homesites plue it's a lot of fun to discover relics of the
past.

lastleg

 

[DFX DAVE in M.D.]

Just pick a point and start swinging the detector. You will find a hot spot sooner or later. Then work the hot spots, they could be anywhere. The hot spots might not be even near the fireplace's. Don't give up on it if you come home empty handed often. I had a few woods places that I amost gave up on, then I hit old silver.

 

[fwcrawford]

I have hunted a few homesites like you discribed... only the chimney left and fire box.
They can be challenging due to the large amount of iron all around the site.
Some have given up good finds while others have given up little or nothing.
It takes a lot of patience and when I go into one of these sites, I usually have the attitude that something has got to be there and have a positive attitude to even though I don't have much luck.
I have gone back to places that I have been to previously and made good finds and wondered how they were missed before.
Don't give up too soon an dig all repeatable signals and later start digging the iffy signals too.
A small coil would be of some advantage while hunting these sites too for better target seperation between iron and good targets.
These sites can give up some interesting finds like old tools and other iron implements.
Keep us posted one your progress and lets see some photos.
Good luck,
Felix

 

[jgowans]

I heard once that caches are usually within eyesite of the house. So ma or pa could keep an eye on the goods....

 

[nick.foltz]

I have a older friend (60s). He told me people use to bury their money so many paces from a well.. Not sure if its true or not, but if you find one hit it hard.


Good Luck

Nicholas

 

[Kentucky Kache]

I have a older friend (60s). He told me people use to bury their money so many paces from a well.. Not sure if its true or not, but if you find one hit it hard.


Good Luck

Nicholas

He didn't happen to give you the exact number on those paces, did he?

 

[lastleg]

Maybe it was two smooches and a hug.

 

[nick.foltz]

No he didn't haha. I just imagine it was whatever felt right. I've found some old ball jars that I said in one of my posts, I like to think that it was just paper money. Just hit it hard, and go SLOW. Taking your time is the best thing you can ever do. Thats the best thing I've learned this year.

Good Luck & Happy Hunting

Nicholas

 

[Kentucky Kache]

No he didn't haha. I just imagine it was whatever felt right. I've found some old ball jars that I said in one of my posts, I like to think that it was just paper money. Just hit it hard, and go SLOW. Taking your time is the best thing you can ever do. Thats the best thing I've learned this year.

Good Luck & Happy Hunting

Nicholas

You gave good advise...just have to joke a little

 

[Rifleman]

Try to find any other remains that might have been a garden, chicken coop, barn etc. These were popular areas to hide cashes. Check around the base of trees as well as the trees themselves as sometimes cashes were put in a hole in the tree. Check old wells, but be careful. Sometimes there is a loose brick or built in ledge in the well. I always try to take the time to look at a perspective hunt area and try my best to figure where I would hide a cashe. As mentioned, pay special attention to the fireplace. Most people did not want to put a cashe where someone could see them going to it and it will usually be within eyesight of the house. Check any old fence posts or fence lines. If there are still structures or foundations, draw a triangle in your mind between the three and check in the middle of the triangle.

Best of Luck, John K

 

[Curtis]

Rifleman is right a lot of people hid a cache near the chicken coup, hog pen or horse stalls because the animals worked like a burglar alarm...they would make noise if someone was around. If you find a brick foundation or chimney a black light will often sow you if the mortar is different. It may look the same in daylight or electric lights but the blacklight shows the differences in color real quick.

 

[Rifleman]

Curtis, Great tip on the black light, Thanks, John K

 

[BARGuy]

I found a "bank" some time ago at an old house place in the desert in NM. It was a piece of stove pipe about 24" long & buried straight down in the ground. The lid on this "bank" was a large, flat rock...apparently used as a doorstep for the back door. Investigation revealed an old cold cream jar at the bottom of the pipe. But sadly it was empty.

Literally, do not leave any stone unturned!

 

[Swartzie]

I have hunted a few homesites like you discribed... only the chimney left and fire box.
They can be challenging due to the large amount of iron all around the site.
Some have given up good finds while others have given up little or nothing.
It takes a lot of patience and when I go into one of these sites, I usually have the attitude that something has got to be there and have a positive attitude to even though I don't have much luck.
I have gone back to places that I have been to previously and made good finds and wondered how they were missed before.
Don't give up too soon an dig all repeatable signals and later start digging the iffy signals too.
A small coil would be of some advantage while hunting these sites too for better target seperation between iron and good targets.
These sites can give up some interesting finds like old tools and other iron implements.
Keep us posted one your progress and lets see some photos.
Good luck,
Felix

Indeed! Persistence is the key. You have to keep working a site. Work a couple square feet at a time if you get into a lot of iron (and you will). Try to work in between the iron with very short swings (inches) of the coil. Also, approach the same area from different sides. But, above all be very persistent.
-Swartzie

 

[extractor]

Within eye site of the house is a good place to hunt.

 

[GringoStarr]

Hey TWT,

A very good question, sir.

The answer is to read all the replies to your posting and to utilize all of those that reasonably apply;
simple really.
Before you can do that, you might want to ask yourself a few questions, which will help your focus.
What am I looking for Money, Antiques, Collectibles
If you can hunt with impunity, at one or more of these sites, why not set up for all of the above?
Get yourself a sifter, a metal detctor with a large coil attatchment, a probe, and some camping equipment. Work it as if you must make a profit, old marbles, bottles dumps in the area, hopefully a few coins, perhaps a cluster or deliberate cache of same. You can do alot worse that THM6, THM7, (Karl von Mueller 1961, 1977RAM; 1966, 1974RAM). Man you gotta pay your dues. At the very least you will make friends who will lay down their life for you. You must be honest to a fault, but yet understand human nature, especially with those who are not in the business.
Be sure to take a few pics, and draw a sketch of the area. If you can discretely find out the history of the area and of these sites, you may be inspired to focus, and persist for the goodies are there in some form.

Good luck, and God bless.


Exanimo!

The "Gringo"

 

[Connecticut Sam]

Always search trees for single coins and containers of coins. Always get owner permission.

 

[BigDan]

I am new to this, but here is what I think

Almost no homestead will have a cache left behind. But a few will. Case in point, the ghost town I hunt. I have only just touched it...and have found not one coin, yet.

But I have only recently obtained permission to hunt old sites just outside the town. One, was the home of an outlaw who was arrested, taken from the jail by a mob, and lynched.

A gentleman I spoke with this week while doing research has metal detected that property and he has found coins. My opinion, the "checkbook" cache of the lynched criminal. By "checkbook" I mean that no self respecting criminal would hide all their wealth in one location. But, an easy to dig, easy to reach, cache of money had to be near the home somewhere.

The reason it is spread out is that the whole property, as with every single building in the town, is long gone and replaced by farm fields.

With plenty of time spent on this property I'm certain much more will be found. My method is going to be methodical, careful, detecting of every inch of the soil. Of course that is all I have to go by. But even if I did have some buildings and trees and fencelines...I think I would still just plan a methodical, careful, detecting of the entire property..

 

[Connecticut Sam]

Many great stories.