I’m seeing red!

[BobGuy]

Well, it seems I’m seeing red these days. This is the third killer redish colored point I’ve found since the start of the year. The colors are awesome and it wold have been a total smoker if it wasn’t a little dinged up. I think it’s a Hardin which makes it 10,000+ years old!

Here’s the twist.

I was with my 6 and 4 year old when I found the point. I’ve spent the last 5 weekends straight working on the house and we had a nice day so I took the day off to go adventuring with the kids.

We left the house around 10 and started at a field in the Mississippi River bottoms where I knew they’d find a bag full of flakes and maybe a broken point or two. I wanted to get them warmed up.

They found a bunch of flakes and some potentially utilized flakes... hard to tell.

We stopped by DQ for hamburgers and shakes and then headed to my best creek.

My oldest was talking about how bad he wanted to find a point so I was really hoping he’d stumble across one.

Sure enough, though, being 4 and 6 they wanted to throw rocks and dig in the sand. That was fine with me because they were entertained and I was able to focus.

So I come across this bad boy on the other side of the creek where the boys were digging in a rock bar and I was trying to figure out what to do with it. If I point it out and have them come over then they’ll fight over it. If I call just one over then the other is left out. I didn’t want to keep it for myself because I wanted one of them to experience the excitement.

I decided that I’d plant it for my oldest.. I guess that’s just the perk of being the oldest. So I walk over to where they were digging and left it in a very conspicuous spot for my 6 year old to find it. I kept point in the direction telling him that he needs to dig over there and he ended up stepping on the damn thing and still didn’t see it! Haha

I ended up sticking it in the hole that he was digging and told him that he needs to watch closely in case something pops up. Finally, he notices it and the look of excitement was priceless!

Here’s my question. Am I wrong for planting that and letting him believe that he found his first point digging in a sand bar? How long can I keep that lie up and is he going to be super disappointed one day if he finds out?

Or does it not matter because he found an awesome point and that’s that??

What do you think?

 

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[ptsofnc]

Keep it a secret until much later in life when you can both laugh about it. Great story.

 

[Tdog]

We do these things out of love. I wouldn't tell him right away either.

 

[MAMucker]

I think that only the greatest of Dad’s would take the time to wonder about these things.

 

[dognose]

No, not wrong. Sometimes they are just not there when the yutes want to go. Trying to get them interested and keeping them interested is a challenge.

Its done out of affection and desire for them to experience the thrill of the find at that time instead of not finding anything and viewing it as a possible boring event.

My granddaughters when they were young used to look at my relic frames and so they developed an interest in them - to some degree.

The second oldest spoke a number a few times that she wanted to go out in the field with me. Being small she could not get in the serious mud, conditions need to be just right.

When the conditions seemed good, I took her out to a few fields I had found many relics in the past. This was about 8 years ago when she was about six. A tough time for them to focus. My wife had me take a handful of broken relics from my bins. While I had found many relics there, that day was looking like a wash.

She would be looking at the hawks or the other critters while walking the field. When she was not looking, I would sometimes toss one out strategically for her to find. She was having a great day. Outside, animals around and finding Indian relics.

We got home after a while and she was telling nana about about her relics and I and the animals I was helping her wash the rocks when on a large flaked tool I noticed catalog number under nail polish. WHOOPS!

Quickly palming it I was able to exchange it for a similar looking relic for her to show to others that evening and put in her new frame.

It turned out well and she is now does a lot of fishing, camping and kayaking. Shes is great granddaughter. Her interest in the outdoors has grown through the years.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

There hopefully will be many more trips out and opportunity for a real find...either way, I’ll keep my opinions to myself.

Who’s to second guess?

 

[sandchip]

He won't know unless you tell him, or he reads your post one day. "What the...Dad!", and you're like, "Oh, oh."

 

[Toecutter]

You gave him the will to hunt, way better then leaving skunked... well done sir!

 

[MAMucker]

Who hasn’t hooked a fish and then handed the pole to their son (or daughter) to reel in? I’ve been surprised at how many grownups I’ve meet who hate fishing because their dad made sure it was a miserable event.

Who hasn’t run into a gentle breeze to launch a kite and then hand the string to your little one to fly?

How about setting your child on a bicycle and holding her steady while running down the road until she can propel herself along? Is that cheating her of the pain and rewards of letting her figure it out on her own?

 

[SD51]

Great story and you've created an indelible memory that will never be forgotten!

 

[Gaspipe]

My youngest loved turtles as a kid ; always wanted to catch one for a pet. So I went out and caught one . Took him for a walk in the woods with my kid, planted the turtle and he found it. He was thrilled. Never told him until he was 19 . We still laugh about it . Great memory.

 

[A2coins]

The funny part is the Wife gets there before all of you and litters the place with points and relics so she can have some free time Just Kiddin your a good Dad and everyone wants the best for thier Kids Thats was a good experiance for Him priceless. Tommy

 

[Rookster]

Nice one.

 

[joshuaream]

I basically did the same thing for my kids their first few times hunting. Nothing wrong with building a positive experience. Mimicking behaviors is how most animals learn basic things.

Look at how lions teach their cubs to hunt. You were doing the same thing, but replace the gazelle with a artifact.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3429745/amp/Taught-kill-mummy-Lion-cub-shown-hunt-lioness-wounds-prey-lets-youngster-finish-off.html

 

[arrow86]

Great find , I think your fine just next time find 2 so the little one isn’t left out but I’m
Sure it’s only a matter of time before they start finding them on their own .... I was about 8 when I really started finding them on my own and than it was really fun to walk up to my mom and open my hand full of points and see her reaction. Soon there young eyes will be spotting them before dad and they may be planting them for you lol

 

[Jon Stewart]

You started out doing the right thing by stopping to DQ,lol

You did good.

 

[BobGuy]

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful responses!

What I find funny now is that he doesn’t refer to it as his artifact, projectile point or even arrowhead but he calls it his Hardin.

I’m sure I’ll tell him one day but it’ll be later in life as most have suggested.

Poor number two always seems to come in second so I’ll have to make sure I get him one next time or bring one from the collection! ��

What’s going to be interesting is when number three and four want to come along. I won’t have a collection anymore after I’ve planted points for everyone! ��

 

[joshuaream]

What’s going to be interesting is when number three and four want to come along. I won’t have a collection anymore after I’ve planted points for everyone! ��

Yes, but think about later on... you can have 5 trained people out hunting when the sites are prime. 10 eyes are better than 2.

 

[CCDAMEEK]

Hey, You may have "planted" it, but in reality, he did actually "find" it. Tell him when he is grown with kids of his own. It will be a good learning experience for him to try to be a great Dad like the one he has.

 

[BobGuy]

Thanks! ��