Need some help from the experts on creekwalking

[USMC1986]

Hey all...I've read up some on creekwalking and I really want to make a go of it since all the corn and bean fields here are impossible to walk through and find anything. If anyone can chime in on this topic, I would greatly appreciate it! On Labor Day, I plan on walking a creek with my hip waders. The creek has a known village site upstream and I plan to get in near a bridge and walk upstream to where two streams come together...this where the site once was. Any tips on places to focus on? I'm darn near tempted to go buy some snorkeling gear, just so I can see into the water better.
I've done a little creek walking, with no success in other spots and I feel I may be passing by some artifacts but just not seeing them. Any info from the experts here Thanks in advance!

Semper Fi
Dan

 

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[MEinWV]

For a little more info, check out www.nativewayonline.com and go to the 'arrowhead hunters primer' for good info on the subject.

Try making a waterscope. Get about a 12" to 15" length of 6 or 8 inch. dia. PVC.
Paint the inside flat black and mount a handle of some sort for carrying.

Good luck! HH

 

[DD-777]

Hey! Check out this link (if video doesn't come up). I've watched most of this guys creek walking vids and you could pick up a lot of info just by listening to him about what he looks for. Hope this helps!

 

[pickaway]

Take it slow, i also like smaller creeks with gravel i concentrate more on the gravel sand bars and the creeks banks than looking in the water itself.I'm no expert but i have found em.Its alot harder to see them.

 

[creekhunter]

Some creeks are better than others, most of ours are just too rocky, the ones with sandy or mud bottoms are more productive

 

[blindpig]

I’m no expert but I’ve had a few ideas about this creek hunt’n thing . USMC 1986 I don’t think the mask and snorkel thing is that crazy , good way to go for gold , in creeks . BE CAREFUL, when wearing a mask your mind and vision are focused on one thing , plenty of other things are found in creeks and rivers ,old fence , cars, roots etc. all not good to walk or swim in to !! Now, you must have watched a few of Steves creek hunt’n You-Tubes , there great! I was watching one ,had an idea about possibly using a rake/hoe ? And raking an area after finding a point or two , walk away for 20 min. let the water clear and have another look ?





ME in WV had mentioned in his re-post here about a “waterscope”, I’ve used this self-made view-tube for gold prospecting . I prefer to use mask and snorkel but waders and this tube may work for you ? The best use I’ve found with this view-tube is when filming my gold dredge. Now I don’t believe this tube would be vary practical way to hunt points in a shallow Steve type creek , but it would make for some fine in-situ pic’s.

Here are some pic.’s from my “ view through water test”, make of it as you will.







Water with a few “ripples “, how many points do you see ?





Perfect conditions, in about nine in. Of water , two points?







View through the tube ; Do you see all seven of my points ? I just had to throw that nugget in , but I must say it just doesn’t shine the same near these points , ?


Sincerely; Blindpig

 

[DD-777]

Awesome job and great info with the pics BP!!! I think I'm going to have to make me up one of those 'scopes. Very cool...

 

[USMC1986]

That waterscope is awesome! I'll have to try and rig one up. Thanks for all the tips.

Semper Fi
Dan

 

[curbdiggercarl57]

View through the tube ; Do you see all seven of my points ? I just had to throw that nugget in , but I must say it just doesn’t shine the same near these points , ?



Ahhh! I can only see six! Show me! Very informative, thank you.

 

[*Molly*]

I see six points. Informative post Thankyou.

Molly

 

[stonecracker59]

Hello USMC creek walking is not to difficult concentrate on sshallo water and where the ripples are look clostly at the gravel points will get hung in there,and where the bank is collasped also look for burnt rock it will have a red shade to it usually means fire pit you really have to look hard in the gravel if it is dry they are hard to see in the dirt also I,ve been doing this for 30yrs.now and I still have trouble spotting them hope this helps you out.

Howard

 

[Ohio_Doug]

I see 7

 

[blindpig]

Son of a gun, looks like there REALLY WAS seven of them after all , hmm... better start looking through that gravel..again . Hay , speaking of gravel ,where's Airborn ? ,.... bet he could find a few more in that pic.

Sincerely; Blindpig

 

[relix]

I made my first try at creek hunting today also. It happend just by chance and I guess you could say that the posters on this site talked me into it. I stopped by today to ask if the farmer would mind if I walked through his tobbacco field and of course he said no. This site is a great Mississippian Era site bordered by 2 creeks that eventually feed into to river about 2000 feet downstream. One of the creeks are much larger than the other and that is the creek I tried. Before I pulled out of the farmers driveway to head back to the tobbacco field and yelled and told me that maybe I should check the creek banks out. The creek is littered with Native camp sites for at least 15 miles that I know of. Trade must have been pretty good in this area also, because we find so many different materials. After finding about 10 points and a few sherds and shells, I decided I would give the creek a try. I walked down and started scoping out the rocky beaches and looking into the water. I had almost decided to give up when it happend. I saw a shiny black rock in the creek and thought I would pick it up just to see if it was in fact flint. When I pulled it out of the water it was a pretty nice point and the water had semi smoothed parts of the point. The point was stained brown on one side but the other was face up. I imagine this point had the other side up for some time to be stained like this. I was hooked from this time on. I only had pants and boots on and I would say it was 60-65 degrees. I didn't care. I started up stream but the falling leaves were almost over powering. They had covered most of the pebble outcroppings and were covering most of the calmer pools. I had hunted maybe 20 minutes after I found the point when I hit the jackpot again. I found a 3/4 grooved axe that only sported slight damage toward the blunt end. A very fine piece and again this also had stain part of it. This of course was my first time and I found something that really helped me. When I was in parts of the creek that looked good that had ripple I would set my walking stick just across the top of the water up stream and this would also give me a clear view. I am confident this creek will give me many fine artifacts to come. The next off day I have I plan on taking another trip up the creek.

 

[flip]

I always wear polorized sunglasses, allows you to see through the surface glare.

 

[saftgeek]

What a great video. I can't believe this guy posted this on youtube. This property is located less than 5 miles from my house... I recognized the long culverts and the storm drain. This is all private property and the guy who owns it would skin this dude if he found him on there. I know you're looking for some suggestions on how to walk creeks and look for arrowheads, but trust me on this one... NEVER walk from a highway or road onto private property. If you want to creek walk, make sure to speak with the landowner. Just because you can travel while walking in a little trickle of water, you are still trespassing if you don't have permission. Before someone posts that I can't be sure he didn't have permission... I know the owners on both sides of the highway personally and they would never allow anyone to pick up points, let alone video it and post it on the internet.

That video really depressed me.

Good luck and get permission.

Saftgeek...

 

[MEinWV]

Good point saftgeek! Check with your state on the laws. Some states allow for walking and/or navigating certain waterways, as long as you remain in the water or riverbed.

 

[Billco]

I think its federal law that navigatable waters are all accessible to the public. Where the argument would come in in some states is what navigatable means. I suppose one could put up an argument that anything that even partly floats you is navigation. I spend a lot of time in Colorado and tubing and kayaking down waterways that are almost dry part of the year is a very big sport. I live in Alabama and people have a right to access tiny canals near the coast.

In a lot of states, especially on the coast, try diverting a creek or filling in a swamp and you would find out real quick who really owns the water.

 

[BuffaloBob]

For a little more info, check out www.nativewayonline.com and go to the 'arrowhead hunters primer' for good info on the subject. Try making a waterscope. Get about a 12" to 15" length of 6 or 8 inch. dia. PVC.
Paint the inside flat black and mount a handle of some sort for carrying. Good luck! HH

Great advice. I checked out that site, Thanks. And I'm making a waterscope today. I'm checking some likely spots on the high plains of Colorado. 8)

 

[ohioaxeman]

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