Trying not to get discouraged

[P47RCFlyer]

A friend and I went out today to an old homesite with permission. Hunted and hunted, nothing but junk. Went to the local park/baseball field, found nothing. Went to the bleachers at the local high school, found $.46.

Not sure what i'm doing wrong, LOL.

 

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[Gunrunner61]

Flyer,
Do a little research on the Texas Rangers, I used to live in Amarillo, And
Used to read alot about them. Seems like the Indian wars had a few Battles
Around your area, and don't forget the Mexican army.....Look in the Forums here
for State by state and go to the Texas forum....Might find some help there....
Just don't give up...All good things take time.....................HH

 

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[P47RCFlyer]

You guys have some great info and ideas i never had thought of. Thanks for sharing, these leads will give me some good food for thought.

 

[ctitech0019]

After reading everyone's supportive posts and encouraging advice, i have pretty decided at this point i do need to do like you have suggested and just dig it all. I would sure hate to miss something good because of my inexperience.

also ,side note , dug a pull tab, oh darn, checked the hole again got a nice silver ping , out came a 46 rosie dime , yee haw !

 

[cti4sw]

lol with those Beep-N-Dig detectors, you should be digging every repeatable solid signal you hear, regardless of what your display tells you.

 

[P47RCFlyer]

Have a big hunt planned for tomorrow to a former mid 1800's ferry crossing/town site. I am hoping for some success. I will post if i find anything.

 

[Digging Deeper]

I tried MDing a few years ago and did not do much research or take time to learn my machine. After about 2 or 3 days of trash digging with nothing but a little clad I got discouraged and put my machine away. After watching those two guys on tv and reading here I got all fired back up. Got my Bounty Hunter 505 out of the closet and read the manual a few times. I combed the yard again and again only this time I was findings stuff. Hit a few Rosie's this go round in places I had already searched. I think digging all that trash cleaned the yard up enough to find some good stuff LOL. I recently got a new machine and hope to learn it in the next few decades (I'm a slow learner). Good luck at the ferry crossing.

a day without pull tabs is like a day without sunshine.

 

[Ruslanmd]

Don't worry.You not the only one.I went out for an hour tonight on the snow -half bucket full of junk and 27 cents.

 

[P47RCFlyer]

I tried MDing a few years ago and did not do much research or take time to learn my machine. After about 2 or 3 days of trash digging with nothing but a little clad I got discouraged and put my machine away. After watching those two guys on tv and reading here I got all fired back up. Got my Bounty Hunter 505 out of the closet and read the manual a few times. I combed the yard again and again only this time I was findings stuff. Hit a few Rosie's this go round in places I had already searched. I think digging all that trash cleaned the yard up enough to find some good stuff LOL. I recently got a new machine and hope to learn it in the next few decades (I'm a slow learner). Good luck at the ferry crossing.

a day without pull tabs is like a day without sunshine.

Thanks. It is a very promising site based on historical records.

 

[P47RCFlyer]

Well, so much for the big hopes in finding anything valuable. My hunting friend and I trudged through briars/thorn bushes so thick you could hardly see through it all for about a mile to get the ferry landing. Once there the only open areas were few and hard to detect in. The ground was covered mostly in stickers and briar vines. The amazing thing is that the old road, ferry dock area and the river bank cut out are all remarkably intact as i had pictured in my mind. This ferry crossing is from the 1830's up to the 1870's. My hunting buddy and i were VERY disappointed to not have found anything of value. This is all I found, a horseshoe and a bridle buckle. I'm told the ferry was pulled from side to side by mules so this could be from one of these or who knows. I'm very concerned that i am doing something wrong with my MD'ing. This site being a MAJOR location for river crossing traffic that included the likes of Sam Houston, Jean Lafitte and other government dignitaries should be littered with coins and other relics i would think. There is no question as to us being in the correct spot. I'm 100000000% sure we nailed the site based on some of the 70+ year old locals who verbally guided us to the location and all the many days and hours of research we did prior to heading out there.

What can we do to improve our chances of finding stuff here? My hunting buddy and i were scratching our heads in disbelief that this is all we found. We are VERY excited to have located the site but that is all the excitement we could muster, LOL.

I'm using the BH Tracker IV, all metal, discrimination set to low, sensitivity high. ANY suggestions or advice will be GREATLY appreciated.



Almost forgot..........I also found these old bottles at the old town cemetary. Pepsi and Coke.

 

[WHADIFIND]

I'm very concerned that i am doing something wrong with my MD'ing. I'm 100000000% sure we nailed the site based on some of the 70+ year old locals who verbally guided us to the location and all the many days and hours of research we did prior to heading out there.

What can we do to improve our chances of finding stuff here? My hunting buddy and i were scratching our heads in disbelief that this is all we found.

Well, I'm not the best one to ask advice of but, since you asked I'll try.

Here's a list pf things that come to mind.

1.Since this is a "known" place to some of the locals, maybe the place has been hunted hard in the past?
2.Maybe it's highly mineralized?
3.Being near the water, maybe there's a large accumulation of silt from flooding in the past?
4.Could the shoreline have been further back in the old days? River was bigger then? (try comparing some aerial photos over the years)
5.Is it a brackish river? Salt?
6.When you dug, were there layers of different soils?
7.Maybe the items were washed further down shore during floods over the years?
8.Lastly, maybe the tight fingered, money grabbers wouldn't lose anything?

Hopefully, something up there helps. Maybe not directly, but get you thinking in different ways.
One thing I've found to be truest over the years I've dug, is that it's never where you think it is, it's where you find it.

HH! and good luck!

 

[P47RCFlyer]

Well, went back to the same area again yesterday. This figure 8 and a few square nails is all i found. I may be being a bit to dramatic about this but i'm really getting discouraged. This site we are hunting was one of the largest settlements of the mid to late 1800's in our county. It was a bustling town with a ferry crossing, post office, saloon, hotel, wagon factory, cotton mil, plantations, and who knows what all else. My hunting bud and i have spent weeks and weeks researching and gathering data on the history of this community. Based on all the data and a few old timers in the area, we are dead nuts on the town site. We have plotted all the GPS coordinates, made waypoints, tracking/trail points and every other thing we can do. YET, we can only find a few nails, a horseshoe and this crazy looking figure 8, (no, it's not a house number). It appears to have been approx. 3/16" to a 1/4" thick at some point.

My common sense and knowledge of history tells me there is something wrong here. I'm seeing guys on here finding 1800's era stuff in city parks for crying out loud. We are at the site of where it all happened and are not finding nothing but crap. Am i just expecting too much or am i crazy, LOL ?

I guess i just don't have a lot of patience. I can see why a lot of people don't last too long in this hobby. It is a wonderful hobby and i am going to stay with it but after a while not finding anything is starting to get old. That is the reason i left it before, never found nothing. However the history books in my area say there are tons of historical sites scattered about but i come home empty every trip. Do i need a better detector or what could i possibly be doing wrong? My hunting bud pretty much has the same luck i'm having most of the time. Our detectors appear to be working fine, it tones on metal and trash as it should.

I'm using my BH IV, all metal, discrim on low. The soil is mostly rich and sandy. After about 6 inches it turns to thick gooey clay. I sincerely doubt anyone has ever hunted this area. It is about 200 acres of the thickest briars and underbrush you can imagine except for the old road leading ferry dock and that immediate area. There are a few clearings here and there where the town site was supposed to have been but otherwise it appears to have been uninhabited for many many many years.

 

[Scotdixon]

I promise you it will get better,learn those tones and break your back! You never know. I have hit burn out places 3 or 4 times and then bam, remember there are many types of treasures! I passed iron for years and sarched only for juice, what a mistake! No wonder it took me so long to find a stirrup....

 

[wayne999]

Don't get discouraged. I have been going out with my Md just about every day since last Sept. and have had some gread finds. Yesterday I went to a new section of beach for me spent 3 1/2 hours and found 1 penny and three pouches of junk. Still had fun and am going back out today, but not there.. Have fun and learn your machine

 

[WHADIFIND]

The soil is mostly rich and sandy. After about 6 inches it turns to thick gooey clay. I sincerely doubt anyone has ever hunted this area. It is about 200 acres of the thickest briars and underbrush you can imagine except for the old road leading ferry dock and that immediate area. There are a few clearings here and there where the town site was supposed to have been but otherwise it appears to have been uninhabited for many many many years.

May I try to help? I've made a list of a few possible causes in this post before but I don't know if any of them helped. Let me try a few suggestions here and let me know if any sound feasible to you.

1.) Since this is a ferry location, (water), do a little research into possible floods in that area over the years. You mentioned that there's about 6 inches of sandy soil over a clay base. I don't know a lot about soils but that seems kinda shallow to me. Almost as if there have been regular floods to wash away top soil over the years. My point? Maybe the finds are further downstream than you figured. Or, gone altogether?
2.) If you're sure the detectors are acting correctly, try taking the access road and hunt backwards toward the main road. Start near the ferry and work back up one side of the road to see what sort of finds appear. I'm thinking that at some point the types of finds will change. When you get past the point of any flood plain.
3.) Bury a few examples in the soil so you know what they are and see how your detector acts.
4.) Take a screen next time and scrape a few yards up to see what actually shows up in the screen. If nothing shows, then see number 1.
5.) If there are any trees in the area, Try hunting very close around the bases. Sometimes the roots will hold things, even in a washout.

Most of all, don't let one failed spot spoil it all for you. Take a break from trying to force it to give up something you just KNOW has to be there. Try going somewhere that is more of a "normal" spot. A known school/church/park/etc. If you've had success somewhere, go there for a bit. The key is to find SOMETHING! ANYTHING! Even a day with a lot of clad quarters will put a smile on your face. I gar-ron-tee!

Then, the next time you do try your researched spot, go with an open mind and not expecting anything. Dig everything for a bit and see what shows up.
Also, try researching another spot for a change.

I sympathize with you and am very interested in seeing how this plays out for you. Keep us advised of your updates.

Good luck and HH!

 

[WHADIFIND]

I passed iron for years and sarched only for juice...

WOW! If you were passing iron for years!!! Sounds like you didn't NEED any juice!!! LOL (sorry, couldn't resist! )

 

[P47RCFlyer]

Thanks for the input guys. I told my hunting bud we need to get away from this place for a while. I need to boost my interest by finding something, LOL.

1.) Since this is a ferry location, (water), do a little research into possible floods in that area over the years. You mentioned that there's about 6 inches of sandy soil over a clay base. I don't know a lot about soils but that seems kinda shallow to me. Almost as if there have been regular floods to wash away top soil over the years. My point? Maybe the finds are further downstream than you figured. Or, gone altogether? VERY POSSIBLE.
2.) If you're sure the detectors are acting correctly, try taking the access road and hunt backwards toward the main road. Start near the ferry and work back up one side of the road to see what sort of finds appear. I'm thinking that at some point the types of finds will change. When you get past the point of any flood plain. NO ACCESS ROADS, ONLY THE OLD MAIN ROAD
3.) Bury a few examples in the soil so you know what they are and see how your detector acts. GOOD IDEA. WE WILL TRY THIS NEXT TIME
4.) Take a screen next time and scrape a few yards up to see what actually shows up in the screen. If nothing shows, then see number 1.
5.) If there are any trees in the area, Try hunting very close around the bases. Sometimes the roots will hold things, even in a washout. NOTHING BUT TREES AND THICK BRIARS. SO MUCH THAT IT IS HARD TO DETECT ANYTHING.

I will try to post a couple pictures of the area to give a better idea.

 

[WHADIFIND]

About the "no access roads". I understand there are none now. But, it was a ferry. So, it did have a road at one time. Figure out where it went and track back a bit. Next time? Pack a machete. Clear some of the bramble out of the way to see what might be where you can't swing.

Let us know!

HH!

 

[P47RCFlyer]

About the "no access roads". I understand there are none now. But, it was a ferry. So, it did have a road at one time. Figure out where it went and track back a bit. Next time? Pack a machete. Clear some of the bramble out of the way to see what might be where you can't swing.

Let us know!

HH!

Actually, last time we went we both had machetes for clearing. We found the road from the old ferry dock and followed it uphill for about 100 yards or so. All we found was square nails. Some of these nails were big and some small but nothing else. Based on all our research we were right in the midst of the towns original location. That is why i am so amazed, if we are finding square nails then why is nothing else there? Not one coin found. If the river had washed up that far then why did it not wash the nails downstream as well? We are finding these nails approx. 3-4 inches down.

 

[mariposagold]

I set a minimum of $1.00 for short hunts. If I don't find that much in clad, I don't get to go home. My start for this year has been slow. 3 rings and maybe 15 - $20 in clad. Very disappointing, but I remain optimistic that I will once again get back in the zone. It took my 3 months when I first started, before I started to make good finds, like gold rings and silver coins. So don't be discouraged now, the fun has yet to begin. HH

 

[P47RCFlyer]

I set a minimum of $1.00 for short hunts. If I don't find that much in clad, I don't get to go home. My start for this year has been slow. 3 rings and maybe 15 - $20 in clad. Very disappointing, but I remain optimistic that I will once again get back in the zone. It took my 3 months when I first started, before I started to make good finds, like gold rings and silver coins. So don't be discouraged now, the fun has yet to begin. HH

Thanks guys. I'm gonna stay the course and hopefully find something other than junk soon. I'm also thinking of upgrading to a AT Pro from my tracker IV. I want to better my chances all I can and digging crap constantly is killing my back. I need a detector that will at least give me a clue what I'm about to dig. Ideas? Thoughts? Suggestions?