Utterly And Thoroughly Disgusted!

[Eric Willoughby]

I have been hard at it, day 7 now, putting in entire days into searching very old homesites with ZERO results!! You would think I would find a bent up spoon, a stove leg, a wheat, a rotten leather watch fob, a small tin canister or even modern clad...... NO!

I have come up with nothing but rusted nails by the pounds, trimmings from the old tin roof, a piece of lead (not a bullet), aluminum scraps, an old metal bolt washer, fence wire, and broken glass chips. And this is all came from a house built in 1890, and was used as a boarding house between WW1 and WW2. You would think with all the comings and goings going on at this house, that someone, at some time may have at least dropped a dang tin trade token or something of decent taste.

I knew going into this hobby that I was going to dig trash, but this is freaking ridiculous! All I do is dig trash.

 

[Felinepeachy]

Been there, done that. It happens to us all Crunch but you just have to work through the pain. Uhg, it sucks though

 

[pistol perfect]

The story of my life!

 

[Kenosha Kid]

Cap'n ~ try and look at this from my perspective ...

You are out there actually detecting and, with that, comes the chance (however remote it may be) of finding something worthwhile.

Me? I'm still waiting for the snow to melt. Right now, I'd settle for the rusted nails, etc. for it'd mean I would be enjoying the outdoors & not just going outside only to shovel snow.

 

[nova]

It is frustrating that's part of the adventure, you gotta get used to it or hang it up.

 

[bookfisher]

First of all stop digging iron and stop digging big loud junk signals near the surface. Start off concentrating on deepish 2 to 6 inch smaller targets with a nice repeatable, consistant tone. You can always go back and dig the loud surface junk and iron signals.

 

[SeaninNH]

Screw that. Dig EVERYTHING! You will find something that you consider "good" sooner or later. It's part of the hobby. Cleaning the planet while you search for treasures.

 

[umrgolf]

Sounds like the yards are filled. Next.

 

[treasurefiend]

Well when I started this hobby everybody said to dig everything, I went out and that lasted all about an hour. I say dig the solid signals (yes you will still get some trash), after awhile of seeing certain targets dig a few to see what they are - if they are nails or screw caps then remember what the signal looks like and skip those. Now with that being said you will miss ALL of the goodies that come up as IFFY/bouncy signals but since your just trying to get started with finding goodies I say just dig the solid signals for now.

Later on once you are comfortable with the solid signals branch out and start to dig some bouncy signals, once you recognize the tones its a whole different ball game while hunting for good iffy signals.

 

[zaxfire69]

You could always take up a career as a hand model like me! Ha Ha Just kiddin man! Had to get you back for the Frankenberry hand comment the other day. Look don't get frustrated. To me it sounds like you have a legit site to hunt. I don't know how your site is laid out, but if I was in your situation here is what I would do. Instead of starting in the high trash concentrated area you are digging in just move out and start farther away from all that trash. Just say you know your house is in the center. Move as far out away from the house and start to detect in towards the house. Typically the farther away from a structure the less trash targets you will get. Start out work your way back in. Listen we ALL dig trash to get those finds that we post on here. There are days when all I find is can slaw and a Stinkin Lincoln or 2. Just hang in there Cap N.. The good stuff will show up soon. I bet ya!

 

[Eric Willoughby]

You could always take up a career as a hand model like me! Ha Ha Just kiddin man! Had to get you back for the Frankenberry hand comment the other day. Look don't get frustrated. To me it sounds like you have a legit site to hunt. I don't know how your site is laid out, but if I was in your situation here is what I would do. Instead of starting in the high trash concentrated area you are digging in just move out and start farther away from all that trash. Just say you know your house is in the center. Move as far out away from the house and start to detect in towards the house. Typically the farther away from a structure the less trash targets you will get. Start out work your way back in. Listen we ALL dig trash to get those finds that we post on here. There are days when all I find is can slaw and a Stinkin Lincoln or 2. Just hang in there Cap N.. The good stuff will show up soon. I bet ya!

LOL Good one Zax. I did exactly that today, started on the outer property and worked my way in. I also ignored the really loud signals and focused on the faint/lower/iffy signals, it was all just super deep junk. So much house debri, that I could hardly separate it with my coil, at some point.... digging a hole on a target, turned into a small trench. There is shallow trash, deep trash, and trash in between... trash trash trash! I could go and detect in Fred Sanfords yard and get better relics than these places. I am thinking that as old as my town is, there wasnt much people activity, just individual homesteaders just doing daily work, and they didnt own much to drop in the first place. The center of town was the coolest place, where the very last of the confederacy east of the mississippi river surrendered, but all of that is covered over with asphalt now. The town commissioners back in the 1970's INTENTIONALLY had all the civil war era homes destroyed to make the town look more modern, all on the whims of two town business men's personal ambitions. I hate to say it, but this town is really starting to suck for me. I wanna go to Virginia and get that really cool colonial/civil war stuff.



However, thanks for the encouragement guys and gals

 

[g-olden years]

Probably not the case here as you mention detecting more than one old homesite this week, but remember that a building sometimes is moved from original location to a new location. Many years ago when my children were young and we had a simple detector, I assured them that we'd find old coins around the abandoned train station near the river. We found nothing but nails. Years later, after having moved from that area, I read that very long ago and after abandonment, that building had been moved a few miles from its original spot! No one dropped coins around the train station because it had never been in use at its new location. Andi

 

[bookfisher]

You could always take up a career as a hand model like me! Ha Ha Just kiddin man! Had to get you back for the Frankenberry hand comment the other day. Look don't get frustrated. To me it sounds like you have a legit site to hunt. I don't know how your site is laid out, but if I was in your situation here is what I would do. Instead of starting in the high trash concentrated area you are digging in just move out and start farther away from all that trash. Just say you know your house is in the center. Move as far out away from the house and start to detect in towards the house. Typically the farther away from a structure the less trash targets you will get. Start out work your way back in. Listen we ALL dig trash to get those finds that we post on here. There are days when all I find is can slaw and a Stinkin Lincoln or 2. Just hang in there Cap N.. The good stuff will show up soon. I bet ya!

LOL Good one Zax. I did exactly that today, started on the outer property and worked my way in. I also ignored the really loud signals and focused on the faint/lower/iffy signals, it was all just super deep junk. So much house debri, that I could hardly separate it with my coil, at some point.... digging a hole on a target, turned into a small trench. There is shallow trash, deep trash, and trash in between... trash trash trash! I could go and detect in Fred Sanfords yard and get better relics than these places. I am thinking that as old as my town is, there wasnt much people activity, just individual homesteaders just doing daily work, and they didnt own much to drop in the first place. The center of town was the coolest place, where the very last of the confederacy east of the mississippi river surrendered, but all of that is covered over with asphalt now. The town commissioners back in the 1970's INTENTIONALLY had all the civil war era homes destroyed to make the town look more modern, all on the whims of two town business men's personal ambitions. I hate to say it, but this town is really starting to suck for me. I wanna go to Virginia and get that really cool colonial/civil war stuff.



However, thanks for the encouragement guys and gals

Also, I see you're in North Carolina. There's got to be some huge farm fields in your area. Try and get permission to hunt a field or hunt some woods that are along a very old road. It's possible that the woods today was farm land 200 years ago. Look for flat land woods that might have been farmland. At least in a huge field or woods you will get much less modern junk to contend with. If you hit a five inch deep good signal in the woods, the target is going to be OLD!

 

[ivan salis]

rooming / aka / boarding houses tended to board the ultra poor and passing thru salesmen type folks -- not much in the way of "loose" cash libel to be found there , most likely .

 

[Bugsterx2]

Cap'n,

I went out today for about 1 1/2 hours after work but before I picked up my Son and Daughter. It was a beautiful day in the mid 50's and just felt good to get outside!

My digs included: aluminum cans,bolts,light bulbs,nails,bottle caps,pull tabs,and part of a hair brush with metal backing. I did manage 2 newer pennies,a camo pattern pocket knife,and a cheap beaded necklace.

Since my old Fisher Gold Bug doesn't have an ID meter/screen I had to dig everything or chance missing something of value. Oh well, working on getting a Minelab E-Trac--cannot be soon enough!! Take care, good luck, and HH!

 

[RFrady]

I know that Macon and Haywood counties are growing fast. Not the way that is beneficial, but simple urban sprawl. I was born in Waynesville and most of my mom's side of the family is from Macon County. The stuff has to be there. I know several farms that burned or were torn down off Hwy 19. My Dad grew up in Maggie Valley and he told me lots of things about the farms along Jonathan Creek. Keep swinging and have faith.

 

[Eric Willoughby]

I know that Macon and Haywood counties are growing fast. Not the way that is beneficial, but simple urban sprawl. I was born in Waynesville and most of my mom's side of the family is from Macon County. The stuff has to be there. I know several farms that burned or were torn down off Hwy 19. My Dad grew up in Maggie Valley and he told me lots of things about the farms along Jonathan Creek. Keep swinging and have faith.

Oh wow, it feels so nice to hear a fellow Tnet member on here talk about the Macon/Haywood area. I had no clue you were from here. As far as myself, I am a transplant from Florida (typical thing in Franklin). I do know about the Johnathan Creek area as well as the Cataloochie Valley. I would love to hunt that valley, but it is State Park protected, rangers live on the site as well. I ought to look into going more north or west of my area, as those areas were established even earlier with much more prosperous trade going on. Thank you RFrady!

 

[Eric Willoughby]

Probably not the case here as you mention detecting more than one old homesite this week, but remember that a building sometimes is moved from original location to a new location. Many years ago when my children were young and we had a simple detector, I assured them that we'd find old coins around the abandoned train station near the river. We found nothing but nails. Years later, after having moved from that area, I read that very long ago and after abandonment, that building had been moved a few miles from its original spot! No one dropped coins around the train station because it had never been in use at its new location. Andi

Trust me, no one moved this house. It has been steadily expanded upon over the last 120 years. It looks like a minature version of the Sarah Winchester home.

 

[Eric Willoughby]

rooming / aka / boarding houses tended to board the ultra poor and passing thru salesmen type folks -- not much in the way of "loose" cash libel to be found there , most likely .

Now, why the heck didn't I think of that?! Thanks for giving me the alternative scenario Ivan, I think you are very much spot on with that.

 

[vanoldschool]

I Feel your pain, Ill search the same type of site and come up with a 99 zincoln. brush it off and keep reaearching, been doing this almost 10 years and not even a barber yet!!