Weekend outting in the mountains

[JVA5th]

My mother and step dad took me out to the mountains for an early birthday things this weekend stayed up in Arnold a small town here in California. Got out on a man made lake that once was home to a mill town. Found a few things but nothing great a little bummed. Also went to another park but parks annoy me because with the AT Pro I have had a hard time knowing what midtones to dig and digging everything is not an option. But I found 2 toasted wheat pennies one shot through the middle, the heaviest sledge hammer head I've ever found a old timer watched me dig it and said it was most likely for the train rails to drive the steaks in the rails, so I guess semi interesting, dug two tiny lipsticks that were intact, some sort of old scissor, a old tap thing, and lots of little what's it and recyclables lead, copper, brass, aluminum. Found some what's it's too. I was happy to get out but couldn't help but to feel disappointed getting frustrated in my ability to do this hobby well despite tons of experience.

 

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[Tpmetal]

I often can't even comprehend my own anxiousness. The worst that could happen is they say no. I tell myself that get close to the house then my mind starts freaking out and I chicken out. I almost feel terror in said moment. I highly dislike my anxiety disorder not something I'd wish on anyone.

keep trying, one step at a time if that what it takes. With each success, even the tiniest, make sure to take the time to reflect on that positive so you start to associate the actions with different feeling/reactions(not sure of best word for that anxiety reaction). Recondition yourself and you might be able to make that anxiety less of a problem. Especially if you start to get rewarded with better finds! I make it sound simple but I know its not, and i know it doesn't work for everyone. But hopefully you can be on the better side of that battle!

Now in terms of finding better stuff, remember location is key! You being out west have to work much harder to find that good old stuff, but also have opportunity to find some dazzling new stuff! Research is going to be your best friend! Even more so read about history regardless if you think it has detecting site potential, the knowledge will stack up and lead to your detecting success in other ways than just finding spots. Learning about the people and how they thought, acted, daily routines, and all sorts of stuff can lead you to approach sites differently and make finds that others would miss. Don't be afraid to revisit sites that didn't produce the first time, don't be afraid to try a site other people have pounded.

If all else fails move out east, spit over your shoulder into the wind, and detect where it lands!

 

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[Back-of-the-boat]

Your Disston Item the round piece is a badge off a Disston saw you can Google it and see a lot of examples that is pretty cool.

 

[Rockingcm]

JVA, I grew up in Atwater and as a kid went to Mitchell School. Take your detector there and hit the planters around the gym with brick edges. I had a lot of luck on canal banks around there as well.

 

[JVA5th]

Your Disston Item the round piece is a badge off a Disston saw you can Google it and see a lot of examples that is pretty cool.

Thank you I appreciate the info

 

[JVA5th]

JVA, I grew up in Atwater and as a kid went to Mitchell School. Take your detector there and hit the planters around the gym with brick edges. I had a lot of luck on canal banks around there as well.

Thank you I can try that

 

[Relicific]

Very cool finds

 

[Elvis]

Nice!!! Way to keep at it!!

 

[claire]

Mding is a great tool for anxiety d/o! Use it to clear your mind, get exercise and fresh air. My guess is your mind tends to make anything into a way to confirm how “stupid” you are. Work on changing that thinking and finding the joy in the hobby again. The “finds” will come and are secondary to the mental health this hobby can find.

 

[pepperj]

It sometimes sucks to dig trash, and one can expect to dig more from one type of site over another.
Being doing the clean up of buried/lost/dropped trash for over 50 yrs, and still I dig lots of it.
No matter how good a detector is/isn't, trash will be a big part of the game.

Cherry picking a site-somewhat cuts down on the trash-but then it's an easy right?
I used to be so focused on the getting the keeper, now it's just to forget the world, and the keeper is the bonus.
BTW the old fellow was incorrect on the sledge hammer head for spiking. Used a few in my early working days.
railroad spiking hammer

Maybe a little research of the old maps in your area. See what was there and what isn't today.
Your not alone in the door knocking ask for permission thing-lots of folks don't/can't seem to do it.
I have many permissions for farm lands-but not their house lawns-I just can't bring myself to ask that permission.

For me to go digging in a public place right now would be like digging on a stage in front of a 1000 folks with the feeling of the spotlight burning my skin. Uncomfortable-and I'm not a shy type either. Parks/churches/schools/yards were my main focus for decades and I didn't have a care who watched/talked.
Now give me a large private field/bush and I'm a happy hermit hunting guy.

Sometimes it just takes a little nudge to break that inner fear-then one does it's a easier after that. But to do it the first time is the hardest it seems.
Many probably wonder why the problem with this or that-one doesn't know till they walk in the shoes of the person asking.

But over all how many hrs did you dig? A saw nut is a cool recovery, a few coppers and other things.
Like RC mentioned this passion of digging has been 50+ yrs for folks, and public spaces are a challenge at times.

Best of luck on your next outing-you might just get a keeper that you'll remember for many moons to come.
I dig something that isn't and I just say to myself often "It could of been" and carry on...but that can be said only a few times before I wear it thin as well.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Your Disston Item the round piece is a badge off a Disston saw you can Google it and see a lot of examples that is pretty cool.

Yup, saw button... great I.D. Steve.

I often can't even comprehend my own anxiousness. The worst that could happen is they say no. I tell myself that get close to the house then my mind starts freaking out and I chicken out. I almost feel terror in said moment. I highly dislike my anxiety disorder not something I'd wish on anyone.

Our 18-year-old daughter also suffers from severe anxiety, so I can appreciate what you're experiencing. When I ask for permission, I always have a photocopy of a map of the property, either that or I bring my 1870 atlas with me. Just remember to talk low, talk slow and don't say too much. I always have to remind myself to do this, because I get excited and anxious whenever I do a cold-call door knock. You'd be surprised how many people I speak with who never knew there use to be an old building on their property.

Do you take your detector with you when you ask permission?
Yes and no, yes I have it in my car, but no, I do not ever carry it to the door when I ask. I do not ask for permission for another day because if you get permission and then leave, you are giving the homeowner time to sit and think about it and they may start thinking of reasons for you not to detect. So, be prepared to hunt right then and there if they say yes. Have your gear in the car ready to go!

Do you offer to split finds, or do homeowners ask for your finds?
No, I have never made the offer upfront to split finds, mainly because no one has ever asked me to split finds.
I have people say stuff like if you find a jar of gold we will split it, then we both laugh and I walk off and start detecting.

Do homeowners ever ask to see your finds?
Very rarely, I’d guess that 90% of homeowners give me permission, go inside and I never see them again.
For the 10% who are actually curious about what I find, then I show them.

What do you do if a homeowner is having a hard time saying yes, or they look like they’re going to say no?
The first thing I do is to explain to them I am very neat at what I do, explain how I cut a U-shaped plug, flip it back and retrieve the item. Tell them I lay down a towel to lay loose dirt on, so there is absolutely no mess left in their yard. I also tell them when I am done, you cannot even tell I was there. Also, one tip to remember. Never use the word DIG, use “cut a plug” and retrieve the item. The word “dig” puts pictures in their head of shovels and messes. You want to steer them away from anything negative.

Best of luck to you John,
Dave

 

[JVA5th]

Yup, saw button... great I.D. Steve.



Our 18-year-old daughter also suffers from severe anxiety, so I can appreciate what you're experiencing. When I ask for permission, I always have a photocopy of a map of the property, either that or I bring my 1870 atlas with me. [emoji106] Just remember to talk low, talk slow and don't say too much. I always have to remind myself to do this, because I get excited and anxious whenever I do a cold-call door knock. You'd be surprised how many people I speak with who never knew there use to be an old building on their property.

Do you take your detector with you when you ask permission?
Yes and no, yes I have it in my car, but no, I do not ever carry it to the door when I ask. I do not ask for permission for another day because if you get permission and then leave, you are giving the homeowner time to sit and think about it and they may start thinking of reasons for you not to detect. So, be prepared to hunt right then and there if they say yes. Have your gear in the car ready to go!

Do you offer to split finds, or do homeowners ask for your finds?
No, I have never made the offer upfront to split finds, mainly because no one has ever asked me to split finds.
I have people say stuff like if you find a jar of gold we will split it, then we both laugh and I walk off and start detecting.

Do homeowners ever ask to see your finds?
Very rarely, I’d guess that 90% of homeowners give me permission, go inside and I never see them again.
For the 10% who are actually curious about what I find, then I show them.

What do you do if a homeowner is having a hard time saying yes, or they look like they’re going to say no?
The first thing I do is to explain to them I am very neat at what I do, explain how I cut a U-shaped plug, flip it back and retrieve the item. Tell them I lay down a towel to lay loose dirt on, so there is absolutely no mess left in their yard. I also tell them when I am done, you cannot even tell I was there. Also, one tip to remember. Never use the word DIG, use “cut a plug” and retrieve the item. The word “dig” puts pictures in their head of shovels and messes. You want to steer them away from anything negative.

Best of luck to you John,
Dave

Thanks so much for your response. Most anywhere I hunt I walk to be due to I don't drive. I managed to get a permission on on area where I knew there had been an old barn and decent sized home back in the 1930s. Like you said the guy never knew there was anything there and to my surprise he could care less if I metal detected in his orchard he basically said have at it and walked off.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Thanks so much for your response. Most anywhere I hunt I walk to be due to I don't drive. I managed to get a permission on on area where I knew there had been an old barn and decent sized home back in the 1930s. Like you said the guy never knew there was anything there and to my surprise he could care less if I metal detected in his orchard he basically said have at it and walked off.

This is a similar response that I get as well John. I'll be posting my finds this morning from a new permission I received last week for an c1840 homesite I detected last week. One of the finds I made was a WWII GS Button in the homeowner's front yard, when I showed it to the owner he said, "I've got something to show you." So he went into his house and came out with a WWII German-issued mess kit knife with a Swastika stamped on it. He told me, "the guy he bought the house from in the 1970s was a WWII vet and he had left the knife in the basement, so the button I found must've belonged to the former landowner."

It's always a gratifying feeling when you find something on a permission that the landowners can relate to. When I'm finished detecting here later this summer, I'm going to print a copy of the original map and affordably frame it with some of the relics I found here for the landowner.

PS. I also found an 1870 Five Cent Sheild coin there.
Dave

 

[JVA5th]

This is a similar response that I get as well John. I'll be posting my finds this morning from a new permission I received last week for an c1840 homesite I detected last week. One of the finds I made was a WWII GS Button in the homeowner's front yard, when I showed it to the owner he said, "I've got something to show you." So he went into his house and came out with a WWII German-issued mess kit knife with a Swastika stamped on it. He told me, "the guy he bought the house from in the 1970s was a WWII vet and he had left the knife in the basement, so the button I found must've belonged to the former landowner."

It's always a gratifying feeling when you find something on a permission that the landowners can relate to. When I'm finished detecting here later this summer, I'm going to print a copy of the original map and affordably frame it with some of the relics I found here for the landowner. [emoji106]

PS. I also found an 1870 Five Cent Sheild coin there.
Dave

Awesome stuff. I'm working on figuring out how to locate where the building where on my permission having trouble with it got skunked basically. I'm sure there has to be something around though I'll try again when I have time and find a way to locate the where the buildings were.