Where can I go?

[BenS]

Hello,

I am just waiting on my first MD, a MineLabs X-Terra 305. I've never been MD'ing before and am looking for some tips or possibly someone to go with. I'm in Woburn, MA and mostly concerned about where I can go without getting bothered by lots of people. I am mostly wanting to just practice and learn the ropes without going too far first. I've read a lot about the rules here in MA and mostly just found that you need to ask any park director for permission first, but I'm just looking for places close by that I can just get in my car and drive to without emailing people and waiting for replies. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

 

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[mike crash]

Hello, I am just waiting on my first MD, a MineLabs X-Terra 305. I've never been MD'ing before and am looking for some tips or possibly someone to go with. I'm in Woburn, MA and mostly concerned about where I can go without getting bothered by lots of people. I am mostly wanting to just practice and learn the ropes without going too far first. I've read a lot about the rules here in MA and mostly just found that you need to ask any park director for permission first, but I'm just looking for places close by that I can just get in my car and drive to without emailing people and waiting for replies. Any advice would be great. Thanks!

Just picked up a Tesoro V. I live in rehoboth and been checking out. Playgrounds/baseball fields soccer ect. Haven't had a problems w people. And have found a LOT of coins. Today found my first 1971 dollar ! Not the silver but cool anyway. At another recent trek found a 1945 silver Canadian quarter.you just never know what will turn up . Anyway that's my recommendation for some coin shooting around your neibor hood.and get to know your new toy. I've been very impressed with the performance of the mighty V. Go early or late to avoid the crowds .

 

[AnnieF]

Assuming all the caveats about permission/public land/not leaving holes, etc. a good "away from the maddening crowd" place is ALWAYS the woods! We had a TON of history happen here in MA so YOU NEVER KNOW who wandered through there, camped, ran (!), farmed, lived... This is why you find stone walls in the woods. Once it was farm land. You'll know this not only by the rock wall but by what's called a "wolf tree." Here's a pic of one:

(I just Googled the term "wolf-tree" to retrieve the pic. I have no idea about the website I pulled it from. It's just a good pic.)

Why a "wolf-tree"? Well, notice: It's (a)LONE. Like a "lone wolf" among it's brethren. It looks different from all the other trees around it. It's branches are thick and reach out all around it's middle. This only happens when a tree has ROOM to grow. It was likely kept by the person who owned the land as a shade tree for himself or his livestock. See how all the other trees are tall and skinny and have no branches coming out from the sides? They weren't there when that rock wall was built. They're new growth. Whoever owned that land probably cut 'em all down to heat or even build his house. Since a cardinal rule of metal detecting is to hunt where people gather, I'd detect the hell out of the base of that tree. Hell, I'd even detect THE TREE. Especially if it has holes. Stranger things have happened. There have been stories of people finding caches tucked inside holes inside trees. Remember: back then banks for essentially nonexistent. A farmer would nearly ALWAYS hide his cash, what little of it he had, someplace he could see from his house, no more than an arm's length down. Along the rock wall. Under the stair of the root cellar. Under the seat of the outhouse! In the flower garden. Which reminds me: When you are out there in the woods look for flowers that don't belong there. The kind that someone had to PLANT. Might indicate where the entrance the house was and you might find a cellar hole or foundation just under the blanket of pine needles. Who knows?

Look for breaks in the rock wall. Sometimes it's hard to tell if they're old or new. Check the moss on the rocks. Even then it can be hard to tell but that's a clue. Always detect around the entrances to rock walls and see if you can figure out where they might have parked their carriage. Getting in and out of the carriage or on and off the horse or in or out of the wagon people dropped things.

There's also an excellent website that can show you what used to be places. "Vanished" houses/inns/carriage/train depots & stops, etc.

Here -> NETR Online • Historic Aerials

Good luck!