Deft Tones
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2016
- Messages
- 1,547
- Reaction score
- 2,366
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Hawkeye State - Area 515
- Detector(s) used
- Whites V3i, XP Deus, Minelab Sovereign GT, Garrett AT Pro, Whites TRX (2), Predator Raven, Predator Raptor, Lesche Sampson
- Primary Interest:
- Other
- #1
Thread Owner
If you don’t know how I roll after yesterday - go hardcore or go home!
Today was much warmer than yesterday, and despite the overcast conditions it was a sweltering 22°F (roughly -5.5°C) with a variable light breeze. Hardcore winter adventures await!
Today's total field time 5 hours 45 minutes. Total actual detecting time approximately 3-4 hours.
I almost went back to the same place as yesterday. Instead I made a last minute command decision to abort that location for now and head down the road, skipping 5 other consecutive sites, to a very large farmstead that grew into a large dairy farm prior to its forced abandonment. I discovered a mercury dime here my first trip through, but I didn’t have a phone with me to mark the GPS location and now I can’t find that specific area again. Because of that I come back from time to time to try my luck and explore trying to visualize the aerial photos from my mind while reading the land. I’ve been here about 6 times and always stuck close to the foundations without much luck until today. We’ll get there in a moment.
Today I’m feeling adventurous and feel like sharing some for those homebound, so the detecting time will be split between those activities.
We'll be hunting in here today
First, please allow me to say, welcome to the site. Allow me to show you around first. If you’re a screen watcher be extra careful while detecting, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. You’ll soon see why. Follow me in to the woods….muhahhaahaha!
Welcome to today's hunt
There are several foundations remaining, some older than others, and this is the best time to see them so let’s go. Here is the first one and you can see it’s just a depression in the ground with slight foundation still visible in spots. Lots of debris in there from the years and I don’t know what is in there or how deep the debris is.
Possibly the oldest of the foundations
Before you get to the next major foundation there is a hazard you should be warned about. Watch out for this open cistern. Could be an ankle breaker.
Open Cistern Hazard
As I take you over to this next area you’ll notice lots of wildlife tracks in the recent snow — you’re likely to see world-class Whitetails, Raccoon, Possum, Cottontail, squirrel, mice, fox, mink, and many other signs of life in the frozen forest. Up above the sounds of Canadian geese punctuate the silence as they travel between local sleeping and feeding locations.
One of many Buck scrapes
This next foundation is not a depression, but a slight rise from the concrete slab. One could easily walk over this in the summer and not realize it.
Quickly, we’ll move to the other items of interest on this south side of the site, and then we’ll start detecting.
Foundation #1
Foundation #2
Foundation #3
Foundation #4
I could take a bath here
If you were here you may go wherever you like. There are about 4 more foundations over to the NW of here. Me, I’m going to hit an area on the edge of the woods were the corn has been harvested since last time I was here. At least I want to check the soil conditions... and it pays off! (I didn’t know what it was at the time or I would have hung out there more today)
Found the first good target of the day on the way...and a little survival food! Whoo hoo! We'll have lunch later.
There is a dime somewhere in that frozen clod, I know it!
Deer Beware! I get hungry in the field.
Very thin 1906 Barber dime. Almost no details on the back — near smooth.
Moving back through the foundations I begin to work towards the slough that’s a few hundred yards away. There is lots of illegal trash dumps from the 80’s and 90’s this way. Tons of crap. I pretty much just scoot on by to arrive at the North end of the slough.
The slough looking south at the length.
Here I found rifle shells, ring-pulls, an egg sinker… somebody was having fun at this end.
Moving away rather quickly and about 15 more yards later, and moreso by instinct than tone, I got a signal that stopped me in my tracks and I can't explain why. There was nothing good about it. I overshot the location because I was walking so fast. Backtracking and sweeping I found it. First was an iron signal followed by increasing VDI and tone with each sweep. Eventually after repeated sweeping it climbed and held steady bouncing high 40’s mid-50’s. I still don’t know what caused me to stop for a non-textbook signal but I just did. Digging here wasn’t too difficult, but pinpointing I hit a root that almost caused me to give up because the signal was several inches below the root. In fact I stood and kicked the dirt back into the hole but then had a change of heart, again I don’t know why. This time I loosened all the soil with the Raven, then used my hand to push the loose soil out from under the root.
Well lookie there!
Got a photo, put gloves back on, covered hole, swept area and right near the hole in the spoils - surface signal.
A second coin! Both coins are penny size but unidentifiable in the field.
Passing north around the slough to the woods on the west side (we parked east of the slough) I picked up the gas cap, beer can top, and round tube item along with what I now suspect may be an iron arrow head. Might be my first but needs cleaned. That would be cool and might be the best find if so, IMO.
I decide to cross back over the slough and get back to the known occupation sites. I skirt the edges a bit randomly looking for trash dumps. This is the only time of year one can hunt here, so might as well look around a bit. Then I cut right across.
Potential Hunt Ender!
Whoops! My foot went into the muck. Water over the boot top!
Now is a good time to give a winter survival safety tip. My boots are 8” waterproof, insulated, and breathable. Foot comfort is key to enjoyment. This little misstep could have ended the hunt very quickly had I not been experienced and prepared. Time is ticking. (if you’re wondering I went back and took this photo after the emergency situation is handled.)
I quickly reach the other side and find a place to drop the equipment, remove my boot and my sock. I pull one of several plastic bread sacks out of my pocket. Bare foot goes in the sack, sock over the top, second sack over the sock, boot back on — less than 2 minutes. Within 10 minutes all is good again. My foot will be a prune when I get this sack off, but there will be no frostbite and we don’t have to go home yet either. That’s how I roll — GO HARDCORE OR GO HOME
Why we don't watch a screen Hazard #2
I put stick in there last time. Looking out for critters.
20 feet away and yet another hazard.
This one is much deeper!
Back here at the site I begin sweeping areas appropriate for only the little concentric coil to focus on those hard to get areas. Lots of mason and bell jar lids were found but I decided to leave the silver caches behind until fall… hope they are still there then.
Somebody Cached a Pully.
By this time I’m getting a knot in the back of my shoulder, am tired of heavy restricting clothing, and ready to bail for the day. I picked up a clad dime, likely dropped by a hunter, on the way back through the trees towards the truck. Well, it’s time to go home and see what I found.
Still in good condition.
A look back
For you coin guys two Indian head pennies from the same hole 1896 and 1906, and one Barber dime 1906 at the edge of the cornfield.
Taking tomorrow off to rest and work on a few things. I’ll be right back at it come Monday morning getting it done.
Thank you for looking. Enjoy your hunts.
Today was much warmer than yesterday, and despite the overcast conditions it was a sweltering 22°F (roughly -5.5°C) with a variable light breeze. Hardcore winter adventures await!
Today's total field time 5 hours 45 minutes. Total actual detecting time approximately 3-4 hours.
I almost went back to the same place as yesterday. Instead I made a last minute command decision to abort that location for now and head down the road, skipping 5 other consecutive sites, to a very large farmstead that grew into a large dairy farm prior to its forced abandonment. I discovered a mercury dime here my first trip through, but I didn’t have a phone with me to mark the GPS location and now I can’t find that specific area again. Because of that I come back from time to time to try my luck and explore trying to visualize the aerial photos from my mind while reading the land. I’ve been here about 6 times and always stuck close to the foundations without much luck until today. We’ll get there in a moment.
Today I’m feeling adventurous and feel like sharing some for those homebound, so the detecting time will be split between those activities.
We'll be hunting in here today
First, please allow me to say, welcome to the site. Allow me to show you around first. If you’re a screen watcher be extra careful while detecting, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt. You’ll soon see why. Follow me in to the woods….muhahhaahaha!
Welcome to today's hunt
There are several foundations remaining, some older than others, and this is the best time to see them so let’s go. Here is the first one and you can see it’s just a depression in the ground with slight foundation still visible in spots. Lots of debris in there from the years and I don’t know what is in there or how deep the debris is.
Possibly the oldest of the foundations
Before you get to the next major foundation there is a hazard you should be warned about. Watch out for this open cistern. Could be an ankle breaker.
Open Cistern Hazard
As I take you over to this next area you’ll notice lots of wildlife tracks in the recent snow — you’re likely to see world-class Whitetails, Raccoon, Possum, Cottontail, squirrel, mice, fox, mink, and many other signs of life in the frozen forest. Up above the sounds of Canadian geese punctuate the silence as they travel between local sleeping and feeding locations.
One of many Buck scrapes
This next foundation is not a depression, but a slight rise from the concrete slab. One could easily walk over this in the summer and not realize it.
Quickly, we’ll move to the other items of interest on this south side of the site, and then we’ll start detecting.
Foundation #1
Foundation #2
Foundation #3
Foundation #4
I could take a bath here
If you were here you may go wherever you like. There are about 4 more foundations over to the NW of here. Me, I’m going to hit an area on the edge of the woods were the corn has been harvested since last time I was here. At least I want to check the soil conditions... and it pays off! (I didn’t know what it was at the time or I would have hung out there more today)
Found the first good target of the day on the way...and a little survival food! Whoo hoo! We'll have lunch later.
There is a dime somewhere in that frozen clod, I know it!
Deer Beware! I get hungry in the field.
Very thin 1906 Barber dime. Almost no details on the back — near smooth.
Moving back through the foundations I begin to work towards the slough that’s a few hundred yards away. There is lots of illegal trash dumps from the 80’s and 90’s this way. Tons of crap. I pretty much just scoot on by to arrive at the North end of the slough.
The slough looking south at the length.
Here I found rifle shells, ring-pulls, an egg sinker… somebody was having fun at this end.
Moving away rather quickly and about 15 more yards later, and moreso by instinct than tone, I got a signal that stopped me in my tracks and I can't explain why. There was nothing good about it. I overshot the location because I was walking so fast. Backtracking and sweeping I found it. First was an iron signal followed by increasing VDI and tone with each sweep. Eventually after repeated sweeping it climbed and held steady bouncing high 40’s mid-50’s. I still don’t know what caused me to stop for a non-textbook signal but I just did. Digging here wasn’t too difficult, but pinpointing I hit a root that almost caused me to give up because the signal was several inches below the root. In fact I stood and kicked the dirt back into the hole but then had a change of heart, again I don’t know why. This time I loosened all the soil with the Raven, then used my hand to push the loose soil out from under the root.
Well lookie there!
Got a photo, put gloves back on, covered hole, swept area and right near the hole in the spoils - surface signal.
A second coin! Both coins are penny size but unidentifiable in the field.
Passing north around the slough to the woods on the west side (we parked east of the slough) I picked up the gas cap, beer can top, and round tube item along with what I now suspect may be an iron arrow head. Might be my first but needs cleaned. That would be cool and might be the best find if so, IMO.
I decide to cross back over the slough and get back to the known occupation sites. I skirt the edges a bit randomly looking for trash dumps. This is the only time of year one can hunt here, so might as well look around a bit. Then I cut right across.
Potential Hunt Ender!
Whoops! My foot went into the muck. Water over the boot top!
Now is a good time to give a winter survival safety tip. My boots are 8” waterproof, insulated, and breathable. Foot comfort is key to enjoyment. This little misstep could have ended the hunt very quickly had I not been experienced and prepared. Time is ticking. (if you’re wondering I went back and took this photo after the emergency situation is handled.)
I quickly reach the other side and find a place to drop the equipment, remove my boot and my sock. I pull one of several plastic bread sacks out of my pocket. Bare foot goes in the sack, sock over the top, second sack over the sock, boot back on — less than 2 minutes. Within 10 minutes all is good again. My foot will be a prune when I get this sack off, but there will be no frostbite and we don’t have to go home yet either. That’s how I roll — GO HARDCORE OR GO HOME
Why we don't watch a screen Hazard #2
I put stick in there last time. Looking out for critters.
20 feet away and yet another hazard.
This one is much deeper!
Back here at the site I begin sweeping areas appropriate for only the little concentric coil to focus on those hard to get areas. Lots of mason and bell jar lids were found but I decided to leave the silver caches behind until fall… hope they are still there then.
Somebody Cached a Pully.
By this time I’m getting a knot in the back of my shoulder, am tired of heavy restricting clothing, and ready to bail for the day. I picked up a clad dime, likely dropped by a hunter, on the way back through the trees towards the truck. Well, it’s time to go home and see what I found.
Still in good condition.
A look back
For you coin guys two Indian head pennies from the same hole 1896 and 1906, and one Barber dime 1906 at the edge of the cornfield.
Taking tomorrow off to rest and work on a few things. I’ll be right back at it come Monday morning getting it done.
Thank you for looking. Enjoy your hunts.
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