Your Favorite Texas Locations

[Shaw]

I just wanted to see where everyone in Texas is hunting. Basic locations, not your secret locations (send those to my email ). Here are a few that we have hit up lately, always looking for new places.

- Old Schools
- Local Parks
- Swimming holes (gearing up for underwater recovery)
- Lake shorelines
- Under stadium bleachers
- Old home sites
- County parks
- Old trees

I really like the swimming holes, seems I always have my best luck there.

Jason

 

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[myelo1023]

Yeah....and sneaking back to a big old oak tree w/o your Aunt!

 

[Shaw]

Yeah....and sneaking back to a big old oak tree w/o your Aunt!

Yea but I got stormed on so maybe its a sign!

 

[Crazy Greek]

The problem down here in Victoria is that the city parks people say that detecting in the city park is AGAINST THE LAW! It's a damn shame too cause we have probably the oldest baseball fields in the state here...I know the Victoria has the oldest Little League charter in the state and the big ball field (where the Rosebud's of the old Texas league used to play and now the high schools use, was built in 1947!), you just know there has got to be LOTS of good stuff in the ground!

I was laughing and going back in time with that rope swing pic you posted. We had one similar to that in the park when I was a kid that a lot of the kids used for swinging out over the Guadalupe river. My parents had always told me to NEVER get in that river because of all the underwater branches and snags. Well, to make a long story short, you know what that leads to. Yep, I grabbed hold of the swing once and went sailing out over the river. Just as I got to the middle and the swing was gonna start coming back, the handle twisted in the cable (this one had a cable instead of a rope) and...you guessed it.....DOWN I WENT, right into the middle of the river.

I had on a pair of brand new moccasins and my feet got trapped in some tree branches that were submerged. I still remember fighting like hell to get loose and finally, just as I was running out of air, got my left foot free, leaving one brand new left moccasin in the river as I shot to the surface.

Needless to say, I NEVER went back to that swing again!

I don't know how you guys feel about it, but this damn state has so many laws against MDing, it;s just ridiculous! I sure wish the people that lobby for these type laws against up could see what they are doing. Take for instance the first fort (Fort Saint Louis) every built by the French explorer LaSalle here in Texas. Everyone knew that there had been a fort here, but no one knew exactly where it was located. If it hadn't been for a ranch foreman from the Keeran Ranch, which is located on Garcitas Creek using his metal detector, we would still be looking for it. Now, there is a nice exhibit where everyone can go to view the cannons and other items that were found there. They are in an exhibit at the Museum Of The Coastal Bend located on the Victoria College campus, and you can see them online here........

http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/stlouis/index.html

This is a site for 4th graders, but I linked to it for two reasons. (1) It shows some good pics of the excavation of the cannons and (2), it contains this quote.........

Historians and archeologists long debated the exact location of Fort Saint Louis, and some questioned whether in fact the Spanish had built their presidio over the ruins of the French fort as they had claimed. Archeological investigations at a site on Garcitas Creek by the Texas Memorial Museum in 1950 turned up ample evidence of the Spanish fort and a number of French artifacts. But the French cannons were not found; hence the uncertainty remained. This was resolved when a rancher found the cannons while using a metal detector at the site on Garcitas Creek. In 1996, archeologists from the Texas Historical Commission were called in to excavate and document all eight, neatly stacked cannons, untouched for more than 300 years.

Now, isn't it interesting that in the Texas Historical Commission's site, found here.....

http://www.thc.state.tx.us/lasalle/lasfsl.shtml

Not ONE mention is made of the fact that it was a ranch foreman, using his metal detector, that found the cannon. NOT ONE!! Here is the quote from the Texas Historical Commission site........

Texas Historical Commission archeologists have made a number of exciting discoveries and unearthed tens of thousands of artifacts, including cannons, musket balls, gunflints, pottery, coins and many other items used by the colonists.

So it goes with metal detecting in Texas!

 

[Shaw]

Lol, good story on the swimmin hole.

Your right about Texas, people have hired lobbiest and hit up the capital many many times.

I am just going to start "Night" hunting.


Does anyone know about the Guadlaupe river or Comal? Are there any restrictions? I know a few areas that have to be full of jewelry.

I just got my air hose and hooka adapter in and need some new locations to dive.

 

[Crazy Greek]

SHAW........from what I understand, if the waterway is navigable, then it's legal to hunt it. The Guadalupe is most certainly navigable, don't know about the Comal though. It wouldn't hurt to check in with TP&W or some other such agency. A trick I have heard about is to find yourself a game warden that patrols the area and rather than go to the bureaucracy in Austin or some other such "office", ask him. The game warden in the area is the guy you will be dealing with anyway, so why not save a few "politically correct" (is there such an animal?) steps and go to the horses mouth?

Just a thought...and for me, that's a dangerous thing!

 

[Shaw]

SHAW........from what I understand, if the waterway is navigable, then it's legal to hunt it. The Guadalupe is most certainly navigable, don't know about the Comal though. It wouldn't hurt to check in with TP&W or some other such agency. A trick I have heard about is to find yourself a game warden that patrols the area and rather than go to the bureaucracy in Austin or some other such "office", ask him. The game warden in the area is the guy you will be dealing with anyway, so why not save a few "politically correct" (is there such an animal?) steps and go to the horses mouth?

Just a thought...and for me, that's a dangerous thing!

I have used that tactic before and it works most of the time. Then again I use the "better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission" tactic sometimes to!

I am gearing up for many river expeditions in the near future!

 

[txkickergirl]

we have hunted the caynon lake area where all the tubers float, thinking of load of goodies. Well loads of beer cans was more like it. My brother found lots of clad this summer while on vacation. But many of the local kids hit the river hard with a snorlkle and they know where all the jewerly ends up. I had one kid come up to me and show me a box of rings watches and other stuff he pulled out. I thought it was cool and asked if it was from the summer, he told me nah this was just last week. he said that theres a group of them that hunt daily and then they pick through the goodies and sell the rest.

 

[pyledriver]

Jason! My buddy found a ROLEX sub in the Comal! He lives just up the hill there in N.B. and was just snorkeling and checking out chicks-he's not really a t'hunter but has a knack for finding stuff and being in the right place at the right time. One thing to be aware of is that the Comal is cool temps even in the heat of the summer and if you're thin-skinned you might keep in mind how much time you spend in the water. From what I understand though, it's about as cold as the Frio, which my family and I spent pretty much a whole day in the water. Just something to think about.

I would wait just a tad bit longer before your hunt-just a couple weeks ought to do it. Even though the scenery is sometimes R rated this time of year, the river (Comal and Guadalupe) can be very crowded with college kids getting in the last summer bash. Considering the amount of drinking that goes on I'm SURE there is a bunch of good stuff lost. From what I know you should probably expect to find a bunch of toe rings and lost studs, loops, etc. from piercings of the 'yunguns'..lol. I'd expect some rings and watches for sure and likely a bunch of clad. You WILL find some cool stuff!

I'm just getting into detecting, so my favorite locations-old homesites-are all I know at this point. I'm still waiting to find my first 'good' thing with the detector! My other detectors, green in color and getting a little more blurry as I get older, have found some cool old bottles though! I'm waiting for cool weather to go dig up what appears to be either a sunken in storm cellar or possibly a trash pit that has settled. I'm hoping it's not a trash pit, but even if it is, there may be some even cooler old bottles hiding amongst the snakes and other critters denned up in there. We'll see..

 

[Shaw]

we have hunted the caynon lake area where all the tubers float, thinking of load of goodies. Well loads of beer cans was more like it. My brother found lots of clad this summer while on vacation. But many of the local kids hit the river hard with a snorlkle and they know where all the jewerly ends up. I had one kid come up to me and show me a box of rings watches and other stuff he pulled out. I thought it was cool and asked if it was from the summer, he told me nah this was just last week. he said that theres a group of them that hunt daily and then they pick through the goodies and sell the rest.

That would be cool to be able to go the lake everyday and look for goodies.

I have dove there a few times up to about 80', Its cold and dark down there!

 

[Shaw]

I have had my fare share of crazy time at the Guadalupe and the Frio, R ratings and all. A dude that looked like willie nelson gave me a jello shot one time and It had a little more than vodka in it! We used to go every memorial day weekend it it was always like you say. One giant college party. I actually used to wake up early before my hungover friends woke up and hit the river in front of our campsite. I would pull Oaklys, Raybans, watches and some misc. jewelry just by vision alone. I always though that It would be a great trip to head over for 4 or 5 days and hit some of the known "spill"areas. I think If I get to I may head down sometime at the end of Sept. After everyone is back in school and the temps are out of the 90's.

 

[pyledriver]

Yep...LOL! It'll be a fun time even if you don't make a big 'haul'. The Comal at the 'headwaters' in the park will probably turn up some good stuff provided the kids mentioned earlier haven't beat you to it.

 

[Joe(TX)]

.................SHAW..................if you plan on doing a lot of water hunting......you really need to get a waterproof detector...................too bad that Garrett doen't make a waterproof version of their ACE250!! Used you may try finding an AT3, AT4 or even an original Sea Hunter! The Fisher 1280 is also a good choice! If you are so inclined ...............some people know how to waterproof their land detector!!....................................Good Luck......................Joe

 

[littletwig]

Old parks, ball fields, and honky tonk parking lots. And then there is the beach.

 

[cooltone23]

http://home.granderiver.net/~juandv/rio.html

My home back in South Texas. A fort was built there in 1848 and the town grew around it. Later it was named Rio Grande City. There are many old buldings still standing and the old fort is being used by the ISD. Pre-K through 8th Grade schools . The website link will take you to a page where there is historical info as well as old photos. Enjoy.

P.S. If the link does not appear, just copy and paste it.

 

[texan connection]

Home sights, ( just cause here the most ava to me), Street digs (when there digging),Old churches are the least trashy but can play out quick, and of course store floors from the 1800's
If I lived closer to Clear water That would be first on my list.

 

[littletwig]

Old rodeo arenas, and parks. Really love the beach but don't get to go real often.