Last Post 15 Oct 2019 09:55 PM by  Lee Johnson
WHERE DO YOU RELIC HUNT???
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Shane Edwards
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25 Sep 2016 09:04 PM
    I am starting this thread hoping we all can get ideas from others on where we Relic Hunters can try and hunt based on where other hunt. Since I started it, I will go first... (God I hope this doesn't get crickets LOL)

    I live and hunt in the desert. Specifically, the high desert of SW Utah. There are no major known Gold producing areas near here, so what we mostly hunt for Relics in the desert around here. I don't have years at it and certainly don't consider myself an expert at it... Hence I thought others out there in a similar situation as me, might find this topic helpful.

    I tend to target the mid to late 19th Century for my research. I try to learn of Pioneer Settlements areas as well as Wagon Trails. I have been hunting with a Teknetics T2 metal detector which is a VLF detector and known for it's Relic Shooting Capabilities... But I just got my first Pulse Induction Metal Detector which is the Garrett ATX Deepseeker which will go a lot deeper in the heavy mineralized soils that are common in the desert. I am super excited to take my new PI out to some of the Wagon Trails around here.

    So what about you?
    James Henderson
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    29 Sep 2016 10:31 AM
    Shane,

    I live in middle Tennessee and have done most of my relic hunting in this state. Tennessee is claim to the second most Civil War battles by state and there are plenty of relics to be found. It's illegal to hunt on the battlefields but most of the soldiers campsites are on private property near them. I have had good responses from land owners when trying to get permission to hunt. I've also hunted on the Atlantic coast of Florida after a storm surge trying to find shipwreck items. Not much luck with that. I use a Whites XL Pro with a Black Max 950 coil. It isn't great for nugget hunting but does quite well on relics. I haven't hunted in a couple of years. I've been too occupied with gold prospecting in California, Colorado and Georgia but may get back into it to fill the void.

    I own an Atlas that shows every known major campsite of the Civil War so that is a great reference guide for helping locate relics. I don't know about you, but I lose things when I go camping and those soldiers were no different. Some even buried possessions and either couldn't find them or they didn't survive to retrieve them. I have also found that diaries and letters from whatever time period you are interested in is a great source of leads for places to hunt. Girls and young ladies were great about documenting who came to their homes or stayed on their family's property. I can usually find these at small town or estate auctions.

    Hope this was helpful or at least informational.
    Paul Tyler
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    30 Sep 2016 09:28 PM
    Fascinating the things lost from the past to be found today!
    I live in Myrtle Beach, we can find fossils, sharks teeth and all sorts of fossils wash ashore.
    And we also were very active in the Revolutionary and Civil wars... as well as Native peoples Artifacts
    and its under 5 hours for me to visit the LDMA sites close to me.
    Happy hunting
    Wesley
    ADAM ANDREWS
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    03 Oct 2016 12:36 PM

      My good friend likes to metal detect the 1850's Stagecoach stop areas. And the old west rest stops in the So. Calif. desert areas. Behind Julian Ca. & by Warner Springs Ca. and up towards Big Bear Ca. Kit Carson was at the Warner Springs Stagecoach area, and John Wayne partied at the hot pools of Warner Springs also.

    ARTHUR WAUGH
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    04 Oct 2016 11:23 AM

    The problem out here is that on public land (BLM/USFS) they generally call anything over 50 years old "historically signifigent", and therefor off limits.  Most old homesteads here and in central OR are on private property or big ranches and it can be hit or miss to get permission, usually miss.   Old cabins and homesteads still on the above public lands have mostly been burned down or otherwise eliminated and can be hard to locate.

    We were fortunate to get permission to hunt some old homesteads in central Oregon this spring and our MD club president came up with an old (1880"s suspected) branding iron.  Thought he stepped on a rattler with the scream he let out when it came out of the ground.  We also detected an old school site (from 1880's to 1945).  One member found a Chinese coin there, and the owner invited us back this month to hit some other areas.  It is the oldest homestead in the county.

    ADAM ANDREWS
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    04 Oct 2016 01:40 PM

      I watched a you tube video of hikers in the San Gabriel mountains, the Mt. Baldy Ca. area. And half way up to Cucamonga Peak, there's Kelly Camp. A campground with old foundations from camping cabins from way back. Anyway, the hiker making the video showed a guy in the background with a detector. He was going around the old cabin sites. So if it's legal, look into those kind of spots.

    Shane Edwards
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    24 Oct 2016 09:31 PM
    All awesome ideas... Thank you everyone for sharing!
    ARTHUR WAUGH
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    17 Dec 2016 11:15 AM

    We got invited back last month to another spot of an old homestead by the owner of ghe property referenced above where the oldschool was.  Found what I think was the old workshop/barn area.  Came away with three horseshoes, and cleaned them up and welded them up so that one would mount up flat on a wall or post, the other two at 90*, and edge to edge.  Makes a different hanger for a hanging plant basket.  Going to give to the landowner as a "thank you" for allowing us to hunt his property, and in addition it is something that came off the property.

     

    Hint for those hunting in the western part of the country.....look for "homestead trees".  The people planted trees, usually poplars or cottonwoods, etc., for windbreaks.  While the buildings may be gone, the trees still perservere.

    WILLIAM SOUTHERN
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    03 Jan 2017 04:00 PM
    Yes in Arizona we have the same "50 year or older law" even though the federal law is 100 years or older. Coins and tokens are legal to dig and keep though.
    Scott Brooks
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    17 Jan 2017 07:36 AM

    Well here come the questions.

     In this post I will list the questions and then we can take them on one at a time.

    1. In metal detecting if I find a target and unearth it to find say coins but it turns out to be a 200 yr old knife, gun etc.... technically I violated the law, what are you supposed to do?

    2.  If on private land hunting with permission I locate a historically significant item, where does the ownership fall? 

    3. If asking for permission to hunt on someone's private land is there any law state to state that requires written permission?

    4.  Are there limits to the value of what can be recovered?

    5. How do you determine where property ownership is i.e. BLM, Private, Local Gov or active claims?  I was using geocommunicator but its gone now.

    ARTHUR WAUGH
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    17 Jan 2017 12:31 PM

    Question # 1-

    My take on it is that if you are on private land with permission of the owner, that decision rests between the two of you.  Unlress thestatehas their fingers in the pie.  On public land I would contact the agency responsible and talk to their historical/archilogical person. State regs can vary, but most states will have a dept of historical sites/areas, and can either give you the regs or point you in the right direction.

     

    Question #2-

    Usually you have an agreement with the landowner that can run from you keep all you find, show them what turned up and keep it, to letting them pick some out to keep, to splitting it down the middle.

    Ownership of found items would depend on the agreement with the owner, but in all probability would rest with them, unless they tell you to keep it.

    Scott Brooks
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    17 Jan 2017 12:54 PM
    Thanks Buzzard! little follow on to your answer to #2 has anyone every put out a default form for permission on private land.
    ARTHUR WAUGH
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    17 Jan 2017 02:14 PM

    Have not heard of one, but that isn't a bad idea.  Might do a search for any MD clubs in your area and see what they might have along that line.  Would be a good idea to put some kind of liability waiver for the landowner on it as well.  Besides, most clubs are a wealth of info/help and access to areas that might not be available to the individual.  I know the one I belong to gets permission to hunt one park here that they have problems with individuals/rogues not filling holes, leaving the trash thay find next to the hole, etc.

     

    That might be an idea for GPAA to pursue as far as a generic form for MD'ers to have for property owners, but could also work for prospecting/sampling work.

    WALTER EASON
    Buzzard
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    18 Jan 2017 06:51 AM

    2.  If on private land hunting with permission I locate a historically significant item, where does the ownership fall?

    The word significant is a term that has a lot of legal meaning in the antiquities act and items if considered that are protected federally and in most if not all states by law. This would include items found on private property and can result in legal enforcement if the authorities find out about it. If you find something that you think needs or should be in a museum or reported do not move the item or disturb the area holding it in place. To clarify if you intend to report it or have it reported do not move it without permission. To report it GPS the location and take pictures, if it is a valuable find there are procedures that may enable you to recover money from the find. Not sure of how successful or how a person would proceed with such.

    Scott Brooks
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    18 Jan 2017 07:58 AM
    awesome thank you.
    Shane Edwards
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    03 Aug 2017 11:24 PM
    I am a Relic Shooter and hunt a vast open desert landscape in SW Utah where most sign of what once was are long gone. I thought I'd comment on something Arthur pointed out that I have found to be one of the most valuable clues for me in discovering an area where there may have once stood an old homestead that today looks like undisturbed vacant land. It's Cottonwood Trees. Here in the desert I noticed random spots that had several Cottonwood Trees, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Some of my best finds come from these areas, from many Pioneer Relics, Wagon Parts to old 19th Century Coins. If there were one clue I look for, it's that... Cottonwood Trees. GREAT tidbit of valuable info Arthur!
    ARTHUR WAUGH
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    04 Aug 2017 04:11 PM
    In addition to old cottonwoods, add old poplars to that.  In our area, the MD club president calls them "homestead trees".  Also investigate the area around old windmills.  Can mean a homestead long gone, or maybe a line shack.
    Jordan Ray
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    07 Aug 2017 06:17 PM
    When I used to hunt relics was the late 70's and early 80's in Western Pa. My buddy and I both had Whites detectors and we'd detect around old foundations from 1700-1800, dig up the trash heaps once you found them and collect the bottles and coins, spoons, etc. Found some valuable stuff along with 1790-1820 coins that were well worn, still have some later bottles but the rest are gone.

    Used to collect arrowheads from sites and river/ lake banks but don't seem to know where those walked off to. At one point we guided a archeological group from Slippery Rock U to an ancient Indian encampment and helped as they gridded, excavated, tagged and bagged the site. You can always learn a lot from watching someone else do the digging. I am intrigued by the Chinese Walls that I'd see on my trips to Cali on prospecting trips and have made rough attempts at duplicating their walls when moving dirt.
    Raymond Livermore
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    03 Oct 2017 10:07 AM
    hi is there a place to buy the atlas you are talking about? any help would be appreciated thanks
    Thomas Wentling
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    10 Feb 2018 07:18 AM

    In Pa we look for old school houses and old towns. Back in the oil days, towns would spring up and now are gone. We also look for old parks that were used back in the 20' or later, that are now abandoned. Another place is around cemeteries. NEVER search inside the cemetery. People use to tie the horses up at the woods edge. When they would check the horses shoes or they got on and off the wagons, stuff would fall out of their pockets. Another place is near old swimming holes in the creeks and old docks, that are long gone.

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