Didn't find much other than Shotgun headstamps galore, (around three dozen), little or no trash and saw a few pretty good sized buck. Went through the area with the AT PRO and the Tornado coil because it's so wide open and the leaves were matted down with prior sleet and rain. With all the headstamps I found I would have thought that maybe there were some coins dropped. The entire area is heavily wooded against a good sized hill to the West, which also has an old trail leading easily up to the top. I checked that out and found 3 headstamps on the trail itself as well as a dozen or so at the plateau on top. The Eastern side of the woods was once a farmers field, but is now a wildlife marsh with a sapling and swampy barrier, so for the end of the trip I followed the remnants of a fence line outside of the big trees hoping to come up with something; alas nothing but more headstamps and an occasional piece of fence wire and a few nails. I'd say the area itself is just under 40 acres. The separation between the old field and the woods is lined with these huge oak trees. I counted 40 of them from my perspective of the photo. My pedometer on my phone shut down when the wife called me and yakked about the cops coming to the apartment complex to execute a sick racoon wandering about. I forgot that the pedometer on my phone shut down 1 hour and 9 minutes into my trek for 4626 steps when she called. Or 1.97 miles. And completely forgot to restart it. I was out in the woods for 3.5 hours so I can easily say that I went well over 12,000 steps and 5 miles of trekking back and forth between the hill and the big trees. And I feel great. Only got to 37F. The ice falling from the trees was the only other excitement when the wind picked up. Wonderful, quiet day in the woods otherwise.
GL & HH out there!
Ed
Good exercise for sure Ed. Are there any clearings in those woods? Possible near an old trial or road?
That would be where folks would camp or picnic.
Best of Luck Tony
(11-16-2018 08:25 PM)Bigtony Wrote: [ -> ]Good exercise for sure Ed. Are there any clearings in those woods? Possible near an old trial or road?
That would be where folks would camp or picnic.
Best of Luck Tony
Thanks Tony! As far as I can tell, on the far end of the woods, where the hill and the woods kind of narrow down to where the marsh actually meets the hill,
there is a road! It comes along the hill from the far South end of the marsh, is about 15 feet wide and curves around, pointing right into the center of the marsh, about 200 feet exposed. You cannot see it in the 1952 Aerial photos, but it is there. It's elevated from the rest of the terrain, not by much, but visible, and Iron infested as well, which means it may have been a farm access road from the South. That area it comes from is completely impassable by thick marsh, but I have been into those Southern sections of woods from another direction and have found many wheats and a few very old campfire rings. The history is that urbanization here happened so fast that farms which were mainstays of the USA breadbasket during the 30's and forties literally disappeared within a year or so. And the historic data is lean, to say the least. So a lot of my kind of detecting is investigating as well. I spend a lot of time looking at what I find and evaluating what was there because the original areas have been transformed so quickly through time that I have to sort of put them back together, as they were, years ago. This kind of detecting has led me to some very significant discoveries. And honestly, today isn't the first time I've been to this area. This is the second time I've been there taking a closer look but about the 5th time I've tried. Just trying to understand how things were. And there are some things there I have not mentioned which are old that I've discovered recently. Mid to late 1800's. But I can't say what right now as the area needs more perusal. I love the discovery aspect of detecting. It motivates me mostly from the finds I have made. This area was hunted and farmed on a tremendous level. In my opinion there has to be something there. I just have that feeling. A lot of people were there. Now I am.
Ed
Nice recap, Ed. Are you exclusively using the AT now? I kinda wish I would've held on to my gold a few years back, but it was such a stark difference between it and the Minelab that I let it go without giving it much thought. I really liked the AT. It was sparky, separated like nobodies business and was super fast like lightening. Enjoy it there while you can, we only have maybe another month before the heart of winter sets in.
I know you Ed, you'll keep at it.
Here in NJ it is called the Garden State and we have many farms and many that have been turned into malls or housing developments.
This time of year when crops are cut down is the time folks get to them....lately it has been very wet so that has to wait, only the diehards are going into the mud.
Best of luck, Tony
(11-16-2018 11:32 PM)NjNyDigger Wrote: [ -> ]Nice recap, Ed. Are you exclusively using the AT now? I kinda wish I would've held on to my gold a few years back, but it was such a stark difference between it and the Minelab that I let it go without giving it much thought. I really liked the AT. It was sparky, separated like nobodies business and was super fast like lightening. Enjoy it there while you can, we only have maybe another month before the heart of winter sets in.
Not exclusively Joe. I really don't like to take the SE Pro out in the kind of weather displayed as I'm sort of gun shy on ruining another one. I do like the AT Pro for all that you mention as it's one of the better beep and dig machines out there. But I've found myself switching between the two often over the same ground unless it's too iffy weatherwise to pull out the SE. Kind of a tool shed application. There is a difference in finds, although I can't really say that I'm covering exactly the same paths and areas.
And unless the ground freezes solid, I'll be out there, somewhere!
Ed
(11-16-2018 11:37 PM)Bigtony Wrote: [ -> ]I know you Ed, you'll keep at it.
Here in NJ it is called the Garden State and we have many farms and many that have been turned into malls or housing developments.
This time of year when crops are cut down is the time folks get to them....lately it has been very wet so that has to wait, only the diehards are going into the mud.
Best of luck, Tony
I remember the times and trips I made through the Garden State when I was in the Trade. Everyone where I came from thought that NJ was Hoboken. How wrong they were. But alas the mud is not my idea of a "Great" hunt. That situation is off my plate when it comes to regular detecting. Although my brother has some farms lined up for a January arrowhead hunt while I follow with a detector. Being I don't see him that often I'll make the exception. Thanks Tony!
Ed
It's good that you have a nice perspective on time alone in the wilds Ed. The appreciation of nature and the value of exercise softens the blow when the til comes up empty.
Keep at it though because if there is some treasure in those woods, I know you are the one who will find it.