CW relic Hunting Boom Time is over IMO.

[Davers]

CW relic Hunting 'Boom Time' is over IMO.

I have stated this before in other post's in the past .
But
Now it's really hitting me.
Many factors play into this, like What State you are in , Law's & the number of New hunters out there.

Yes it is easier to find CW & Other Relics in parts of VA than in other CW States but even there Sites are Slowly being 'That dreaded word "Hunted Out" or Developed, or put Off limits.

This is just my Rant & my opinion ,sooo take it how ever you want.

As a friend once said , There will always be Deep relics (like in filled in trenches) or areas where Dirt has been moved A-lot over the past 150 years. & On certain Sites that have been Guarded by BIG DOG's & Men/Women with Shotguns & itchy trigger fingers. & Every now and again they will be sold off Usually to a Developer and These day's MOST! big Developers will not allow Relic hunting on their Construction Sites. Even when I offer to sign away 'liability' .

Also MANY times in Local Relic Hunting Circles (no matter what State U live in ) I find it's not what you know but who you know.

People will always get lucky and come across a Plate or Nice Confederate button every now & then.
But The Day's of finding Lot's of Buttons , Plates , Shells are few & far Between for even the Veteran Relic Hunters.
INO These days You really have to love the History & Detecting to CW relic hunt these days.
There are Many day's I'm out hunting 6-10 hours strait & feel blessed to find 1 fired bullet & don't get me wrong I am very happy to find that.

I would love to get a High Dollar Pulse Machine but there are only a few areas Clean Enough , Hot Enough or hunted out enough to justify spending that kind of money.
BUT
I guess you gotta do what you Gotta do, to find the things we love.

I have Never experienced a Paid hunt, Is it really worth it , motel ,gas, Food ,Etc,?
If there was one Close by I would attend .

Again just feeling Down right now & will NOT QUIT CW RELIC HUNTING YET, I know that I got many more Minnies & Hopefully Buttons, Plates to find in the Future.

Good Luck to all You Die Hard & New Hunters out there as the Relics are there they are just much harder to find.
Davers

 

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[relic nut]

I agree with what your saying and it is sad but inevitable. We do have to work alot harder than the old timers but to me it makes a good find that much better when we do find it. Maybe it will discourage some of the fly by nighters and leave a few more bullets for nuts like me. HH RN

 

[Loco-Digger]

Maybe you need to start an organization and use the membership dues to ply the developers with liquor in order to negotiate permission for members of the org.

Discuss the value of allowing the Organization of Civil War Relic Recovery Teams to process the sites in order to pull out the history before it is destroyed. Hunts can be organized for the whole org "one big hunt window", or times can be set for smaller groups/teams. When smaller teams are used you should also divide the site into lots. A lottery system may be necessary if the membership level exceeds 200 or whatever you decide. The Lobby team would consist of the member or top 2 who know the most history of the site, and maybe the funnest guy to drink with, you know the kind who can keep it jovial.

 

[zbrown210]

I feel your pain a couple days ago I asked permission at a site I know has a cw hq somewhere on the 40 or so acres. A 90 or something year old gentleman answered the door and after listening to my request said he had just sold to a development company and they didn't want anyone on the land...so no. It just made me sad I know there are relics there and in 3 years they will be bulldozed and under a subdivision.

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[patiodadio]

I agree the good ole days are over. Back in the late 70's I was at a NSSA shoot in Winchester Va. A fellow was selling some CW relics he had found. Bullets, pieces of cannon shot etc. I asked where he found them and he said he was digging in a bank near the battle of the Wilderness. No metal detecter, just digging with a shovel.

 

[Davers]

I agree with what your saying and it is sad but inevitable. We do have to work alot harder than the old timers but to me it makes a good find that much better when we do find it. Maybe it will discourage some of the fly by nighters and leave a few more bullets for nuts like me. HH RN

Thanks for the Reply Relic Nut.

Sounds like you love the history like me & as well as Many other CW Relic Hunters on T-net.
My thoughts as of now are -I been on a bit of a Relic slump as of late, but that really depends on how you look at it.
In the last month I have Dug est, 7-8 Fired Minnies & I cherish everyone like a Gold Coin. & That's in an est, 60+ Hunt Hours at Diff, Sites.
I keep everything by (site found) needless to say ,I require many Small Riker type Boxes .LOL

I suppose to most T-netters not in a CW area Each of those would be a Banner find & to others that live in areas Rich with CW history , they may ask why try? You got $7-8 in Bullets for your time.
Also around here NGA as well as in other places you will almost always come across the lone Plate or Confederate button in an unexpected place ie, yards of old or new homes or at a School where some kid took a LA, MS etc button to school in the 1950's to show his friends & lost it. but Those spots with 10's to 100's of relics are few & far Between, but Ill bet they are out there somewhere.
All that said Where there is a chance there are CW Relics in a place that's about to be the next Multi-Story retirement community . Posted or Not ., I will be there with relic saver in hand because
I AM SUPER DAVERS .....Saver of relics in Danger.

For the Record I'm kidding about the "Posted" thing.

 

[Davers]

Maybe you need to start an organization and use the membership dues to ply the developers with liquor in order to negotiate permission for members of the org.

Discuss the value of allowing the Organization of Civil War Relic Recovery Teams to process the sites in order to pull out the history before it is destroyed. Hunts can be organized for the whole org "one big hunt window", or times can be set for smaller groups/teams. When smaller teams are used you should also divide the site into lots. A lottery system may be necessary if the membership level exceeds 200 or whatever you decide. The Lobby team would consist of the member or top 2 who know the most history of the site, and maybe the funnest guy to drink with, you know the kind who can keep it jovial.

Yea Man !
Free Booze at the next , 'Site Development Meeting' & many other Luxuries at your request.
I def, need some talkers.

Besides We got a few people like that around here (W/O ) Booze I think
&
Their pretty tight lipped about the sites ( A who you know thing).
My County Cobb Co, Has many Desperate Relic Hunters & So very few sites left to Hunt, This is true for the entire Metro Atlanta area.
So many so if a Very Visible Development Starts ,on many days when there is no-one working I've seen as many as 10 trucks parked at a site & very few hunt alone.
I know you like Coins as do I ,Heck Silvers seem to be just as hard to find .
Hunted a Couple older lot's (houses torn down many years ago) in a City 'Cartersville' about 20 miles away , at first I got several New looking Memorials from the 1960's ( but those coins from the 60's all look pretty good 'Thick & well Struck'
I regress then dug 2 older looking Wheat Cents (thought I saw a 192? on one of them ) Dropped them in the EVOO when I got home. Then went to Kroger to get Gas on the way home, fig I'd check the Coin Star while I was there .
Saw about 8 coins in the reject tray, scooped them out & could immediately tell one was Silver... Turned out to be
2 1960 D Rosies, 1 pretty worn & the other AU, another coin I thought was silver was a 1980 Netherlands Quarter + got another 62 cent for the Found Stash.
TMI Maybe but GL & HH
Davers

 

[Davers]

Maybe you need to start an organization and use the membership dues to ply the developers with liquor in order to negotiate permission for members of the org.

Discuss the value of allowing the Organization of Civil War Relic Recovery Teams to process the sites in order to pull out the history before it is destroyed. Hunts can be organized for the whole org "one big hunt window", or times can be set for smaller groups/teams. When smaller teams are used you should also divide the site into lots. A lottery system may be necessary if the membership level exceeds 200 or whatever you decide. The Lobby team would consist of the member or top 2 who know the most history of the site, and maybe the funnest guy to drink with, you know the kind who can keep it jovial.

Yea Man !
Free Booze at the next , 'Site Development Meeting' & many other Luxuries at your request.
I def, need some talkers.

Besides We got a few people like that around here (W/O ) Booze I think
&
Their pretty tight lipped about the sites ( A who you know thing).
My County Cobb Co, Has many Desperate Relic Hunters & So very few sites left to Hunt, This is true for the entire Metro Atlanta area.
So many so if a Very Visible Development Starts ,on many days when there is no-one working I've seen as many as 10 trucks parked at a site & very few hunt alone.
I know you like Coins as do I ,Heck Silvers seem to be just as hard to find .
Hunted a Couple older lot's (houses torn down many years ago) in a City 'Cartersville' about 20 miles away , at first I got several New looking Memorials from the 1960's ( but those coins from the 60's all look pretty good 'Thick & well Struck'
I regress then dug 2 older looking Wheat Cents (thought I saw a 192? on one of them ) Dropped them in the EVOO when I got home. Then went to Kroger to get Gas on the way home, fig I'd check the Coin Star while I was there .
Saw about 8 coins in the reject tray, scooped them out & could immediately tell one was Silver... Turned out to be
2 1960 D Rosies, 1 pretty worn & the other AU, another coin I thought was silver was a 1980 Netherlands Quarter + got another 62 cent for the Found Stash.
TMI Maybe but GL & HH
Davers

Ooop's

 

[Davers]

I feel your pain a couple days ago I asked permission at a site I know has a cw hq somewhere on the 40 or so acres. A 90 or something year old gentleman answered the door and after listening to my request said he had just sold to a development company and they didn't want anyone on the land...so no. It just made me sad I know there are relics there and in 3 years they will be bulldozed and under a subdivision.

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I think I spoke with this Same Man in the Spring, If so it was Still Under Contract Then & He Kinda Rudely said No ,but thanked me for at-least asking.
Is there a Lowes Close By?
&
How about Barrett & 41 Trailer park built in the 70's I think?..... Ill almost Guarantee there were Many relics Along with the trash on that land.....but NOOOOOO Hunting. Plus drove by there yesterday & It looks like they have moved 10-20 Feet of Dirt just in the last month. It's amazing how much a site can change in just a few weeks.
Heck there was a line of Dump Trucks waiting at 5 am one Sunday Morning, their in a hurry on that site for sure.
GL I may see you around.
Davers

 

[Davers]

I agree the good ole days are over. Back in the late 70's I was at a NSSA shoot in Winchester Va. A fellow was selling some CW relics he had found. Bullets, pieces of cannon shot etc. I asked where he found them and he said he was digging in a bank near the battle of the Wilderness. No metal detecter, just digging with a shovel.

Yep!
Back then a Rake & a Shovel was all you needed in many places.
Good Luck out there.
Davers

 

[zbrown210]

Yeah its right across the street from Lowe's. A shame. Do you live in the area Davers? I live in kennesaw

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[Davers]

Luck is where you find it.

Just wanted to rant a little more .

Was at a Site on Wed Night ( Those Dozier Driver work late, suppose the raid set everybody back).
About the Size of 3 or 4 Football Fields , Found a Nice Civilian Spur there back in 1998 & a Few minnies over the years .
Now it's Cleared Trash Everywhere ( I wish that when they clear a Site With Structures on it that they would tear down the Buildings / Barns etc & haul them away instead of just leveling them & making them part of the future landscape.) Anyway was there about 3 hours (in the Dark) I was digging Mostly Minnie Ball type Signals, I dug a small hole with my big shovel , I was a Med size piece of Aluminum but in the small hole I noticed a Small Gold Ear Ring back shining up at me thought "Wow"
What are the chances ,got it home cleaned it off & it's Clearly marked 14 k on the Back.

I have heard of people digging signals & finding Arrowheads & Such & thought "that's gotta be 1-in a Million.

To come across that little gold Nugget (so to speak) while digging trash amazed me.
So just saying you may move a rock or tire just to find a CSA buckle Underneath , we never know whats gonna come up.

PS I did get 1 Nice Fired Enfield with a nice little Impact Notch in the tip.
That was a lucky find as well cause the place was littered with Aluminum Screw caps & beaver tail pull tabs I estimate from the 1970's & 80's , Think the Boy Scouts had a lodge on the site and Camped there. + Got me another nice Neckerchief.

All that & being able to look up at the Beautiful Night Sky & admire all those Stars made for a Nice Hunt.
Davers

 

[Davers]

Yeah its right across the street from Lowe's. A shame. Do you live in the area Davers? I live in kennesaw

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Yes Sir.
Acworth, but closer to Kennessaw & Woodstock. Bells Ferry Rd.

Imo at the site we were talking about 'Most' of the Relics are gonna be around the House .
I have heard of people Hunting that land for MANY Years & the old Guy never let people hunt his land.

That's one of the Developed areas I'm talking about , as late as 1999 there was not really that much development there but now ...WOW!

Some nice relics (that I know of) came out of where they built lowes, Cannon Ball ,Fuses, Bullets etc. Think it was built in the Mid 90's.

I'm the Guy with the Cig, Hanging out of his mouth most of the time while hunting. lol

 

[zbrown210]

Yeah very possible. Cobb has so many civil war spots but is all corporate or tight landowners it can get kinda depressing looking for places.

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[Davers]

Yeah very possible. Cobb has so many civil war spots but is all corporate or tight landowners it can get kinda depressing looking for places.

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Yes, In this area one needs to Have a Good Strategy to find areas to hunt.

 

[Davers]

Another 7 & a half Hour Hunt = 2 more CW Enfield's

We to a Site yesterday morning got there bout 7.30. It was a Crisp 31 Frosty Degrees.
Gotta get used to the Cold but it def, beats Heat, Humidity, & Skeeters.
All were still an issue as of last week. well not so much the heat.... (rain), It's rained over 8 inches at my house since Oct 1st , For those who Care.
The Site showed this W/3 foot Deep dozier Tracks ,that have hardened into rock solid Bricks of red clay (made the old way with mud straw & Sticks.) Felled trees Everywhere mostly the small Pines & Saplings and branches ,As the Logs were mostly already loaded on the trucks & now at the Mill.

Not much trash (Thank Goodness)..After about almost 2 hours of nothing Got my 1st good Signal ...
.A fired Enfield in decent shape, then 4 hours of Nothing then not far from the first Enfield I dug a Beautiful Dropped Enfield (My prize of the Day).
As I was there 6 other hunters showed up & left , The first made a big circle around the property then promptly left, I might have done the same if it were not for that 1 Fired I dug.
As the Several other hunters came & went we all did the' Having any Luck ' Question All said No just Iron (Even Me). Heck I really Did not want to know if they got anything , as It would have brought me down , but Now I really hope they Did. It was/is a pretty large site est 10-15 acres

Other than the 2 Bullets all other good signals were Modern Cans , 2, 30-06 Cases ,a good size plow piece ,OH & a Half Dollar Size piece of a Ball Jar Lid laying flat at 6 inches. (I just Knew that Solid 82-84 on my XLT was a Coin ), The only SG Brass I found Still had the Plastic on Them. lol
All in all a good day from watching the 3 BIG Deer walking around when I first arrived to watching the Birds peck around in the dirt for their treasures, Just a nice Fall Overcast Day For a Hunt.
&
I was not Skunked.

PS In those LONG periods between Good Signals I came up with a new word ( For what looked like hit that site), A TorSharkFloodacaine. Along With loops of songs like , "Slowride", "Let it Ride" & "Hal-owed be thy Name" -(Iron Maiden), Playing in my head.
Davers

 

[JimK]

I think it is over when everyone just gives up. I only have one Civil war site permission and it "has been hunted out for 30 years". But we keep finding stuff and will keep going back as long as they will let us. You can never get it all. Here are our finds from just last Saturday, including a watch key and a butt plate with some of the stock wood still with it in. And the last picture is the Saturday before last. I say keep hunting

JimK

 

[Davers]

Very Nice Finds JimK.
I did not mean "Hunted Out" I meant the times of going out & digging a pouch full bullets , Dozens of buttons & maybe a Plate or 2 a month.

Like it was said before 'We' die Hard CW Relic Hunters Just have to Research & work Way Harder than those in the 60's-70's-80'90's Even the 2000,s.
&
We are def, in it for the LOVE of History , Sacrifice of Ten's Of Thousands of our Ancestors.
Keep up the Good Work.
Davers

 

[parsonwalker]

Digging buddy and I have often said, "The day is coming quickly when it's GONE." And with rare exceptions (underwater, deep in filled trenches, swamps) I believe that to be true. There are a FINITE number of CW relics in the ground. Sure, we won't get 'em ALL . . . but we'll someday get 99% of the findable ones. That being said, my Dad started in the 50s with a modified GI mine detector. Heck, we called relic hunting "mine detecting" . . . with a straight face. Mac Mason was a frequent visitor in my home, along with some less-well-known legends like Harry Cassidy, Elwood Tally and Popeye Hott. Lord only knows how many plates and shells those men pulled out of the ground. In the 60s, it was always several a day. We had a very large trash can at the barn filled with shell frags. The bottom rusted out in the 70s and a huge oak tree spread over the frags. Someday, a relic hunter is going to find a half a wheelbarrow load of shrapnel and wonder what kind of shell created a ground burst like THAT! Anyway, I say all that to say, daddy quit in the late 60s because "there was nothing left to find." He never looked back. Just hung up the metrotech (remember those?) and never plugged it in again. He would be ASTOUNDED to see my collection from just the last 3 years when I re-entered the hobby. Sure there are only 3 plates and only a button every other week or so, but better machines, slower hunting, and a refusal to throw in the towel is still producing enough to keep me swinging. heck a recent American Digger Mag showed three complete rifles that came out of a creek 5 miles from where I grew up. Ahhhhhggggggg! A retired dentist found them on one trip, and he's been hunting less than a year!! he went back a few weeks later and found two more! Yeah, that's central Virginia, but every "sweet" signal I get is another plate! Or at least, it is for 60 seconds or so.

 

[JimK]

I understand what everyone is saying. In days gone by the easier stuff was snapped up and I always wanted to be a part of it. But having lived in the western part of the country most of my life I could only dream of finding CW relics. And now I have a chance to do that very thing. I just have to work a little harder at it. I honestly do not care what or how much or many I find as long as it is period. I even save the square nails and horse shoe nails. My first time out to this site I found some camp lead and 1 three ringer. But to me it was as good as the Hope diamond. So really to me this is my Boom Time and I am loving every minute of it. And thanks to those who came before for leaving some really neat stuff behind.

JimK