How much time do you spend researching?

[coinman123]

It seems like the metal detecting addiction has taken over my life . My free time is either spent metal detecting or researching places to metal detect. It seems like this year I have spent more time researching places than actually metal detecting. Poring over old maps, lidar imaging, old books, Google Earth and old deeds. It seems like no one in my family really cares when I proudly announce, "I found a colonial cellar hole right near a public hiking trail!" . Even when I said an hour ago, after spending time with the family for my birthday, "Holy , I just found six colonial cellar holes abandoned before 1850 on an abandoned road and next to a river!! Not visible from the trail (which is the road), but visible only on lidar, with beautiful parking and completely public!!!!" Finding a hole in the ground is probably I thing only metal detectorists or history buffs get excited about. I only got a glance over in my direction that probably mean't, "God, he needs to stop with this metal detecting addiction, and bringing poison ivy infested clothes, ticks, and dirt filled trash into the house." I have around 50 cellar holes marked on my GPS, and have only been to around 15 this year, spending a month at one if it turns out to be any good. I have a list of private cellar holes and numbers to call that I haven't even gotten around to yet. I am just wondering how much time you guys spend researching, I probably spend between 2 hours a day now days, and 3 earlier in the year researching. I can't wait to detect that colonial ghost town that I found tonight. Unfortunately a place with three cellar holes that I went to today was completely hunted out, or covered in two feet of logs.

Thanks for reading!

 

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[Truth]

Wow I'm know exactly with you're saying I'm addicted and there is no one in my world that metal detects. I'm a lone wolf that is completely immersed in this hobby. I wish I knew how to research like you do. Any pointers just PM me. Total addiction I tell ya. Lol


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[Nitric]

I did in the beginning, not much anymore. But....I have other hobbies that I get caught up in and go "all in". I also kind of rotate hobbies. When I first started detecting I spent a lot of time at the library and driving around. Now...I don't really go much...I take it camping and look around my property, that's about it lately. I'm sure the bug will come back around again.

 

[Crowfriend]

I spend a lot of time researching for the history of places I find in Cochise County. I find homestead ruins mostly and try to uncover what happened there. Right now I am finishing up on some ruins in the Dos Cabezas area. The ruins are a ranch built by Jack Howard. He placed an ad for a housekeeper (1900) and hired on Mary Cummings. Formerly known as Doc Holliday's gal, "Big nosed Kate." She lived with Howard for thirty years until his death in 1930. It's just one of several research projects. It takes up a lot of my spare time on the internet and in the field. I don't have a metal detector but it sure is tempting. The problem is metal detecting takes up too much time and usually I get worn out getting to remote places.

Standing on what's left of Howard and Kates home in Dos Cabezas. The other ruin was his first home he built at southern tip of the Winchester Mohntajns of Cochise County. My arms are cut from bushwacking to the site. Wore me out.

 

[Xraywolf]

I spend a fair amount of time poring over google maps, I live in a fairly historic but heavily urbanized area and its tough to find hunting spots, most areas are either covered with concrete or private property.

So I scour for anything public and green and it has paid off. Also always on the lookout for tearouts and demolition, those can only be found driving around. Takes some luck but its good to have an eye for stuff like that, those have alos paid off for me.

 

[Silver Saver]

I just started this year and was very interested in research when I first started because I needed to know the best areas to hunt locally. Also put some research into small towns within traveling distance. I learned enough to keep me occupied for this season and got to a point where I had to tell myself to stop reading/researching and center that time around hunting. Then once winter comes I'll start CRH and doing more research. I still spend about a couple hours a day mostly checking out forums or sometimes research. I'm also addicted to the wonderful hobby! A majority of my free time revolves around detecting and I'm happy with it. I can guarantee you if you were to tell any of us about your research and cellar holes we'd all be like where!? Tell me more! Haha

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I look for public spots and detect them. That's all the research I do. Looking for cellar holes is a good idea, but you're going to miss a lot of great stuff by only detecting those sites. Remember, not all homes had cellars. Some people just had cabins that were built on flat ground. You'll never find those spots with satellite imagery. You find them by detecting as much public land as possible.

Some of my best finds have been at public places where they had carnivals, church gatherings, Fourth of July celebrations and so on. These spots have been much more productive than any cellar hole I've ever found. Just the way I approach it...

 

[GB1]

yesterday i spent a least 4 hours in a field detecting

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Like most of us, we all seek help at the MDA (Metal Detectors' Anonymous) weekly group meetings! Lol

Meetings are the every Saturday and Sunday and start at 5:30 am, bring your detector and gear!

 

[coinman123]

I look for public spots and detect them. That's all the research I do. Looking for cellar holes is a good idea, but you're going to miss a lot of great stuff by only detecting those sites. Remember, not all homes had cellars. Some people just had cabins that were built on flat ground. You'll never find those spots with satellite imagery. You find them by detecting as much public land as possible.

Good point! I found my 1723 Hibernia and around 20 buttons at a public site I blindly checked with no cellar holes at all, later I found out that there were cabins on that spot. I also found both of my beautiful 1803 cents, my sundial, a 1650's Louis XIV Liard, and three late 1800's trash pits at sites with no cellar holes. A few places was marked on maps and didn't have any evidence of a home site. I normally try to check all public woods, woods behind schools owned by the town are normally my greatest places. I guess lidar isn't exactly the best at finding a spot unless it is a cellar hole. I do have to give the lidar credit for finding a cellar hole a few days ago that was over halfway filled in, and covered with leaves.

For those that were asking about my research methods, first I always open Google Earth. Then I open an 1850's map of my county, which on the Library of Congress website you can find maps from around 1852-1860, all from the same maker, of nearly every county in the US. Then I get my state college's lidar database up, download the lidar for a place, unzip it with 7ZIP, and view it in FugroViewer. I also open the history of the town I am looking in from Archive.org. It took me forever get the hang of this researching style, but it has paid off so far. Good luck!!

 

[Davers]

I don't research enough.

I want to but don't really have the computer skills , I love to read maps 'when laid out in front of me'.

I'm really interested in this 'lydar' Seen it used it the jungles ,on TV.

I'm a lone wolf Hunter as well, the Family could 'Not'care less, it really SUX! & Not good for a Marriage but I detected when we met & courted. My 9 yo thinks it's a Sin. lol

Anyway tho I do use Satellite pictures in most areas I take the Detector & Scout areas .

I have found some good stuff this way + luck always helps.

Actually in about 10 years (that will pass like a day)
Oh First ..If the Lord blesses me with 10 more years .

I plan to move to FL or the NE ,N of NY City. Or VA ,WVA.

Sorry anyway ..I need to research more. & expand my Diggin.
I focus on Civil War but Have loved Coins since I was little, Anything old is Cool all the way to Native American .

Oh well GL Coinman.

 

[Davers]

Wow I'm know exactly with you're saying I'm addicted and there is no one in my world that metal detects. I'm a lone wolf that is completely immersed in this hobby. I wish I knew how to research like you do. Any pointers just PM me. Total addiction I tell ya. Lol


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I hear ya ,that's why my Personal nickname is "Tom-Cat".

 

[Davers]

I did in the beginning, not much anymore. But....I have other hobbies that I get caught up in and go "all in". I also kind of rotate hobbies. When I first started detecting I spent a lot of time at the library and driving around. Now...I don't really go much...I take it camping and look around my property, that's about it lately. I'm sure the bug will come back around again.

Living in Dallas ,you know how it is around here NW Atlanta Metro Nitric.

IMO Even 10 years ago Dallas GA held literally 'Ton's ' of Civil War relics & now it's super hard to find a spot there; or Here in the Acworth, Kennessaw area. Sometimes it's hard to keep going through the Trash & 'Posted' Signs.

It good to have more than 1 hobby .

Still I see some Nice relics coming out of Paulding Co. For the most part it's a Kinda "Who you Know" thing these days IMO.

 

[pepperj]

I spent a whole winter mapping, had about 2000 sites plotted out and the lovely Dell computer geek erased my hard drive and I lost it all. So I started mapping again had about 600-700 mapped out and the video card crashed in the XPS. Got pissed and bought an Apple had about 250 mapped out and for some odd reason it all disappeared one day when I had a glitch. I'm hoping to retrieve the info off the XPS when time allows me to do so in the future. So now I map an area out go find the farmer get permission to all his land and then I do the sites that are on the old maps for that farm. So I have 6 or so 250 acre farms, 3-1000 acre farms, lots of single farms 50-100 acre places. It seems now I just roll up say I hunt on this farm and that farm and they say that's good enough for them -so go ahead. I need more land so I can go in any direction of my home stop and hunt knowing the permission is there.

 

[coinman123]

I spent a whole winter mapping, had about 2000 sites plotted out and the lovely Dell computer geek erased my hard drive and I lost it all. So I started mapping again had about 600-700 mapped out and the video card crashed in the XPS. Got pissed and bought an Apple had about 250 mapped out and for some odd reason it all disappeared one day when I had a glitch. I'm hoping to retrieve the info off the XPS when time allows me to do so in the future. So now I map an area out go find the farmer get permission to all his land and then I do the sites that are on the old maps for that farm. So I have 6 or so 250 acre farms, 3-1000 acre farms, lots of single farms 50-100 acre places. It seems now I just roll up say I hunt on this farm and that farm and they say that's good enough for them -so go ahead. I need more land so I can go in any direction of my home stop and hunt knowing the permission is there.

OUCH!! I would hate to have any of my sites get erased, let alone 2000! That must have been painful! Good luck getting them back, I think it is possible, I was able to retrieve some priceless family photos that were deleted from my phone. I wasn't able to go metal detecting today, but hope to tomorrow.

 

[Kurios1]

I spent a whole winter mapping, had about 2000 sites plotted out and the lovely Dell computer geek erased my hard drive and I lost it all. So I started mapping again had about 600-700 mapped out and the video card crashed in the XPS. Got pissed and bought an Apple had about 250 mapped out and for some odd reason it all disappeared one day when I had a glitch. I'm hoping to retrieve the info off the XPS when time allows me to do so in the future. So now I map an area out go find the farmer get permission to all his land and then I do the sites that are on the old maps for that farm. So I have 6 or so 250 acre farms, 3-1000 acre farms, lots of single farms 50-100 acre places. It seems now I just roll up say I hunt on this farm and that farm and they say that's good enough for them -so go ahead. I need more land so I can go in any direction of my home stop and hunt knowing the permission is there.

Nice. I just returned the pair of brass railroad baggage tags I found this year to a family member who in return allowed me to hunt his farm ground. I am thinking several hundred acres here in northern Illinois. I have no idea how to do these google map overlay thingies that show you where old homesteads or houses were back in the day? I really would like to learn how to do this so I don't have to just go willy nilly wandering all over a field looking for evidence of some long gone structure. I will be inquiring of the farmers of any evidence of structures as they would know their fields pretty well I reckon. Anyhow, looking forward to doing some more field work this fall with new ground to hunt.

 

[Kurios1]

Not much. I am a tech stupid guy that can barely copy & paste. I'd really like to learn how to do that online google maps type research with the overlaying and what not. Never gave it much attention but, now I am starting to get more interested in field hunting. I'd like to know if I can find information on old homesteads or structures in these fields I will be hunting soon. Of course I will ask the farmers who work the ground for any helpful information as well. I wonder if there are YouTube videos for dummies like me to figure this out? Thanks for bringing up this topic.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Good hunting and good luck to all.

 

[Mackaydon]

Another type of researching: I would guess that over 80% of my responses are based on research previously done or research to answer the thread starter's question.
Don......

 

[pepperj]

Oh don't feel bad about not being able to do this or that with the computer, I'm in the same boat that's for sure. I take the old historical atlas that were drawn up in the late 1800's and get the map area that I'm interested in. This might even come from driving down the road and liking the lay of the land, having a hunch on something that might be there. Then using Google Earth I plot out the farm using the historical map. It's a bit of a challenge in the beginning trying to locate what is where, but there is always a trick or two. Churches don't move much, and a cemetery is better so I start using the corresponding roads to narrow down the search. Water ways are drawn on the maps but are often not true in shape or they will move some over time as will roadways.
I tried overlays and I struggle with the whole thing so it's just old school plotting out where the site might be. Most 80%+ don't have any cellar hole signs looking at Google Earth or even driving by. Most have been flattened yrs ago by the farmers and it's just open fields, until I walk the actual land and detect. I've gotten to the point where I can locate the site within minutes of stepping out of the truck. The bonus is finding the other pre/post sites that aren't on the maps. Finding the sites and telling the farmer that there is was another located here or there.