More artifact hunters?? Words of advice...

[Tnmountains]

I was just reading Bsit post and it brought up something some of us have been talking about. Here was his post.

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,307957.0.html

Read that first.

We all enjoy sharing out hunts on here but we need to learn to be careful in what we show and say. I have noticed twice the traffic this year in artfact areas. A lot of this may be the economy with people worrying about bills and with eBay selling things world wide. There are many many people that are not members watching these boards all the time that never post or contribute anything and are reading these post. If you want to keep your sites as traffic free as possible then I suggest the following. If you do not mind a lot of traffic then read no further. We all enjoy taking a friend and sharing but its diffrent when people you do not know find your site from a internet post you did and end up selling to eBay or where ever the artifacts. Its a small world now days. Here are some idea's and feel free to add to them.

DO NOT'S

1. When taking pictures limit it to just the insitu of the item.
2. Do not do landscape photos IF they can be easily recognised.
3. Do not list waterways or farms by name.
4. Make sure maps have all the gps data off them.
5.Do not list your county on profile.
Do's
1.Take good insitus
2.Tell about the hunt
3.List your area like>>> South East Texas
4.Try to help New Members get started when they Join and private message them with areas you want to share.
3. Shoot plenty of good pictures that look just like anywhere else.
4. Consider the small cost of being a charter member and support the web site.

OK I am not paranoid but many of the hunters I have been talking to are seeing a large large increase in traffic and the hobby. That's great as I hunt by permission but it gets tough when its a worn out trail. If you do not think this place is popular then read the 4 sale sign they have on it.

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[Th3rty7]

You bring up many good points here. I too have noticed the widely disproporptionate gap in views / replies, it's a safe bet that some are your competition looking for info on new spots to hunt. This is why I hunt solo 98% of the time, and only with trustworthy people. Hunt with the wrong people and before you know it, everybody and their grandma's in your field.

 

[Tnmountains]

You bring up many good points here. I too have noticed the widely disproporptionate gap in views / replies, it's a safe bet that some are your competition looking for info on new spots to hunt. This is why I hunt solo 98% of the time, and only with trustworthy people. Hunt with the wrong people and before you know it, everybody and their grandma's in your field.

Yep 32 hits so far one reply. Not rocket science..

 

[archer66]

I had an experience on a deer hunting forum a couple years back where a guy contacted me by email claiming to be a member of the forum that I had met and was pretty familiar with...someone I trust. The email came from a yahoo account with a name similar to the username of the guy I know only I already had an email address for that guy and this wasn't it. Anyway he asked me some specific questions about my hunt area and made me suspicious so I sent a private message to the member he was impersonating to make sure it wasn't him. Sure enough someone was fishing for details about where I hunt. Nearest I could figure is I had posted some trailcam pics of a big buck and he was possibly trying to move in for the kill.

I'm not as careful as I need to be and this is a good thread to remind us all.

 

[RichPA]

I'm enjoying this post TnMountains. The internet allows information to get to millions of people quickly and there are alot of lurkers. Some people get in there mind that artifacts are worth lots of $$$ from the rare ones listed in price guides. Yes they all have some value but working 10 hrs or less a week at minimum wage will likely earn far more in a years time.

This same thing has happened to a fly fishing forum I participate on. Members post a stream report of a low traffic wild trout stream and then the stream gets hammered by fishermen. I agree, keep your hidden gems a secret.

 

[Tnmountains]

I had an experience on a deer hunting forum a couple years back where a guy contacted me by email claiming to be a member of the forum that I had met and was pretty familiar with...someone I trust. The email came from a yahoo account with a name similar to the username of the guy I know only I already had an email address for that guy and this wasn't it. Anyway he asked me some specific questions about my hunt area and made me suspicious so I sent a private message to the member he was impersonating to make sure it wasn't him. Sure enough someone was fishing for details about where I hunt. Nearest I could figure is I had posted some trailcam pics of a big buck and he was possibly trying to move in for the kill.

I'm not as careful as I need to be and this is a good thread to remind us all.

It's purpose and intent is to be a good thread for a bunch of "good" people.

 

[Tnmountains]

I'm enjoying this post TnMountains. The internet allows information to get to millions of people quickly and there are alot of lurkers. Some people get in there mind that artifacts are worth lots of $$$ from the rare ones listed in price guides. Yes they all have some value but working 10 hrs or less a week at minimum wage will likely earn far more in a years time.

This same thing has happened to a fly fishing forum I participate on. Members post a stream report of a low traffic wild trout stream and then the stream gets hammered by fishermen. I agree, keep your hidden gems a secret.

Rich almost a 100 veiws. A trout stream can be a renewable resource a hunting spot is not.
Of course if you are a Charter member you may sit on the live section and as soon as this post you see this topic go to the front of posted topics and who posted. Its like a ticker tape pretty cool!!! We get hits from there as well. Makes for some great diversity in reading.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

This is why many of us water hunters no longer post where we find our "treasures". I will tell someone privately, but on the open forum I usually just post what coast I found it on now.

 

[bradsguns]

A great post to remind people to keep their private information (and hunting sites) private. The "do not" list is a good reminder of how easy it is for someone to gather information, as well as how freely people post it for the world to see.
Promote the hobby, not your hotspots.
Brad

 

[Twitch]

It's funny this came up today.... I went to the Collinsville show with my wife and kids this morning. Tons of great stuff, I was thoroughly impressed. As we were leaving I commented to her on the authenticy of several pieces I considered to 'questionable'. She asked why someone would fake an artifact? Same reason people steal sites, trespass, etc. A little different twist than the thread topic, but the same idea.

 

[joshuaream]

Sound advice... If you have a good site and don't want to share it, then keep the info very general. You should do the same with pictures of undocumented or little known mounds, caves, rock carvings, etc. in your area, not everyone will respect them as much as you do.

 

[Treefrog]

great topic Tn Mtns.... you are exactly right. great list of what nots as well.
Ill quit telling about everything I find here in the fla everglades with all the alligators to contend with(hint hint)
Ive been lucky so far on hunting with friends. Mainly 1 guy that we share our sites when we do get to go together.
Ive been on fields before and watched guys running to the high ground before anyone else got there.
I just got permission to hunt 40 acres that a guy has a 3 mile dirt track on, he digs dirt here and there making jumps and the track is constantly dug up by the motorcycles .
His wife has found a few here and there but no one ever really spent much time looking. There is also a natural spring on one corner of the property. Gonna keep my fingers crossed. Oh and it has a locked gate that I have the code too!!! Down in the everglades of fla.
hehehe
Tree

 

[Tnmountains]

great topic Tn Mtns.... you are exactly right. great list of what nots as well.
Ill quit telling about everything I find here in the fla everglades with all the alligators to contend with(hint hint)
Ive been lucky so far on hunting with friends. Mainly 1 guy that we share our sites when we do get to go together.
Ive been on fields before and watched guys running to the high ground before anyone else got there.
I just got permission to hunt 40 acres that a guy has a 3 mile dirt track on, he digs dirt here and there making jumps and the track is constantly dug up by the motorcycles .
His wife has found a few here and there but no one ever really spent much time looking. There is also a natural spring on one corner of the property. Gonna keep my fingers crossed. Oh and it has a locked gate that I have the code too!!! Down in the everglades of fla.
hehehe
Tree

I here ya I am still waiting for the snow to melt. Hey Tree did you see that broke beaver lake? Did it look similiar to the ones you found?

 

[Newt]

I've only taken "newbies" to places that I have keys to the gate. It deters real quick like. Especially, when the owners show up just about every time I pull in.

Research and remember this hobby involves a nonrenewable resource. Whether it be washed down the creek or salvaged, you only get one chance at rescuing some history.(most of the time)

Nice post!
Newt

 

[Lone Star]

Tn Mountains, This is a good point you bring up. I can understand protecting your turf. You have to be carefull of divulging "state secrets"as I call them. Weather its where the trout are or where you found an archaic site no one knows about, it's important who and how the info gets shared and related. Thanks G.

 

[MarkDz]

That's kind of creepy... but a good and valid point.
On the other hand, I represent a "fairly silent" part of the "silent majority." I love the hobby but don't have the time, expertise, or finds to really hold my own in most conversations here. (Everyone is amazingly nice but why would I make a post to show my one broken point and a funny rock when Larson digs up an entire lost Indian village weekly?) I'm stuck at work most of the time but am happy with my 5-10 points a year and vicariously sharing your adventures and drooling.
So, yep, I lurk... but I'm just here to read and learn in the most pleasant and respectful way. I think a lot of people do that. Just because the popularity of the hobby has spiked doesn't mean everyone's out to get everyone. I'd hate to see people get paranoid around here or feel like this isn't a good place.
But certainly TnMountain's hints are good... he is a wise man.

 

[SouthernGirl]

wow I never even thought about this! I guess I should even though I don't hunt as regular as most you guy I do like to post what I find and discuss it with you all.

 

[Tnmountains]

wow I never even thought about this! I guess I should even though I don't hunt as regular as most you guy I do like to post what I find and discuss it with you all.

Hey SouthernGirl

We like posting and sharing also. I just think I may keep a little tighter about location and no more panoramic veiws. Its easy to think everyone is a nice as you
TnMtns

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

wow I never even thought about this! I guess I should even though I don't hunt as regular as most you guy I do like to post what I find and discuss it with you all.

Its okay to post and talk about it, just don't post "Neon Signs" of where you are hunting. ( No recognizable landmarks in the back ground, or post the exact location of the hunt)

 

[Newt]

The $ amount of research and door knocking will never equal the monetary value of artifacts found. I've spent way more time and $ finding the places than looking for the artifacts within. This thread is reality. It's very plausible that some visit here only to do "research" and I commend them for that. The "Net" when I started doing this was the LIBRARY. It was much more difficult to find a Topo map that narrowed down any one area. To all those Lurking, Indians were probably in your area. They might not have been on your doorstep, but they did camp on high-ground above water just about everywhere.
Newt