Pirate Treasure-Trying to get a permit to dig up

[Bigdogdad]

BDD
Since you value my opinion, I'll help.

Abandon the bike at night idea. Draws too much attention and you may end up at the station trying to explain the situation.

Put on the big boy pants, come screaming in during daylight in your truck and go to work.

School kids and soccer moms will not suddenly have visions of buried treasure.

For what its worth.

V

In the area I am talking about riding a bike at night is no big deal. Even if I were to be questioned I am not doing anything wrong. The church officials front door is about 100 feet from the dig site and he is the one that said I could do some probing. At this point I don't want any of them seeing me probe at the spot. I have not shown them exactly where it is although I do think I can trust them.

I wear my big boy shorts all the time. The church official has made it clear that they don't want ANYONE at the school to know what we will be doing. They have told me that there are certain boys that will come over and want to know what I am doing and the officials do not want ANYBODY other than themselves and myself to know anything about this. They have given me specific guidelines to follow and that is what I will do.

I remember you posting on the Southeast PA thread about how to go about digging at a specific site. Your plan was to do it without permission when the property/homeowners were not there. Not my style, for what it is worth.

 

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[Bigdogdad]

It was use of and probably involved learning how to use modern technology that helped Mel Fisher succeed. Don,t let texting foil you in your passion.
Be professional in appearance sampling and allow no more info than you are sampling and sample. Sometimes conspicuous is accepted as normal when pros are at work.
If not for banners on vehicles and badges on personnel any one could work on most things and sites with out drawing attention? With proper permissions of course they just go about their business with out engaging the public much if at all if they are busy because of their "posture/attitude" not unfriendly but doing their work. You see such demeanor occasionally and does it make you interact with them? Bridge site excepted.

I don't trust texting. I prefer to speak directly to people I am dealing with. In spite of all the forms we have to talk to each other there seems to be a lot of lack of communication going on. You never know for a fact that someone gets or even understands a text. My best friend has tried to force me to text with him and he has not succeeded. I think it is the lazy way to communicate. Just my opinion.

As far as being inconspicuous while doing a dig, I have surveying equipment, hard hats, orange vests and more. If you act like you know what you are doing and don't look like you are sneaking around, nobody will pay much attention to you. As far as that goes, I have been on a site digging for treasure and had people walk up and ask me what I was doing. When I told them I was digging for treasure they just laughed and walked away figuring I was just BSing them.

 

[vor]

I don't remember the "utility search" guys getting any grief at Rocky Bluff, not even from you.


The SE Pa thread was considered by all to be a joke. Wonder what happened to the Sepaman.

 

[Bigdogdad]

I don't remember the "utility search" guys getting any grief at Rocky Bluff, not even from you.


The SE Pa thread was considered by all to be a joke. Wonder what happened to the Sepaman.

The guys with the sucker truck looked and acted like they were supposed to be digging. I didn't give them any grief but I did ask them what they were doing. They seemed a little bit evasive but they probably felt it was none of my business. I called my contact at the Sarasota FDOT headquarters to inquire about what was going on. He did not seem to know and said he would check into it. I let it go at that. I took pictures of everything. I looked down into the hole they were digging. I sat off in the distance and watched them. They spent a lot of time digging two holes that did not seem to make any sense. They would leave their truck running and go to the bar next door. After a few days they were gone. What more could I have done?

I quit reading the SepaMan thread long before it disappeared. I don't know how it ended or what made it go away. You were very hard on him and seemed to be deep into the whole affair. I assumed at the time that everything you were posting was BS which is probably true. It did not help your credibility on here. I bet you miss him and his thread.

 

[vor]

You are more entertaining.
V

 

[lastleg]

That's a fact, BDD is way more interesting than that wannabe. You, Dog, have cornered the market on
treasure seeking in an unconventional manner. Although I wish you would listen to the wife more about
genuine work your admirers couldn't do without a daily fix of Dog Digging.

 

[Bigdogdad]

I received a phone call today from the county employee that I talked to yesterday about a possible treasure buried next to the historical creek. It was kind of interesting. I feel like I have come full circle and I am back where I started at the beginning of this thread. 1645 posts later and now I have some decisions to make. What have I learned? How would I have handled the bridge site differently? I am going to put a long post on here before the night is over but right at the moment I am trying to put this jet ski deal together and may have to do a two hour round trip.

 

[Bigdogdad]

Here is the deal. The same person that recently gave me the church site and 12 foot deep site also gave me the location where they think something is buried along a creek near the downtown where I used to live when I was a kid. This location has all the makings of a great spot for someone to have buried some gold and silver. There was an old house that was torn down. 500 year old oak trees in the yard. Right beside a creek that flows into the Manatee River which leads directly to the Gulf of Mexico. There were outbuildings in the backyard that are now gone leaving only an old concrete slab. It is now part of a park.

The creek has always been prone to flooding and after a 30 year battle the Army Corps of Engineers is now in the process of widening the creek. The spot where I think something is buried is in the path of destruction. They are using large track hoes and just tossing the dirt into piles to be hauled off. This spot is scheduled to be dug up within a month. I had been trying to get with the owners of the property without success and it has now been bought by the county.

The site is now under the jurisdiction and control of the Engineers for the duration of the project. I stopped the day before yesterday and talked to a person on-site. I explained my situation and what I thought might be there. She was very helpful and passed my number on to her supervisor. He called me yesterday and asked a few pertinent questions. He seemed liked he wanted to help. He said he will get back to me by the end of the week which will be day after tomorrow.

In the meantime I went to the county administration building yesterday and talked to someone that agreed to try to help me with this. He asked me all the right questions. He called me this afternoon and said that he and four other officials had a meeting to discuss what I had told them. They said that I need to contact the State Division of Historical resources and try to convince them that there is something buried at the site. If I can then they will decide who will dig and how they will go about it. I could possibly be involved as an observer and possibly receive a cut of what is there.

Here is my thoughts. This is exactly what happened at the bridge site at Rocky Bluff. The officials turned down everything I wanted to do. They refused to issue a permit of any kind and chose to let whatever may or may not be there stay in the ground. They do not want me to dig at Rocky Bluff. All of their reasons were BS and they knew it. The State Archaeologists do not want ANYBODY hunting for treasure ANYWHERE! Of course this didn't stop the long list of people that dug holes all over the place in and around the bridge supports and at least 200-300 or more places while planting high maintenance palm trees the fronds of which will blow all over I-75 in the event of a storm or hurricane.

I watched as an unsupervised out of town worker dug a large hole within 15 feet of a bridge support so that he could bury a large amount of tree debris because their trailer was full and they didn't want to have to come back. I saw many other things that defy logic. But will they let me dig one small hole with a hand shovel-HELL NO!

Okay so this is the past. Now we have a completely different scenario. I don't want to dig for treasure near the creek because I don't need to. If it is there it is going to be dug up anyway only nobody will be paying any attention to what comes out of the ground. Even a bucketful or jar full of gold is worth a fortune. I am expecting no cooperation from the State Archies. I will ask nicely and see what happens.

They will ask me how I know it is there. I will tell them I don't know for sure. They will ask for proof. I will tell them I have no map with an X on it, not that it would be proof but that is what people expect to see. I could tell them that I have other sites that GPR and other detectors have shown to have something buried where I think it is. I know I am in for a battle. I will not back down on this one. This is not the same as the Rocky Bluff site as that site is on State/Federal land as part of the interstate highway system. The creek side spot is now owned by the county. I have many good connections within the county system. Our school system is in need of money. They should all be more than happy to help some one trying to find some for them.

We just had the yearly Hernando Desoto celebration. Most people think he was an "explorer". He was here hunting for gold and he and his men killed anybody that got in their way or would not help. Our town is the winter home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The county goes all gaga over Desoto. Our parades are chock full of "pirates" throwing beads at people. Disney World is nearby with all the "Pirates of the Caribbean". The Jose Gaspar Celebration is just across the bay. You would think a local yokel like me just trying to dig up a little "booty" would get some help.

I have been watching "American Idol". Our hometown guy Sam Wolfe was in the top five. He was given the "Key" to the city today in a big celebration. Nice enough kid. He sings. Yee Haw! I don't want a "key". I don't want a medal or a chest to pin it on. I just want to find treasure and see that it goes to a good place.

I am not going to try to claim where this possible treasure came from. I will wait to see what the Army Corps of Engineer guy says. I am not going to let this just go away. It should get interesting. Stay tuned for more details.

 

[vor]

You should have cut a deal with the trucking company hauling off the spoils.
When will you ever learn. You will never get anywhere with governmental authorities.
You are too nonconventional.
Good luck, you need it.
V

 

[Goonie4life]

Bigdogdad, any developments in your quest for the Pirate Camp Treasure?? I've been intrigued by this since you first brought it to light and have been rooting for your success. You're an inspiration to all treasure hunters because of you always stick to convictions and that's what it takes to find the treasure of a lifetime. People thought Mel Fisher was nuts too but I think he was the only one laughing in the end. Hope to see you on the news again soon but this time with a big **** eating grin on your face while standing on top of a ton of 600 years of priceless pirate bounty. "Damn my blood... I scorn to do anyone a mischief, when it is not for my advantage." -Blackbeard

 

[Bigdogdad]

You should have cut a deal with the trucking company hauling off the spoils.
When will you ever learn. You will never get anywhere with governmental authorities.
You are too nonconventional.
Good luck, you need it.
V

You continue to underestimate me. I have had many dealings with governmental authorities and have done just fine. I have many allies within our local government. They get a kick out of my "nonconventional" ways. I don't look at the government as the enemy. It is made up of individuals. There job is actually to help us and believe it or not there are many of them that will help you if you ask nicely. Thanks for the wish of good luck. I probably do need it and usually have it.

BTW vor with all the expertise you seem to want us to believe you possess you must have found lots of treasure. Care to share a story or two?

 

[Bigdogdad]

Bigdogdad, any developments in your quest for the Pirate Camp Treasure?? I've been intrigued by this since you first brought it to light and have been rooting for your success. You're an inspiration to all treasure hunters because of you always stick to convictions and that's what it takes to find the treasure of a lifetime. People thought Mel Fisher was nuts too but I think he was the only one laughing in the end. Hope to see you on the news again soon but this time with a big **** eating grin on your face while standing on top of a ton of 600 years of priceless pirate bounty. "Damn my blood... I scorn to do anyone a mischief, when it is not for my advantage." -Blackbeard

You Goonie! Great movie! I hear they are coming out with a sequel. It will be hard to outdo the original. If there is silver buried at the bridge site it is still there waiting to be dug up. I have other spots that are taking up my treasure time but I continue to drive by the Rocky Bluff bridge site every day and can look right at the spot. I broke my X-ray vision glasses but I did recently purchase a nice crystal ball at a garage sale. I will have to look into it.

This new site I am working on will cause me to have to probably contact the same people I talked to about Rocky Bluff. I am going to share all the important details of what has transpired under the bridge. It is all one big story to me. I just keep adding pieces to the puzzle and the big picture is slowly emerging. Thanks for the positive comments.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

ECS the key word is "most." Not all the hummocks are the result of Indian trash dumps. Some are natural islands built on top of calcium carbonate rocks. Did you read the article? This is just a theory and there is no real proof that "most" of the hummocks are man made. Do you believe everything you read?

Im sure some of the hammocks are natural but it only makes sense that the ancient Native Americans would use the highest islands, especially the islands surrounded by water because they were protected from fire and means of travel was by canoe.

posted earlier by ECS Ancient human trash heaps gave rise to Everglades tree islands, research suggests -- ScienceDaily

Scientists have thought for many years that the so-called fixed tree islands (a larger type of tree island frequently found in the Everglades' main channel, Shark River Slough) developed on protrusions from the rocky layer of a mineral called carbonate that sits beneath the marsh. Now, new research indicates that the real trigger for island development might have been middens, or trash piles left behind from human settlements that date to about 5,000 years ago.

I have always known the every one of those islands in the Shark Valley main channel were at one time inhabited by ancients. This also explains why they are now shrinking. Sadly we are losing many of these islands in the water storage areas south of Lake Okeechobee all the way to Tamiami Trail and even south into the East Everglades due to muck burns and then rising waters. Actually entire ancient cities are lost. Recently an ancient village was discovered by accident when cattle country was converted to orange groves in the upper Shark Valley.. Will Everglades restoration save them or is it too little, too late?

Of course all Indian habitation mounds are protected and hold very little artifacts/treasure, if any. They mostly consist of shell, bone, food discards, charcoal and some broken pottery shards.

As far as Cloud Mountain is concerned, its irrevelant whether it is manmade, natural or both. Its on Native lands and BDD is working with the Indians and/or has permission from the Tribe.

 

[Hot zone]

Im sure some of the hammocks are natural but it only makes sense that the ancient Native Americans would use the highest islands, especially the islands surrounded by water because they were protected from fire and means of travel was by canoe.

posted earlier by ECS Ancient human trash heaps gave rise to Everglades tree islands, research suggests -- ScienceDaily



I have always known the every one of those islands in the Shark Valley main channel were at one time inhabited by ancients. This also explains why they are now shrinking. Sadly we are losing many of these islands in the water storage areas south of Lake Okeechobee all the way to Tamiami Trail and even south into the East Everglades due to muck burns and then rising waters. Actually entire ancient cities are lost. Recently an ancient village was discovered by accident when cattle country was converted to orange groves in the upper Shark Valley.. Will Everglades restoration save them or is it too little, too late?

Of course all Indian habitation mounds are protected and hold very little artifacts/treasure, if any. They mostly consist of shell, bone, food discards, charcoal and some broken pottery shards.

As far as Cloud Mountain is concerned, its irrevelant whether it is manmade, natural or both. Its on Native lands and BDD is working with the Indians and/or has permission from the Tribe.

Actually bone tools and points are often found in shell midden that deteriorate in many other places...the calcium in the shells protects the bone!

 

[JT]

You continue to underestimate me. I have had many dealings with governmental authorities and have done just fine. I have many allies within our local government. They get a kick out of my "nonconventional" ways. I don't look at the government as the enemy. It is made up of individuals. There job is actually to help us and believe it or not there are many of them that will help you if you ask nicely. Thanks for the wish of good luck.

BDD, I've strongly advised you to contact Gov. Scott a couple of times. State bureaucrats may suddenly move a bit faster if they get a call from the Gov's Office.

Vor's idea of cutting a deal to procure hauled off dirt actually has merit. There was a big construction project here in downtown Charleston SC, and several months ago a gentleman who'd done some in-depth research discovered that there was a very high likelihood of finding valuable slave tags at that particular address. My understanding is he struck a deal with the company doing the site digging, and bought the dirt, having it all dumped on his property. He was then able to sift through the dirt on his own land, and made a sizable find of slave tags that were sold for a sizable amount of money.

Just food for thought on your creek site....

 

[vor]

BTW vor with all the expertise you seem to want us to believe you possess you must have found lots of treasure. Care to share a story or two?

I have been fortunate to have found lots of treasures in my life. But it was not buried treasure as you seek.

Rest assured that I will continue to help you in your quest for fortune and fame.

V

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

BDD, I've strongly advised you to contact Gov. Scott a couple of times. State bureaucrats may suddenly move a bit faster if they get a call from the Gov's Office.

Vor's idea of cutting a deal to procure hauled off dirt actually has merit. There was a big construction project here in downtown Charleston SC, and several months ago a gentleman who'd done some in-depth research discovered that there was a very high likelihood of finding valuable slave tags at that particular address. My understanding is he struck a deal with the company doing the site digging, and bought the dirt, having it all dumped on his property. He was then able to sift through the dirt on his own land, and made a sizable find of slave tags that were sold for a sizable amount of money.

Just food for thought on your creek site....

Good story.

 

[Bigdogdad]

When vor mentioned that I should have cut a deal with the truckers he is talking about the Rocky Bluff pirate camp site. The only thing the truckers hauled off was trash in the form of palm fronds, no dirt. The only deal I could have made with them was to use their back hoe to dig a hole where I think the silver is buried. I probably could have got them to do it if I had really wanted to. It was late in the day, they were in a hurry, none of them spoke English and I don't speak Spanish. They left the next day to go back to Homestead. Hind site is 20/20.

The more people in government that I talk to ask permission, the more chances that they will create new rules to stop the likes of me. If I have a good enough reason to I will contact Gov Scott. Right now I am waiting to see what happens with the creek site which is near downtown Bradenton. I have so many different sites on here it can get confusing.

 

[vor]

Yes, you are confused. Go back and read your own thread.

You know the saying, you can't fight city hall. A lot of truth to it. There are ways to accomplish your goals but you refuse to listen.

But its your deal and we will all just watch you dig yourself deeper in a hole.

 

[Bigdogdad]

Read the whole thread? Could you narrow it down to a post number. Sorry, I am confused. What am I confused about? I also don't know that I need to fight "city hall". No one at city hall is fighting me. They are if anything just passing the buck. Standard procedure. To be expected.

Refuse to listen? Because I don't do what you say to do? I listen to you. I disagree with you. There are ways to accomplish my goals without breaking the law.

Dig deeper in a hole? My saying is "when you find yourself in a hole, keep digging". Come to Florida and you can see it live. No commercials.