Question about flint??

[Okielawman23]

Does moss grow on flint? The river where I look, the bottom is covered with mossy rocks. I found 2 small peices of flint today and they both appear to be worked but moss was not on them.

Do points kinda jump out at you or do they really blend in. I know I have good eyes, and I am hunting the gravel like crazy. Just did not find anything in 2 hours worth of hunting this morning. Dunno if my technique is wrong or what.

I generally keep on the move and look at the ground, Duh. I dunno if I should stop every few feet and carefully survey the ground.

Well the water discharge started to come up around 10 ish so I decided to go home dissapointed.

I think I am in good spots, many points have been found on the Arkansas river, and I mean many.

I think I want to get really far away from tulsa to search ther river. Perhaps go up to the cimiron or some place like that to do some poking around.

I just have no idea what I am doing wrong if anything at all.

Most of the points I see from the river, would not blend in all that well, they are all off colors from the actual river rock.. so I dunno. Kinda lost on this one.

Thanks
Chris

 

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[DemonCatSpaceStar]

Hello Chris, I'm not sure if moss grows on all rocks (I would assume yes?).

Now, in the photo is an arrowhead ( I swear)! I walked a pattern going down this gravel bar (bank 2 bank then moving 1ft or so & head back, Thats how I've found them in the past) & was leaving & walked up & there was an Arrowhead & I thought I was taking my time ( I went 1 mile it took me about 5hrs!) that's how easy it is to miss.

I think you've got the right idea about stopping every so often & looking & from what I've heard the Arkansas river is good hunting!

I go out sometimes & just comeback with scrapers ect...

Their are more experienced hunters on here that could give better advice but mine would be to just go out as much as possible.
I don't know if you have Arrowhead books but it helps to look at them ( especially In Situ shots) I think it kinda trains your eye? & it really helped me to watch you tube videos of flint knapping to know what I'm looking at (you may not have that problem though?) .
Anyway I'm gettin off the path...

Well I hope this helps? If I think of anymore I'll reply.
Sorry about adding pics but I thought it would give a good idea of how difficult it is?

8)
Phil

 

[Tnmountains]

Yes algea and moss will grow on them. What helped me and I am no expert is to learn to find flint. Wether its just a flake or even a nodule of unworked. Learn to see the flint first. Once you get into some and see it you will start seeing it everywhere. I guess in the begining go slow look for the obvious and scan for that flint. Now days I tend to stand still scan a large area first for the giant one and then zero back in to what is close and then move forward. It really depends upon where you are hunting and what you are seeing.If there is nothing there keep moving it starts to look good slow down.

You are in a great area for sure. I am sure that you will find some things.I think you will have to be the first one there though.
Good luck

 

[uniface]

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks in diff'rent circumstances.

On the backwater sites I hunted a pretty good percentage of the artifacts were either of dull, earth-colored Penns Creek cherts or made of (technical term) sh*tstone (argellite, rhyolite, indurated shale, &c.). Just looking for the black Helderberg would have missed most of what was there (which is what the previous generations of folks focusing on the black chert overlooked. The points were there, but they hadn't seen them -- most of my nice, intact ones fit this description).

If you're field hunting, take the same approach you take when you're hunting deer in the woods. You're not likely to see a deer neatly so often as part of a deer -- an ear, a tail, &c. Go slow and check out everything that looks like it could be part of an arrowhead, from any angle. You'll be disappointed maybe 19 times out of 20, but you'll start finding stuff you wouldn't have otherwise.

Speed will come with time.

 

[Charmin]

Okielawman23--I think you are right about "getting far away from Tulsa" area. The spots you're looking may be over-run with artifact hunters. We were driving through Sand Springs(Tulsa suburb) the other day and I saw 2 or 3 guys out on the sandbars in the middle of the Arkansas River.
Go up towards Cleveland maybe!
My grandpa found some arrowheads on the river there(I think ).
Don't get dissapointed if you aren't finding anything--just keep trying!
kind regards~~sandcreek

 

[abarnard]

I hate moss, it was my worst enemy on the Nueces River, tx where there was drought like conditions. i found some artifact pieces that were dried up with algae on them, maybe for months, and made it a bitch to clean those pieces. I have found artifacts in areas where there is moss, just keep a keen eye...

 

[creek astronaut]

all good advice,its all about training your eye and being patient.you will miss stuff if you dont take your time.creek/river hunting and field hunting are two different animals if you ask me.i think a beginner would have much more success hunting a field to get your eye trained some,there is alot more to look at in a river or creek.notches,blade edges and the texture of a worked piece of flint is what sticks out to me.and on those mossy areas the notches(if any)on an arrowhead will catch your eye.thats the same for gravel bars that have alot of muddy/dirty rocks on it where you cant see color or texture,the notches will stick out like a turd in a punch bowl.here is a insitu pic of a creek find of mine.other than being in the water it kind of shows you what im talking about with the mud/moss.the piece in the pic is 100 % jet black.good luck.