Sweet Austrian Bayonet and more....

[aquachigger]

Just had another great afternoon digging. Hit a new spot and found this sweet Civil War bayonet within five minutes. It's probably in the nicest shape of any I have dug. It was buried in the mud and that's probably why it's so well preserved. I also found some bullets, bullet sinkers and a complete Spencer carbine cartridge. The turtle shells are an interesting story. I was detecting along the bank of a river and a Bald eagle kept circling me and making lots of noise. Suddenly I came upon a turtle shell graveyard! I looked up and saw its nest and it then dawned on me that the eagle was not happy because I was near its nest. Apparently they like to eat turtles. I like turtles. It was kinda sad, but that's life I suppose.



Bayonet closeup...



Ripped apart turtle shells. You can see the beak marks...



Some more cool bullet sinkers and a complete Spencer carbine cartridge...



Carved sinker. Seems like A LOT of work for such a small sinker...




Thanks for checking out my post!

 

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[Diggit]

Awesome post. Interesting that those bullets are flattened like that. From being shot into water?

 

[aquachigger]

Awesome post. Interesting that those bullets are flattened like that. From being shot into water?

Soldiers flattened them out and poked a hole in them to make sinkers for fishing. Sometimes they would carve a flat spot in them and them drill a hole. But I would suppose it's easier and faster to just flatten them.

 

[Diggit]

Soldiers flattened them out and poked a hole in them to make sinkers for fishing. Sometimes they would carve a flat spot in them and them drill a hole. But I would suppose it's easier and faster to just flatten them.

Oh my god I'm an idiot. I didn't even notice the holes. (facepalm)

 

[JohnnyMac]

Great hunt,congrats..really enjoyed your post

 

[Michiganne]

Very interesting finds. Beauty of a bayonet. Sad about the turtles, but I guess that is the circle of life.

HH

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Nice finds bud...can't wait until the next time!

 

[Talon]

You have two Eastern Painted Turtle shells there (Chrysemys picta picta). It's interesting but that is the first I've heard of Bald Eagles eating turtles. I'm actually a reptile geek with metal detecting as my side hobby. Their main predators are usually Raccoons (they'll eat the legs off, I've found many amputees) and then being hit by cars. I'll have to ask my herpetologist friends if they've heard of accounts of this!

 

[aquachigger]

You have two Eastern Painted Turtle shells there (Chrysemys picta picta). It's interesting but that is the first I've heard of Bald Eagles eating turtles. I'm actually a reptile geek with metal detecting as my side hobby. Their main predators are usually Raccoons (they'll eat the legs off, I've found many amputees) and then being hit by cars. I'll have to ask my herpetologist friends if they've heard of accounts of this!

Let me know what you find out. They were definitely right below the nest and were a meal at one time. I can get some video if they are interested. I am fascinated by such things as well. I saw a Sharp Shinned hawk grab a toad out of the middle of my pond a few weeks ago. That was a first for me as well.

 

[flakefinder]

Nice finds, really like the bayonet and the Spencer round , Congrats. But the turtle shells are very interesting , never have heard of eagles eating turtle but dose not surprise me . Learning that is a great find all in it's own. Good luck and Good hunting... And thanks for sharing...

 

[Hot zone]

The carved sinker was less likely to get hung up in the weeds and break the line. The guy that made it was a skilled fisherman I think!

 

[worldtalker]

COOL bayonet Beau,nice to see you posting your finds,still have a hard time gettin over all that SILVER God Bless Chris

 

[HomeGuardDan]

Let me know what you find out. They were definitely right below the nest and were a meal at one time. I can get some video if they are interested. I am fascinated by such things as well. I saw a Sharp Shinned hawk grab a toad out of the middle of my pond a few weeks ago. That was a first for me as well.

Even the animals are hurting in this economy now...they are resorting to such things...sorry could not resist

 

[HomeGuardDan]

The carved sinker was less likely to get hung up in the weeds and break the line. The guy that made it was a skilled fisherman I think!

must not have worked too well if it were lost.. honestly though I was thinking the same thing, reminds me of a slider for a carolina-rig.

 

[arrowduc]

Great finds. Congrats.

 

[lost crow]

Cool finds, I love that bayonet. I didn't know eagles would take turtles, it looks like it was his favorite dish.

 

[RiverRat3]

Very nice bayonet! Great finds.

 

[Steve in PA]

That is a beautiful bayonet!! You water hunters are really tearing it up lately. I'm gonna have to get myself one of those Garrett AT Pro's I think the locals used bullets for sinkers for many years after the war as well as the soldiers during the war.

 

[Hot zone]

That is a beautiful bayonet!! You water hunters are really tearing it up lately. I'm gonna have to get myself one of those Garrett AT Pro's I think the locals used bullets for sinkers for many years after the war as well as the soldiers during the war.

Let's not take anything away from this great find! Spencer carbines were used long after the war too. McClellan was afraid to commit his beautiful army to battle giving those boys time to perfect there fishing skills, the southern farm boys already had them. Cool civil war sinkers!

 

[littlebill31]

Cool finds!
I've seen eagles and hawks eat turtles a couple times. I grew up on the Susquehanna river in Maryland. I once saw a hawk drop something, I went over and found a very small bog turtle. Highly endangered species. I took it to the state park office and the ranger said it was common to see them take small turtles. I guess if it is hungry, it'll eat whatever it can.