any tips for hunting an old dirt road from the 1800's?

[NHdigger]

Tomorrow I'm going to be detecting along a trail in the woods that was once a road in the early 1800's. Can anyone offer me any tips or suggestions about where I should be focusing my search? Along the side of the trail? The middle? What should I be looking for? Thanks for the help!!

 

[MNCoinhunter]

I would go right up the middle. You have nothing to lose. If it was a road travelled by horseback or wagon, then anything that was shaken loose would have fallen on the road. Just my two cents. Wish I could hunt it with you ! I would keep an eye out for a wayside too, where folks would have rested off of the road. Good luck & let us know what you come up with !

 

[surfman]

I would work it sections and try to cover everything. Try to imagine the kids walking or the wagons or carriages going up and down the road. Working it in sections will take a while but you'll have a better chance of finding stuff. I have a really old road that i've hunted but because they usually repaired the road with fill I didn't find anything old. Think the good, old stuff might be just out of reach. Good luck with it, Joe.

 

[Hombre]

My Two Zincs

Get yourself a GPS and up-link your position, back pack in with food&water and a light weight detector that breaks down in three pieces (Tesoro

 

[mudpuppy]

Your detector will tell you if you read the signs right. Maybe look at a topo map before you go to try to narrow it down to some hotspots...natural saddles, creeks, protected bluffs close by if a storm came up...stuff you would look to use if you were travelling by horse...

 

[Elton]

Slow and LOW....... dig all of the targets.. even if junked up. Many many coins from that date read lower than you might expect..

 

[downeaster]

All good advice. Old roads like this have been one of my favorite places to hunt for many years. My experience has been that good finds can be anywhere on or near them. Foot traffic, horseback, oxen, buggies and wagons and even early autos all traveled these roads. You will find your share of shotgun and rifle shells, nuts and bolts, wagon parts but you will find some nice coins also if you are persistant. I use very little, if any, discrimination and go slow. Keep your eye out for cellar holes along the road as they can be productive also.

 

[798hand]

put yourself in that time imagine your on a horse were would you stop and lookaround were would you pull your britches down and xxxx and spill your pockets

 

[jmaryt]

it's a shame the waste is "organic" and no trace left!..yes!..look for the "pocket" spill!"
just sayin!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

 

[JimGilmore]

I agree with 798hand...Look for spots where you might have stopped....and not just alone...
The youngens might have gone some place to be together out of site while traveling from spot to spot...
Even the birds do it....So did we. We did not populate this great land by being prude all the time...

 

[798hand]

put yourself in that time imagine your on a horse were would you stop and lookaround were would you pull your britches down and xxxx and spill your pockets

 

[fowlercharles]

Hey Digger, hunt in all metal unless you begin finding to much iron. Don't think it will matter a lot whether or not you hunt up the middle or choose an alternate criss cross pattern, but be sure to watch for any "horse paths" that almost always are present near older roads. Can't miss them as they will be narrow and deep in some cases. Be sure to check any creek crossings and changes in grade, as a horse would always have to labor/,jump and hop to gain footiing in mud and in getting up a grade, thus shifting and shaking the rider as he was doing his best just to stay in the saddle. I have found a couple of coin spills in just such type places so it is a highly likely area for finds so keep your eyes trained for those spots. Good Luck and HH,Charlie