cache search on old farm with etrac

[bridger]

Hey everyone.
Looking for feedback as to where to search for cache!

My parents bought an old farm back in the late 60's its still ours, but we may try to sell it soon. So I'm looking for a hidden cache with my new etrac!

Background:
Farm was in the same family 1880's - 1960's then my folks bought it. The old German guy that had it was a farmer, a bachelor, and raised a special breed of horses, so horses & farming was his speciality. He sold horses, veggies, and hay. He lived there alone until his death in the 60's.
He built everything around 1900. The barn is very large, two-story, some concrete floor, and horse stalls. Its all metal, and large wood beam which should have cost quite a bit to build - even back then.
House is a small two-story rock-block type. Solid rock walls and basement.

We all have a feeling that he probably hid some coins around the place somewhere, and we've been looking some, but haven't found anything good yet. I've only got about 3 hours with my etrac there.

Supposidly his nieces/nephews only inherited the land which my parents bought from them. The old-timer had no bank accounts, and they did not inherit any coins..... hummmmmm!

See rough map I drew. The entire area around the house, barn, outhouse, pens, and implement shed is high trash. TONS of trash. I can't detect too close to barn walls since its metal.

My dad wants me to MD in the garden more, but it would actually have been at the front of his place and near his dirt road to town. Its an all open country area, and about 2 miles from town. But I'm thinking about the back yard and pen area would be good to search more.... lots of old oak trees and tons of small trash!!! The outhouse area was also a bit if a dump grounds so it too is high trash.

I've searched a little in the garden, all around house, and some around the old outhouse and coop. Since its so trashy, I'm trying to cherry pick looking for silver or gold coins only. BUT am I making a mistake cherry-picking?

IF coins are buried in Mason jars, will only the lid sound off or will the coins come through if the glass is still intact? If glass is broken then coins come through? Depends on depth?

The water well is just to the south of the house kinda towards the outhouse - I've searched the well area already but still looking.

I know I need to go slow and take my time, so I will probably cover all the areas again.

Any ideas, thoughts, settings would be helpful.

Settings: etrac standard coin mode, high trash, deep

Where would you have hidden your coins?
Cherry-Pick yes or no?

Thanks!
Bridger

 

[rotceted]

If there is a fence iv been told that it was pretty common for farmers to hide money under the third post ??

 

[Jason in Enid]

The fence post cashe is something to check for, but that was FAR from a "common" hiding spot.

Put yourself in the man's shoes. You have valuables to hide. Every sale you make, you will be adding to your poke, so it's got to be accessable. It would be in a place he typically spent a lot of time in. The chicken coop would be someplace to check REAL hard. Chickens make a lot of noise when disturbed, so they are a living alarm system. Look in every nook and cranny in the house. Look for floor boards, base boards, etc. that have unusual wear that could be indicating a hiding spot.

Oh, and you will want to check in "all metal mode". The cache could very likely be in steel box.

 

[detectorfreak74]

look for natural or man made landmarks [big rocks,very old trees rock outcrops ect.] if their are hills near by also look DO NOT GIVE UP last year I found a beef jerky jar full of Eisenhower dollars mid 70s and kennedy 1/2 60s and 15 2 dollar bills rolled up on top and added up to 252.50 but found it with my se not my etrac but I dug it up in the back yard of an old house,looking if you are for cache you need to be a pro-filer and know every thing about his passed

 

[billn1956]

Also if he raised pigs.It would not be in the pen or they would dig it up.But very close to the pen because just like chickens they make alot of noise if some one is around.Also it would be where he could keep his eyes on it casually.Like if he liked to sit on the porch in his rocker,,or outside his bed room.Good luck and HH

 

[McDean]

All good comments! Don't forget the outhouse for loose coins etc. The wooded area to the west of the home I would try. All over the house... scan the walls for anything odd sounding. Think of the layout of the house, is there potential for a small hidey room? Random searches could produce something but you have to think like a detective... does sherlock holmes need a watson LOL

Also, tie a strong magnet to a long rope and lower it down the well... who knows..

Search EVERYWHERE, leave no stone unturned! I think definitely you could see it from some point in the house or it is in the house itself... keep us posted!

HH dean

 

[bridger]

Great advice!

Third post? That's a new one for me! Will check that out.

The chicken coop has gotten my attention a lot. But there's tons of trash... Do I cherry-pick for just silver?
I don't want to miss a mason jar filled with coins. Does anyone knows if the coins detect through the glass when buried with the Etrac? I've heard that if its sealed, only the lid gives off a signal. I haven't had a chance to test it myself in a test garden.

My parents completely re-modeled the house in the early 70's. They replaced the wood - and all the outer walls is original solid rock.

Area is flat, sandy, farmland. - no hills. Oak trees are all old and BIG. Thick woods and underbrush to the creek.

I already checked around the trees in the yard. We' ve never found any marks on trees or nails in them.

I have a feeling that the old-timer was in the barn A LOT. Want to check that area out more, as well as the old chicken coop... & implement shed. Although the shed is much further away from the house- 100 yards perhaps.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate it!

 

[McDean]

Man, would enjoy to help with your search project... I would take a day, concentrate on the MOST likely spots and disc all EXCEPT for iron... dig all iron day to clean up a little...

Hope to see you find a goodun, keep at it! If you weren't too far from Ok, I would seriously offer my assisitence haha Goodluck!!!

 

[stasys]

I think only one possible way is to make a team with good reputation prof fies detectorist and search. other way if you new to etrac you have 0% chances to found if ground littered with different garbage. check in places where old person can reach and check his silver to be sure gnomes not stolen at night. make team pay them or split if something would be found. you need different detectors and time. good luck in hunting Stasys

 

[bcoop]

People use to hide their money in chicken coops. They would place money in fruit jars and dig a hole and bury it inside the chicken house.

BCOOP

 

[wvrick]

I'm with BCOOP on this one, the chickens would have been used to him being around them and also they keep the ground bare and tour up as with the pens too. If anyone else would have got close to the chicken coop the birds would alarm and everyone knows that makes the farmer run out with his gun. I would check the ground behind the chicken coop away from the road. Also inside the house check for loose floor boards or false walls in closets, under stairways, and the root cellar. From there maybe the woods and fences, I would look for places that were out of sight from the road where he could have not been seen, and looked at as a normal routine and not too far from the house where he could see that area or someone accessing it ( like walking across his field to get to his chicken coop.)

HH Rick

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

Charles Garrett - the owner of the Garrett Metal Detector Co, wrote a great book on Cache Hunting - it's loaded with great tips.
I got my copy from Kellyco. for around - $9.00.

 

[DukeOBass]

If the spot has mature trees, I would suspect the wooded area on the other side of the creek. Low visibility when doing his business. You have to try to figure out if that area would have provided enough coverage 50 to 100 years ago. If it's all relatively new growth, you can probably forget it. Try behind large tress out there that would have blocked the view from the road/house.

 

[utahshovelhead]

Good info. The small caches I have found were all well in site of the owner to keep his eye and ears on.

 

[Bottomfeeder]

I would look at every inch within reach, inside the barn.
Imagine you have a handful of money to add to your stash. The one place no one can see you without coming up to your barn... is IN the barn.
Check behind beams,look for loose boards, etc. the stalls were often used to stash money, especially if a big cow or horse occupied them.
Think like a farmer who needs to get to his stash quick and easy, whenever he wants. good luck.

 

[Prep1957]

I have been hired several times by family members to recover caches that they knew were left by there deceased loved ones.I have also been told by many family members where they finally found the stash after looking for it I do not even go out to help them until they do what I tell them first which I have observed or have been told on other recovery's.Rule 1 female deceased its in the house.Some examples in side books,refrigerator,family bible,jewelry box,sewing box,cat box,potted plant 90 percent of time will be in bedroom.Male deceased it will also be in the house most of the time toolbox,gun,gun case,garage,collector car,tractor, but if it is not here is one thing I have learned 2 were recovered near chicken house outside if the chicken house was in gun range of owners bedroom window I would start my search if you are going to use detector outside gun range of master bedroom windows.I still would bet it is in the house.There was a very large cache found about 2 year ago around Chicago the money was in the copper downspouts in tobacco tins located on old barn.I searched for a large gold coin cache that was referred to in a will of rich female aunt that hated Roosevelt wasted 3 days got payed couple hundred bucks I kept telling them it was in the house.The owners called me about 6 months later they found it in 47 mason jars in the basement that were full of beet juice smaller fruit jar in middle of larger fruit jar covered with beets.Goodluck searching a house with a detector is tough.

 

[Bilko]

great thread! Good luck with your search!

 

[Prep1957]

When my dad passed away he had money hid all over the house he had told me he had did this and bring everyone over to find it when I thought it was a good time it was a great treasure hunt.We coin hunted together for 25 years and it was a ruthless competition every time we went out on who found the most,the oldest,most silver,etc.After taking care of estate selling house etc moving dads junk over with my junk I was left with dads detectors there were 8 of them couple months went by before I thought I would see if they worked.When I opened the battery compartments on all the detectors there were sandwich bags of silver coins that had a note in each bag.On the note it said THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN FIND A SILVER COIN HA HA DAD.

 

[Bilko]

When my dad passed away he had money hid all over the house he had told me he had did this and bring everyone over to find it when I thought it was a good time it was a great treasure hunt.We coin hunted together for 25 years and it was a ruthless competition every time we went out on who found the most,the oldest,most silver,etc.After taking care of estate selling house etc moving dads junk over with my junk I was left with dads detectors there were 8 of them couple months went by before I thought I would see if they worked.When I opened the battery compartments on all the detectors there were sandwich bags of silver coins that had a note in each bag.On the note it said THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN FIND A SILVER COIN HA HA DAD.

funny,cheers!

 

[bridger]

Amazing stories and ideas! Thanks everyone! I am really enjoying reading everyone's ideas and info!


We did a little searching inside the chicken coop today -no luck- but still moving out a lot of wires, trash, and storage stuff. It will take lots of time if done thoroughly!

The chicken coop and horse stalls in the barn(south side barn) is in direct viewing range of the guys west facing bedroom window. He was really into his horses, and was working on his own 'special breed'. My parents found many many german books about horses, so I will definately check the barn & stalls too.

He also had another south facing bedroom window that looks into the woods towards the creek. All old woods... big mature oak trees.

Next step = I will search the coop thoroughly which will take much time, then the horse stalls in the barn. Only the stalls and a narrow isle behind the stalls, to feed the horses, has a dirt floor. The other side of the barn is concrete slab.

My parents re-modeled the house in the 70's but I will talk with them more about their work details. I still work full time, so this will be a very long project for my weekend free time.

Really enjoying my Etrac. We found about 15 Lincoln pennies, and a dozen other Roosevelt dimes, all from the 60's and 70's at a local new school. There's an old late 1800's country schoolhouse I have my eye on. Hope to hit that soon too.

Thanks!