How do you search in the woods ?

[hatpin]

I should be getting a new Vaquero in a couple of days and will put it to use immediately. Most of my hunting has been done in mowed grass. Usually when I venture into the woods I do not do well but occasionally find something good.

There is this spot that i want to hunt in a heavily wooded area. Its an old horse bath.Looks like a foundation. It use to be fed by a spring. Now the spring flows around it. People use to walk their horses into it and wash them. I suspect a lot of beer cans and trash is there now but maybe not. Lots of trees growing in it. Any suggestions on how to approach a place like this or just go in swinging?

 

[hatpin]

A thought just occurred to me. People had to unsaddle their horses before bathing them. Someplace close will be a spot for this. ill have to search for clues.

 

[sqwaby]

If it's heavily wooded with lots of trash, the 5.75 coil would be a plus. It separates targets well with almost no depth loss(compared to the 9x and it doesn't hang up on roots and vines like the open spoke on the 9x8. If it's a very large area, I use a large open grid pattern at first and mark the better target areas . Then go back to the areas where the good targets were and tighten up the grid.You might have to dig a fair amount of iron and trash to unmask the good targets.

 

[hatpin]

Im just going to have the stock coil. I can see where the open coil can be a snagging problem.

 

[Hank68]

Around creeks, ponds around huge oak trees, old cedar trees sometimes people back then marked there boundaries of there land so they could see it year round, huge rocks, hope it helps you some, I'm sure other people here can add ideas in, HHH

 

[slingshot]

Use your peripheral vision at all times for varmints!

 

[POLEWAGGER]

I thought about cutting a thin sheet of plastic and stick it in the coil cover to close the spoke holes, but never tried it. (got the 5.75 instead)
Oregon grape and other ground brush will drive you insane trying to get a full swing in without a snag. Lots of pine cones in the grass drive me crazy too though.

 

[hatpin]

The unit comes with a coil cover. Is this for storage or for hunting?

 

[Hank68]

Its for hunting, a scuff guard.

 

[Topo]

take someone with you if you can

have a gps or compass and cellphone

have a flashlight

pay attention to the sounds you hear around


I do hunt woods too

 

[oldcoon]

you hunt relics.
you dig everything.
forget discrimination.
dig all.
find a lot.
grid.
hunt each grid.
use a good shovel.
no little hand garden trowels.
real shovel.
take a sack along.
take everything out with you.
be happy.

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi Hatpin, walk the horsepath,paying special attention to the steeper grades where the horse would needed extra effort and would have to squat a bit and "bound' in short jumps to make its way up.. This action can shake and jar the rider and rid them of items Search in all Metal in the less trashy places where you can, going to Disc. to check your signal.Keep Disc.low for gold on the trail.Watch for critters.Spring should be a hotspot inspite of trash, so hammer it and any high ground near the spring.Any Big Oaks? If so, hammer the SW Quad (summer shade)! Foundation? Homesite? Sounds like a winner, so don't forget the outhouse,usually a bit N of the prevailing winds for the area.Take a compass. It is easy to get lost sometimes, even in familuar areas.I had it happen to me. Have fun and HH, Charlie

 

[hatpin]

Great tips. Maybe heading there this weekend if the unit arrives.
I didnt describe the place clearly. Its a concrete enclosure that use to be full of water. A horse wash. A horse enthusiasts told me what it was . They diverted spring water into it. So water was always flowing through it. Theyd walk the horses in and bathe them .

 

[fowlercharles]

Your description of the horse wash reminds me of what was called a "dipping vat" that was used on many old places where the livestock was herded in and ran through the "vat" which I "suppose" was treated with some kind of mixture that would kill all the parasites from the animals. I believe they were more likely used by the community as a hole and not necessarily would one be found on every old homeplace.This would have probably been a seasonal thing and not likely to be a lot of trash left from folks short visits there.They would probably still have had their meals there and most likely a particular area for a latrine, so you may have a some trash but hopefyully not a lot. HH, Charlie