Old Ranch Site 1860-1912, Eldorado 'Umax'

[Fish N Chips]

Hit an old ranch last week and finally got around to washing off the finds. I found this site a while back and finally tracked down the owner for permission. It was started in 1860 and abandoned by 1912. The only "modern" trash I found were around old 1950-1960 deer hunter fire pits, and consisted of a few round nails and beaver tail pull tabs. The rest were all cut square nails and old tin trash. It was actually two different ranches we hit, more of an exploratory trip. The area consisted off a stage stop, a hotel, ranches, school, livery and butcher shop spread over about 1 mile. Fire has left little in the way of foundations, so I am trying to determine locations of sites based on google earth, finds and rock wall layouts. It is quite large so will take some time to sort out the hot spots. So far I have located the barn based on wagon parts, and two houses.

The area is littered with square nails so I used my Eldorado 'Umax', 5.75 concentric coil around the nails, and my 9x8 in the fields and orchard. Amazing how small of an area it went from iron laced to no targets! I may need a clean sweep coil for the large old fields and horse pens. My daughter used her Bounty Hunter JR, and made some great finds. It serves to remind me that the machine does not matter as much as getting your coil over a good item! I kept my discrimination low and dug a lot in an attempt to ID the structures by finding the nails.

No coins yet, but my machine hits so hard on the brass casings I have no doubt it is just a matter of time. There is certainly no doubt from a questionable target (almost always trash), and a good target as it screams at you to dig! I am thinking these folks around me were poor people due to the lack of coins at any of the sites I am hitting in the area so far though. No doubt they had the whole family out looking for coins when one was lost.

Cartridges so far are 25/35, 25/20, 38/55, 30G/906 (30-06). Seems like the 25/35s were used a lot in the area. So the rounds all seem to be right in the dates of the site. I have a lot more work to do but I am having a ball. I even brought home some heirloom apple and plum trees which have started from dropped fruit, for my own orchard! I am headed back tomorrow to hopefully find some coins and more personal items. I would love to find some buttons and suspender clips. Wish me luck!

Part of the Orchard and Rock Wall

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e5/mattszychulda/Metal%20Detecting/P3280005_zpsnngxuyor.jpg
Old Homemade Wood Stove

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e5/mattszychulda/Metal%20Detecting/P4020009_zpsqhtff7hc.jpg
The frypan was a surface find

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e5/mattszychulda/Metal%20Detecting/P4020010_zpsptuikdzc.jpg
Buggie Leaf Pack (soon to be black smithed into knives)

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e5/mattszychulda/Metal%20Detecting/P4020014_zpsw9q176wn.jpg
Lots of cases

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e5/mattszychulda/P4020011_zps92cedtg6.jpg
Big Iron. I was happy with the meat saw/hack saw frame.

 

[Hombre]

Fish N Chips

I like the site, seems so peaceful and the country is beautiful, northern California, I'm guessing.

The big iron tells story, remove it and it will let you know if smaller good targets are there. HH and GL

 

[kaolinwasher]

Nice spot , I would love to hunt that , . Some tokens may be in it , you just never know . grass looks short at least .

 

[Fish N Chips]

Thanks, yes the cattle keep the grass very hunt-able. It is Northern California and I am excited to have the spot, it will keep me busy for a long while. I hunted it again today and will post my finds in a new post. Removing the iron did wonders! I was very happy with my finds today.