Site strategy help please

[TreasurdiggrNY]

I have a couple of old home sites that I have permission to hunt here in NY. They are nothing but stone foundations at this point. I ran thru with the detector and there is a ton of iron around it, I hunted the perimeter only. This is my first relic type site, I mostly hunt for coins and jewelry on the beach and in parks. I think I'm a little overwhelmed with the thought of digging all the iron and I'm not hopped up on it like when I hit a new beach or park. Have any of you felt this way? How do you approach a spot like this? Can you tell from your early digging if it's worth continuing? Thanks for your advice on this.
Glenn

 

[twalton]

Glenn,
I try to locate where the front porch and sidewalk or path to the doors may have been and start there. Most coins were dropped in these areas. Don't forget to check the area that would have been under the porch too. Then I move to any large trees. Lots of stuff was lost or left under trees by kids playing or people sitting in the shade. Then I look for where the old garage or sheds may have stood, or maybe a summer kitchen. Old home sites take time and patience. Don't let iron discourage you, it just means that there were people here and lost some good stuff in the ground too.

HH, twalton

Tracker IV
Pioneer 202

 

[1859large]

To fields, neighbors, the well. Also where did they dump their garbage. Often close by and over a bank like a creek bank or someplace out of sight. Outbuildings might not have foundations. The outhouse might now just be a depression in the ground. Where the clothesline was. Things fall out of pockets. It helps to visualize the activities that once took place there. Digging some of that iron might reveal what happened there. Iron tools. You will find iron pots and bolts and nails as well. You can miss the nails by only digging really strong signals from the bigger pieces. A handgun is a big piece of iron. (I saw one last night at a club meeting, it was found under where the porch was. I found my first early coins and various brass gun parts (from 2 muskets) close to the foundation of an old house.

HH

1859

PS: Don't forget rendezvous spots, any scenic or secluded spots nearby. Outlooks. Last year I found one, a few recent beer cans spoke of recent use, a pretty outlook up a hill behind an old house. I found a 1945 dime, a brass Royal Navy button, a broken bra clasp and bullet in a patch about 10 ft across Go figure.

 

[fwcrawford]

I usually hunt as much ground as I can around the entirer site and usually find things just about everywhere.
One thing that would be good to determine is whether or not the site has been detected before.
A couple of ways to determine this is by looking around for anything that should be in the ground that is laying on the surface.
Another way is by detecting around and see if you are getting good signals that might not be valueable targets such as shotgun shells and bullet casings
(modern of course). If you are finding these, then anyone else probably would have dug them too as you don't know for sure until it is out of the ground.
Digging iron signals can make for some interesting finds too, and I usually dig every signal I get when hunting around these types of sites.
It takes alot of patience, but the finds can be well worth it. It helps if you have a small coil to get better target separation and reduced iron masking.
Just remember, people used to spend much more time working outside of the house than nowadays and much activity took place very close to the house before the days of nice manicured lawns and such.
Another good place to try in addition to what others have posted is to look for the garden spot. Might be a good place to find a stray coin or button.

Good luck and happy hunting,
Felix

 

[TreasurdiggrNY]

Thanks for all the ideas everyone. In my quick search around one of the houses I did find shotgun shells, long thin strips of curved iron that I thought were barrel hoops but they were too thin and then I found a couple that were longer and connected with a bolt. I found an old all-metal clothesline reel and a bunch of old cans that were pretty much on the surface/ under the leaves, no pulltab type of cans they all had the 2 triangle holes in them. I also found what I believe is a square nail. I will get some pictures up. All your advice is appreciated and I have to say I am definitely more interested in seeing what I may find at the one spot I'm concentrating on.
Thanks again for the info,
Glenn

 

[JMorgan]

Yeah I hate detecting around houses. Especially old foundations......but that's where a lot of the good stuff is. Listen to your signal. If it's a good signal but a large signal than you know it's too large to be a coin or a button and it's probably just trash. A VDI rating on your machine is a good way to eliminate a lot of the junk as well. But I feel you I don't go right around houses that much anymore. Like others said check around the trees that's usually the best place.

 

[John M (Ct)]

Iron gives off a bigger halo in the ground around the item.With this it sometimes covers a good item.I have found that if it is a site that you want to return to and work it you should remove the iron targets.After a short period of time return and you could be surprised what shows up in areas that had iron around them.Also if you have a small coil go back with it and work the foundation this will also turn up some nice items. Sometimes if a house had burned down the owner rebuilt on the foundation and in cleaning out the hole the may have tossed some things out by the foundation.