Vernon had made arragements with Mountain Man to meet up and hunt the promised land in the afternoon. We just could not wait so we headed out for a little hunting at some of Vernons sites. I was thrilled to be relic hunting and anyplace would be fine with me! We started out along the road that was used by Confederate troops on their march towards Appomatox.
<center>
[attachment 84376 firstwoods.jpg]
As I entered these woods and turned the detector on for the first time, I could almost see the tattered sons of the south as they tramped by. A lot of them did not even have shoes and they were living on a handful of corn a day. Those were some tough ole boys. I found a little road trash and some melted lead, but no good targets showed up here. After about a half hour Vernon said we should go to the killer dog field down the road a piece.
<center>
[attachment 84375 longfield.jpg]
Vernon had done well in the past at this field and we started to hunt. The field is long and runs along the retreat road. I was swinging the coil here when a mail man stopped his car and waved me over. He told me he did not do well hunting where I was, but if I went down the road a way I might find some good stuff. I thanked him and worked my way down where he had pointed. I found the parasol top on the way and a lot of cool iron and brass stuff that was old.
When I was thinking about going to Virginia there were several things that I wanted to find but the top of my list was a civil war gun part of some kind. I am kind of a gun nut and have a large gun collection so guns and bullets were the things I wanted to see in the hole more than anything. It appeared I would not be dissapointed.
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[attachment 84373 tguard.jpg]
I got a nice signal and cut a plug. It is a good thing I don't chew, because what came out of that hole would have made me swallow my chaw!
I had found my gun part. A nice brass enfield trigger guard! This was sooooo cool! 
I placed it in my pouch and headed over to show Vernon. He was swinging the coil in a spot that had a colonial home on it at one time.
<center>
[attachment 84372 vc.jpg]
He gave me a "Good un" and we worked the field some more after he showed me a cleaner bullet he found. I wanted a bullet so bad I could taste it, but with my gun part in the pouch I was a happy camper. I got close to the place where the killer dogs lived and Vernon warned me to watch out. Yep. pretty soon I heard some vicious barkin and out came the boxers of death. I am not to afraid of much, and I had a shovel so let'um come. They were closing fast on me and barking and growling like they meant business. Vernon and I had faced Canadian hellhounds before at our border crossing and I had no intentions of becoming a porkchop in these dogs eyes. When they got closer I started right at them and told them that they were making a big mistake if they wanted to mess with me.( In Idaho you are not a man until you log your first shovel kill.)
They shut up and took off back to where the came from. They were nice puppies just having a little fun. Vernon said that he wished that he would have taken a picture if our little test of the wills, so I told him to get out his camera and get ready. I walked over to the road side and started meowing at the pooches until they charged again. It's nice to relax and tease a few critters some time. Vernon got a few picts before they chickened out again but he said they did not look too good. It was kinda fun though.
<center>
[attachment 84371 chim.jpg]
I wandered into the woods for a little much needed, ah, rest
and found this old chimney. We were heading for the truck about that time so I did not stay long, When I emerged from the woods the truck was gone! It reminded me of what we called a snipe hunt where you take some poor sap out into the woods and leave him. Vernon was not up to anything like that and was just driving around to find me. I got in and we headed for our meeting with Mountain Man. We were a little early so we tried another spot on the way.
<center>
[attachment 84370 brush.jpg]
This was another road side retreat route kind of hunt that turned out to be a bunch of tangled briars and berry bushes, all with a hunger for Idaho blood. We did not stay long. Pull tabs and modern ammo was all that we found here. I will devote my next post to the afternoon hunt. It was, at least in my humble opinion, a blessed day for the Idaho boy. Later DC
<center>
[attachment 84376 firstwoods.jpg]
As I entered these woods and turned the detector on for the first time, I could almost see the tattered sons of the south as they tramped by. A lot of them did not even have shoes and they were living on a handful of corn a day. Those were some tough ole boys. I found a little road trash and some melted lead, but no good targets showed up here. After about a half hour Vernon said we should go to the killer dog field down the road a piece.
<center>
[attachment 84375 longfield.jpg]
Vernon had done well in the past at this field and we started to hunt. The field is long and runs along the retreat road. I was swinging the coil here when a mail man stopped his car and waved me over. He told me he did not do well hunting where I was, but if I went down the road a way I might find some good stuff. I thanked him and worked my way down where he had pointed. I found the parasol top on the way and a lot of cool iron and brass stuff that was old.
When I was thinking about going to Virginia there were several things that I wanted to find but the top of my list was a civil war gun part of some kind. I am kind of a gun nut and have a large gun collection so guns and bullets were the things I wanted to see in the hole more than anything. It appeared I would not be dissapointed.
<center>
[attachment 84373 tguard.jpg]
I got a nice signal and cut a plug. It is a good thing I don't chew, because what came out of that hole would have made me swallow my chaw!
I had found my gun part. A nice brass enfield trigger guard! This was sooooo cool! I placed it in my pouch and headed over to show Vernon. He was swinging the coil in a spot that had a colonial home on it at one time.<center>
[attachment 84372 vc.jpg]
He gave me a "Good un" and we worked the field some more after he showed me a cleaner bullet he found. I wanted a bullet so bad I could taste it, but with my gun part in the pouch I was a happy camper. I got close to the place where the killer dogs lived and Vernon warned me to watch out. Yep. pretty soon I heard some vicious barkin and out came the boxers of death. I am not to afraid of much, and I had a shovel so let'um come. They were closing fast on me and barking and growling like they meant business. Vernon and I had faced Canadian hellhounds before at our border crossing and I had no intentions of becoming a porkchop in these dogs eyes. When they got closer I started right at them and told them that they were making a big mistake if they wanted to mess with me.( In Idaho you are not a man until you log your first shovel kill.)
They shut up and took off back to where the came from. They were nice puppies just having a little fun. Vernon said that he wished that he would have taken a picture if our little test of the wills, so I told him to get out his camera and get ready. I walked over to the road side and started meowing at the pooches until they charged again. It's nice to relax and tease a few critters some time. Vernon got a few picts before they chickened out again but he said they did not look too good. It was kinda fun though. <center>
[attachment 84371 chim.jpg]
I wandered into the woods for a little much needed, ah, rest
and found this old chimney. We were heading for the truck about that time so I did not stay long, When I emerged from the woods the truck was gone! It reminded me of what we called a snipe hunt where you take some poor sap out into the woods and leave him. Vernon was not up to anything like that and was just driving around to find me. I got in and we headed for our meeting with Mountain Man. We were a little early so we tried another spot on the way. <center>
[attachment 84370 brush.jpg]
This was another road side retreat route kind of hunt that turned out to be a bunch of tangled briars and berry bushes, all with a hunger for Idaho blood. We did not stay long. Pull tabs and modern ammo was all that we found here. I will devote my next post to the afternoon hunt. It was, at least in my humble opinion, a blessed day for the Idaho boy. Later DC