Hunting farm fields

As long as I have been in this hobby, I'm about to sound like a newby. I have hunted just about everywhere, parks, lawns, woods, and water/beaches, you name it. I have not however hunted farm fields and really don't know why. So with that I have a question for those of you that do. How do you choose a field to hunt? I know that if there are the signs that there could have been a house there then that would be a likely candidate. Is there any other things you look for that would give you the idea to hunt that field?

I try most fields in my area. I quickly get a sense how productive it will be by listening to the iron. Lots of old iron is a good sign. I also look for the age of the field...how long was it used in this way...near old foundations or current older homes.. any old stone walls surrounding the field etc Fields are great! I've been hitting a certain field for years now and it still produces...they plow it so things move up. Most of my other fields don't get plowed.
I know Tony and some other midwestern hunters like to find home sites in the middle of fields that were knocked down when they consolidated farms. None of that happened around here. Finally, which ever one I can get permission :lol: Good luck with it, Hoser!

I also hunt farm fields. My best clue is the farm house associated with the field. Once permission is secured then it would be the finds that determine if its worthwhile.

Thanks for the responses. I'll have no problem obtaining permission to hunt at all here. What usually is your initial plan of attack when you hit the field for the first time? Start by gridding, or do a helter skelter search just to determine the target count and quality? Ok I just answered my own question. I'll do a random walk through with the detector to see where the largest concentration of targets are located.;)

Hoser, I'm sure your area isn't much different from mine. I start by making laps around the perimeter of the field from the farthest outside edge until I'm maybe 30 feet in or more. Winter sleigh rides and horse traffic always seems to follow the edges of the field and that's where I find my crotal and buckles mostly. That will also give a good idea of the layout of the finds and a good idea where to continue gridding out.

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Originally Posted by Digger_O'Dell

Hoser, I'm sure your area isn't much different from mine. I start by making laps around the perimeter of the field from the farthest outside edge until I'm maybe 30 feet in or more. Winter sleigh rides and horse traffic always seems to follow the edges of the field and that's where I find my crotal and buckles mostly. That will also give a good idea of the layout of the finds and a good idea where to continue gridding out.

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AH good point, thanks a bunch.

I have found that the closer to the road you are.....the more beer cans, ugh.

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Originally Posted by aloldstuff

I have found that the closer to the road you are.....the more beer cans, ugh.

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So true...I change my mindset when I get within 15 yrds of the road.

I hunt old farm fields and almost nothing else. It really depends on what you're looking to find and what you would call a successful hunt. For example, I really try and focus on 1700s or early 1800s coins. If I spend 5 hours on an old farm field and popped one Real or King George I/II from it, I'm really happy. If I spent 5 hours at a park and found 10 mercs and 10 buffalos, I'm not happy. Now I have some friends that are the exact opposite. If they only found one coin in 5 hours, they would be depressed lol. Most of the time the fields have a few coins. Some farms are like a gift from the coin gods lol. Basically three old large farms have produced like 50% of my finds. I've had great days on farm fields, large cent trifectas, 1600s 1 real, 10+ 1700/1800 coins in one day....but normally it's 2 or 3 for a days hunt.

NJ has a lot of old areas and I send really professional looking letters with business cards asking for permissions. I do pretty well with them. I also developed my site www.Detectorist.com with the permission owner in mind. I use it as a tool to help get permissions.

Hope that helps!

Ken

Thanks for the replies. You have given me the info that will help me a lot.;)

Great replies !! I agree with a lot of what was said , visual things to look for are broken pottery or china , red brick , oyster shells and aqua colored glass bits and always listening for iron patches .

I've found some of my best coins in the field across the road. I would suggest starting at the area that is being plowed closest to the road. As there may have been a cabin or house there. Pieces of old dishes square nails will give away if an old structure was knocked down in an area. I found two seated half dimes and an engraved seated dime that was turned into a jewelry pin. Along with a large cent and a fatty Indian all in one area. There used to be a cabin on that corner. The rest of the field only turned up iron and some old brass items. GL with your hunting. Farmers have been losing things in these fields for a very long time!

Hoser - Great question. I have been eyeing up a field near me that had an old school on it. Will likely be asking permission soon. While I won't be popping anything close to what Ken does, I will be happy with Barbers and ecstatic with any large cent. I watch you tube videos of people out East pulling out large cents, reales etc and I really want to go out there and do the same, but I think that would make my little world here in WI a little less exciting to hunt.

I hunted farm fields for 20 years. The first ten years were in coal camps but I knew that under the pasture was the remains of the camps. The next ten years were on Civil War sites but I also knew that under the pasture was Civil War camps and battle sites. I didn't try too many fields that I hadn't already researched.