Knocking on doors

[micmccon]

I am new here and generally winging it when it comes to detecting. I was doing research on the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863 and found an old map. I was able to overlay the map onto a modern one and identify a place that might be worth detecting. I went onto the county's interactive land map and found the surrounding property owners. My question is this, would you go knock on a few doors to get permission? I'm not shy and wouldn't trespass so I think it's the way to go. I only worry that the area has already been hunted and might be wasting time but I have new gear and time off so I want to do something proactive. What do you think?

 

[Digger Don]

You're right. it probably has been pounded. But having said that, if I could get into a spot like that. I would be all over it. Nobody finds everything!!!
Go for it & Good Luck!!

 

[BOWSER]

No spot has been hunted out, stuff keeps movin up and down, i say go for it

 

[calabash digger]

go for it it will hone your skills.

 

[micmccon]

I did indeed go to my target spot and knocked on the door. It wasn't really their property I wanted access to but the one behind it. The adjacent property is vacant with no house and has a for sale sign. Any way, the nice lady whose door I knocked on kindly allowed me to poke around in her woods for a few hours. I found everything but what I was hoping to find but had a good time doing it. At one point I had a heart stopper when I thought I found a "civil war relic" and it turned out to be a 1954 toy pistol, lol! It was a HUBLEY Chief pistol that is in bad shape but fooled me when I was digging it out. I also found a couple large cast iron objects that I really don't have a clue as to what they could be. I went to a park later just to try to find a coin after all the trash I dug up (and it was a ton of trash) and I am pleased to report my first coins were found! Two dimes and a penny. Woot! I will try to post up some pics but figuring that out might take a bit. Not a bad day though.:bananadance:

 

[calabash digger]

congrats ! be careful this stuff can be habit forming.

 

[micmccon]

Here's some of the stuff I found today. I have a full bucket of crap that I didn't take pictures of ( I'll spare you) but these are the highlights lol. The 2nd photo is of the strange balls stuck to the large iron hunk. I have no clue without cleaning it up.

 

[aloldstuff]

Be persistent with the permission you seek. It's true....nobody gets it all.

 

[micmccon]

I think I figured out the hunk of iron....it's a cannon ball. I realized it's rounded on the back side and the balls are put into the cannon ball before the other ingredients and fuse. It looks like several of the cross section photos I found online. pretty darn cool!

 

[OxShoeDrew]

Wow, is it a CW era cannon ball?

 

[calabash digger]

if thats what that is you need to go beat that spot to death. Thats a interesting piece.

 

[micmccon]

I will indeed go back. I will bring my brother and nephew as well and we will try to find all that we can. None of us have any real experience and I'm sure it will be tough but it will be worth it to find even the smallest thing. The entirety of that area has been developed, paved over, or destroyed. I feel like I or someone like me needs to get in there and find all that we can before it gets a house or 4 built on it.

 

[micmccon]

Yes it is a CW era cannon ball.