My Practice Year

[Skamaniac]

Well, I've been afflicted with the detecting bug for about a year now. I upgraded from Bounty Hunter to AT Pro in February. So I've been spent the last 10 months figuring out the machine and learning what readings and sounds means what. I've spent most of the time at a local park that used to be a farmstead. I've found a 1947 nickel and a few cool farmstead era items and I think I located a building, dump, or outhouse site a couple weeks ago that I'm looking forward to following up on later this year. That older nickel and some rusted trash and an old ointment jar tells me in zeroing in on the old house site.

While searching this park for the artifacts I find clad coins on every outing. These are all dropped from about 1981 up to present. A few older ones, but no silver yet. Still, I cleaned them all in a vibrating tumbler and took them to the bank today. Here's my 2013 inaugural year coin count:

(1) One dollar coin
(1) Kennedy .50 piece
(52) Quarters
(70) Dimes
(100) Nickels
(436) Pennies
Plus a few coins too roached to turn in.

2014 will be great! I know my detector now, I am close to finding the old farmhouse location, and I have permission to search thousands of acres of lumber company property, which includes old mill sites, schoolhouse sites, and even an old townsite that is now a forest.

 

[Ronandari]

It looks like journey did pretty good for Washington. Are there any Lewis and Clark sites near where you are located?

Ron

 

[Digger Don]

Congrats on a great year of finds

 

[aloldstuff]

Looking forward to your finds in 2014. The At Pro is a great machine. Sounds like you got some great sites lined up for next year. I'm sure that silver is going to be coming your way real soon.

 

[coinnut]

I think you will do great at the lumber company property. There are a lot of great opportunities there. Congrats on getting your feet wet while learning your machine! Spring can't come quick enough :lol:

 

[Skamaniac]

It looks like journey did pretty good for Washington. Are there any Lewis and Clark sites near where you are located?

Ron

The Corps of Discovery camped within a few miles of here. But we are in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area so most places are owned by the feds. If I dug there I'd end up in a gulag sweeping Area 51 runways with a whisk broom or something.

 

[Timewarpdigger]

Congrats on the finds and looking forward to your finds in the new year. Good luck safe & HH.

 

[Ronandari]

At least it would be warm at Area 51. :hystericallaugh:Mom and Dad used to stop at all the waterfalls to let us kids stretch our legs on the way to visit Grandma at Sweet Home. Pretty area.
Ron

The Corps of Discovery camped within a few miles of here. But we are in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area so most places are owned by the feds. If I dug there I'd end up in a gulag sweeping Area 51 runways with a whisk broom or something.

 

[del]

very nice pile of "loot" congrats :groovy: and best of luck on the lumber company property.

Dan

 

[Fire Fighter 43]

Congrats on a good year and good luck in 2014.

 

[OxShoeDrew]

I'm still waiting for a Kennedy half. Nice inaugural year and good luck in 2014.

 

[HEAVYMETALNUT]

looks like ya learned the new machine very well.now if you can just get onto some older property and hopefully dig some silver and some relics.heck of a year!

 

[tanacat]

:clapping: Excellent clad count! Good luck at the lumber co. property this year! Wow, thousands of acres w/mills, school house sites and even a little 'ghost town' :loveit: May 2014 bring you lots of silver... and gold!

Sounds like a good site for your local club group hunt- of course after you hunt and explore it for a year or two :lol: Our club hunts together once/month and have a lot of fun. For the weekend/camping hunts we have release of liability forms we give to owners for peace of mind.

I know what you mean about the roached zincolns. Quick funny story: when I first started hunting I turned in several rolls of really dilapidated, eaten up ones at my bank, I mean they hardly even existed like they'd been soaking in battery acid. The teller took all my rolls from my 1st year of hunting and was gone for a while. Finally two tellers peeked around the corner and both gave me the strangest look:hystericallaugh:

I don't think metal detecting crossed their mind and they never asked what had happened to the pennies. I was a little embarrassed and got out of there fast. Now I just throw out the horrible ones and put all clad through the coin star at bank (no charge if at my own bank).

 

[jkress]

Very Nice!! :groovy: Looks like the upgrade to the AT payed off Skamaniac.

Welcome to the 'afflicted' club. :congrats: This thing only grows. :yahoo:

You put up some great numbers this year. I'm looking forward to what you will find in the lumber company woods.
Hope you find the mill, school and township sites. opcorn:

Keep us posted!!

 

[giant056]

You had a great first year for sure :thumbsup01: yes watch out for that federal land, they'll nab ya for sure. I would love to hunt the federal land on Fort Custer and once I asked someone at the VA hospital if they allowed vets to hunt there and the answer is no.