Are all Creeks created equal ?

[waterglass]

In my neck of the woods in central Kentucky, most of the creeks are very old. They have carved out houndreds of feet of dirt to create vales between hills. We call them hollows or in Kentucky speak hollers. I have grown up walking such places and never found a thing, but then I never really did much looking.
My question is are these old creeks deep between steep hills good places to look? I plan to do some hunting in them tomorrow and was wondering if you might have any tips as to which creeks to pay attention to and which ones to avoid.

[Kyflintguy]

I know exactly the terrain you describe. This has been my experience,  feel free to take it or leave it because it's  purely just my observations I've made in my limited experience. In southeastern Kentucky were I'm from, good lithics aren't abundant. Creeks in deep hollers simply aren't very productive. Now if you can find a crossing point in the steeper terrain that game frequently use, its worth taking a look.  I've found the key is finding flatter areas were the terrain is conducive to camping and habitation.  Steep hillsides dropping off into creeks can be tough hunting. Erosion can be your friend or your enemy. Focus on areas were the surrounding banks are flatter and the areas were the valleys widen. Most everything I've found in creeks in the mountains has been tumbled and washed into gravel bars or mud flats. The ideal location is we're a campsite has been exposed by erosion. Find the flint, if I'm not seeing any debitage or waste flakes I'm not spending a whole lot of time there. Also check the Sand bars as well as I have had as much luck in the sand and mud as I have gravel. Hope this helps and good luck!

[JoshinMO]

Not at all. It usually depends on the rock types and the amount of it.Colors and definitely water depth/gravel bars etc! :laugh:
It's complicated. :dunno:

[waterglass]

Well Thanks fellers. I took off about 12PM and just got back. Walked about 4 miles of creek and two miles of hills. Didn't find a thing. No waste flakes, nothing. I took some brokes with me, closed my eyes and threw them in random directions so that they would land in the water, and in gravel bars. I found all ten of them. So it aint my eyes. Their just isn't anything to find in the creeks I walked today.
some pictures from today.

[OBION]

Thanks for the beautiful pics; love the idea trying your eyes with brokes!

[Havenhunter]

Love the wildflower pics.

[waterglass]

The first picture is of a plant locally called Sweet Williams. I found it growing on the edge of a creek bank. The second picture is of a depression glass bottle neck and impression fossils laying on my trusty old alice pack. the third picture is a pre civil war road that leads down into the bottoms I was hunting. the last picture is of bluets and wild iris along the edge of the road..

[2ndoldman]

waterglass wrote:

The first picture is of a plant locally called Sweet Williams. I found it growing on the edge of a creek bank. The second picture is of a depression glass bottle neck and impression fossils laying on my trusty old alice pack. the third picture is a pre civil war road that leads down into the bottoms I was hunting. the last picture is of bluets and wild iris along the edge of the road..

If I were walking a pre civil war road that has seen enough traffic to keep it open I would be swinging my metal detector at the same time.
Easy enough to listen for tones while you watch the ground. :woohoo:

[waterglass]

[QUOTE]2ndoldman wrote:

The first picture is of a plant locally called Sweet Williams. I found it growing on the edge of a creek bank. The second picture is of a depression glass bottle neck and impression fossils laying on my trusty old alice pack. the third picture is a pre civil war road that leads down into the bottoms I was hunting. the last picture is of bluets and wild iris along the edge of the road..

If I were walking a pre civil war road that has seen enough traffic to keep it open I would be swinging my metal detector at the same time.
Easy enough to listen for tones while you watch the ground. :woohoo:
  I don't have a metal detector. I used to but I gave it to my friend. I should get another. I found quite a few silver coins as a kid with one on other spots. The road has been re-done a bunch of times as it is bad for washing out. The road is still considered to be a public right of way. It was the first road to connect my area with the towns to the north I think. It was actually used by a confederate army after one of the battles north of here.
You can still see narrow wagon ruts  further down that road in places where loggers havent messed it up. A moonshine still was also destroyed with dynomite down their during the 20s.

[Kansas Creekwalker]

Your pictures reminds me that there is so much more to arrowhead hunting than finding points. Getting out and enjoying the outdoors is worth the trip. Of course finding a good'un every now and then doesn't hurt either.

[Ron Kelley]

Hey John, You spent time in some beautiful country and got some good exercise to boot. I'd have to say you had a very successful day friend.

[waterglass]

Yeah Ron, that was a good day. I have been back there and to several other creeks. No point yet, but plenty of beautiful stuff to see. I might go again soon and take the iphone along.

[CoachG]

I've never had any luck in creeks. My area is completely different than most.

[Daze]

Hi Coach G, I'm in east Tn and thinking about some river hunting but not sure after reading your post. Which section of Tn are you in? The creeks and rivers are very rocky and the snakes love rocks. I have an opportunity to hunt in a place where two rivers come together, so I'm curious. The trout fishing in this spot is one of the best in the state. I know they had to love trout..lol.

[CoachG]

I'm up here on the Cumberland Plateau Daze. I'd check the meeting point of the rivers for sure and any fields that are plowed nearby.

[waterglass]

I have friends who have done really well hunting bigger creeks. Seems like the further a creek has gone the more stuff that gets swept into it, and the more likely you'll be to find stuff. The creks I have close to home have only flowed a few miles.