Creeks vs fields vs digging

[pacmanJohn]

Tried to do adv search to find this topic as I'm sure it's come up many times but didn't see it so thought I'd ask. I know many use both creeks and fields during different times of the season depending on weather, availability etc. Just curious which you prefer and what do you feel is your ratio of time spent vs artifacts found. Something like the following :

Been Hunting (xx years)
% Time spent overall (Creek vs field vs digging)
% Artifacts found (Creek vs field vs digging)
Prefer? (Creek vs field vs digging)


For me so far I much prefer field walking. More successful in fields but mainly just seem to enjoy it more. Creeks I find it nice on a beautiful day but wears my eyes out looking for a rock in a million rocks Want so bad to find one in a creek and I've spent many hours walking 2 particular creeks but only one broke midsection. I have found a few tools in creeks (nice pestle, large flint adze, scraper). Also understand that finding whole points are in the order of digging then creeks (if you hit a creek regularly) then finally fields. But anywho :

Been Hunting - 2-3 years (weekend warrior)
% Time spent overall - Creek 10% vs Fields 90% vs Digging 0%)
% Artifacts found - Creek 1% vs Fields 99% vs Digging 0%
Prefer - Fields


Just thought it would be interesting and fun. Thanks

[paohrocks]

Interesting topic John, I've been hunting points/artifacts for 45+ years now and have done all 3

40% field, mostly spring early summer and a little in the fall
40% creek, mostly fall and winter
20% dig when the other two are not an option

Not sure on the percentage of artifacts found but do know most of my brokes come from fields while some of my best finds have come from digging.

[pacmanJohn]

45+? Holymacaroni. I guess you've found a few and have great insight. Preciate the info!

[paohrocks]

I have found a few over the years...each region is a little different (farming techniques) and the laws vary from state to state. Like Greg stated its illegal to dig in Indiana but it's legal here in PA with the property owners permission, not sure what Kentucky allows. Best of luck to you.

[redrocks]

19 yrs hunting. River shore. 85%.
fields. 15%. Digging 0%. Artifacts - river 90 %. Field. -10 %. Love the river. Cool post man!

[pacmanJohn]

Forgot about river banks. Thanks!

[fldwlkr]

10 years looking down. 70 in the field. 30 in the creeks. One artifact per hour (and I'm probably not counting skunk hunts). I find most of my stuff in the fields, but when the water gives me one it's usually amazing.

[Lindenmeier-Man]

I guess 99.999 % surface hunting. Mikey my old hunting buddy made us two nice sifters once. We knew of a dune just above a draw that has flint chips laying everywhere. We went to the dune, shoveled in a couple loads of sand. All at once Mikey said and I quote, “ We need to stop this right now and leave!” I never argued , just picked up and left. I need to ask him why. Also, I don’t have a reason for why I didn’t argue to keep sifting..All this more than 30 years ago.

[Lindenmeier-Man]

Truly I don’t know ! Something happened and I will ask him. Like a zombie ,I just followed his command !

[Lindenmeier-Man]

Here is the thing, he was/is a cabinet maker. He can make most near anything ! He spent hours on the sifters, had folding legs, they were really, really nice. We were in pure white sand, easy digging. We’ve never tried again or spoken of it...Whatever happened, it was left unsaid and never discussed...

[Hal Gorges]

Had a very very very similar experience, digging on an Island...Dark clouds formed out of a clear day...Started raining...Hairs stood up on neck, left sifter... Got shovel...Boat was floating away, Had to swim for it, got back to shore and I no longer felt the need to escape from anything...Whew! I never went back.Only was scared in that fashion one more time in my life...It’s really a basic warning instinct that you don’t think about the mind and body just takes over..p.s.:left a lot of details out.

[Hal Gorges]

Don’t know percentages....River diving in the sevenths...can’t see two feet, boat motors coming five feet overhead, alligators cruising ten feet by...Well you get the picture...But I wanted points I couldn’t find where I lived so I stuck it out, 70 % , those sites were very concentrated ...Digging, I did less of than anything , too much work, but I dug manufacturing sites,, they seemed to produce nicer points 50%, very concentrated also ...Walking cleared land I loved.. Early morning fog, all the freshness, all the quiet aloneness before the sun came up, nuff of that..about 50%....Overall 70% of my collection is from hunting cleared land and shell middens. Time spent locating all types of sites was about the same.... Preparing to dive a site was the most involved ...All the diving equipment , hauling a boat, food, camp gear, etc.

[Lindenmeier-Man]

Hal
Do you have any weird experiences like we discussed above ?

[Lorenzo]

In Ross County Ohio near Great Seal Park -- the place I found the nutting stone I posted -- friends have had all kinds of weird experiences. From cold spots on trails, to a feeling of being watched, to falling trees, to seeing things. I won't say what things people have seen, because no one will believe it. I have seen a strong, independent horse woman brought to near hysterics by an encounter she had on a well traveled path, and she was walking with a friend. They both saw it. A medicine man was brought in one year to help. From the Alabama-Coushatta, he was.

[KyChipStone]

John, you forgot to add by boat/canoe. The new age point hunter uses a boat/ canoe and hunts the river banks / gravel bars. You can cover a lot more ground this way and your point production goes way up. With that being said, I do not use a boat.
Been hunting on and off 10 yrs
95% of all points found...Plowed Fields adjacent to rivers
5% creeks
O% digs.

[NOTCHEDNate]

This is my 3rd year since the addiction took hold of me. But mines pretty simple as far as artifacts found:
100% in creeks. And if I had to guess I’d say I find about an artifact every two hours hunting. I probably find 2 broken pieces for each whole one I find.
I’ve only searched a few fields on the huge farm we have permission to deer hunt on. I would think it would hold some goodies being right along a river with old sloughs running the boundaries of his bottom fields that used to be connected to the river back in the day. Problem there I think is the landowner never plows his fields. I don’t know if that’s common these days but he has great crop yields without even plowing or discing so I guess I can’t blame him haha
And I’ve never tried digging or anything because the laws are pretty strict here in Missouri; only allowed on private property with permission and as stated above I’ve never found any field finds so idk where I’d even start digging lol

[gregszybala]

15 plus years
100% fields, creeks are nothing more than ditches here, no sand or gravel bars.
Digging is illegal in Indiana.

[tomf]

10 years. 50/50. No digging. More from field. Prefer creek for buzz factor and environment.

[Gatorboy]

3 yrs. 85% creek 10% river 5% field. I would love to be a field hunter but plowing is a thing of the past. Light disking is frustrating for me to hunt as it tends to destroy points. It comes down to the fact that you have to adapt your game to your area and your hunting pressure. I have family in different states and when I visit them my hunting style usually doesn't work in their areas...

[SurfaceHunter]

Private creeks 75% fields 25% just before and after harvest. No digging never asked owners due to the laws which is fine on private property with permission but just never tried. I have found nice artifacts in both but more heartbreakers in fields. I have 8 years looking but go probably double of your average hunters. So I would double my experience in years. My 1st year wasn't very good though finally caught on.

[pacmanJohn]

Very much appreciate your answers. Extremely interesting. Never hit the river banks buy see on youtube it's a popular way to find good artifacts. NotchedNate the 'no till' planting is definitely changing things. I only have 3 permissions (only asked folks I know well) and one this year is giving up the tobacco and going completely no-till corn ;/

[SurfaceHunter]

The corn is easy to grow no till. Shame they are giving up the deep plowing. You will miss it. South Georgia does deep plow still with peanuts. North Georgia is corn and cotton which is no till. I hate the disc but it's the only way the soil ever gets moved. Bitter sweet

[pacmanJohn]

I lived in Leesburg GA when I was a kid Peanut plantations all around.

[Flint Eastwood]

Hunted hard during childhood. Then school, sports, and girls distracted me. Always had an eye for it throughout adulthood, picking up pieces on trails, while deer hunting, etc. However, perhaps due to my son, I have really returned to the passion for the past 3 years.

Field 99%; Creek Hopping .5%; Digging .5%

99.9% of my artifacts sprout in fields or join me for a walk. I did find one nice blade along the Allegheny River and my Dad accidentally dug one from the side yard digging a ditch.

Flint Eastwood

[antmike915]

33 years hunting ( any hopefully many more)

Present:
fields - 99 %
Creeks - 1% ( i can't find any producing creeks locally)

Past:
Digging - 90%
fields - 10%

I prefer walking in fields and/or creeks but I found my best by digging.