Second Hunt

[Missouri Mule]

I went on my second hunt yesterday. This time I chose a creek that feeds year round into the main river and starting at the confluence I followed it upstream into some steeper hills for about three quarters of a mile or so. It started out quite muddy, but soon enough small gravel bars appeared and then it soon went to nothing but rock and stones. Not having eyes trained to spot artifacts I found that between the zillion of maple tree seeds and the thousands of stone pieces that wash down from stone formations along the creek that I found it hard to focus, where everything went to a mosaic and nothing stood out in particular. I realize experience plays into this but what pace should I walk at? Also, are there particular colors of stone to be looking for?
There was one stone that did jump out at me, as it did look like a point, but it had no evidences of human touch and it broke to pieces rather easily when I lightly cleaned it with a toothbrush and dish soap. This leads to another question: what, if any, cleaning should be done to dirty artifacts?
I also walked three recently plowed fields that bordered close to the creek, which were all above the immediate floodplain of the river. None of these fields had any stones, just good old black loam mixed with clay. My overall approach to selecting these fields was to go back in time and think in terms of having to find a place to set up a seasonal camp, where the river was close for water and fishing, elevated enough to avoid flooding, but reasonably level for a good camp. I realize that my thinking is both inexperienced and uneducated, as I am sure there are many other factors I have overlooked, but one has to start somewhere. Please advise on any factors I have missed.
With no experience my one concern is to spend a lot of fruitless searching in areas that are not likely to ever produce any artifacts . . . or that I walk past all kinds of artifacts and just plain miss them. Should I return and walk this creek again or should I move on? Do you cover lots of territory to find artifacts or do you methodically work an area with a fine tooth comb many times over for success? I look forward to my next hunt.

[gregszybala]

Hey Missouri, Being new to this I would walk real slow. Artifacts are hard to find, not easy to see and sometimes d*mn near invisible. Until your eye gets accustomed to what you are looking for, then you may speed up or slow down depending upon what indicators and or artifacts you are finding. When I walk a new field, I look for indicators, like flakes, chips, spalls, and fire rock. Your area may have the same and or different indicators. Once I start finding these I work a field pretty hard, section it off, walk it one way then maybe back the opposite way. Plowed or worked fields, a good rain, high winds they all help.
As to cleaning all I use for field finds is a toothbrush and water. Others don't clean them at all, others no doubt use other methods.
Your on the right track as to looking in fields, but also consider drainage, you don't want to camp in an area that stays wet after a rain, higher, sandier ground, more comfortable. Consider the location in relation to safety, high ground, not easy access from hostiles, screened by high winds. Although these don't apply to some of my sights and both the above may be in the fields you walked.
Last but not least, read, ask around, knock on doors, meet the old timers and farmers, the more you ask, the more info you'll get, them more areas you will find to walk and the more artifacts you'll find.
Good luck

[cgode]

Greg has given you solid advice, all very good!!

[Hoss]

http://www.uiowa.edu/~osa/lithics/drawers/OutOfState/DrawerLGImages/Drawer6Images.html#1MO-BT-01

That page has some of the lithics you would find in Missouri. Most look whitish to me in the pictures. Up here we have white quartz and hunting arrowheads with white stone on darker earth isnt as easy as you think. The stone tends to glare on sunny days. It always helps me if the ground is wet! It also helps if the sky is overcast. It does take time but after a while you will begin to pick out the colors and then the shapes will follow. Bring a good walking stick with you so you dont have to bend over a million times you can just poke around with the stick. It also helps to have a stick if some crttiers come creeping around. If you run into a sick Coyote or Racoons a good whack across the back will send it off with a yip1
Be patient and be methodical. If you have not had rain and those fields are bone dry and in bright sunlight chances are you may have a rough go of it. Be patient and keep your eye on the ground.
Good luck to you.
PS I dont know why but you will have to copy and paste that entire link.

[ajbhawkowl]

I wouldn't give up on that creek . I have walked many miles along the same creek and found notta then went back and tryed a different part and found something so just keep walking . I know looking at so many rocks and stones can be overwhelming but keep looking . I know the artifacts I have found stood out as soon as I saw them. Also look for places where the water was high at one point , then look for washed out areas that have exposed gravel ,  2 of my finds I found that way. Keep looking sooner or later I'm sure you will find something.

[Missouri Mule]

Thank you all for the encouraging advice.  For what ever reason, when I was a young boy I would always find things when I was out hunting game with my father and brother, even when I wasn't particularly looking.  I would be the one to find something ....usually a relic or something another hunter would drop. I found my share of watches.  I will go back over the creek again, maybe work from the top down.  Also, since I will be working hilltops and bluffs that overlook the river, what are the indicators of a burial mound, so that I do not accidentally disturb one? On a property no more then two miles away there are seven on top of the bluffs that surround it.  This is according to the landowner, who doesn't allow anyone on the property . . . so I have never seen one.

[rmartin]

Some great advice here. It sounds like you are in a great area so keep looking. Sometimes sites are harder to find than the artifacts themselves. I can't begin to guess the number of times I have gone out and found nothing.

[CliffJ]

When searching for new sites, always remember and never forget- "No matter how good it looks, they could not live everywhere!"

[Hoss]

Very true Cliff!