Getting back into it from Nashville, TN (seeking advice)

[flyphish]

Good afternoon fine people of arrowheads.com. I am seeking some tips and advice on how to get back into this hobby in today's age of farming practices and limited hunting areas. I was very fortunate to grow up in Williamson County, TN in the early 1990's. Several streams and rivers flow through some of the most fertile farm land in the entire state here. I grew up in one of the very first model homes in a mega subdivision right outside of Franklin, TN. For about 6 years massive excavation and grading projects took place in our neighborhood as the subdivision grew. This new construction was on once corn or soy beans field that normally bordered the Harpeth River. After a good rain my dad and I would spend our summers walking these newly graded sites picking up pieces. We only found a handful of full pieces but mostly tips and stems. Everything in the pictures below came from 3 sites in and around my childhood neighborhood.

Fast forward to 2019 and I have dug out my old collection and am really wanting to get into it again. I have taken several long drives out scouting fields etc and things simply are not the same. Between new farming practices and expanding construction development I am not even sure where to start now? I drove around for an hour simply looking for a field with dirt without success! What kind of crop farmers in particular still tend to turn their fields? Do you see it with certain crops more than others? The corn and soy bean fields of today seem like a no go for me.

I am also considering creek hunting some of these same old areas. Small runoff streams and more major rivers intersect the whole area. Never done this before but would be willing to give it a shot. Anyone willing to point me in the right direction in the middle TN area or offer any additional tips? I have a boat and am willing to drive. I have heard of people finding them on Percy Priest and on the Cumberland River. Was even considering running the boat on the Duck/ Buffalo/ TN River's as well in hopes to find them on banks/ bars. I am not sure about the laws on picking them up on big rivers like TN River?

Long winded but thanks for any help! Excited to get back into it!

[Hoss]

Nice artifacts there thanks for sharing and welcome to arrowheads.com Sunday there is a show up in Gallatin there will be many local hunters there. Stop in . I aint going personally b ut it is a great show . https://www.arrowheads.com/index.php...-aritfact-show

You can meet and talk with locals up there Jim Butler, Tim Fields , Lee Roy Irons. all are members of the Central STates Archaeological Society. Join the society and come on out to the shows and meet local like minded folks who love to share the hobby.

[flyphish]

Thanks for the advice! Have had that one marked on the calendar for a few weeks now and am excited to go. I will keep those names in mind.

[tomclark]

That's a great family collection!

[gregszybala]

Great collection and great introduction. It will take some time but with a little work you will be finding places to find. Good luck.

[SurfaceHunter]

I think Tennessee has some of the nicest artifacts and plenty to be found. Welcome to the site

[SDhunter]

Welcome and good luck in finding some new spots. It looks like you already have made a nice collection

[flyphish]

Thanks for everyone's responses, excited to get back into things. Its a great start to a collection but I would like to ad some more nicer pieces. Can anyone advise as to the legalities of picking up artifacts on larger rivers such as the Tennessee or Cumberland? Thanks

[gregszybala]

This link gives a pretty good overview of the federal, state and local laws in Tennessee.

https://contextintn.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/is-it-against-the-law-to-hunt-for-indian-artifacts-in-tennessee/

[flyphish]

Great link thank you! If anyone is ever looking for company on a hunt feel free to reach out. I can offer good conversation, transportation via car or boat, and an eagerness to listen and learn.. Thanks!

[sailorjoe]

Welcome to our Forum. Glad to have you aboard. With the rapidly increasing population in the Nashville metro area it will be increasingly hard to find a place to hunt. I am quite familiar with the Nashville area where I have lived at times in the past. And my mother who graduated from Vandy and her parents are buried in Spring Hill cemetery in East Nashville. I have friends and relatives who live there. Hoss gave you excellent advice. Regarding getting someone to show you their sites. That is a whole different question. Kinda like showing folks your favorite fishing hole. Some folks will and some won't. Most of what remains of agricultural land is now in pasture compared with many years ago and that situation extends for many miles in every direction. You may have to drive a long way to find many plowed fields. You may want to start off with Google Earth and get photography layers at such a scale to see current land practices. If you find areas that appear promising then you may want to go back to previous aerial photos and check them out as the photos are not made at the same time of year always. You can get an idea of seasonal changes in land use, etc. Then once you find a general area you may want to drive to the area and give a look see. Land ownership records are available at county court houses. Sometimes the owner of the land does not live on or near the land. Just a few things you may wish to consider. Good luck. By the way, from what I see of your collection you have pieces representing Early Archaic thru Woodland cultures.

[flyphish]

Thanks for the comments sailorjoe. Nashville has blown up, no doubt about it. I am thinking about focusing more on creeks and river, seems like there might be more opportunity too to find whole pieces that were saved from the plow. As an avid fisherman as well I know how tight folks can get about their spots. Great advice with google earth and land ownership records etc. I will likely do better seeing fields in person and making introductions with locals. Many of those older looking pieces you see came from Davidson Co. in 1990-1995 I would say. Ensworth School/ Devon Farms area before the existing mega subdivision covered the landscape. I have a few big broken blades and a few bases I thought might be paleo period.