Downtown Strategy..need advice

joestalin

So I am looking to dig in the oldest part of my home town, Jacksonville FL. There are plenty of houses that are old, but of course those lands are private. There are
some public dirt parking lots I could hit, but there is a lot of trafic and people (and police) are of course curious. What is the best strategy to hunt this
area of downtown? I have studied the maps and this is the oldest part of the city so I know there might be something there. Any tips to what I should be hitting? How
do I handle old brick roads?

Thanks
Kevin

demodigger

i've been digging those type of areas for years. i just ignore all those people. who cares what they think anyway?

laserart

I have been looking at a place in the town of Farmington, an old street with nice houses. I want to get into the grass strip between the street and the sidewalk so I thought if I were to set up a couple of orange road cones on the street and wore a hardhat nobody would be the wiser as to what I was really doing. If anyone asked I'd just say I'm looking for the water pipe.

pendragon1998

When I bird in urban areas, I just carry a clipboard and look busy, occasionally taking notes. Nobody gives you a second glance if you're holding a clipboard. You could walk right into the white house if you were carrying a clipboard.

joestalin

<< <i>When I bird in urban areas, I just carry a clipboard and look busy, occasionally taking notes. Nobody gives you a second glance if you're holding a clipboard. You could walk right into the white house if you were carrying a clipboard. >>




hmmmm...would an FBI hat work too?

Kevin

BunchOBull

Kevin,

I wanted to share with you what I use for basic digging...

For plugs, this is a solid and cheap alternative to some of the more expensive products out there. The blade is welded to the handle and is great for prying and root cutting...I think I purchased mine at Target or WalMart for around $10, but here is a link to Amazon.


Fiskar's Big Grip Garden Knife

I also carry a plastic Fiskar's Garden Trowel because I can scoop and break up dirt clumps with it while sweeping my coil or pinpointer in the area.

Finally, I carry a Garden Pry Bar...essentially a mini-pry head on a screw driver handle. When you master pin pointing, you stick the pry head in the ground and pop items in the first few inches on the soil right out of the ground. I don't use that when I'm detecting an area with the potential for historic finds.



Edited to add...when you're doing places like demodigger does, a Lesche digger or Fiskar's shovel comes in handy.

joestalin

Thanks Ross

Great info, I am using a plastic trowel right now and it is tough. There are plenty of roots here. I hope my target has one! Im going to Orlando in a few
weeks to visit my parents, so Im going to stop by Kellyco.

Kevin

marym

At the suggestion of more than one member of this board, I purchased a Lesche digger. I live in Maine, most of the places I hunt are filled with tough old Maine dirt and roots. This digger has never let me down! It stands up to the worst of conditions with no twists, bends or breaks. I highly recommend you purchase one. -Mary

joestalin

That Lesche looks pretty serious. Kinda pricey too, but I guess you only have to buy one, they would last forever. How does it work in sand? It looks like it
doesn't really scoop.

Kevin