Tell me about arrow head hunting

Country Dirt Kid

Elite Member
Joined
Feb 20, 2016
Messages
625
Location
Erie Illinois
I love metal detecting but in Illinois the ground is frozen for about 5 months. I was thinking that finding arrow heads would satisfy the urge. I have thousands upon thousand of plouged fields to walk. Here are my questions

Can I find Indian artifacts in farm fields?
Can I surface hunt arrow heads when the ground is frozen?
What else is there to find other than arrow heads?
Are there enough artifacts lying around to make a hobby out of it or is finding a good arrow head extremely rare?
Thanks for the help
 
I too have an intrest to find some......
a few guys I know have found a few, and many.
I know of some good places, but just haven't made the time to hunt.
There are lots of good videos on you tube,
that might give you further insight to find them in your location, tips and tools needed
 
Look on the library of congress site at David Rumsey historic maps for your state then look at native population areas for your state/county. You can find where particular tribes and villages were located. Make note of Lat longs. Put it on your phone or google earth the coordinates. When you find an area look for pottery shards first, they're easier to see than arrow heads. Some "bird heads" can be as small as your fingernail.
 
I love metal detecting but in Illinois the ground is frozen for about 5 months. I was thinking that finding arrow heads would satisfy the urge. I have thousands upon thousand of plouged fields to walk. Here are my questions

Can I find Indian artifacts in farm fields?
Can I surface hunt arrow heads when the ground is frozen?
What else is there to find other than arrow heads?
Are there enough artifacts lying around to make a hobby out of it or is finding a good arrow head extremely rare?
Thanks for the help

Native American artifact hunting was my main hobby before I found metal detecting. Farm fields are a good spot to search for points. Never had frozen ground down here, but I’d assume as long as there is no obstruction like snow, surface hunting would be easy. There are other things to find such as beads, pottery and various types of tools, depending on your region. I read an article a few years ago that it’s estimated 10% of all artifacts have been recovered, so you’ve still got a pretty good chance of finding something. That hobby is like any other. It’s all about what you put into it. I had 8 hour days of creek walking and founding nothing, but had other days where I found my best points within 10 minutes. It’s best to do your research before you start. Knowing the area is key. Where would you camp if you lived off the land? Any natural springs? And look for flat ground that wasn’t in a flood plain. And areas of erosion are your friend. Anything that moves the dirt around for you will help. There’s a book called Official Overstreet that breaks down artifacts by region and has so much more than arrowheads. Good luck!
 
I was arrowhead hunting long before I started metal detecting. You'll find that the Indians made camps in similar locations that you find out house sites, IE, on ridges, near water, near springs, etc. I've found quite a few arrowheads and flakes digging metal around old home sites in the woods. I've found the best long term major camps on slight rises in wide flood plains. Certain areas you can also find them in creeks.
 
Arrowhead hunting is one of my favorite hobbies. Since I mainly only hunt farm fields, I have found 100's of arrowheads while metal detecting! The key to finding points in a farm is to really look-your vision is key. I've found points that have just been covered by the soil and they leave like a shadow print. The soil in my area is mostly sandy. High spots in fields and near rivers are great places to look. Also, don't forget to look at rocks in the fields as some of them may be Indian artifacts. Good luck!
 
Like other hunting, location is key. Tilled fields are a good location to search, because the top layer of ground is exposed, but much of it may not have seen much activity. If any part of that area was inhabited long ago, there's a good chance you can find evidence of it on the surface. Frozen dirt will limit your finds. Snow will cover it all up, but a melt-off may expose some stuff. Wind and rain in the warmer months will further expose arrowheads and artifacts. If you find anything that indicates a native history, SLOW DOWN!
Two things I think will help: 1)"color" Train your eyes to spot anything that stands out. Arrowheads are often made of a stone that is lighter in color than field dirt(especially wet dirt). Some, though, are made of shiny black obsidian, or other darker stone.
2) "profile" Learn about flint knapping, stone points, and the various stone tools found in your area. Look at any collections you can. Learn about what you are searching for. For example, the stone fragments that are chipped away during flint knapping, have specific shapes you can learn to recognize; telling you that the area was inhabited, and has potential.

Here's my favorite point I found in a garden, where other points, fragments, bones, etc. had been found.
 

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I have hunted Indian artifacts almost all my life. My father got me into this as a youngster. We had thousands of points and other tools in the collection. I gave most of the best to my son. Most of our good sites are gone due to housing and farm fields no longer being plowed. I need to try to get back to this hobby come spring. This old dog is in his twilight years but still misses the thrill of the find just like detecting. My best advice to finding a site is learn the stone material that was used in that location. A good water supply and a nice terrace with East sun will be the key too. If you can find flaked off chips you are in the right place. I use an old broom handle cut to my proper length with a nail in the end. This makes flipping out the finds easier and less bending. I spent many hours hunting points with my father. Farm fields that are planted in corn or potatoes are ideal places to check. Just like metal detecting, you need to grid your site when you find a likely site and you should find some goodies. I loved this hobby and miss my dad and the fun times we had over many years of hunting points. I did donate some mounted points on boards to local historical societies in memory of my father. I am now 75 but still have the urge to find one more good point. GL & HH.
 
I love metal detecting but in Illinois the ground is frozen for about 5 months. I was thinking that finding arrow heads would satisfy the urge. I have thousands upon thousand of plouged fields to walk. Here are my questions

Can I find Indian artifacts in farm fields?
Can I surface hunt arrow heads when the ground is frozen?
What else is there to find other than arrow heads?
Are there enough artifacts lying around to make a hobby out of it or is finding a good arrow head extremely rare?
Thanks for the help

Plowed fields or are they no till? There isn't much plowing anymore. A freshly plowed field and the same field after a rain are a great place to look for artifacts. I'd start with the highest ground.
 
Plowed fields or are they no till? There isn't much plowing anymore. A freshly plowed field and the same field after a rain are a great place to look for artifacts. I'd start with the highest ground.

Plowed fields are the best. The no till or drill planted do not bring up very much new ground. Yes, you need some good rains after the fresh plowing. If you can't see the stones it's almost impossible to find points. I sometimes wonder how many miles my father and I walked hunting Indian artifacts.
 
You learn over time to spot odd items that don't belong. Here are a few of the arrowheads I've found while detecting plowed fields and my best find a war hammer.

The hammer stood out like a sore thumb in a fresh plowed field. I thought it was a spud/potato until I got closer and saw the grove.

ahead3-1.jpg

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hammer.jpg
 
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