New site located

[tree_ghost]

so the wife and I located a new spot to look for artifacts this weekend. We found a section of river bank that is absolutely loaded with broken flint flakes (debradge?) we spent the next 7 hours basically picking up a 5 gallon bucket worth of flint shards. However we only managed to find one point and one other small scraper. I'm assuming we just haven't found the good stuff yet but maybe it was just a dumping site? I want to take some digging and sifting equipment back in but it's tough access, I'll probably wait till winter to go back. Have any of you found flint piles and no artifacts to go with them?

 

[cbhunter]

I could show you places that you could fill 5 gallon buckets as fast as you could scoop and fill. The points are there somewhere

 

[Creek]

Its great news you found a new spot, and I hope you find some killers there. Remember, the early bird gets the worm, meaning there is a real possibility someone else might be frequenting that spot as well. I'm not trying to be negative or tell you what to do, but if you are relatively new to this hobby, some of these artifact seekers can be quite aggressive, or possibly crackheads, so be careful out there and carry protection if possible.

I know that doesn't answer your question, but I wanted to share a small amount of riverbank experience I had while I was thinking about it. I have been to sites on dry nearby knolls with a large amount of flint but no worked pieces, but it was usually because someone had beat me to the site.

Best of luck, and like I said, I hope you find some killers.

 

[XCR-2]

If it's a Tennessee River bank you better not get caught. Especially digging and sifting.

 

[Creek]

If it's a Tennessee River bank you better not get caught. Especially digging and sifting.

Ive heard the exact same thing when it comes to digging and/or sifting. After talking to a few men at the artifact shows we used to attend, the consensus was that at that particular time it was only illegal in TN state-owned refuge areas like those around the I-40 exit (Cuba Landing area), which I now believe the Duck River Unit Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge area now extends to, but I'm not certain on that.

Better safe than sorry, I guess. You wouldn't happen to have any links that might describe any law(s) pertaining to what you are alleging about a person "getting caught," would you? I was just wondering if the laws have changed.

 

[tree_ghost]

If it's a Tennessee River bank you better not get caught. Especially digging and sifting.

It's not

 

[cbhunter]

Ive heard the exact same thing when it comes to digging and/or sifting. After talking to a few men at the artifact shows we used to attend, the consensus was that at that particular time it was only illegal in TN state-owned refuge areas like those around the I-40 exit (Cuba Landing area), which I now believe the Duck River Unit Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge area now extends to, but I'm not certain on that.

Better safe than sorry, I guess. You wouldn't happen to have any links that might describe any law(s) pertaining to what you are alleging about a person "getting caught," would you? I was just wondering if the laws have changed.

I know some folks that were caught along the banks on refuge. It was some police that represented some Indian tribes. Came in on them with bullet proof vest, ar's, etc

Threatened to take there boat, truck etc
More less ended up being a slap on the wrist in the end with the understanding that they are now in the system and that it would be bad if they were ever caught again. Very scary experience for them in the moment

 

[Creek]

I know some folks that were caught along the banks on refuge. It was some police that represented some Indian tribes. Came in on them with bullet proof vest, ar's, etc

Threatened to take there boat, truck etc
More less ended up being a slap on the wrist in the end with the understanding that they are now in the system and that it would be bad if they were ever caught again. Very scary experience for them in the moment

I have also heard stories just like what you described. I don't want to mess with them fellas when it comes to their turf.

 

[Henry]

The good points ended up running away in their prey.

 

[Tennrock]

The ARPA passed by Carter administration in 1979 had a clause Carter insisted on putting in (because he was a arrowhead collector and the only good thing he ever did as president) that stated "picking up a arrowhead from the surface" is not considered destroying a cultural resource. Carry a copy of that act with you if you hunt TVA property.

TVA has done more to destroy our archeological resources than every surface collector will ever do.

I do not hunt the Tennessee river anymore due to all the meth head artifact hunters I would run into. When I did, I carried a really nice point I made with my initials etched into it, just to show anyone who always asked if I was finding anything, lol. I always wondered if someone was walking the river bank and a fake artifact was found in their pocket, resulting in a ticket or arrest for "looting", what the ramifications would be? Sounds like grounds for false arrest or a lawsuit to me.

 

[Creek]

The good points ended up running away in their prey.

Good point, no pun intended.
or the points that were never retrieved but later sustained heat damage over the fire while cooking their prey.

Some collectors Ive met didnt like it when I threw women and children in the mix. You know, at minimum, the young males had to start learning at some point and time, and in doing so, they broke and threw away several pieces while learning. No doubt, it further complicates an already controversial subject. Just food for though

 

[chimneyman]

Well I got busted by TVA officers on Tellico lake maybe 20 years ago.To begin with I'm not an artifact hunter. If I see one I'll pick it up I probably have 10-12 arrowheads. That day in February I had been fishing and not catching anything I started walking the bank looking for anything really. I didn't find anything so got in the boat went to the ramp to load up and DAMN they came from everywhere. Had 4 come at me in cars and trucks and 2 came from an unmarked boat they went through everything for at least an hour only thing of interest to them was a 18 inch piece of rebar that we used that winter to punch hole in the mud flats to put our goose shell stakes in. They ended up taking my boat. Got it back that week after pulling some strings. About 4 years later got a nasty letter saying I was in the system and next time I could be jailed and fined a whole lot of money. I hate TVA as much as Ruger hate TWRA

 

[Huntaholic]

Well I got busted by TVA officers on Tellico lake maybe 20 years ago.To begin with I'm not an artifact hunter. If I see one I'll pick it up I probably have 10-12 arrowheads. That day in February I had been fishing and not catching anything I started walking the bank looking for anything really. I didn't find anything so got in the boat went to the ramp to load up and DAMN they came from everywhere. Had 4 come at me in cars and trucks and 2 came from an unmarked boat they went through everything for at least an hour only thing of interest to them was a 18 inch piece of rebar that we used that winter to punch hole in the mud flats to put our goose shell stakes in. They ended up taking my boat. Got it back that week after pulling some strings. About 4 years later got a nasty letter saying I was in the system and next time I could be jailed and fined a whole lot of money. I hate TVA as much as Ruger hate TWRA

Now wait a minute! So youre saying you didnt have a single piece of worked flint anywhere on you or in your boat? If thats the case and youre telling us the whole story, my ass would be in jail I suppose. MAYBE I lost my watch? My wedding ring? my dentures? My response would have been FARK YOU AND THE HORSE YOU RODE IN ON! PROVE that I was doing something illegal! Otherwise its gonna be a cold day in HELL before you take my boat or anything else of mine for that matter!

 

[chimneyman]

I didn't have anything. There were 6 officers and me. I wasn't going to pick a fight there and end up in jail. I knew I could get the boat back my father was an atty and I had hunted with a State Supreme Court justice that season who had used my rebar to set out decoys. It was an inconvenience but I was going to escalate it. The Judge was the one who made the call to get my boat back

 

[XCR-2]

Ive heard the exact same thing when it comes to digging and/or sifting. After talking to a few men at the artifact shows we used to attend, the consensus was that at that particular time it was only illegal in TN state-owned refuge areas like those around the I-40 exit (Cuba Landing area), which I now believe the Duck River Unit Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge area now extends to, but I'm not certain on that.

Better safe than sorry, I guess. You wouldn't happen to have any links that might describe any law(s) pertaining to what you are alleging about a person "getting caught," would you? I was just wondering if the laws have changed.

Go on the TVA website. Do a little digging and you should find the article.

 

[Creek]

Go on the TVA website. Do a little digging and you should find the article.

Yes sir, I will check that out. Thanks

 

[Wiley]

I used to be a contract communications tech at TVA, Muscle Shoals AL. I was installing radio encryption gear and happened to walk by their conference room where some easels were set up with big, enlarged pictures on them. The pictures were from a surveillance operation where TVA Police were watching 3 mid 20s people dig up a grave that had found in the river bank near Pickwick. The case had already been prosecuted and the perps were in jail. One of the officers showed me a bunch of pics taken over weeks of them watching. Some of the physical evidence (artifacts) was there as well. There were pics of the skeleton and other things that had been completely exposed. He said it was about a 3 month operation and that they were going to repatriate the artifacts to the grave site. That whole thing made me think long and hard about what I was doing anytime that I was walking the river bank for any reason.

 

[Wooden Arrow]

i've got a spot that we USED to find loads of chipped pieces, but only points with tips broken off. can't collect there now. where it was made me think it was probably a seasonal camp, and the debitage was from re-working (or breaking ) points