Relic/Coin Hunting Advice

[COMMANDR]

Camp Grant Rockford,Il

Ok all you Relic and Coin hunter I need some advice on how to detect this WWI and WW II Camp. I grew up here and have fished the Atwood park (old Camp Grant) all my life. When I was a boy about age 13 or 14 (40 yrs ago, yes I know it was a long time ago) I built a metal detector form a kit I ordered from an add in the back of Popular Science mag. All metal, very simple VCO type detector that worked quite well. Long story short... I found many shell casing, alot of lead bullets and get this a live 3 inch motar round. The Army Corp of Engineers has since (so they say) cleaned up the dangerous stuff but I'll bet there is still alot of relic/coins to be found. Any and all advice is welcome.

Gary

Check out the links on the camp.

Camp Grant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Atwood Environmental Center – Camp Grant

Camp Grant World War I Photograph Album

[pris]

Hey, that's pretty neat! Keep us updated with what you find. Just be careful of how you dig.

That looks like a very big site to detect. With dog tags and so much other stuff in the ground that are metallic I would hunt in all metal.

To start with, then go to your other programs.
Dig every decent tone.
That huge place would take someone a solid year every day to hunt out.
Try to visualize where those buildings were and
(pretty much)
just give it your best shot.
it would be so nice to be able to return someones ID tags after all those years.

[JohnWPA]

Looks like an AWESOME place to hunt Gary....let us know how you make out MDing!?!?!?!

John

[julieburger]

Good luck.

[EPC Guy]

Boobie's right...that place will take a long time to hunt properly...you should be able to dig up some really cool stuff HH!

[deadhead]

Hey there commandr-
The best Ive done on research is find old maps/pictures and do an overlay onto a mapquest aeriel view.Take note of trees that might have been in the area,drainage ditches,roads ect as reference points when your searching.I then try to put myself in that "place and time" and do a little walk around.For instance in this case-where outside would a soldier sit under a tree to write a letter home? How about a commisary where money might have exchanged hands? Im also wondering,as military sites often due, was this possibly an older military camp at one time-maybe a true "fort". dont forget to hit your local historical society (as they often have unpublished records-hidden away) I have also looked at old maps from the university of illinois map site.Check out the maps of colonial french settlements and forts and also the indian encampments.Definatly check around tree stumps-those were trees 100 years ago.
Most of all-hunt with your imagination-its amazing how you can find sites seldom found .
On a hot day find the coolest spot to sit-pre-airconditioning sites are always "hot"

best of luck-ill let ya know if Im ever out that way-sounds like a great spot

[COMMANDR]

Thanks to everyone who commented and I will take all the advice to heart and put it to use. Waiting for the weather to cool down alittle, the bugs are really bad here, we had alot of rain. I have high expectations for that site and will hunt it till the ground freezes soild.

Gary

[Nighthunter]

If you need any help detecting...let me know. I'd be happy to make the trip!

I'd look first around the athletic fields if you can find them.

Is there anything left of this camp?

[Bj1]

Buddy if you need any help covering that place let me know...I'm just down the road a piece around burlington, hampshire area, maybe sometime we can get together....Bj1