Binoculars for arrowhead hunting? (1 Viewer)

OK, I know this is a bit out there on this forum, but it seems that binoculars with close focus can be a great aid when searching the ground/waterways for arrowheads. Though I did see a post somewhere about this before-don't know if it was here or maybe more likely another forum.

Anyway, it's a recent hobby of mine since retiring, trying to find them on the surface, and being that I would be best wearing glasses to search the ground, it seems a low power 6x roof that I have works very well for that. It saves bending down to focus my eyes, and also reaches places I can't easily get to without boots, or walking a lot more.

I have also come to the conclusion that either I'm just a bad hunter, or that maybe Ebay is a much better way to find them, in the long run! Though I do enjoy just being out there in the woods and fields, and dividing my time between arrowhead hunting, bird watching, photography and wild plant and grasses ID'ing, keeps me going back when I can.

Went out yesterday for a few hours, and the hunt for arrowheads again eluded me, but I took a lot of photos, and it was nice being alone out there in nature. Saw my signature bird again (seems I most often see a Great Blue Heron when I'm out, no matter where I go around here), and a pair of Red Tail hawks, so it was a good day, no matter. Of course, I'm sore from bending over a lot when it wasn't practical to use the bins, but that's not unusual for me, being a bit over 6' tall, I need to bend a lot to get near enough and investigate what I see on the ground.

Anyone else interested in finding arrowheads and artifacts? My big find yesterday was a nice big wild turkey feather though-my first, since this area never had wild turkeys before. Had to go a lot North before to hunt them. Before we had a lot of pheasants when I was a kid, but no more of them around here-too much development. Bit surprised at the turkeys, but spotted 3 if them in that area just recently.

Barry, are there any trained arrowhead finding dogs?
If so I would let the dog do the searching.

I would think that good spectacles are best as the binocular field is small.

. Dear Barry,

. The Beecher Mirage binoculars might might work for this.

Three times magnification, 15° field minimum distance 2 feet weight 3 ounces.

4.5 times 14° field minimum distance 5 feet weight 3 ounces.

5.5 times 11° field minimum distance 6 feet weight 3 ounces. These may be the least suitable.

These are made in the USA and use mirrors instead of prisms. They are expensive but in the UK you don't have to pay VAT if they are prescribed by an optician.

Looking at my Dowling and Rowe binoculars.
These are genuine four times and listed as 4×22 17° field.
However, I have measured these accurately and the field is 16.5° at a distance.
I don't know the exact field close-up.

For me I can focus down to 9 feet centrally and 7 feet at the bottom of the field of view.
I am longsighted and have little accommodation.

The Bushnell 4×21 and I think the 4×30 are fixed focus, but have a measured field of view of 18.5°.
Some people have adapted these to focus at different distances.

The above extra wide-angle binoculars might be useful for finding arrowheads.
I think, though, that a child closer to the ground and with great accommodation would find these arrowheads more easily than an adult, especially if they have an incentive to do so.

Binastro said:

. Dear Barry,

. The Beecher Mirage binoculars might might work for this.

Three times magnification, 15° field minimum distance 2 feet weight 3 ounces.

4.5 times 14° field minimum distance 5 feet weight 3 ounces.

5.5 times 11° field minimum distance 6 feet weight 3 ounces. These may be the least suitable.

These are made in the USA and use mirrors instead of prisms. They are expensive but in the UK you don't have to pay VAT if they are prescribed by an optician.

Looking at my Dowling and Rowe binoculars.
These are genuine four times and listed as 4×22 17° field.
However, I have measured these accurately and the field is 16.5° at a distance.
I don't know the exact field close-up.

For me I can focus down to 9 feet centrally and 7 feet at the bottom of the field of view.
I am longsighted and have little accommodation.

The Bushnell 4×21 and I think the 4×30 are fixed focus, but have a measured field of view of 18.5°.
Some people have adapted these to focus at different distances.

The above extra wide-angle binoculars might be useful for finding arrowheads.
I think, though, that a child closer to the ground and with great accommodation would find these arrowheads more easily than an adult, especially if they have an incentive to do so.

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Thank you for the suggestions, Binastro, but as I said, I have a pair that works very well for me: Eagle Optics 6x32 SRT's. They also work very well for viewing the surrounds in closer quarters like woods, and such.

Yes, no doubt, a child would be a good bet to take along to find them! I only have two cats, and doubt they would be very interested! ; )

Everyone I know who is an arrowhead hunter says it takes a few months before you can see the forest for the trees. I wouldnt worry about binos, I would just get out there.

perterra said:

Everyone I know who is an arrowhead hunter says it takes a few months before you can see the forest for the trees. I wouldnt worry about binos, I would just get out there.

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Yes, like anything else, it always takes time to know how to do something best, and what to look for and where. So, very true perterra, about just getting out there.

I'm not worried about binoculars at all-just wanted to see if anyone else here has any interest in artifact collecting, and if so, did they try binoculars while hunting for them.

No doubt Binastro's suggestions would be very good for the purpose-with such a wide field of view, and a lower power. I find my 6x's work pretty well though when I use them for it, and at the same time work well for the birds too. Mostly I just use my eyes though when searching the ground, like most do.

Oh, and I'm not really surprised that you know some arrowhead hunters, perterra. A lot of very nice ones come out of Texas. Not so much in PA though, where they can often be quite rough looking.

bluespiderweb said:

Yes, like anything else, it always takes time to know how to do something best, and what to look for and where. So, very true perterra, about just getting out there.

I'm not worried about binoculars at all-just wanted to see if anyone else here has any interest in artifact collecting, and if so, did they try binoculars while hunting for them.

No doubt Binastro's suggestions would be very good for the purpose-with such a wide field of view, and a lower power. I find my 6x's work pretty well though when I use them for it, and at the same time work well for the birds too. Mostly I just use my eyes though when searching the ground, like most do.

Oh, and I'm not really surprised that you know some arrowhead hunters, perterra. A lot of very nice ones come out of Texas. Not so much in PA though, where they can often be quite rough looking.

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I have gone on a few hunts with some of them. 4 hours of hunting and they have 4 or 5, all I have are pieces of burned bone from old campfires. In some of our corp of engineers land they have cracked down on arrowhead hunters, they are very numerous in some areas.

. Dear Barry,

. While you're looking for arrowheads, although I'm not actually sure what these are, you might also look for meteorites.
I don't know which are more valuable in monetary terms, although both are worth collecting.

You are unlikely to find Roman coins where you are, although here they are quite common.

perterra said:

I have gone on a few hunts with some of them. 4 hours of hunting and they have 4 or 5, all I have are pieces of burned bone from old campfires. In some of our corp of engineers land they have cracked down on arrowhead hunters, they are very numerous in some areas.

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Sounds about right to me-I'm rarely finding much either, but then again, I'm not putting much effort into it either. I go out and just want to be "in nature" and alone, and I'm not just looking for arrowheads, but observing everthing else too.

Yes, artifact collecting is supposed to be done on private lands only, but I imagine like everything else, if not regulated, there are those who will do what they will until stopped. With the bad economy, anything that will bring in extra income for some will be exploited, even down to the fakes being sold as real antiquities. I'm certainly not in that game of profit-I just want to find a few just to know that others were here before us, in a much different world.

Binastro said:

. Dear Barry,

. While you're looking for arrowheads, although I'm not actually sure what these are, you might also look for meteorites.
I don't know which are more valuable in monetary terms, although both are worth collecting.

You are unlikely to find Roman coins where you are, although here they are quite common.

Click to expand...

Heh, I look at all the rocks and stones I can, especially anything that looks different or shows any shape that seems out of the ordinary. I used to do it as a kid-look for rocks too. Meteorites are very rare-probably moreso than arrowheads, I imagine.

I just enjoy being out and about in nature and finding some solitude and inspiratioin by it (especially with binoculars now too). If I find anything more than pictures or sightings of birds and other flora and fauna, then it's just a nice bonus, not a reason for the outing. But yes, my eyes are always peeled for all possibilities! ; )

bluespiderweb said:

Heh, I look at all the rocks and stones I can, especially anything that looks different or shows any shape that seems out of the ordinary. I used to do it as a kid-look for rocks too. Meteorites are very rare-probably moreso than arrowheads, I imagine.

I just enjoy being out and about in nature and finding some solitude and inspiratioin by it (especially with binoculars now too). If I find anything more than pictures or sightings of birds and other flora and fauna, then it's just a nice bonus, not a reason for the outing. But yes, my eyes are always peeled for all possibilities! ; )

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Sounds like you do a lot of close up work. I don't own these, but I intend to.

http://www.eagleoptics.com/binoculars/pentax/pentax-papilio-6-5x21-binocular

Yes TFM, the Pentax Papilio's are supposed to be very good for closeup work, like buttefly and other insect watching, that you can get close enough for. I don't do a lot of closeup work, though once in a while when I get tired, or can't get to an area easily, they do really save me some time and effort resolving those issues, and at the same time offer longer range work at will. Sadly the 6x Rangers are no longer available from Eagle Optics, but are really nice bins-and the only thing I noticed was that they could be a little better in low light, but other than that, they are fantastic for a lower powered binocular.

'But, I believe I saw a pair of Papilio's in the classifieds, if you are in the market for them.

As a teenager, I used to do a fair amount of hunting for Adena and other ancient stone tools and pottery in the Ohio river valley. The key is to find the right places to hunt. The best places we found was land on the second terrace of the river bottom that had only been farmed in post-columbian times, that is no early European canals, roads barns, silos or oil and coal towns, Ideally this second terrace of the river bottom is currently being planted in grains or other crops and is therefore being plowed and/or disced each year. After the plowing or discing is the time to hunt. Also, after harvest before any serious weeds or grass gets started. Walking up and back freshly turned earth, you need to check out everything that remotely resembles a piece of flint or pottery. A pointed walking stick or ski pole is the most useful thing to carry because you will almost never be able to see enough of an artifact to identify it unti you uncover it. A pointed stick will save your back and allow you to check out more "possibles" in less time. Never even thought of using low power binoculars, but they might be helpful in addition to a pointed stick.

I ended up with a good collection of mostly Adena arrowheads, small drills and Atlatal ponts. I know of others who also found flint knives, tomahawks, Adena pottery shards, hoes and larger spear heads, even some copper artifacts and peace pipes, etc. You will find artifacts regularly if you hunt in the area of ancient settlements, but walking around blindly, you might search for years and find very little. And, it is an enormous help if you can hunt cultivated ground. Truthfully, it is boring, but extremely satisfying when you are sucessfull.

Ripantuck said:

As a teenager, I used to do a fair amount of hunting for Adena and other ancient stone tools and pottery in the Ohio river valley. The key is to find the right places to hunt. The best places we found was land on the second terrace of the river bottom that had only been farmed in post-columbian times, that is no early European canals, roads barns, silos or oil and coal towns, Ideally this second terrace of the river bottom is currently being planted in grains or other crops and is therefore being plowed and/or disced each year. After the plowing or discing is the time to hunt. Also, after harvest before any serious weeds or grass gets started. Walking up and back freshly turned earth, you need to check out everything that remotely resembles a piece of flint or pottery. A pointed walking stick or ski pole is the most useful thing to carry because you will almost never be able to see enough of an artifact to identify it unti you uncover it. A pointed stick will save your back and allow you to check out more "possibles" in less time. Never even thought of using low power binoculars, but they might be helpful in addition to a pointed stick.

I ended up with a good collection of mostly Adena arrowheads, small drills and Atlatal ponts. I know of others who also found flint knives, tomahawks, Adena pottery shards, hoes and larger spear heads, even some copper artifacts and peace pipes, etc. You will find artifacts regularly if you hunt in the area of ancient settlements, but walking around blindly, you might search for years and find very little. And, it is an enormous help if you can hunt cultivated ground. Truthfully, it is boring, but extremely satisfying when you are sucessfull.

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Pretty neat, and certainly attuned, the experiences you've had with artifact hunting Rip, thank you for sharing your knowledge and tips about it! Yes, I've been lax in finding the most likely places, and have been just trying to find peaceful places to be in a pretty now populated countryside.

It's been a long while since I walked a freshly plowed field, though I would like to do some soon. I've been walking the creeks moreso, and taking more pictures than anything else. So I don't really get bored, I just run out of time and sun, or energy when I get a chance to go out and explore. Oh, yes, I do have an aluminum walking stick that is a big help-not only for me, but turning over potential rocks and helping out my back. But you're right, I need to concentrate my searches to more likely spots in order to be more successful in my hunts for arrowheads when I do it.

When I'm tired and can't get out, Ebay helps me find a few, and makes me feel better about what I didn't find. And also realize that someone else put in a lot of work, and are selling most of them far below what they would be worth if all their time were considered. But most I think do it out of an affinity with the outdoors and the hobby aspect of just feeling closer to their ancestors. I still have trouble with the concept that others have been around here sometimes 10,000 years and more, and most arrowheads and stone tools are very old at the least-and most going back thousands of years, rather than mere hundreds, from the more recent cultures.

I don't know how many more years I'll be about and able to amble the contryside, but I hope a while, since I'm just getting started at 60. But at least I still feel like a kid when I'm out roaming the fields and streams! That is until I get home, or the next day when I'm sore. Small price to pay for the privelege and pleasure though.

And yes, the binoculars do help sometimes when you're tired of walking, don't want to bend over again, or want to see where you can't easily trod. You can see a lot of detail with a 6x, but it can make you a little dizzy if you look a long while and are on uneven ground, I've found!