Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Morgan's Raid in Ohio (Part 1)

(Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan.)

Bold Incursion into Yankee Territory

Like me, some of you out there may be U.S.Civil War history buffs. If so, those of you living in Ohio probably already know about Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan's cavalry raid through the southern and southeastern portions of the "Buckeye State" in the summer of 1863. Sometimes called the "Great Raid," this bold and hard-riding Rebel incursion into Yankee-held territory included the states of Kentucky and Indiana as well.

Wolverine Boots
Dickies Work Clothes

If you're wondering what Morgan's Raid in Ohio (or the other states mentioned) has to do with treasure or treasure hunting, put on your thinking caps on for a bit. Aside from the potential for recovering artifacts, personal items, and scattered coins along Morgan's route, the potential for recovering small or medium-sized caches of coins, jewelry, and valuables is strong.

Valuable Leads?

Why? At various times and locations, elements of Morgan's raiding force were cut off from the main column and in some instances, they were surrounded, killed, or captured by pursuing Union forces. In fact, after the end of the Civil War, Colonel Basil Duke (one of Morgan's subordinates) stated flatly that most of the "goodies" taken during the "Great Raid" were hidden at numerous locations along the raiders' route.

Morgan's advance through Ohio is both well known and well documented. This documentation may provide valuable leads for Ohio treasure hunters looking to cash in on their research.

The following provides a basic timeline and description of Morgan's movements through Ohio:

July 13, 14, 1863: Morgan and his men successfully tricked pursuing Union cavalry elements into believing the Confederates were heading for Hamilton, Ohio. Instead, the Rebels rode through the outskirts of Cincinnati during the night. After a brief rest near the old Camp Dennison site, Morgan and his men headed for Williamsburg via Batavia, Ohio.

 ("Morgan's Raiders:" painting by M. Kuntsler.)

July 14, 1863: After reaching Williamsburg, Morgan split his forces and sent a detachment led by his brother Richard to hit the communities of Georgetown, Ripley, and West Union. Morgan himself led the main column into Mount Orab, Sardinia, and Winchester, Ohio.

Metal Detectors

July 15, 1863: Colonel Richard Morgan's detached troop rejoins Morgan's main force at Locust Grove.

There's more to come on Morgan's raid in Ohio, so stay tuned. In the mean time, good hunting to one and all.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Bandit Gold in Idaho"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2012

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com


Saturday, February 25, 2012

Odyssey Marine Exploration Says "Bye-Bye" to $500 Million in Spanish Coins


(Cluster of Spanish gold coins on the ocean bottom before being recovered by Odyssey Marine in 2007.)


Hitting the "Big One"

Back in 2007 Odyssey Marine Exploration (a well-known underwater treasure hunting consortium) made headlines when it discovered the wreck of the treasure galleon Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes off the coast of Portugal. The Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes was carrying a huge cargo of freshly minted silver and gold coins from Spanish mines in Peru when an English warship sent her and her cargo of treasure to the bottom in 1804.

Well financed and equipped with the latest in both shallow water and deep sea treasure recovery technology, Odyssey Marine recovered nearly 600,000 coins from the wreck site of the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes. After factoring in a numismatic (collector) value for the trove at nearly $500 million, Odyssey figured it had really hit the "big one" and was all set to hand some hefty returns back to its investors and crew.

Ownership Claims and Lawsuits

However, Odyssey's joy was quickly dampened by a series of ownership claims and lawsuits filed by the governments of Spain and Peru. Odyssey fought back hard, but finally lost the battle (and the war too) this past week when hundreds of sealed and tagged 5-gallon plastic buckets filled with coins from the Nuestra Senora de las Mercedes were taken from an Odyssey Marine storage facility in Florida and loaded onto two Spanish air force C-130 cargo planes.

Treasure Hunting
Metal Detectors

Odyssey owners, divers, crew, and investors could only stand silently by tight lipped and with their fists clenched as their hard-earned treasure trove was carried away and flown back to Spain. A cool $500 million just went "bye-bye" right under their noses.

Now You Know Why

Oh...and that's not all. Peru is now petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to consider their claim to the treasure as the only valid one, not Spain's. Go figure...

(Fused clusters of Spanish silver coins right before being dredged up.)

Now you know why I personally don't care much for these super-rich, highly publicized treasure finds. Sure, I'd love to hit a "big one" like this and I suspect you would too. But do you REALLY THINK that for one solitary minute the politicians, bureaucrats, and lawyers would let you keep it?

Dickies Work Clothes

The short answer, as Odyssey Marine found out, is hell no. There it is...

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "21 Tons of Gold"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2012

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com


Wednesday, February 22, 2012

My Answer to Reader Query About Selling Placer Gold (Conclusion)

 (Is it time to sell that pile of placer gold?)

Here's my final segment in this series of posts. Once again, I want to thank Mark in New Mexico for posing his original question to me via e-mail and getting this ball rolling.

Sell in Larger Amounts

In the previous post I said that some gold buyers won't buy placer gold...this may have shocked some of you, but it's true none the less. There are a number of reasons for this, one of which is that some gold buyers (especially jewelers, coin shop owners, and selected larger bullion dealers) just find placer gold more of a  hassle to deal with than it's worth...especially in very small amounts.

This latter statement brings me to my next point. It's always easier to sell placer gold in larger amounts than it is to sell one troy ounce or a half ounce. In larger lots, placer gold is more cost effective to refine and on your end, you'll get a better price overall from most buyers.

Do Your Own Refining and Casting?

A very perceptive reader posed the question in the comments section of one of my posts in this series if it wouldn't be advantageous for a seller to do his or her own placer gold refining and casting. Undoubtedly this would help in terms of making selling easier. However, any potential buyer will still test whatever you have to offer in this regard and for good reason.

Gold Concentrates
Gold Pans

Most home-made refined and cast placer gold is typically still not .999 (although it may be close in some instances). This reminds me of a couple of small dore bars of placer gold I sold about 20 years ago during some particularly lean times (I was out of work and as a family unit we were hurting, to put it bluntly). Those dore bars were refined and cast by a friend who knew his stuff but they still were not .999 pure. (You should file this info away for future reference.)

Finding a Reputable Buyer

Since starting this series of posts on selling placer gold I've been asked multiple times on where or who to sell placer gold to. In all truth, you need to work that issue out yourselves. If I start recommending potential gold buyers by naming names guess what? If things don't work out for you or you get ripped off (or think you've been) I get the blame...if not worse. Sorry, but I won't be recommending any buyer or business to you in this regard.

I will say this to you however, do your research when trying to line up a prospective gold buyer. Be especially careful about shipping off your placer gold to someone or some business you have no information on.

Ask Around

Yes, there are reputable buyers online but you're the person who needs to determine who that is. Look for things like how long they've been in business and whether or not they truly have a physical location for their business...not just a virtual location. It's easier than pie to set up a bogus business website, troll for "fish," and then take the money and run. Trust me, it's happened to people who thought they were a hell of a lot smarter than the rest of us.

Strapworks.com - any strap, any length, any color!

If you have a jeweler or coin or bullion dealer in your community, ask around about them.  Make sure they've been in business for a while. Go into their shop and talk with them, get a drift on who they are (be sure and listen to your gut feelings while you're at it), whether they buy placer gold and if so, what sort of deal you can work out with them for cash or better yet, bullion trade.

What About Placer Nuggets?

Oh...I almost forgot...what about your placer gold nuggets? Invariably nuggets will command a premium, especially large or uniquely shaped nuggets. NEVER sell nuggets like these for their gold "melt" value...hate to say it, but you're an idiot if you do.

However, many miners consistently overvalue smaller nuggets...usually the smaller nuggets in your possession will have an additional 10%-15% bonus cash factor...providing you can find a buyer for them. That's not always as easy as it sounds...that's why you see so many nugget sellers on e-Bay.

Be smart, do your research, get the best value for your placer gold, and finally...don't get taken.

Good luck out there.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "There's No Substitute for Experience"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2012

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com


Monday, February 20, 2012

My Answer to Reader Query About Selling Placer Gold (Part 3)

(This placer gold I recovered in New Mexico runs about .917 fine, some of the purest I've ever recovered.)

(Although this series of posts was written for my small-scale mining site, "Bedrock Dreams," I think it holds value for you treasure hunters out there as well.)

Remember, Placer Gold is Never Pure

First off, let me remind you again that placer gold is never .999 pure...the standard gold spot prices are based on. In my previous post on this topic I alluded to the fact that even after you've "discounted" the price of your troy ounce of placer gold to adjust for the purity factor, the buyer still needs to make a profit.

(Tip: "Know what your gold is worth BEFORE you sell it!" J.R.)

Placer Gold Locations

You've already determined through testing that your ounce of placer gold is running close to .850 fine (out of a possible .999) and the spot price of gold right now is $1,600.00 per troy ounce. Theoretically your ounce of placer is worth, once again, $1,360.00 once the purity factor is added to the equation.

Usually a Fixed Percentage Profit

Here's where it starts getting tricky. Unless he or she is a true philanthropist, the gold buyer must add in some sort of profit margin to make a few bucks. This profit is usually based on a fixed percentage of the total amount of the transaction before any sales taxes or other reduction "add ons."

(Know what your gold is worth BEFORE you sell it.)

So, if the gold buyer's profit margin is 5% (not bad, by the way), or $68.00 for the sale, you'll expect to receive $1,292.00 for your troy ounce of placer gold before any sales taxes, etc. if there are any. If there are sales taxes involved (and there may be) or other add ons you may end up receiving about $1,215.00 or so for your gold. I think you're getting the idea about how all this works, right?

Ridiculously High Profits

In my day I've seen gold buyers take profit margins as ridiculously high as 15%-20% (yep, believe it) after all the other factors were adjusted. Some of these rip-off artists can be the ONLY gold buyers around in more remote areas. That's why back in the 1980s myself and my dredging "pards" used to drive 2 hours one way to Reno, Nevada to sell our placer gold after working claims in the Northern Motherlode region of California.

Gold Pans
Gold Concentrators

I'm sorry, but anyone desperate enough or stupid enough or lazy enough to take an inordinately high buyer percentage hit when selling his or her hard-earned placer gold doesn't deserve the title miner. How about "patsy," "mark," or "fish" instead?

Now I'll throw another monkey wrench in the works here...some buyers will not accept placer gold at all. Nada, none, not one little grain.

More on that when I finish up this series of posts next time.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Can I Make a Living Gold Mining? (Part 3)"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2012

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com


Friday, February 17, 2012

My Answer to Reader Query About Selling Placer Gold (Part 2)

 (Spot gold price chart...notice the strong upward sweep. Wow!)

Common Misconception

One of the most common misconceptions (usually held by "newbies" or the uninformed) about placer gold is that it can be sold for "spot" gold prices. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Dickies Work Clothes

The daily spot gold prices you see or hear quoted online or on the radio or TV are based on a troy ounce of gold rated at .999 purity. That means that commercial gold bullion such as ingots or one-ounce "rounds" are 999 parts pure out of a possible 1000 parts. In other words, they are cast with "pure gold."

An Inexact Science

Placer gold, on the other hand, is typically "contaminated" by other metals such as silver or copper or both. (By the way, you won't get paid for those minute amounts of silver or copper so forget trying to work that angle!) Most placer gold I've recovered in my small-scale mining career ranged in purity from a low of around .750 to a high of .917 fine. There are visual clues to estimating the purity of placer gold and some of these are:

1) The more lustrous yellow or "golden" your placer gold looks the purer it will probably be.

2) If your placer gold appears very "orange" in color or"pinkish" this means that it probably contains greater amounts of copper.

 (From a purity standpoint, some of these gold nuggets from the Aussie Outback appear to contain larger amounts of copper.)

3) Placer gold that has a very light golden color or appears to have a slight bluish or pale cast probably contains more silver than normal. (In the old days gold with large amounts of silver in it was known as "electrum.")

Here's the Kicker

Here's the kicker of course...visual interpretation of the purity level of placer gold is, at best, a very inexact science. No gold buyer in the world is going to purchase your placer gold based on a visual interpretation of its purity level. No sir or madam...that gold buyer will test your placer gold first (usually a simple acid test...sometimes sample assays for large amounts) before he or she shells out any cash to you.

Gold Panning Kits

Maybe now you can start to see some of the issues or difficulties involved with selling placer gold from a purity standpoint. Now here's a simple gold purity math problem for you:

Q. If the current spot price for a troy ounce of .999 gold is $1,600.00 and you have one troy ounce of placer gold to sell that has been verified to be of .850 purity, how much is your troy ounce of placer gold worth?

A. If you said $1,360.00 you got it! (It's not rocket science right?)

However, don't expect to get paid $1,360.00 for your troy ounce of placer gold. What??? Why??? We'll talk about that next time. Until then, good luck and good hunting out there.


If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Gold Mining Questions and Answers: Part 4"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2012

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

My Answer to Reader Query About Selling Placer Gold (Part 1)

 (Placer gold; now that you have it, what's next?)

(Note: I wrote this post for my small-scale mining site, "Bedrock Dreams," but there''s a bit of info here that may prove valuable to you treasure hunters out there. J.R.)

A Whole Different Ballgame

Most of my writing here at "Bedrock Dreams" deals with how and where to find and mine placer gold, since that's what most folks are interested in whether they're "newbies" or old pros. But what you do with your placer gold after it's resting safely in your poke is a whole different ballgame in many instances.

This past weekend I received this brief request via e-mail from Mark in Las Cruces, New Mexico:

Good Morning,

I would like to read your thoughts on what to do with placer gold (i.e., sell it, melt it into bars, etc.) If yes then what's the best technique?

Just an idea, if it fits into your schedule.

Thanks.



General Thoughts on the Subject

Answering Mark's question here is not as easy as it may appear to be. The main reason is that each and every small-scale, non-commercial miner out there tends to handle his or her placer gold differently. Here are some general thoughts on the subject:

Where to Find Placer Gold

Some miners keep it all and never sell any, other sell every little grain, and then you have people like myself who trade most of their placer gold straight across for bullion or give away some of it as gifts (weddings, birthdays, etc.). How you dispose of your placer gold is pretty much dependent on your cash flow and your financial needs. Luckily, I've only been in one or two circumstances where I absolutely HAD to sell my gold.

The Reason I Like to Trade

The reason I like to trade my placer gold for gold bullion is simply that I tend to get a better overall deal from the buyer  (always a reputable coin or bullion dealer) who doesn't have to shell out any cash and is still able to make a decent, but not outrageous, profit from this transaction. This approach, in turn, allows me to accumulate gold in a readily recognizable form that is easier to sell (should I choose to at some point) and that is much more "barterable" should our shaky economic system actually collapse.

(To each his or her own, but I prefer trading straight across for gold and silver bullion.)

For you treasure hunters out there, I've also done the same thing with the gold and silver jewelry and non-numismatic silver coins I've recovered over the years when I was focusing primarily on my coin, beach, and treasure hunting thing. However, any unique or solid numismatic items I recover I hold back and don't trade for bullion, for obvious reasons. Ditto for my placer gold nuggets since they typically command a better or "premium" price than the usual "melt" value.

I'll get down to detailed specifics on selling your placer gold in my next post, so don't run off.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Fool's Gold"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2012

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com


Sunday, February 12, 2012

Two Maryland Gold and Silver Tales

(Placer gold has been found near the Great Falls of the Potomac River.)

Here are two of gold and silver treasure tales from the "Old Line State" of Maryland that should prove interesting:

Maryland Placer Gold

Actually, this one is no "tall tale" since placer gold has been found in Maryland in various locations along the Piedmont Plateau since the mid-1800s. The first recorded discovery of stream-borne gold took place near Sandy Springs in Montgomery County not far from the Potomac River's Great Falls.



The Great Falls of the Potomac are located near the boundaries of Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia and $10,000 in placer gold nuggets were recovered here by one very lucky miner early on. Remember, this occurred at a time when the price of gold was about $20.00 a troy ounce. Today this same amount of gold would be worth a whopping $800,000 (or close to it)!

(Placer gold nuggets.)

As a small-scale placer gold miner (as well as a treasure hunter) for over three decades now, I can tell you that was some very rich gold ground my friends. If you'd like to learn more about placer gold mining I recommend you visit my small-scale mining site, "Bedrock Dreams." You may also want to get in touch with one of the "Old Line State's" prospecting/mining clubs.

Ahrwud's Lost Silver Mine

As I've already pointed out, precious metals mineralization does occur in Maryland and this includes silver as well as gold. The legend of Ahrwud's Lost Silver mine has figured prominently in the "Old Line State's" treasure history and my well be worth a bit of research time.

This very rich ledge of natural silver was supposedly found and then lost again by a German immigrant and silversmith named Ahrwud (last name) in the latter part of the 1700s. It's said that Herr Ahrwud worked the mine for silver and eventually brought his daughter into the picture to help him.

(Vein outcropping containing silver with lesser amounts of gold and copper.)

Local Indians, fearful that Ahrwud and his daughter would bring more whites into the area, tortured and then killed both father and daughter. The Indians then spent days covering any evidence of the mine and its rich vein of silver.

Wolverine Boots

Ahrwud's Lost Silver Mine is supposed to be located somewhere in the Rattlesnake Hill area of Carroll County, Maryland. However, the only Rattlesnake Hill I could find in Maryland was close in to the border of Maryland and Delaware not far from Milton, Delaware. Go figure...

Good hunting out there.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Lost Gold and Silver in Bell and Breathitt Counties, Kentucky (Part 1)"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2012

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Old Amusement Parks Can be Big Silver Producers

 (An old Ferris wheel peeks through the overgrowth at was once Chippewa Lake Park in Ohio. [Photo credit neatorama.com])

 Coin Hunting Can be Fun

Although I tend to focus mostly on treasure cache and trove hunting here in "Treasure Trove Dreams," I did my share of coin and beach hunting when I was taking my treasure hunting baby steps. Coin hunting with a metal detector can be a very fun activity and you'd be surprised at some of the finds you'll turn up. Those of you who've been coin hunting for a while know exactly what I'm talking about here.

  (Old carousel structure at Connecticut's Pleasure Beach.)

The biggest thrill for any coin hunter is uncovering a gold coin but those sorts of finds are few and far between. Next down the list here in the U.S. are silver type coins minted before 1965. You see, 1964 marked the last year our dimes, quarters, fifty-cent, and dollar pieces were minted using 90% silver as the primary metal.

Home to Smaller Amusement Parks

One coin hunting environment many newcomers have either bypassed or are unaware of are old amusement park sites. Long before the advent of the present day gargantuan, overly hyped, and excessively expensive amusement centers like 6 Flags or Disneyland, many locations throughout the U.S. were home to smaller amusement parks largely constructed of wood and covering perhaps a few acres at best.

(Ruins of the former Dogpatch Amusement Park in Arkansas's Ozarks.)

Many of these old amusement parks have been torn down leaving only traces of their former selves hidden in overgrowth. Others were plowed under, paved over, and lost for all time. Either way, old amusement parks can be big silver producers.

Be Patient and Thorough

Researching the locations of old amusement parks in your area should prove fairly simple. What may not be simple, however, is your ability to access these locations to hunt due to private property issues or the amount of work it make take to clear likely coin hot spots of debris or overgrowth if you do gain access.

 (Benson's Wild Animal Park in Hudson, New Hampshire.)

However, once you've gained access and are able to swing that metal detector of yours you can count on finding a lot of silver U.S. type coins. This holds true even if others have worked the are before you as long as you have a good machine and are patient and thorough.

Metal Detectors
Treasure Hunting

If you're tired of working that same old burnt-out coin hunting territory maybe it's time to do a bit of research on old amusement parks. Go get that silver!

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "21 Tons of Gold"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2012

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com


Monday, February 6, 2012

$250,000 in Gold Coins in Piatt County, Illinois?

(Piatt County, Illinois.)

Like most other U.S. states, Illinois has its share of treasure trove legends, some of which are questionable and others that undoubtedly hold water. You yourself will have to decide whether the following "Prairie State" treasure tale is worth pursuing:

Army Payroll Location Point

Back in the early 1800s a U.S. Army way station was located near the community of Arthur in Piatt County, Illinois. This way station acted as the monthly payroll location point for at least a battalion of regular army troops which means that somewhere in the vicinity of $250,000 in gold coins was on hand to pay the troops on any given payday.

(Note: $250,000 face value in gold coins today would be worth many millions today, not even counting potential numismatic values. J.R.)

Needless to say, this amount of gold coin provided a magnetic draw for various criminal elements in the area. These n'er-do-wells subsequently banded together into a gang of heavily armed thieves, robbers, and murderers with the express purpose of stealing the payroll gold and killing anyone who got in their way.

Word Through the Grapevine

A few days before the next payday, the station master received word through the local grapevine of what was to occur. With help from a small detachment of soldiers the station master gathered the gold coins together and buried them a short distance from the way station itself and then prepared for the assault to come.

(Buried U.S. gold type coins form the basis for this potential treasure trove.)

The band of robbers attacked the following morning and after brief, but stubborn resistance, the station master and the soldiers were overwhelmed and killed to a man. In their rage at not finding the payroll gold, the robbers burnt the way station and outbuildings to the ground. Some say they also mutilated the corpses of the dead station master and his small detachment of guards.

One Thing Bothers Me...

Does this treasure trove exist? Perhaps, but it's obvious that additional research is needed here. A logical starting point is the history of Illinois in the early 1800s and, in particular, Piatt County.

Metal Detectors
Treasure Hunting

One thing that does bother me about this treasure tale is its overall lack of details except for the location. Were U.S. Army units stationed in this area in the early 1800s? Did the way station outside of Arthur, Illinois exist? Was the station attacked and burnt down? And so on...

At any rate, good luck and good hunting to you if you decide to take this one on.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "Treasure Hunting Tips"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2012

Questions? E-mail me at jhttp://www.blogger.com/goog_1670817599


Thursday, February 2, 2012

Tips for Staying Under the Treasure Hunting "Radar" (Conclusion)

 (Be careful who you confide in.)

Here are a few more tips for staying under the treasure hunting radar:

Answer questions but don't volunteer information. Sooner or later when you're working on leads or pursuing a cache or trove some curious individual or "Looky Lou" is going to start asking questions about your activities. Never respond to these queries beyond the basic nature of the question itself and if you have to tell a white lie or two, then so be it. I find it very interesting that when you ask most people a direct or simple question very few individuals can respond in kind.This is something detectives and interviewers of all sorts have known for a long time. Most people "volunteer" additional information beyond what is asked them. Why this is so I'm not exactly sure, but mind your manners in this regard if someone does put you on the spot.

Strapworks.com - any strap, any length, any color!

Be careful who you confide in: I know that some of these tips sound a bit paranoid but if you've been around the gold mining and treasure hunting blocks as long as I have and have made mistakes based directly on these admonitions, you've learned your lessons the hard way just as I have. Always be very, very careful about who you confide in regarding your treasure hunting activities. There are those you can really trust and those you think you can trust. If you have to tell someone what you're doing in terms of treasure research, leads, or recoveries make sure that person is the former and NOT the latter.

Metal Detectors
Treasure Hunting

 Never be seen too often or too long in one location: In treasure hunting, familiarity doesn't breed contempt as the old saying goes, but it will bring unwanted attention your way if you show up in the same location too many times and remain there too long. Granted, it's difficult to avoid this when searching for a cache or trove (or even coin hunting for that matter), but you need to try to minimize your association with a given locale if you want to remain under the radar. Another thing you might try is something experienced "grunts" in Vietnam (my war) practiced religiously. That was to vary their ingress and egress points into and out of given patrol areas. Why? When you follow a preset schedule or repetitive approach you are setting yourself up for potential discovery or "ambush."

(God bless all you grunts out there.)

That's it for now brothers and sisters. Good hunting.

If you liked this post, you may want to read: "2 Virginia Treasure Caches"

(c)  Jim Rocha (J.R.)  2012

Questions? E-mail me at jr872vt90@yahoo.com