High plains guzzling...

Posted by Riverdrifter October 23, 2012 at 10:54 p.m.

Last weekend a friend and I fled west on US 56 about 330 miles to a ranch (owned by friends and relatives) to get away from the local fall festival. The trip was worth every mile.
We hunted some ducks on the Walnut river and got one single wood duck. Oh, well. We also saw three seiges of sandhill cranes. They were flying low, trilling their wonderful call, looking to land and surely some of the first on that huge migration.
Then we ran metal detectors on a confirmed camp ground of general Custer in the 1870's. Found nothing except for some bits of iron. Then, I descriminated out iron on my detector and went only for for stuff like bullets, brass and buttons. Nothing but silence in the headphones, just the hum of the threshold. Custer and his men's history is likely buried out of range except for only the deepest of ranging detectors.

We did some guzzling, too. Guzzlers are required on large CRP contracts to provide water for critters. They collect precipitation and deposit it in 55-gallon drums. This one was loaded with ~150 gallons of cold and clear water. We ran 3 mule deer bucks off it. Sorry. They stotted off a half mile and watched us. They were still watching us when we left. I wonder how long they waited to come back to the water.

This guzzler is in an immense CRP contract. Talk about the big lonely... by riverdrifter

A big guzzle from the guzzler. by riverdrifter

At Custer's campground. Oh, where have you gone Birger Sandzen? by riverdrifter

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RoeDapple 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Cool! But I'd bet some buckage your metal detector was far from the first to cover that ground!

riverdrifter 6 months, 3 weeks ago

It's on private ground and 2 miles from the nearest road, so I'd hope not. The state historical society came out and went over it about 15 years ago. I'm surprised we didn't come up with SOMEthing, but we'll be back there again. We always go expecting to find nothing. That way, if we find one little thing, it's all good!

oldbaldguy 6 months, 3 weeks ago

outstanding! we have a great state for scenery and the big lonesome. that's why i love hunting out west. the view is worth the trip.

riverdrifter 6 months, 3 weeks ago

Thanks, Guy.

RoeDapple 6 months, 3 weeks ago

riverdrifter, the property my house sits on was part of a 30+ acre pasture that the Union Army camped on for a while during the Civil War. Several people have been over it in the last 40 years with detectors. One former Topeka LE officer found horse tack, uniform buttons, minnie balls and a couple of cannon balls. My old daddy in law has quit letting people wander over it, but I'd bet there is still treasure to find. . . . Speaking of "still" . . . I found the remnants of an old still while mushroom hunting back there about 20 years ago!