Took some toys to the Boreal forest

upnorth

upnorth

Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Messages
7,038
Just got back from visiting friends in the north. I took a few toys along and I will expand on this tomorrow, too tired tonight.











 
very cool. thanks for sharing. i have a metal detector haven't used it all that much found a few coins on the beach and a metal tin in my backyard. i was excited for that one but there was only a rusty bic lighter in it not a cache of coins as i was hoping for :)
 
WILLIAM.M said:
Cool Post

Ever find anything worth a lot of $??
Click to expand...

Yes, fur trade silver broaches etc. I don't sell anything and my main impetus is the historic connection. I save for posterity. There were many recent blackie sightings around the smaller river in the pics. As I have zero desire to get between a mother and cub, I didn't go down into the densely wooded spot were the Sturgeon and North Sask rivers meet. There were fur trade posts there in the 1780's.

The Sturgeon river that northern Indians used to get down to the trade posts.




Processed buffalo bone. There is a lot of shattered buff bone in the area because of Pemmican.
 
tman038 said:
very cool. thanks for sharing. i have a metal detector haven't used it all that much found a few coins on the beach and a metal tin in my backyard. i was excited for that one but there was only a rusty bic lighter in it not a cache of coins as i was hoping for :)
Click to expand...

I have multiple outdoor interests that over lap, so I bring different toys along at the same time. If you want old finds, go to places were there was a lot of human activity. Rodeo and fair grounds, old pick nick sites etc..... Nothing connects me to an area in the north like finding a ring, trade axe, knife etc. from the 1700's. The leaves aren't out yet up there, but the area is incredibly beautiful when in full bloom. I didn't go down to were the smaller river and larger met, too many recent bear sighting, as recent as the morning I was there. I have zero interest in crossing a spring blackie with cub. Interestingly enough, I read a historic account from one of the old trade posts at that sight. In it a trader killed a blackie in a confrontation. The guy was badly hurt and died several days later. I realize that this is a tangential thread. But after the thirtieth post on fero rods etc., the thrill is gone. There is much more to do out there than just survival skills. I hand peeled a bag of birch for the hell of it. I'll fart around down here with a fero rod and this material just for the novelty. There is no birch down here, but I like to use local natural materials anywhere if possible.
 
Great thread. I too like to go out with my metal detector to see what I can find. I'd love to get to some of the old fur trade posts, or check out the portages on the canoe trade routes, such as along the Churchill River. I've never found anything of monetary value, but don't care. I get plenty excited if I find a rusty old trap, dog harness bell, cartridge case or whatever.
It's just fun getting out there.
 
cyc79 said:
Great thread. I too like to go out with my metal detector to see what I can find. I'd love to get to some of the old fur trade posts, or check out the portages on the canoe trade routes, such as along the Churchill River. I've never found anything of monetary value, but don't care. I get plenty excited if I find a rusty old trap, dog harness bell, cartridge case or whatever.
It's just fun getting out there.
Click to expand...

The perfect attitude. :thumbup: All it takes is a little research on your region buddy. Then get private land trespass permissions. Most folks are pretty good about access.
 
Looks like an awesome spot. I always wonder if any of ontarios historic rivers and areas bear any goodies that neve have been unearthed. Cool post!:)
 
Sharp_Canadian said:
Looks like an awesome spot. I always wonder if any of ontarios historic rivers and areas bear any goodies that neve have been unearthed. Cool post!:)
Click to expand...

I know for a fact that they do. There was so much fur trade traffic in southern Ontario\Michigan etc. that it was very common for farmers to plow up trade axes back in the day.
 
What are the rings made from? They look like cheap trinkets you'd find in a gumball-type machine. I mean no disrespect, and that they're actually old relics of a bygone era is extremely interesting. They just look like something you'd find today made of cheap brass with a plastic "gem" set into it.
 
Quiet said:
What are the rings made from? They look like cheap trinkets you'd find in a gumball-type machine. I mean no disrespect, and that they're actually old relics of a bygone era is extremely interesting. They just look like something you'd find today made of cheap brass with a plastic "gem" set into it.
Click to expand...

I would say that calling them cheap trinkets is dead on the mark. It is basically costume jewelry made of brass and glass from the 1700's. The real value behind them is their age and what it took to get them to their location, back in the day. If you didn't drown, die of a disease or injury, or get killed by a native, your furs made you rich. Rings were only one of a long list of trade items. Rum was popular because even when diluted on site, it hit the natives hard. I've read more than one account of natives realizing a little later that they were ripped off in trading while drunk. It didn't take long until the post on this site was burned to the ground by natives.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top