Arrowhead hunting-pay digs

Anyone been to one of the pay digs in hill country or have recommendations on a decent pay dig.

'Don't know anything about them. Hondo Crouch used to chip his own, lay them out in the two-track leading to the house for guests to pick up. When they'd turn them over, there'd be a price tag with 25 cents on it.

Who’s Hondo Crouch? I’d love to know more about this fella.

He bought...and ruined Luckenbach, but mine is an unpopular and jaded opinion. He did have true entertainment talent and wit. As with many talented entertainers, the backstory is a bit tawdry and sad.

There's a place in Bell county where you can did for 20 bucks a day

Is the place in Bell county the Chrisner Ranch? Been there a few years ago.

Yes Did you have any luck ?

Found three points and some stone tools out at Chrisner Ranch. All day. Very hard digging.

About Hondo . He didn’t ruin Luckenbach. It was closed when he bought it. His heirs have ruined it. One of his grandsons was put in charge years ago. It was a great place to listen to music, drink beer, and dance for a long time. The heirs have had many squabbles and fights over the management of the place. I played music there for years, hosted picker’s circles, and worked security for big functions and music shows. Hondo called himself an imagineer. He was an Olympic swimmer. There’s a book “Hondo, Father.” Written by one of his daughters.

Agree that 'Hondo' didn't ruin it. I haven't been there since the late 70's and I'm sure some things about it have changed...but all through the 70's it was a neat place to go.

"Friends of the family" are never gonna agree on what happened, and I was one. I'm not gonna go into who I knew, etc., but I knew Luckenbach when Mr. Engel ran it. Way, way before Hondo and Geech came on the scene. Hell, my mother went to Texas when Hondo was an Olympic swimmer. All I know is, their (Hondo and Geech's) idea ruined the area from what I knew. And all that was there after, 'cept for Jerry Jeff and Willie just passing through briefly, was a whole buncha wannabe musicians and bikers. As I said, my opinion is unpopular, but there's still a few square-heads left around there that'll agree with me wholeheartedly.

This Luckenbach local square head agrees with Creekrunner.

a good boot scootin place

Used to go in there for Iron Brew when I was just a kid.

Been years since I went to one of the hill country pay digs, but I have been to them and hope to go to one or two again next year. I went to one near Carthage in June because it was near my hunting lease, inexpensive as far as pay digs go, and convenient. Found some points. More crude than your typical hill country points because of the material being mostly petrified wood. Look to Facebook Groups for Texas Chert and Texas Pay Digs. There are are some going on somewhere every weekend.

Nephew is friends with them. Been dove hunting plan on looking for arrowheads one day.

Is this the one my brother Steven was doing?

Did not know about the digs near Carthage. I have some points made out of petrified wood. They must of been hard up for something to work with. Mine are crude looking also.

Thanks for the info.

Yes it was.

There have not been any more digs at the one near Carthage as far as I know. It was always either too hot or too wet.

Now that I'm retired, I would really like to go on one of those pay digs. On my land in East Texas, I am finding pottery pieces in a creek bed but not much luck on arrow heads. Almost all the stones are that red crumbly stuff.

That's why I don't even bother hunting for points in East Texas. Typically they are very crude when made from petrified wood (palm wood being the occasional exception). But I grew up in Central Texas and I guess I am spoiled from the artifacts there.

Also...it is exceedingly hard work to find points most places in East Texas (except creek beds). There is SO much top soil generated that unless you have discovered an encampment...you'll dig forever...for a paltry return.

I had a friend who would go back to the reservation to stay with his grandparents every summer and his summer job was to throw newly made arrow heads out on the trails for tourists to find.

The Long ranch located on 1431 between kingsland and fuzzys corner. Its on the Llano River. The owner, Malcolm Long use to open it for diggers to look for arrowheads.

Watch TheDitchWalker on YouTube. I've got permission to hunt a creek close by my house after deer season ends. The owner says it has never been checked for arrowheads. Due to the large number of snakes, he rarely gets close to it. My plan it to walk it before they emerge from hibernation.