A Few Recent Finds...

[Blind Squirrel]

Howdy--

Unfortunately I haven't been able to get out and swing the coil as much as I'd like to lately - just too many obligations and commitments. When I have had the chance, I thought that I would employ an unusual strategy. Here in the southwest we have an abundance of prairie dogs. These little rascals dig extensive tunnel complexes and create large mounds. My thinking is that these small animals are bringing dirt (and coins, marbles etc.) from depths to the surface. The 1923-S Merc, 1946 Roosevelt, 1916-S and 1919 Wheat Cents were gifts from the prairie dogs! They were on average between 2 and 4 inches beneath the surface of the mounds. The other coins I dug near the mounds using the 6X10 coil on my V3i. If prairie dogs have taken over a previously hunted lot, consider re-hunting it with a focus on the mounds. You might be glad that you did! Best of luck and...

Happy Hunting!
Blind Squirrel

 

[Ytcoinshooter]

Man, that is a great post! The little critters are your friends. I've been out west and seen what they do creating those "towns" of mounds. Here in the colder regions of the country we sometimes attribute coins and things getting moved around by frost heaves for what its worth.
HH - Bruce

 

[nalc472]

Great finds. Hope to get out at least once this winter.

 

[texjim]

Thats one of the best stories i have heard in a long time.. Good job George..

 

[Explorer]

Just a word of caution: There are some other small things you can get around these dens. In the western US, rodents can carry harmful diseases, such as HPS (hantavirus pulmonary syndrome-from urine and feces dust), leptospirosis, lymphocytic chorio-meningitis, plague, and typhus. Be very careful breathing dust or of getting fleas and ticks digging around rodent dens.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Thanks Jimmy. Living in a small, but growing, town with fewer and fewer available hunting sites I HAVE to try different hunting strategies including different coil and setting combinations. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I like the prairie dogs! hahahah. Best of luck and...

Happy Hunting!
Blind Squirrel

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Thanks nalc472. I hope that you have some decent weather so you can get out and find some goodies! Best of luck and...

Happy Hunting!
Blind Squirrel

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Thanks Bruce. Those little critters sure are my friends! Their mounds are really easy to dig in too. My sharpshooter shovel goes in like a hot knife through butter unlike some of the hard packed caleche that I have to dig in at some sites. There is one site that I like to hunt where if a target pinpoints at 2" or more, I pass it. It's just too hard to dig it. Now after one of our rare rains, it's a different story!

I know about those frost heaves, I'm originally from western NY. It's great detecting up there - in the summer. Best of luck and...

Happy Hunting!
Blind Squirrel

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Thanks for the heads-up, Explorer! I'm a Hospice volunteer and I always have protective equipment in my truck. I'll make sure that the next time I'm prairie dog mound hunting, I put a mask on. Best of luck and...

Happy Hunting!
Blind Squirrel

 

[Altamaha]

That's a really interesting story Blind Squirrel, I too have had similar experiences. I live in up state New York and here we have lots of ground hogs that do the same thing as your prairie dogs, a real pain. I started eyeballing (especially after heavy rains) & detecting the dirt freshly excavated by these critters way back (30 years) when I first started detecting with quite a bit of success. I've found several large cents, a few silver coins, marbles, a clay pipe bowl, etc, this way. So now when I see newly excavated holes in parks, fields, yards, etc, I head directly to them

HH

 

[wasp]

So now when I see newly excavated holes in parks, fields, yards, etc, I head directly to them

I try to stay far away from the holes and dirt mounds left by the critters. I don't want their activities to be confused with mine.

After reading this thread I'm going to have to rethink my strategy. Seems like I could be missing out on some good finds.

 

[shafer44]

Good hunting, Blind Squirrel. I am going to get you some of those marking flags so you can mark the spots for me to find that Merc!!!