Bread crumbs, string, golf tees or gps?

[mwaynebennett]

I have been "working" a local park and decided that it must have rained coins there at one time. Anyway, there are three adjoining baseball fields so there is a bit of acreage to cover. What methods do you folks use to establish an overlapping set of columns or rows to walk? In other words, do you simply establish a visual landmark and walk towards it and then at the end, move over 4 feet and walk a parallel path the other direction? I feel I have missed some real estate by not having a system.

Mark
Elite 2200

 

[dave5710]

Go east to west, back and forth, over the whole area. Then go north to south over the whole area.

Trust me there will be a time when you say I don't have anywhere to go? Then you can do it all again.

If it isn't plentiful enough, the second time over, try a different place in town.

A little story.... I worked this soccer field one day. North to south, turned and went back in the opposite direction. When I got finished I was the furthest point possible from my car. I didn't have alot of time left so I walked diagnoly across the field to my car. After a few yards I got a signal and dug a quarter. After a few more yards I got another signal and found a quarter and a dime. How could I miss these? Some time later I noticed that I swung my coil (being a lefty) from the far left to about where my right toe was. Well that was fine for the first lap, but every time a turned at the North end I was leaving about a three foot gap. So be sure to overlap plenty and make a couple more trips across the area , than leave good stuff behind.

Hope this helps,

If a see a guy detecting, and being followed by squirrels, I'll know you tired the bread crumbs.

 

[jim tn]

The key for me when grid searching has been to grid off and search small area's, grids about 25' x 25' are plenty big enough and are easy to mark with something...like pieces of can slaw. The bigger the grid or area you are searching, the easier it is to get off line and miss spots. And even by searching north, south, and then east, west, you still won't get it all. HH jim tn

 

[GoGoGopher]

I hunt a few VERY large fields near my local, and I can tell you, that without a square, a lot of string, and some wooden stakes, it is darn near impossible to cover every square inch in one outing...This is why I find new stuff every time I go to them...I start on one side of the field, then pick a spot or object on the other side, and keep walking towards it...I try to stay in a straight line, but I find myself drifting one way or the other a lot by 3-4 feet sometimes by the time I hit the other side of the field...I just walk and dig, and enjoy myself...I know it will still be there for the next time I come out...Then again, not any other detectorists I have seen in my area, so it is all mine as far as I know...

HH,

 

[wasp]

I follow the lines left by the mowers. They mow the grass every couple of days and at the fields I go to they nearly always mow the same path. I count the rows I have detected so I know where I left off for the next time.