When I get a signal I'm going to dig, I do the following, with a target depth in mind:
I lock my eyes on the exact spot I've pinpointed and basically won't even blink. I get down on "all fours" and literally place my index finger of the left hand on the exact spot where I think the find is going to appear. I then take my knife (6 in blade, sharp) and cut a good sized trapezoidal shape. Picture a 'box' with the top being about 8-10 inches wide and the botton 6 inches or so wide and the sides about 8 inches or so long, with the pinpoint pretty much in the middle. Don't cut the 'top' of the box. That acts as a hinge. Then I take my long trowel and work the plug up and over the hinge. That hinge, in tact, will allow the grass to heal quickly, and I try real hard not to break it if at all possible. If I have to remove soil, I place it on a golf towel so I can get it all back in hole when I'm done. If the target is in the plug, I carefully find it. Then, reverse the process. All the soil goes back, lightly packed, then the flap goes down. If I'm in someones yard, I'll carefully fix the cuts so there's no opening and no gap. Anywhere there's a gap, the grass dies and that makes for unhappy homeowners. My average dig takes only a minute or so and using the above technique I've learned to not leave a trace of where I've been!
Hope it helps.
GL, HH
