Newbies- Share some tips! :)

[RZhorner]

Hello Everyone! Hope the Holidays was well!

Me and my boyfriend have been avid coin collectors for quite some time now. We recently purchased our new Bounty Hunter Land Star to further our coin finding! Here's the thing though, We live in good Ol' Nebraska..which leaves us very few opportunities for searching because of all the snow. Could you possibly give us some tips on where to look and Is it safe to use during the snowy months? Are populated cities better then "ghost towns"? Possibly share any stories you have! ANY information you have would be extremely helpful!


Thanks! ​

 

[salmonriverhotrock]

Here in Idaho, I have tried detecting with maybe an inch or two of snow on ground not quite frozen with my Garrett Freedom II back in the later 1980's when young. Other than cold wet fingers and contending with snow falling in your dig, I was able to find things. Though I love winter as part of the change of seasons, I've pretty much put the detectors away for at least more tolerable days. The big thing is maybe allow your machine to become acclimated a bit to the outdoor temperatures you are in before firing up the electronics. I guess you may also want to consider if your coils are water proof or resistant as the snow will freeze to it or melt on it. My Garrett is all knobs and a switch so the Bounty Hunter touch pad may not endure the cold as well in freezing temperatures. Today, I was out with my BH 505 in temperatures in the mid 40's and nothing cracked and found a few coins. Good days are coming, some day.

 

[sunset1962]

I*m here in wildomar, ca. near lake Elsinore and temecula...spent 3 hrs today at Elsinore lake and a park near buy...just trash is all I found...any tips for me??

 

[mwaynebennett]

SS1962, go to some lake that have been drawn down. People lose things in the water and after the water recedes, go look along the 50 or so feet of exposed lake bottom.

I don't go MDing in the snow, so I have no advice for those who are victims of "GLOBAL WARMING."

Mark
Elite 2200
WA St.

 

[salmonriverhotrock]

Have not been to lake Elsinore since I was in the Marines at Pendelton. I'm sure it is no longer as I remember.

Not sure if the parking areas are still dirt and gravel but where people park. Think about where people are getting in and out of rigs and pulling keys out of their pockets. Also if there are any out houses, try around them. Along side walks and around water fountains. Places where a person may hang dry or wet clothes on trees or lay them on large rocks. If the water receeds enough, where people swim. Not that Elsinore gets all that cold but people can lose rings when the water is cold enough. Any place a person can at least wash their hands or take a spit bath like in camp grounds at a faucet. Think of where they would lay jewlery or rings off to the side while soaping up and rinsing. I've used the 4" coil a number of times in trashed areas and enjoy it. Today I did not use it but went into the Auto Notch mode because the camp area along the river is so terribly trashed with melted aluminum and other junk and I wanted to play with the setting to see what more it would do. I'm sure as popular as Elsinor is, it is regularly detected. I know my area gets worked over by the locals and those passing through but I still find a few coins that were missed and obviously for a long time by their condition.

Don't give up, ya just got to put in the time swinging that machine and you know someone there has dropped and lost something besides junk.

 

[dave5710]

Best places to look for treasure in the winter months is at your local library, and on forums such as this. Cold temps are not doing your equipment or you any good. Here in Illinois we usually have a January thaw. If that is the case in Nebraska as well, you might get some time in the field then. South facing slopes will lose the snow cover first. Was the ground froze before the snow came? Because if it wasn't the snow will sort of insulate the ground from freezing as hard.

Until you can get out, do some research and make lists of places you want to hunt and people you need to get permission from in order to hunt. I have read of several 1916-D Mercury dimes that have been dug in Nebraska.

Welcome to the forum and good luck. Dave

 

[dave cruise]

G'day from Down Under (Aussie)
Christmas present to my surprise a "Bounty Hunter Tracker IV" and am excited.
The manual doesn't tell you much and being impatient, having trouble with settings and distinguishing different sounds.
Would some kind person advise me settings for beach combing for coins, rings etc and settings for gold prospecting.
We live quite close to an area where Chinese were gold prospecting in the late 1900's
Have used a mine detector in Vietnam but this is a completely different ball game.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanking you and all the best to you all for the New Year
Dave Cruise

 

[JJ]

I think the hunting season is over for a few months in Nebraska. You don't want to risk damaging your machine with LOW temps and chiseling coins out of the ground is not fun either. I live near Omaha on the Iowa side but am from Nebraska. There are lots of older places to hunt all over the state, the old silver is still there, and there is even a little gold in the ground in the the husker state. A recent prospecting trip to SE Nebraska made me a believer. Cabin fever sucks but now is the time to really hit the library and internet for research. Start talking to owners of private property and lining up permission and secure hunting sites for the not so distant future. You may find a few public places that have not been hunted to death and may hold a few nice finds, but PRIVATE PROPERTY IS KING!. (with permission of course) even if its just someone's front yard in an older part of town. Don't forget the easements of grass between the sidewalk and street are city property in most places, just be careful not to offend people. Do lots of research for your area though. What part of NE? Ebay is even a good place for research. Look up any area/location/city/town + postcards. There are tons of old postcards on there that give you a good look into the past and can give you clues for good places to hunt. No need to buy, just copy and save if it lets you. Maybe we can get together sometime for a hunt this spring. I have an extra machine so you may both hunt. JJ

 

[marcomo]

Don't forget the easements of grass between the sidewalk and street are city property in most places

From a legal standpoint, it varies from town to town. In some areas that "sidewalk strip" is considered city property. In other areas it belongs to the homeowner and the city has an easement.

From a practical standpoint I can tell you this: Since they are responsible for mowing the grass and maintaining it, most homeowners consider the sidewalk strip their property whether it legally is or not.

If you decide to detect that strip without permission of the homeowner since you researched the area and found it belongs to the city, be prepared to be confronted by someone who darn well considers it their property.

And use common sense. Being smart always trumps being right. If a homeowner approachs you and has a problem with what you're doing, don't get into a argument with him or her. You may be legally right, but you will lose that argument if push comes to shove. Be calm, polite and friendly and get the heck out of there.

 

[dave cruise]

n/t