Got an email from a friend up in MN who is looking to get into metal detecting with his kids. Which Tesoro would serve him well in that area? Mostly what he wants to hunt is old scout camps and camp sites on the islands in the lakes he fishes. I know some of the areas and they are much different ground than I find here in Florida. I thought about mentioning the Compare but did not know if ground balance might be needed. The machines need to be light so all members of the family can participate. He plans on getting three units. Any suggestions from up north would be appreciated.
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Northern MN or southern Ontario which machine?
- Thread starter JMC
- Start date
Dirtdigger33
Active member
I live in an area where the soil makes my compadre get less depth, because of mineralization, but it is the detector i find myself using the most. The compadre has a preset ground balance and cannot be manually ground balanced. Even though I do not get a lot if depth out I it, the finds are incredible from gold jewelry to silver jewelry and coins the compadre will find it all, and it is simple to use and light weight. My 6 year old can swing the compadre. It is perfect for the kids. The other two detectors I would look into, because of their ability to work in all kinds of soil, can be manually ground balanced and will allow you to switch out coils and tune the coils to the detector
are the vaquero and outlaw (the three coil combination if they can pay the extra amount). I do not own the vaquero, but I do own a bandido II Umax and the outlaw is built on the bandido family platform. I own the bandido II Umax and it is an amazing detector. You can't go wrong with any Tesoro you purchase, they all are great. All are light weight and will serve the family well with many ours of fun and enjoyment. It is hard to just choose 3 to pick from, but in IMHO if they buy the vaquero, outlaw, and compadre, they can't go wrong. HH
are the vaquero and outlaw (the three coil combination if they can pay the extra amount). I do not own the vaquero, but I do own a bandido II Umax and the outlaw is built on the bandido family platform. I own the bandido II Umax and it is an amazing detector. You can't go wrong with any Tesoro you purchase, they all are great. All are light weight and will serve the family well with many ours of fun and enjoyment. It is hard to just choose 3 to pick from, but in IMHO if they buy the vaquero, outlaw, and compadre, they can't go wrong. HH
Rainyday101
New member
See page 114 of this USGS file to see how much iron mineralization is in the ground where they live. http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2014/1082/pdf/ofr2014-1082.pdf
Note the northeast part of the state is heavily mineralized. If they live there, get a Tesoro with Ground Balance. If they live in any other area get some Compadres, Silver uMax's, or Cibola's.
That USGS file is quite large and may take a while to download. Anyone who metal detects should have a look at those USGS maps.
Note the northeast part of the state is heavily mineralized. If they live there, get a Tesoro with Ground Balance. If they live in any other area get some Compadres, Silver uMax's, or Cibola's.
That USGS file is quite large and may take a while to download. Anyone who metal detects should have a look at those USGS maps.
kaolinwasher
Well-known member
if I had my choice limited to a tesoro and i was hunting up in northern Minnesota. actually some of the ground is mild if covered by glacial drift or clay I would start with a DD coil for the machine just for assurance should the ground get mineralized and i would get the Vaquero. probably get the 5x10 DD and the new one 8x11DD . if it was the north shore i would use the lobo or a sand shark because the beaches are mostly basalt
That really is a broad location...tough spot to hunt for many reasons, let alone the mosquitoes!
Extreme Northern Mn and into the Rainy lake realm the dirt changes so rapidly...Theres Glacial morrain gravelly type of dirt around Bagley, Bemidji, Fosston, just a few miles North into Gonvick and Gully on your way to Grygla theres peat bogs, they catch on fire from lightening strikes and smolder all summer, unmistakable smell...anyway,...East out of Grygla to Northome above Red Lake, it changes again! Warroad is some sort of clay, lots of beet farmers to the west of there over by Thief River...that said, theres old dirt, cedar one room schoolhouses, Old farms and communities, RR trestles etc... lots of Indian wars and abandoned homesteads and the like..Since you mentioned Scout camps, one may assume he's thinking about over by Leech Lake area and to the South?
Id go with a Shark of somesort and a scoop and hunt the beach water, around the old homes and resorts, for old gold and silver... if a guy can tolerate mosquitoes and leeches, which most Minnesotans can..short season though, so he better get cracking! There was a guy who lived up there, maintenance man for an apartment complex or old folks home or something...'Dave' something or another maybe? I cant remember his exact name right now..He found some great old silver coins and he uses a 'Lab..
Tough call..I guess he couldnt go wrong with a Compadre right? Especially for his kids to use, being light and all, whereas a Shark is a lot heavier and designed for a specific water usage by serious gold hunters?...
full disclosure:
I trapped beaver up in all these places for the MN DNR back 30yrs ago, and as a side job, I also dug graves by hand, worked for farmers etc... in all the various tiny old community graveyards where a guy could not get a backhoe into, they had to be dug by hand...so a guy notices and remembers soil changes in field when thusly employed of course! I just happened to remember..I didnt detect at the time, but sure wish I had! That whole area is quite a strange place, no telling what he will be finding!..The Kensington Runestones are of course a lot further south, but interesting none the less? .
If he had asked you about trapping beaver, fisher, otter, Fox, coyotes, wolves, cats, ermine, mink and the like, I would most certainly be your huckleberry...damndest place I've ever lived though...I dont see how Gunnar can handle it!
Mud.
Extreme Northern Mn and into the Rainy lake realm the dirt changes so rapidly...Theres Glacial morrain gravelly type of dirt around Bagley, Bemidji, Fosston, just a few miles North into Gonvick and Gully on your way to Grygla theres peat bogs, they catch on fire from lightening strikes and smolder all summer, unmistakable smell...anyway,...East out of Grygla to Northome above Red Lake, it changes again! Warroad is some sort of clay, lots of beet farmers to the west of there over by Thief River...that said, theres old dirt, cedar one room schoolhouses, Old farms and communities, RR trestles etc... lots of Indian wars and abandoned homesteads and the like..Since you mentioned Scout camps, one may assume he's thinking about over by Leech Lake area and to the South?
Id go with a Shark of somesort and a scoop and hunt the beach water, around the old homes and resorts, for old gold and silver... if a guy can tolerate mosquitoes and leeches, which most Minnesotans can..short season though, so he better get cracking! There was a guy who lived up there, maintenance man for an apartment complex or old folks home or something...'Dave' something or another maybe? I cant remember his exact name right now..He found some great old silver coins and he uses a 'Lab..
Tough call..I guess he couldnt go wrong with a Compadre right? Especially for his kids to use, being light and all, whereas a Shark is a lot heavier and designed for a specific water usage by serious gold hunters?...
full disclosure:
I trapped beaver up in all these places for the MN DNR back 30yrs ago, and as a side job, I also dug graves by hand, worked for farmers etc... in all the various tiny old community graveyards where a guy could not get a backhoe into, they had to be dug by hand...so a guy notices and remembers soil changes in field when thusly employed of course! I just happened to remember..I didnt detect at the time, but sure wish I had! That whole area is quite a strange place, no telling what he will be finding!..The Kensington Runestones are of course a lot further south, but interesting none the less? .
If he had asked you about trapping beaver, fisher, otter, Fox, coyotes, wolves, cats, ermine, mink and the like, I would most certainly be your huckleberry...damndest place I've ever lived though...I dont see how Gunnar can handle it!Mud.
I fish the area around Lake of the Woods myself but never thought about bringing one of my detectors along. Emailed my friend back earlier this afternoon and he is looking into getting his machines at Kellyco. This idea of his has me thinking about bringing one of mine along this year. The islands we fish around in Lake of the Woods have areas folks have lunched at and camped for decades. Don't ever recall seeing anyone there with a detector before. There are even islands up there with long abandon cabins that have not see a sole in years. Boat travel is the only way around besides float planes so human traffic is minimal. I made the suggestion of the Tiger Shark and maybe a couple of Compadres for my friend's family. If I have room in my gear box my Compadre may have to make the trip.
kaolinwasher
Well-known member
the gangsters used to go up their to and hide out . , hundreds of old logging camps , old CC camps my mom lost a gold ring up in the boundary waters the place is loaded ,