Safety message

[dirt lizard]

I been seeing a lot of videos with folks out there not wearing any type of hand protection. In some of the areas I've hunted I've dug up some really nasty stuff including syringe needles and razor blades not to mention pieces of rusty shredded cans from yrs back. Please wear gloves.

 

[5900_XL-1]

I don't stick my hands in the hole very much. I "live by" my 18" Mini shovel getting the target out into the pile of dirt on top of the ground. To me, gloves makes everything so dirty(detector-pinpointer-etc), gloves are just a hassle. I'm not saying that gloves aren't a good idea. Just not for me.

 

[pasttom]

There are times gloves are more harm than help. Many things I pick up are sharp enough to go through gloves. I do better most often being able to touch sense the point and back off. I have pretty good habits of seeing before I grab. I still carry many pairs in the car for certain times when I think I will need them.

 

[Goldstrike]

I always wear gloves. Yes, they tend to pick up dirt and transfer onto equipment but there are too many things out there like broken off glass bottles with the cap still screwed on (which sometimes gives a cool signal), pieces of jagged rusty metal with a myriad of germs including tetanus that you really don't want to introduce into your bloodstream! With no good way to clean/sanitize your hands in the field, I agree that it's wise to wear gloves....for me at least!

 

[5900_XL-1]

I always wear gloves. Yes, they tend to pick up dirt and transfer onto equipment but there are too many things out there like broken off glass bottles with the cap still screwed on (which sometimes gives a cool signal), pieces of jagged rusty metal with a myriad of germs including tetanus that you really don't want to introduce into your bloodstream! With no good way to clean/sanitize your hands in the field, I agree that it's wise to wear gloves....for me at least!

Case in point. I worked for my father on a family farm when growing up, and being in the dirt and getting cut was common. In all those years, I never got tetnus, nor did my 4 siblings. We all have scars to show for those early years. I just think we, as an American society...over worry. But that's just me.

 

[mrwilburino]

Unless it's particularly muddy, I just wear a glove on my left hand. That's the one that does all the dirty work.

 

[still looking 52]

You should probably wear gloves but unless it's cold I don't. I've got this little garden type tool that cuts and removes the divot and then I place the divot on a piece on plastic where I check it with my pinpointer, then if the target isn't in the divot I take more dirt out( with the garden tool) and place it on the plastic, this also makes it real easy to put all the dirt back in the hole. This way hour hands stay safe, your equipment stays clean, and no one can even tell you've dug a divot.

 

[dfmike]

I been seeing a lot of videos with folks out there not wearing any type of hand protection. In some of the areas I've hunted I've dug up some really nasty stuff including syringe needles and razor blades not to mention pieces of rusty shredded cans from yrs back. Please wear gloves.

I'm completely with you on this ! It blows my mind the risks people take just because gloves are a bit of a hassle. A streptococcal infection is a much greater aggravation. A friend of mine spent days in a hospital and almost lost an arm to an infection that started with a small cut.

I only wear one glove on the hand that digs (not the one that holds the detector) and I find it vital. Some gloves are thin, tough, waterproof and cheap. There's no reason not to wear them.

 

[togg77]

Generally speaking a streptococcal or staph infection is the result of a secondary inoculation of the wound site --usual soil bacteria are the Clostridia species,tetanus etc.Campylobacter,Listeria, and fungi---All bad boys,so adequate protection or careful technique is essential.

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi dirt lizard, I totally agree with you about wearing gloves! For those that prefer not to it is a simple matter of time and they will be wearing gloves. It is a given that they will suffer some sort of injury while detecting and digging so long as they are using their bare hands in the process. Hopefully it will not be so bad, but it will happen! I learned soon after I started detecting back in the early sixties. I slashed the crap out of a finger just from simply reaching into a hole. Glass shards can become sharper than any knife you will ever encounter and in many cases will slice even into a pair of gloves, but, not always! The gloves serve a very "smart" and important protector for your fingers and hands! Just go figure, how many times since my slash in the hole would I likely have been slashed "again" if I had continued to use my bare hands ? Doesn't that qualify to be a perfect "Duh " moment fellers? Please forgive me if not ! HH, Charlie

 

[dirt lizard]

Depending where I hunt I carry 2 different type of gloves. Deep in the woods there is barely any modern trash so I wear my rubber coated gloves. Ball fields and parks I wear my heavy Wells Lamont leather gloves.

 

[Walknstik]

When I first started detecting I didn't wear gloves but I do now mainly for the safety factor. Yea I know most of the time you won't have any problem but all it takes is one of those unexpected surprises to possibly put a damper on your outing. All the posters above stated good reasons for wearing gloves and I want to add one... they can also protect your hands from poison ivy/oak in case you ever overlook and dig thru their roots.