Soccer Field Question

[harvdog42]

Somebody brought up in a post a few weeks ago that soccer fields and sports fields were good places to hunt for gold. I'd like to concentrate on soccer fields for this discussion since there are a lot of them around here. I haven't hunted soccer fields too much and have a lot more time hunting parks. I've found the most jewelry in parks in shady areas.

So to help speed up my learning curve hunting soccer fields, I'd like to get some input from you guys. Most of the action takes place, of course, on the field and the concentration of that activity is usually more intense near the goal posts. But how many players are on the field at any given time and how many would be wearing items that could potentially be lost? Another factor to look at is that most of the grass is so worn down in front of the goals that most items, if lost, would be found by eye. Given that, I'm going to guess that the highest probability of find something of value is on the sidelines where people are concentrated, kicking back, changing and cheering. I could be wrong. Of the soccer fields that I have hunted, I've found a higher number of targets on either side of the goals but behind the "out of bounds" lines. I'm not sure why because I rarely see anybody in those areas during games. Maybe during practice sessions team members tend to "get ready" there.

I'd like to hear from anybody that has concentrated on hunting soccer fields. I'm sure there is a "big picture." I just can't see it yet.

Just to give this discussion another twist, how would you compare hunting ball diamonds in terms of productivity to hunting of soccer fields?

Harvdog

 

[Dan-Pa.]

Probably the sidelines where people watch and alternate players are positioned....Many programs do not allow jewelry such as chains, bracelets and the like which will cut down your odds but in most cases rings can be found as they slip off sweaty hands. Action goes on anywhere on the field and once asked to look for a gold ring recently lost found it almost dead center and must have been stepped on as was right under the surface...so unlike a baseball fields just about have to hunt the whole field lest you miss a nice piece of jewelry...

 

[Sven]

Here's my take, I have hunted countless soccer fields and have yet to find gold.
Have found plenty of coins to 6" deep, small number of silver rings, keys, pull tabs, nails, screws, soccer shoe spikes,
22 casings, rivits, and a lot more junk. I detect in all metal and or with little discrimination.
I know the fields I have hit haven't been done in at least 6 years or more. way too many coins within the first 3" of
the surface.

I'll tell you, I hunt the complete field using a grid system. It may take 40 hrs to do a field...........................and have used
several different brands and model metal detectors.

Now to tick off those who claim to find hoards of gold rings and jewelry on those fields, are you really?

I have hunted with a stinker many many years ago for a very short period of time. You could watch him dig a gold ring
within 5 minutes of of hunting any site. He had a trick up his sleeve. He was good. He would show you the signal he was getting,
ID'd as a gold ring, he would proceed to dig a plug, onlooker would look away for 1 second, out of his sleeve would fall a ring into the hole.
as he was reaching into the hole he would press the ring into the ground. have the onlooker take a closer look into the hole to show the ring
resting in there. Amazing how many other targets would fall out of his sleeve. And yes, the onlooker would be sold on buying one of
those detectors from him. He's probably still out there conning people on something or another or maybe someone turned him back into dirt.
You may find him, he did have a gold tooth................

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

Sven that's a pretty good trick that person did to convince people to buy detectors.
Soccer fields I grid like you said some produce good other poorly.
I find small coin spills throughout the whole field could be anywhere.
If I icome across one I check about 6 feet around it and often other coins will be close by.
As for rings I,ve found those too not many but some golds and more silvers plus plenty of junk ones.
It takes lots of patience and resolve to grid them sometimes not to much rewards for the effort you put in.
Just chalk it it to exercise and the surprise of the find.

 

[Sven]

I like those coin spills, especially when there are several Loonies or Twoonies in the mix.
yeah, great exercise as well as a learning exercise training the brain to what particular sounds certain targets make.
I know most soccer fields will at least produce $40.00 worth of usable Loons, Twoons, Quarters that I can use for bus money.
And plenty of other change for vending machines...LOL I know some would say, spare change for a trip to Tim's, I only go there
for the Fruit Explosion muffins

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

I like those coin spills, especially when there are several Loonies or Twoonies in the mix.
yeah, great exercise as well as a learning exercise training the brain to what particular sounds certain targets make.
I know most soccer fields will at least produce $40.00 worth of usable Loons, Twoons, Quarters that I can use for bus money.
And plenty of other change for vending machines...LOL I know some would say, spare change for a trip to Tim's, I only go there
for the Fruit Explosion muffins

Good one Sven also my favorite muffin

 

[Monte]

I currently live in the suburbs west of Portland, Oregon and out this way there is a rather large percentage of Hispanics. because of this, soccer sports has seen a lot of activity over quite a number of years and I, and others, USED to recover a much higher percentage of gold rings, gold chains and gold pendents from all areas on and about the fields. All sections had good potential to produce an above average of gold jewelry finds.

As I said, however, that was how things used to be compared with today and more recent years. Why? because I used to see a lot of Hispanics wearing gold jewelry. Rings, chains, pendents, just all sorts of gold jewlery. At the store, a restaurant, the park, the soccer fields, etc. I've noticed over the past decade of so that many are not wearing as much as they used to. Women do, but men seem to have omitted it, especially during sports events. Some don't wear it at all, and it's not uncommon to see it removed by many when they get out on the soccer fields today, which means that while some is there, it's just not up to the abundance we used to find.

That said, those soccer fields do still produce coins and some jewelry, and as others have stated, it can be located just about anywhere. Just be patient, don't sweep too quickly, remember to overlap well, and just enjoy the hunt.

Monte

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Be careful of groomed fields,in Oxford MI are signs posted on most fields no dogs allowed and only on fields by appointment.Soccer is a very aggressive game and there is a lot of activity in the midfield to control the ball maybe overlooked by most hunters.Probably the best place to find lost items the high pressure area where do or die plays are made by players just inside the larger goal box,so this may be a good place to find jewelry.Multiple fields just outside each near the midfield,LOL someone always forgets their cell phone or car keys.Anyplace on a active soccer field is a good place to search.Good Luck

 

[tech125]

I usually stick to hunting tot lots because it's easier to dig right now as we have had very little rain.The soccer fields are very dry.Last week I needed a change in places to dig and decided try out a huge soccer field behind an elementary school thats not at all visible from the busy street.It has four goals spread wide apart with houses boardering two sides
and a park on the furthermost side.I started detecting behind the closest goal and out poped my first real nice silver ring with a light blue stone.The soccer league showed up(mostly hispanics) and I had to take a break.I started up again behind the right side goal and out poped a nice chunky silver bracelet.Im sure the field has more there and has not been detected much at all if ever.Im waiting for a good soaking rain to start up there again....Have a buddy that detects soccer fields regularly with his Ace250 and he does real well...

 

[harvdog42]

I hate con artists. They suck the fun out of life.

Harvdog

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Harvdog,none of these posters deserve to be called a con artist.If you are calling me as a con artist I don't even know you and have a problem with such a statement against anyone.If explaining what I observe during a soccer game and giving you a heads up metal detecting on a groom field is probably going to get you a negative reaction from park officials so be it.But man to man you call me a con artist I'm going to kick your a$$.

 

[Woodchuck]

NOW NOW boys its way to hot across the whole USA temp wise let alone to be getting hot on this forum.over some words!

 

[Larry (IL)]

Ron, I think Harvdog is not referring to anyone in particular, not liking con artists is a pretty broad statement. I don't like con artists either.

 

[GunnarMN]

[size=x-large]I like hunting soccer feilds, i found a nice silver ring 3 ft in front of the bleachers whear the soccer players sit , what i surmize happened is , the player took off his ring put it in his shirt and put that on the bench , then after playing he just forgot he took it off and grabed his shirt and it went flying , it was then stepped on punching it down in the grass and was covered i found it , most of what i find on soccer feilds are hair pins foil , can slaw nails and coins i think if a really valuble ring was lost they would be back searching for it , and i use a big coil whith good coverage , i only hunt on overcast days but i like the soccer feilds mon [/size]

 

[marcomo]

and leave Harvdog's arse alone, he isn't calling you or any of the posters here con artists.

He was referring to the sharpie that Sven mentioned in his post earlier in this thread.

I have hunted with a stinker many many years ago for a very short period of time. You could watch him dig a gold ring
within 5 minutes of of hunting any site. He had a trick up his sleeve. He was good. He would show you the signal he was getting,
ID'd as a gold ring, he would proceed to dig a plug, onlooker would look away for 1 second, out of his sleeve would fall a ring into the hole.
as he was reaching into the hole he would press the ring into the ground. have the onlooker take a closer look into the hole to show the ring
resting in there. Amazing how many other targets would fall out of his sleeve. And yes, the onlooker would be sold on buying one of
those detectors from him. He's probably still out there conning people on something or another or maybe someone turned him back into dirt.
You may find him, he did have a gold tooth................

 

[harvdog42]

Ron,

I was referring to the previous post that Sven wrote. In that post Sven wrote about a con artist as follows:

"I have hunted with a stinker many many years ago for a very short period of time. You could watch him dig a gold ring
within 5 minutes of of hunting any site. He had a trick up his sleeve. He was good. He would show you the signal he was getting,
ID'd as a gold ring, he would proceed to dig a plug, onlooker would look away for 1 second, out of his sleeve would fall a ring into the hole.
as he was reaching into the hole he would press the ring into the ground. have the onlooker take a closer look into the hole to show the ring
resting in there. Amazing how many other targets would fall out of his sleeve. And yes, the onlooker would be sold on buying one of
those detectors from him. He's probably still out there conning people on something or another or maybe someone turned him back into dirt.
You may find him, he did have a gold tooth................"

That's the con artist I was referring to. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

Harvdog

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Harvdog,there are hunters out there that do salt their finds and it does misrepresent their ability and how well the metal detector performs.I knew one guy who did this.It got more annoying with everyone as his finds were just ridiculous out of proportion of a regular hunt.Must have been raining silver in his parks.I was a moderator on another forum and brought this topic up on a post.The subject people who post things they never found and spiked their hunts.I was surprised by how many hunters PMed me upset that I was accusing them of cheating with their find tally.By the way I was instructed to delete the post on this subject because it stirred too much controversy.I'm a park hunter also and find myself driving further away as the close by parks are just soured from too much hunting.As for the soccer fields I can't even get a practice in with the adult team the park director said we would damage the fields.I could only imagine their reaction if they see me metal detecting on these fields.Bottom line Harvdog ok misunderstanding,but any name calling,I'm calling you out and I'm bringing my Radio Shack to make things fair LOL Loser leaves town.Later Ron

 

[asthlan1]

Being a former soccer player myself for the better part of 18 years I can tell you that for the pocket spills you need to look under the bleachers where the parents sit not where the kids sit because soccer shorts dont have pockets and jeweler is not allow, now that being said what you need to do is go to the soccer fields about 7:30pm during the week and watch where the adult players practice that is where you need to be looking for your gold and also adults most of the time do not play full field they will either play on one half or on a smaller U-12 field and something else most of the action happens in the middle of the field soooo divide a field from side to side into thirds and startt with the center third.also check near trees goal posts basketball posts water fountains this is where people set things down to go play good luck