Why No Activity? Is It The Heat?

[Critterhunter]

It's not just here, but on other various forums I noticed a distinct lack of activity in terms of activity. Pretty much all the forums I regularly surf, and not just Sovereign specific forums or such, but for various other brands and models. For this time of year it seems there is a huge lack of message traffic. What is your theory here? I believe it's the heat myself. Most places are bone dry and super hot. I know most mornings I'd be inclined to head out and hunt I've opened the door and felt that heat like you just opened an oven door. I really should do some water hunting with my water rig chest mounted GT setup I guess early in the morning. Anybody else heading for the water?

 

[xwyokid]

Just started learning my new GT and had to leave on a family emergency. But, man oh man the heat here in our part of New Mexico just saps the enegry right out of a person. C'mon Serptember!!

 

[Neil]

Just started learning my new GT and had to leave on a family emergency. But, man oh man the heat here in our part of New Mexico just saps the enegry right out of a person. C'mon Serptember!!

where are you at in NM? A buddy of mine moved out there about a year ago, loves the slow paced lifestyle compared to here in NJ. He is near Taos, some small town I cant remember at the moment.

 

[jyt2017]

I say its heat. Especially in new england. It really did not get hot for us until a few weeks ago. I noticed inactivity as well...especially in last few weeks. There was a flurry in beginning of July. I am about to start a thread...but its about my excal acting up. lol. HH an GL. My new GT comes soon...so I am sure I will post about that. -Joe

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Critter,very hot here in Michigan,went for a water hunt with a couple of friends.Expensive hunt my Tornado coil went inop not at the connector but the problem is at the coil base itself probably a water leak.I need a new coil with a longer cord anyway.Neil,John is from Albuquerque,which has some very nice parks,it would be nice to get back for a hunt,going to take him up on his invitation for a search at one of the old parks.I was a young Airman there in 1974-1978 21-23 year old punk kid with a Garrett Coin Hunter.Photo 1978 at T or C flight from Kirtland AFB Albuquerque. HH Ron

 

[mudpuppy]

Yeah..Critter, my theory and noticing posts as well...it will pick up again in Aug/Sept...then hard into the cooler Fall weather...always does..I like to watch for changing patterns, hunting styles, gear upgrades and revelations...one thing, this sport has so many styles, gear, interests, a person can do this for a very long time attempting to master them all...
Mud

 

[matthias]

Yeah, its the heat for me. I'm lucky to get a few hours in the morning. My 'fill piles' have not been producing much. My buddy from the Boro came down yesterday with the front end loader and leveled all the piles for me. Plus he scraped down and cleaned out the part of the field he remembers finding silver when they dumped the fill there 20 years ago. I'll hit it hard today. HH. Matt

 

[deepdiger60]

I was in a field 2 days ago with a kid Scott 14 who,s uncle owns most of the farm property in Orient Point family owned since 1643 , he found a 1787 FUGIO CENT !! with full chain reverse and 2 KG II coppers in the cooler Spring since it was a very early planting season this year due to the mild Winter we had the corn was just picked and that same field is plowed now we spent 3 hours hunting not much to brag about a few IH,s Penny's and a musket ball and 1 1847 seated dime the soil is so dry and hard it makes it dificult to dig just about everywhere and it was HOT !! ,like some said come Aug. and Sept the rains should return and the fields will be ready until then it looks like the beach is the best bet early evening just before dark when the crouds leave . Scott is lucky he is now sponsored by Minelab they sent him a Xterra 505 he has to make hunting video,s as part of the deal Scott,s dad was hunting with us he was using Scotts old MXT great machine also . Jim HH

 

[Smudge]

I've noticed the same thing Critter and yes, it must be heat.

Most of the country is just cooking right now.

I haven't been detecting for over a month.

 

[Elton]

Feels like 105.Ground like concrete .......[size=x-large]Yea it's the heat !![/size]
.......... Unless you want to skim hunt for clad.......I Don't ! ... you just have to wait it out...

 

[Critterhunter]

Yeah, its the heat for me. I'm lucky to get a few hours in the morning. My 'fill piles' have not been producing much. My buddy from the Boro came down yesterday with the front end loader and leveled all the piles for me. Plus he scraped down and cleaned out the part of the field he remembers finding silver when they dumped the fill there 20 years ago. I'll hit it hard today. HH. Matt

Wow Matthias! If he remembers finding silver just by eye (?) in that dirt dumped in one particular spot there 20 years ago then for sure you've got some exciting hunting to do now that he's cleaned out the plants for you with his dozer! That sounds like it's going to pay off. Even if you meant he used a detector there, that was 20 years ago and the dirt was freshly moved. With the modern GT and the coins having time to build up halos as the soil settled, it sounds like you've got a great little spot there. Keep us informed how that hunt goes because I want to hear about it myself for sure.

I remember at a local park they had dredged the botton of a river while working on a dam directly below a bridge. I could picture many people perhaps tossing coins off that bridge as it has a lot of foot traffic on it being in a park. Sure enough, once they spread out the dirt/mud they dredged out of there to raise a local picnic grove, I popped a number of wheats and mercs out of that stuff that came out of the river. At the time the dirt/mud was still fresh, so now that it's been several years down the road I should really go back to that spot now that the ground has settled and the coins have had a chance to get halos around them.

 

[matthias]

Yeah Critterhunter...he found a big old silver coin by eye. Its cool he's sharing info with me and using the front end loader to help me. I'll be there later today for sure. HH. Matt

 

[Critterhunter]

A guy like that you should do something for just so he's motivated to scrape out a spot for you or keep tabs on where dirt is coming from and such to tell you about. Maybe bring him a box of donughts or give him a silver or two to grease the skids so to speak. Look forward to hearing about that hunt.

 

[xwyokid]

Just started learning my new GT and had to leave on a family emergency. But, man oh man the heat here in our part of New Mexico just saps the enegry right out of a person. C'mon Serptember!!

where are you at in NM? A buddy of mine moved out there about a year ago, loves the slow paced lifestyle compared to here in NJ. He is near Taos, some small town I cant remember at the moment.

I'm in the Albq./Rio Rancho area. If you bud is in northern NM then he is living the slow, easy life. My wife has family in Taos. One of her uncles has over 5K acres with many old homesteads. I've mentioned about going out there detecting but, have never really gotten any response. It's probably a New Mexico 'thing', (It's my land and I don't allow nobody on it). If you guys could see some of the areas out here for detecting you would salivating. But, that New Mexico, "thing" always comes up.

 

[dewcon4414]

Many dirt diggers stop hunting anywhere they can damage grass when the temps make the soil rock hard. Also the field hunters cant get in most of the fields until the farmers get their corps out. Me i hunted wooded areas..... but this year seems exceptionally hot. Being in Fl now ...... well even in the water you sweat.

Dew

 

[Critterhunter]

Yea, that's my normal routine too...To head for open woods. Old tree growth where there isn't much underbrush. That way you're in the shade and as long as there is some kind of breeze it ain't too bad. Problem is it's been even too hot for that to be comfortable around here, and most days seem to be lacking any kind of breeze that might make it tolerable. For the thicker wooded areas with younger tree growth I save those for fall, winter, and spring before the brush and plants start popping up. I've got one spot we hunted mid summer and we made some decent finds, but the trees just weren't old enough over much of it to keep the poison ivy and other plants from being there. Come this winter we'll be going back to cover that site better, because some stuff we pulled was right up against a big patch of plants that will be gone come winter time.

One thing I wonder about the dead grass this time of year. It's not really dead but dormant. I wonder if perhaps it might actually be better for the grass to dig plugs in it when it's in it's dormant stage, because I've found plugs when the grass was nice and green that were brown and obviously dead. Perhaps by digging those plugs when the grass is dormant it might give them better survival chances? Giving the dirt time to heal around the roots.

One of the things I do to limit damage to grass is dig the plug deep enough to be well past the roots, so that you are keeping dirt attached to the bottom of the roots, as the enemy of roots is air. That's also why I stomp good and hard on the plug when done. It might flatten the grass but it will pop back up in a day or two, and that stomping insures less air exposure to the roots. I also dig my plugs with one side still attached to the surrounding grass, so that the root system still is connected to the surrounding grass. Final tip is to sharpen your digger. Less tearing while cutting the plug means less drama to the roots. Of course use a screwdriver to pop the shallower stuff whenever you can. Supertuning the Pro Pointer is handy for finding those shallow ones and sticking the screwdriver right under them at an angle to pop out.

I'd like to hear any others opinions on dormant grass perhaps being better to dig plugs in? And any tips for keeping the grass from dying.

 

[Jack Flynn]

It's been popping pretty good on the FMDF and a couple others?

 

[dewcon4414]

Thats the problem..... in hard packed dirt without moisture the dirt comes away from the roots. Like the human body plants shut down to survive, but there is always a part that isnt..... likely the roots this time of year. There has always been debate about larger verses smaller flaps as well. I use a butcher knife to cut thin but deep flaps quickly, then get well below the roots. If you make to much disturbance animals investigate the hole. In some areas to small a plug and the movers pull them up. This time of year you just really have to pick and choose your site to make as little damage a possible.

Dew

 

[MickTwin]

I'm amazed at how fast the sweat pours out, even when detecting at a moderate pace. Here in lower NY, the heat/humidity has been brutal this summer (today, actually, is quite nice). Even with a Lesche digger, the ground is hard to penetrate. I hate to think I've been killing the grass, but even by cutting a large plug ~ chances are that I have.

That said, I've been spending more time doing research. I'd like to take my Sovereign to the beach, but really want a good storm to pull the sand away first. Oh, all the excuses I can think up for not getting out there and making thing happen! Woe Is Me!

 

[Critterhunter]

Yeah Critterhunter...he found a big old silver coin by eye. Its cool he's sharing info with me and using the front end loader to help me. I'll be there later today for sure. HH. Matt

I'm anxious to hear...Did you hunt that spot yet he cleared? I'm hoping it's going to be a great spot for you!