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Yep! It sure been hot. But when the High 90s feels cool it has been hot too long. Even the mornings have been high 80s low 90s at 5 in the morning. Yuck! Well maybe tomorrow looks like maybe 70s early may just get out
Hey Critterhunter. Ive hit that spot once so far. Hardpack rocky ground is brutal. Been going for shallow targets only for now because of the heat. I'll keep you updated if and when I make a good find. HH. Matt
Since that spot isn't a public park and you are out of view of others, not to mention it's not a manicured lawn or anything like that...Why don't you try say a hammer and a chisel or something to dig a hole in hard ground/rock like that? Might be quicker than trying to use a hand digger.
I agree with everyone else and blame it on the heat and the concrete hard ground. I wear glasses and it's no fun to have to take your glasses off every minute to wipe the sweat off of them. Plus, the heat really affects me and I've found myself dizzy a couple times even when I'm drinking LOTS of fluids. It's not worth risking your health. I've been doing some early morning and late evening hunts, but it's been hot even at those times. Been doing some research on the Potomac river in my area trying to determine where the Civil War crossings took place and plan on some water hunts in my near future. Might get the headlamp out as well and do some night hunts.
You know, one time years ago I ran into a lady detecting in a rural area when I was traveling. I stopped and talked to her and she was all excited about a seated dime she just found at the old school she was hunting. I think she was using a Tesoro but it's been a while ago. Anyway, she started talking about the heat and then told me she prefers night hunting when it's hot during the day. I asked how she liked doing that and she said "Oh, it's great! I wear a head lamp. It's so peaceful, and I SWEAR you get better depth and signals at night due to the dew on the ground and dampness in the air!"
For some odd reason that lady's words has always stuck with me. I don't doubt you might get a bit better depth at night due to the dampness and dew on the ground, not to mention probably lower EMI conditions due to everything around you shutting down. Anybody have any opinion on that?
I've done my fair share of night hunts and it's very enjoyable. Nice and peaceful and it's really cool to hear all of the sounds at night that you do not hear during the day. With the right headlamp, it's just like hunting during the day. My headlamps have multiple lights and settings that can go from wide angle to spot light and they swivel up and down for easy adjustments to match your target area. I also have an LL Beans hat with build in lights that is adjustable as well. A couple things you need to keep in mind and prepare for are the bugs as they are attracted to the light and being able to hear what's going on around you for safety. To combat the bugs, I wear a hat that I spray bug repellent on and then spray the exposed parts of my body. I recommend that you not wear a hat that you like, because the bug repellent will cause the color to fade or change. For hearing what's going on around me, I use headphones with only 1 ear piece or do not use headphones at all. This allows you to be aware of your surroundings and hear all of the cool night sounds.
As far as better depth at night due to the dampness and dew on the ground and lower EMI conditions, I really have not noticed a difference in depth and sometimes the EMI interference is worse. At night, I usually hunt in areas that are out of public view or on private property. The hunts that are out of public view normally do not have EMI problems in the first place, however, the private property hunts that are close to houses I sometimes encounter worse EMI interference at night as compared to the day. I believe this is a result of more electronic activity in the nearby houses and the corresponding increase in the power going through the overhead power lines or underground cables. I really do not think the dampness in the air or dew on the ground has any affect on your depth unless it adds to the moisture already present in the ground, thus enhancing the halo affect around your target (IMHO). If you have not night hunted before, give it a try, I think you'll really like it.
