You & Your Detector Can Find Things No Others Will, & Have Virgin Sites To Hunt, Just By Walking Into Your Local Park With The Right Attitude & Diggin

[Critterhunter]

Not because of any special abilities, and it's not because other detectors can't find those same targets...It's because 99% of all other hunters simply won't dig targets that are further down the scale of conductivity. Think about it. There is a vastly more broad spectrum of targets, from just above iron all the way up to just below a penny, than there are targets above that in the "coin" range. Even the best among us who do dig all those "odd" VDI #s are guilty of passing on most usually. Sure, there are exceptions. I know of one guy who prefers to hunt in all metal and dig every single signal including iron. Then there are those die hard relic hunts (usually in civil war areas) who also dig any and all targets on the entire spectrum of the conductivity scale, from below coin all the way down to iron.

Just a thought for people. When you get depressed about all your favorite sites being "worked out" or that you can an only afford to own a "cheap" machine, why don't you got to a site with the attitude that nobody has really hunted it yet? Why don't you go there with the attitude that there is a bounty of targets just waiting for somebody to dig them for the very first time at that old "dead" spot? Not only will you be finding odd old coins that read much further down the scale (gold coins as well as numerous other types that simply read well below penny), but even silver coins that for some odd reason read lower than they should (due to ground minerals, being masked, being worn, being on edge, dry conditions, etc), along with cool things like tokens, gold rings, buttons, and various other great finds and relics that everybody else simply has passed over thousands of times at that "pounded out site" and just simply refuse to dig.

And, on top of all that, how many coins do you think might be laying underneath all that "garbage"? No machine can see past the first metal target in it's detection field, even if that deeper coin is well off to the side of the shallower metal object. The first thing the field hits is what it will see. That's just the nature of the limits of VLF technology. Heck, a lot of my "pounded out" sites still have tons of one way or iffy coin signals that could easily be a silver coin that is giving a bad signal for one reason or another. Most people won't even dig those, or at least will only dig them if they are say 70% "there" in terms of quality. Why don't you start digging those bad coin signals that are only 10% "there" and you might be surprised at just what they turn out to be.

So the next time you are sitting around racking your brain for a spot that hasn't had all the "easy" coin signals picked out of it, or the next time you wander at the same old spot for hours just looking for that classic deep potential silver signal, why not stop wasting time like that and just do what most people simply won't do- DIG! In a way you've got a whole world of "untouched" sites out there just waiting for you as the only person on this planet for the most part who is really hunting them. You don't have to dig the iron signals if you don't want, but even not digging those but digging everything else on the conductivity spectrum you are a hunter above all others, with a machine above all others...Bought for $40 at Walmart or costing many hundreds of dollars, that will do things no other man and his machine can, or should I say will...

 

[Elton]

If your a Hobby, Dig it all Detectorist, that is fine.. If your a select hunter.......... then you may become tired of digging all the junk..

1,000 pull tabs, 100 pieces of iron, and one Silver coin isn't some peoples idea of good days finds.... Just saying !!

That said..if one likes surprise finds,and lots of digging, then your hunting suggestions may just be the key to an enjoyable day of digging...

As many of us get older you only have so many ups & Downs that is possible on old knees and bodies LOL.... What ever your style.. Good Luck and happy Hunting ! .

 

[Critterhunter]

One of the ways to be more "selective" with this kind of "dig it all" hunting style is to figure out how deep round tabs are at a site and then start digging all other targets deeper and thus older than that. Round tabs usually mark the barrier between "modern" trash and a far less "trashy" era of time at many sites. When I'm in the mood to ring hunt at an old park that is loaded with trash that's one of my favorite tactics. I like to "time travel" deeper than the round tabs and see just what kind of stuff lies below that level.

As far as getting older goes, yes...some people have to be more picky about what they bend down to dig. On the other hand, I subscribe to the saying that if you don't use it your going to lose it. I can tell you I'm in far better shape than I was in even my 20's, just due to the nature of the kind of work I've done over the years. My neighbor is in his early 60's and he'll out work any young guy I've ever met. Then there are those native tribes people in their 80's that you see in PBS documentaries and such...Climbing trees like a child, kneeling down to cook, and just in general doing things that even most young people would have a hard time with. I remember seeing once a TV show about building construction in some Asian country. They would actually use bamboo for scaffolding to climb on while constructing the outside walls of a building many stories high. I just couldn't get over these men climbing that bamboo like they were teenagers, and I'm talking about guys who were well enter their twilight years.

 

[pasttom]

I am doing a lot of dig all and I am getting more better stuff. I of course have a boatload of 'disposable treasures'. I have two bad knees and I am at my perfect weight, just a foot too short. I like to hunt and enjoy every find, though some more than others. I am pretty sure MDing has been good for my bod I intend to vary my dig load as I feel able, I think most of us could do better digging more rather than less. I love that it is a free country (sorta still) and no one makes any of us do more than we choose. Cue patriotic music.
Tom

 

[GunnarMN]

You got it critter, I was talking with a guy who knows a mexican guy who uses a ace 250 and he digs all tabs and foils he says he may find 100 pull, but get this he has found 10 gold rings this year alone and he hunts parks, I know if tabs are left behind I am in good ground ,

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[MNCoinhunter]

I can see your point. It is inevitable that we are all missing good targets due to trash or just not wanting to dig that "iffy" signal. I can only say that in a well-used public park, digging a lot of holes might not be a good idea. I am certainly more selective about what I dig in the park that I visit. Out of public view in the woods for example, may be a good place to dig more questionable signals.

 

[Smudge]

Critterhunter,

I made the exact same argument on another forum. Well said.

 

[Critterhunter]

CW, I'll PM you about HVAC as I got a few questions when I have more time. Headed off for a hunt in a few minutes.

 

[Critterhunter]

One of the few times I was on a mission to "dig it all", it took me about an hour to travel maybe 20 feet in one row. Then I get an obvious huge screw cap signal but figured "I'm digging it all today so might as well". Dug three screw caps out of the hole, and under them all was my first v-nickle about 2 or 3" deeper! That convinced me then in there that digging it all has it's merits, although I must admit that all these years later I rarely am in that mood. Have to change my mindset like I preached in the article. I have been slowly doing that lately, as my old sites just aren't giving up "easy" deep coin signals anymore. Got plenty of other sites where I know deep stuff still lurks, but the handful of sites I treat like and old friend are the ones I always seem to enjoy the most even if I don't come home with silver. So, for those spots, time to dig it all instead of wandering for 3 hours looking for any deep easy signals that are still left. Already am using a deeper coil (12x10) at those spots, so I've got the easy coins that were only able to sink so far at those places anyway. No sense looking for deeper ones that just aren't there. I have other sites where there is potential for coins to sink deeper to wander at, but at these ones I know limit the coin depths to within the reach of my compeition using "average" detectors, no point in still looking for deeper classic coin hits at those spots. I'll save that for my sites where I know stuff can sink beyond the reach of most machines.

 

[Critterhunter]

Yea, I'd agree that you have to use common sense in public sites and not create a mine field digging all signals. My strategy when I do that is to wander and dig all over a wide area, so I'm not digging a bunch of plugs in one spot. Or, I'll work one small area and dig all the more "solid" junk hits, then come back a month or two later when the ground has healed and dig some more signals out of that same spot, and then maybe a third time after the ground has once again healed. That way it's not a disaster area of plugs all at once. Also, when doing this "dig it all" in a small area I try to use a screwdriver to pop all the stuff that I think I can reach and only dig what I have to. That helps too.

 

[Critterhunter]

Here's some pics and a public response I got elsewhere to the above little thread about the merits of digging the "trash" signals nobody else would at 'pounded out sites". Anyway, this guy said he often does that very thing and has the bling and coins to prove it works. I kept his name out of it even though he posted this publicly and I know he is a member here. He'll take credit for it if he wants I'm sure.

"That is exactly what made my finds of gold and silver go up this past winter and early spring with the GT. If it makes a click or clack or any kind of conductive noise it got dug period. I was going to find out what gave the signal. Much to my surprise I came away from one small old freshwater beach with 11 gold rings, several silver medalions and silver coins. Your thoughts/instructions have tons of merit and I highly advise them to the robust hearty guys and gals. You will be surprised more times than not I'm sure digging it all. This is just some of the stuff from this area........."

"Loaded and nobody knew it! It had been hunted by quite a few detectors but they missed a lot of old old pulltabs, The GT sniffed them out.............click, crackle, pop, all amongst the nulling of the machine."

 

[Critterhunter]

One more pic to post. I believe much more awaits to be found at sites others have long since given up on. When you start to dig the "obvious" junk signals, that's where things get even more interesting. Not only will silver coins pop up that just didn't read right for some reason, but also of course the gold rings, old tokens, buttons, neat relics, and other great finds that have been passed over by thousands of others for the last 40+ years. Until every single signal is gone from that site don't ever consider it hunted out, and when you do that then change the angle of your grid and you'll be surprised what else sounds off only from that direction. Use the "odd" angle. Instead of parallel or 90 degrees to a landmark as is human nature to do, grid it at a diagonal angle and you'll hear stuff that is a complete null for everybody else.

 

[Smudge]

This is a good discussion, but a hard one to advocate in this heat.

Digging it all in 100 degree temps is a tough sell.

But this Fall, when things cool down, it would be very interesting to see what would happen if we all tried this just once.

I'll bet the results would be surprising.

 

[Critterhunter]

I hear you about the heat. For sure I'm waiting for cooler days or will hit the beach early in the morning for a water hunt.

Just linking this thread to the other one about coil technique inching along with super slow "inches at a time" advancement to find stuff others usually miss, as I feel both threads compliment each other on bringing an old site back to life again...

http://www.findmall.com/read.php?18,1729836,1746890#msg-1746890

 

[nge]

I have been hunting slow for over 20 years (no cartilidge in either knee) BUT, this year I had 2 total knee joint replacements. I can squat to dig, but still a little tender (muscles and tendons). However, I can now bend at the waist with NO pain in the hips or back anymore. And I can hunt a little faster. I have an Explorer XS II, Fisher 1266-X, and an Etrac. The '66 I use for construction sites, it is lighter, and easier to use, no setup time. The other two I use for deep detecting. When I can knee again, I will return to using my Lesche digger, and homemade Knife......nge

 

[Critterhunter]

Glad to hear your on the mend. I'd tell you or anybody out there with joint problems to take glucosamine and condrontine (if I spelled them right) together as a supplement. Many studies show those two things combined will rebuild cartilage and joints in even some people with severe arthritis and such. It also works wonders for pets with joint paint, and can even be bought in treats for them. A friend has been giving his old dog the pills from a pet store and just raves about how much better his dog gets around. Pain killers just hide the pain. This stuff cures the problem in many people or animals.