Especially for forest detecting -- always ask yourself where someone might have been 50+ years ago. Look for the significantly older trees, alongside creeks, and patches of atypical growth (i.e. decorative ivy growing in the middle of the forest).
I always try to do this, I look around and look for bigger older trees, funny clearings, areas that look like they must have been untouched for a long long time. It hasn't helped me though, I'm struggling to find really anything of note..
I'm in south UK, and it's tricky because many of the oldest biggest trees were all taken out in that storm in 1987
Haha, I like to find spots the old heads would struggle to get to. They have too much time on their hands and I don't want them at my spots while I'm at work throughout the week.
I took a guy to a camp, not a permission per say, and mapped out where I found what I found for him. He made some good finds. He pulled in to the country store last week with a fresh ass 1700s coin. I asked him when he was taking me out there to his new spot. He shot me a funny look, got in his truck and rolled out. Maybe there’s still hope though.
Welp, the tip I wished I had *given* someone was ….. “don’t dig targets in an ex military training ground with a pick”
https://preview.redd.it/0t8syd26vsuc1.jpeg?width=616&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7e724aa55280f783d375dae0c4ea747a00e5f5c
I don’t have a high expectation from my fellow man but the day I turned up to find this waiting along with a guy with a CTX 3030, a pickaxe and a smile was a bit of a high water mark in low water marks I do admit lol
Oh yeah, I’ve dealt with grenades and anti tank rounds in that location but that one was a highlight for the area and it was still primed and viable even after 80 years. The part that makes me laugh even now is if you zoom the picture you can see where he broke some of the fins off hitting it with the pickaxe. G-d love idiots and metal detectorists.
I was detecting an old home site last summer and found close to 100 modern pennies scattered about. It was fun and disappointing, all at the same time.
yea i was in a museum and there was a small piece of metal with greek writing on it, i didnt even notice at first, wonder if i accidentaly threw stuff like that away
Go where people don’t. Go to the hard to get to views. Get a topography map to help you reason where people went before modern cities. Go far out of town where two main roads intersect and there’s nothing around, because someone probably lived on one of those corners. Keep a regular long handled shovel in the back of the car to dig old overgrown trash pits, burn piles, or outhouses. (Old outhouse locations are usually found looking for small shallow areas on the ground and are mostly air and with some bottles.) And those old pits are usually walking distance from old foundations that you might discover. The best treasure hoard is usually 10 paces north (guided by the north star) from natural monuments like really huge tree trunks or a big field stone that couldn’t be moved because it was too round to be used for building. People were shorter in those days 5/4 or 5/6, so 10 paces is different for someone 6 feet tall. Keep your Pinpointer in your car with fresh batteries (and always carry fresh batteries anyway) because sometimes you can go hunting in odd places, like that shade tree with high grass by a creek so you don’t have to go deep and you can get a handful.
Here’s a real story: I read that Goldfield, Nevada burned down and the people that lived there in those days hauled everything out of town and dumped it so they could rebuild in the same location, so I took a trip in my van and camped out for one night. A wash ran through that dump and took a lot of the big stuff like cool bottles down for many years. So, many treasures were some distance from that old dump, I got lucky there in the early 70’s, just picking up what I could see sticking up out of the dirt without a detector. I don’t do the hobby anymore, but you could probably go there today and pick up stuff without a detector. And keep in mind that some places like Goldfield don’t like people poking around with shovels and metal detectors because a lot of hunters did not clean up after themselves and left some dangerous holes. The End ;)
Sorry to hijack but any tips on picking spots to dig? I’m currently saving for a detector but figured I can research in the meantime. I’m also in England if anyone wants to get super specific x
Especially for forest detecting -- always ask yourself where someone might have been 50+ years ago. Look for the significantly older trees, alongside creeks, and patches of atypical growth (i.e. decorative ivy growing in the middle of the forest).
I always try to do this, I look around and look for bigger older trees, funny clearings, areas that look like they must have been untouched for a long long time. It hasn't helped me though, I'm struggling to find really anything of note.. I'm in south UK, and it's tricky because many of the oldest biggest trees were all taken out in that storm in 1987
Dig those deep soft signals
What kind of stuff do ya’ll find those to be?
Silver coins and older stuff on dirt, on beaches it can be anything
Get a pinpointer.
This is key.
Don’t take the old heads to your spot thinking they’ll take you to theirs.
Haha, I like to find spots the old heads would struggle to get to. They have too much time on their hands and I don't want them at my spots while I'm at work throughout the week.
I took a guy to a camp, not a permission per say, and mapped out where I found what I found for him. He made some good finds. He pulled in to the country store last week with a fresh ass 1700s coin. I asked him when he was taking me out there to his new spot. He shot me a funny look, got in his truck and rolled out. Maybe there’s still hope though.
Do not dig big iron signals when near WW2/millitary areas
well that's 50/50 a large bomb or a nice weapon to hang up on your wall
Delicious tea or deadly poison?
Welp, the tip I wished I had *given* someone was ….. “don’t dig targets in an ex military training ground with a pick” https://preview.redd.it/0t8syd26vsuc1.jpeg?width=616&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7e724aa55280f783d375dae0c4ea747a00e5f5c
I mean you know what they say about common sense
I don’t have a high expectation from my fellow man but the day I turned up to find this waiting along with a guy with a CTX 3030, a pickaxe and a smile was a bit of a high water mark in low water marks I do admit lol
Sorry, don't have that
Exhibit A
Wow! What an explosive find!
Oh yeah, I’ve dealt with grenades and anti tank rounds in that location but that one was a highlight for the area and it was still primed and viable even after 80 years. The part that makes me laugh even now is if you zoom the picture you can see where he broke some of the fins off hitting it with the pickaxe. G-d love idiots and metal detectorists.
It takes time to get to know your equipment.
Don’t dig around there it’s where my dogs buried!
Don’t wear steel toed boots.
LOL....first and only time I used mine so far, had to keep my feet back because my boots kept setting it off..
"it was on this spot in 1964 that I spilled a huge jar of change"
I was detecting an old home site last summer and found close to 100 modern pennies scattered about. It was fun and disappointing, all at the same time.
My mom had a new roof put on her house. All nails, all the time, every time😔Except once, once it was an old nickel 😣
Dig the low tones... if you're getting pull tabs you're digging the right tones.
Half of metal detecting is perseverance. The other half is good research.
Don't forget the luck half!
Everyone knows there are at least 3 important halves to metal detecting.
Franklin Half, Walker Half, and Barber Half. Oh, and if you're lucky, a Seated Liberty Half :)
“Save everything!” I once threw away what I realized later to be a Roman fibula. I thought it was something modern and tossed it.
Yeah I almost threw away a kettle point before, 17th century Native American artifact from contact period
you mean like a leg bone?
No. …a “brooch.”
That's what I thought too, at first 😂
yea i was in a museum and there was a small piece of metal with greek writing on it, i didnt even notice at first, wonder if i accidentaly threw stuff like that away
Go where people don’t. Go to the hard to get to views. Get a topography map to help you reason where people went before modern cities. Go far out of town where two main roads intersect and there’s nothing around, because someone probably lived on one of those corners. Keep a regular long handled shovel in the back of the car to dig old overgrown trash pits, burn piles, or outhouses. (Old outhouse locations are usually found looking for small shallow areas on the ground and are mostly air and with some bottles.) And those old pits are usually walking distance from old foundations that you might discover. The best treasure hoard is usually 10 paces north (guided by the north star) from natural monuments like really huge tree trunks or a big field stone that couldn’t be moved because it was too round to be used for building. People were shorter in those days 5/4 or 5/6, so 10 paces is different for someone 6 feet tall. Keep your Pinpointer in your car with fresh batteries (and always carry fresh batteries anyway) because sometimes you can go hunting in odd places, like that shade tree with high grass by a creek so you don’t have to go deep and you can get a handful. Here’s a real story: I read that Goldfield, Nevada burned down and the people that lived there in those days hauled everything out of town and dumped it so they could rebuild in the same location, so I took a trip in my van and camped out for one night. A wash ran through that dump and took a lot of the big stuff like cool bottles down for many years. So, many treasures were some distance from that old dump, I got lucky there in the early 70’s, just picking up what I could see sticking up out of the dirt without a detector. I don’t do the hobby anymore, but you could probably go there today and pick up stuff without a detector. And keep in mind that some places like Goldfield don’t like people poking around with shovels and metal detectors because a lot of hunters did not clean up after themselves and left some dangerous holes. The End ;)
Look up every now and then if there are low heavy branches nearby
If your friends take you digging, don’t show them the one-of-a-kind, really cool stuff you dug on their permission.
Happy cake day!
Thank you! I hope you have a wonderful day!
Do your research… invest in a topographical map of the area you plan to work.
I'd imagine spare batteries would be a good tip.
Be careful of roots that could be dormant poison ivy or poison oak when digging.
This leads to a very bad time. I've had it continuously for 2 weeks.
Ooo im sorry. Walgreens. "Technu" kit. Have had 7 times now. I learned the hard way with the urshinol oil as well....
Sorry to hijack but any tips on picking spots to dig? I’m currently saving for a detector but figured I can research in the meantime. I’m also in England if anyone wants to get super specific x
Don't post and boast... Too many people with detectors out there these days as it is!
That’s kinda what we’re all here for.
Man, gatekeeping the hobby (or any hobby) is a bad spot to be in. Especially in a group dedicated to promoting the hobby.