How hard do you hunt

[clm]

I got permission to hunt an old farmhouse that is probably at least 80 years old. It is on a fairly busy road and I am guessing that it has been hunted before--hard. I was surprised at the lack of targets. I hunted for a couple of hours and only dug about ten targets-none of them coins. All of them junk. Are there still old coins there? I suspect that it's likely but they won't come easy. How hard will you hunt? How long can you go without hitting a good target and still have the enthusiasm to keep hunting the same spot?

 

[pescadore]

I have to admit that I am not very patient when it comes to lack of signals especially if I know or suspect the place has been heavily hunted. I have friends that are much more patient and sometimes rewarded for their patience. I just like to find stuff and not hunt all day for a few finds.

 

[Konadog]

I wouldn't give up after one hunt.....maybe after two or three and still no good coins I'd say it was maybe time to move on.

 

[QuarterHoarder]

I often find myself liking a spot with minimal targets my first time out. At least that means there's little trash in the ground. I would suggest putting on the biggest coil you have and cranking the sensitivity all the way up. You should get really good depth and dig everything that sounds remotely promising. It may have been hunted hard in the past but if most of the trash has been removed you will have the lions share of the deep goodies.

 

[ohiochris]

Dont try to hunt it all in one day , just a small section at a time. An area like this usually has very few good targets , sometimes none at all , but just one find in a place like that can really pay off big time if you are lucky. Keep at it until you have covered every bit of it that you can , a section at a time , as long as you have the permission to do so. These places can either be a lot of work for nothing , or the find of a lifetime. But you never know until you cover every bit of it.

 

[Martin_V3i]

I got permission to hunt an old farmhouse that is probably at least 80 years old. It is on a fairly busy road and I am guessing that it has been hunted before--hard. I was surprised at the lack of targets. I hunted for a couple of hours and only dug about ten targets-none of them coins. All of them junk. Are there still old coins there? I suspect that it's likely but they won't come easy. How hard will you hunt? How long can you go without hitting a good target and still have the enthusiasm to keep hunting the same spot?

This reminds me of a recent experience. There is a historic spot less than a mile from my house I have always frothed at the mouth to hunt. A buddy got us permission about two years ago and then an archie screwed us out of it. The spot is now on the verge of excavation following the original owner passing away. I gave it a shot to ask permission and didn't get a "no" answer, yet the no trespassing signs were placed within two days.

I passed the info on to a friend who's good at permissions, and he stopped in the next day and WALLAH!, permission was given by the adjoining church(church now owned it.)

Friend was told that it had been hit hard beforehand, and the ending analysis following the one day hunt was that it was trashy and nothing good was found.

I suggest not stressing on your spot if it is indeed a highly visable spot on a busy road. It probably is lame by now.

I still find it strange that I, a resident in this small community, was denied twice, while a new face was allowed on the spot. That doesn't do much for my self confidence for asking for permissions.

 

[Mountain Mike]

What kind of detector are you using and how? big coil? High sensitivity? If you are using a good machine and running it hot and found nothing then move on.

 

[Gaspipe]

I would place a spot like that on the back burner. I would only hit again if I didn't have anything better or got too lazy to find more productive spots.

 

[Bfenton]

I recently got permission to hunt an old church and vacant lot next to the church where a small house once stood. I hunted for about 2 hours and found 4 or 5 clad coins. I did locate about 75 cemetery markers, which I was happy to do! I'm planning on going back, but don't really expect to much. I am finding my share of clad and an occasional piece of jewelry, but the silver is extremely hard to come by.

 

[Texhoma Metal Detectors]

door knocking

I have been door knocking for almost 3 years now. We have hunted some great places. We look for homes built late 1800s and early 1900s. We have hunted yards and pulled as many as 7 or 8 good coins from the front yard. And then the yards you would think would be a silver mine often gives us nothing. It either was hit hard or maybe fill dirt was brought in. Look at the side walks, if it's several inches below the grass, a lot of time fill dirt has been brought in. And we mostly hunt corner homes, they have had more traffic and most of the time have a bigger yard. Most of the times we only hunt the front yards. That way people can see you the whole time you are there.

 

[TheCocaColaNut]

I'm just getting started but did a little a few years back in my own yard. I already have about 5 sites I heading for (houses no longer there, one was gone over 55 years ago built in 1800's) I love the old house idea.

 

[ericp501]

The spot closest to my house is great, but almost impossible to hunt. Its been hit many times so theres nothing above 6". I only hit it in the summer after a good soaking and I dig every single little junky beep I hear. I've been rewarded with part of 1809ish large cent and an early 1800s naval button. This is the only place I hunt like this.

 

[DIRT DOBBER]

I'm mostly a relic hunter and I only get to hunt old homesites once in a while and hunted out sites don't bother me. I'll hunt an old yard like you describe (as long as it's oooold) for hours before giving up on it. Believe me some of my best coins have been found in old hunted out sites. I look at it like most of the clad is gone and the deeper, tougher targets are still there....especially that 8R or coppa that's 7" deep at the corner of the porch or out by the barn or shed that I inevitably find on sites that have been pounded. Being a relic hunter, I'm a quality not quantity guy. But I suppose it does come down to 'nature/nurture' biology and whether you're equipt emotionally to keep going because you know that keepa is in the next hole.

 

[Swinglow]

The best hunt I ever had, was at an 1850's farmhouse. The owner told me someone had detected it previously.

There's also a house on my street from the 1760's, same thing, only this one, I know the owner personally and 3 of his friends had already detected it. 3 different people, 3 different machines. I went in with the Deus and found 5 silvers and a ton of relics. He actually just invited me back to hit the dirt floor basement.

 

[Jamflicker]

Sometimes you have to go with your gut. If you think there should be stuff there then stick with it.

 

[choppadude]

I received permission to hunt a 1834 Homestead and I was stoked! Dreams of seated coins and reales danced in my head. Then when I got there and hunted for a couple hours I found nothing but junk. Then to top it all off, a guys stops by to talk and tells me him and his buddy have hunted that place hard and pulled just the type of coins I was dreaming of. Nothing left I was told. I was bummed but kept at it.
I have now hunted this place at least a dozen times in the last year and a half. I searched it slowly and methodically and before long the good stuff was coming out. No seated and no Reales yet but a half dozen large cents, a few barber dimes, a handful of Indian heads (a 1876 in VF cond.) not to mention many period artifacts that I love digging more that the coins.
Just like most anything, you need to be consistent in your approach and your actions to be successful.

 

[dirtydog]

I usually do long hunts about 5 to 8 hours 3 or 4 times a week. Now! That's if my wife don't object Today 5 1/2 hours with lots of beach trash and 74 cents.

 

[junkdrunk]

I often find myself liking a spot with minimal targets my first time out. At least that means there's little trash in the ground. I would suggest putting on the biggest coil you have and cranking the sensitivity all the way up. You should get really good depth and dig everything that sounds remotely promising. It may have been hunted hard in the past but if most of the trash has been removed you will have the lions share of the deep goodies.

x2
If the spot seems clean, let the big dog eat!!! I have a spot where an old farmhouse was ( it had been torn down and burned)... huge lot, and lots of trash. I gridded it out and hunted it hard for four days. I didnt break the bank with silver or gold, but i had some nice finds and had fun. Now when i go back i can try to run deeper.

It really depends on how much time your allowed to hunt. To me if its trashy and i have a limited time or permission to hunt. get a small coil, discriminate and cherry pick. but if i have time to come back multiple times, i like to clean up a bit and then run it over with a small coil. just my 2 cents.

 

[rcb104]

I would go back. I learned that recently in January. Friend of mine hunted a site and found 3 1830'ish large cents. He hunts quite a bit maybe 3 days a week. We go back and I get 1833 large cent. When I told him I have a good signal he came over to watch it come out of the ground. 1833 large cent. He goes back to his signal and 1784 coin pops out. He goes back another day gets another reale 1817. I'm sure if crops not in and warms up again he will be back. But again this was from a spot that I knew had previous good finds. I still would not give up if u have a machine that runs good in the iron. BTW he uses AT Pro and I use Etrac just FYI

 

[Dangit]

Go back and bang it hard. Pick a certain spot and stay there. If you have a different coil put it on. Go in a different direction than before, ie go at a 45 degree angle over the direction you hunted before. Slow and steady and you will be surprised. Dig iffy's.