Dig "Everything" Thoughts???

Ice Scratcher · Oct 19, 2017

Detector said:
Cherry picking works. I've been doing it for years.

Totally awesome pictures!

Testament of what's possible on land for gold...

Actually it was just recently, I sort of took my goal for rings on land.. Quite surprised, starting on land, then killing water for four years, then taking those ears back to land.. There's something in the sounds, combined with vdi, you can cherry pick from iron up.. Actually cherry pick some iron too...

I've always said/thought..

There's more rings, gold, silver lost on land.. Simple percentage of time, we, mostly land dwelling creatures, spend our time to lose stuff...

Water has exponentially different odds vs land when it comes to drops.. But, we don't live in the water...

<°)))>{

Cherry Picker · Oct 20, 2017

True Ice Scratcher. I can't remember who it was I just remember it in a treasure magazine the comment that there is far more gold to be found on land than in the water. I think in the water is just a lot easier LOL.

Just like water hunting some is luck, but it also involves some skill in know where has the best odds. I love rental property because it gives up the most of the yellow stuff. I'm guessing because all the moving in and out gives better odds of people losing jewelry.

Tpmetal · Oct 20, 2017

normx2 said:
The lowly "pulltab" was invented in 1962. Any site such as an old house that was gone and not inhabited again after 1962 would then increase your odds of avoiding pull tab plague.

The Crown bottle cap was invented in 1872, therefore...yep, old home sites that vanished before 1872 and were not inhabited after? you guessed it! Viola! as we say in the South will be pull tab and bottle cap free.

I only hunt pre Crown bottle cap (1872) places almost entirely, I ran across one pull tab all last year and I think it blew in from somewhere. I hunt one to two times per week. Iron? yep, lot's of iron but that can be managed.

There is no wrong way though to metal detect, it becomes a personal thing allowing every hunter to choose what they want to find, where they want to hunt, and how they want to do it.

I'm a research fanatic of sorts but it saves me tons of time in the field by avoiding modern trash heaven as much as possible.

I started in this hobby long before Google Earth, GPS, digitized records, Topo zone and all the rest. I never imagined I could pull up and print an aerial view of the site I was going to hunt before I left the house!!

Today I can find out who owns the place before I knock on the door!!!! who woulda thought??

Is this a great hobby or what?

This is mostly my MO as well. With sites like this I find shotgun shells and lead become the pull tab of those sites haha.

Tom_in_CA · Oct 20, 2017

normx2 said:
The lowly "pulltab" was invented in 1962. Any site such as an old house that was gone and not inhabited again after 1962 would then increase your odds of avoiding pull tab plague.

The Crown bottle cap was invented in 1872, therefore...yep, old home sites that vanished before 1872 and were not inhabited after? you guessed it! Viola! as we say in the South will be pull tab and bottle cap free.
.....

Normx2, It's true that aluminum tabs and packaging (foil wrapped items, etc...) are predominantly a post 1940s and '50s phenomenon. Hence if you're at a site that ceased usage prior to that time, then ... no aluminum. ESPECIALLY if you're talking pre-turn-of-century. Before aluminum came into ANY usage. Then yes: You're only low conductors would be smaller lead junk, for example.

HOWEVER: The big "gotcha" to this formula, is that prior to the 1940s/50s, people wore a LOT less jewelry. Vintage photographs might show people with jewelry on, but those are just posing for photo shoots. In the old days, a person might wear a wedding ring at most (and in the 1800s those could be copper or silver !).

Contrast to today, and ... heck ... even kids are wearing nose rings, toe rings, bracelets, earings, belly-button rings, necklaces, etc.... That simply wasn't the case.

That's why you hardly ever hear of gold rings being found in ghost-townsy type situations. EVEN THOUGH the hunter is in relic mindset digging even the flitty low conductors.

normx2 · Oct 20, 2017

Yes indeed there's something out there for everybody!!!

Silversmith45 · Oct 20, 2017

Unlike most, I don't feel that someone just starting out in metal detecting should dig everything. After hours of digging nothing but junk they are going to get discouraged and feel that detecting is a waste of time. Turn up the discrimination and find some coins. They can always try digging everything later if they want. As for only hunting pre-1872 sites, Wichita wasn't founded until 1871. Any old sites are now under concrete in the center of the city.

Cherry Picker · Oct 20, 2017

Agreed Silversmith. Now an experienced detectorist with a new detector should be fine digging everything to get used to the new detectors language, but you need to show that new detectorist some love. Let them find some coins and they will be far more likely to stay with the hobby.

One of my tips for increasing your odds of finding the gold among trash is good tight VDI numbers. Trash will almost always jump all over from -1 to +44 and be different from different angles. Most gold will have a tight set of numbers that jump from say 42-44 and generally will be the same close numbers from all directions.

Rattlehead · Oct 20, 2017

For me, how much I dig depends on 4 things.

1) What I'm looking for.

2) Type of site.

3) How I'm feeling.

4) How much time I have to dig.

The only time I truly "dig everything" is when I'm relic hunting a site that has no modern trash. Even then I'll skip small bits of iron.

At a swimming hole, I'll dig everything from foil on up.

On most of my hunting spots I accept everything from Nickels on up. Whether I actually dig the signals that fall between Nickels and IHPs depends on how I'm feeling, how much time I have to hunt, and how much trash is in the ground. At a really trashy site or when I'm feeling tired, I may skip those signals all together. If I'm feeling lucky I might dig them all or just the deeper ones. Either way, I want to hear them and make the decision myself, rather than letting the detector do it for me.

At the end of the day its all about the treasure to trash ratio.

wvdave107 · Oct 20, 2017

Thanks to all for the comments. Didn't expect to get such a large reply...Tons of great advice given by all. By reading through the posts, I don't feel so bad not digging "everything". Seems, the dig everything mindset is based on location, time, willingness to do it and what you're targeting. Makes perfect sense. When I first got my ATP I did dig everything. When in the park, I discovered I'd be there for days trying to locate something worth while...LOL. After a few months I've learned I don't need to dig everything to enjoy the hobby. One poster suggested cleaning out a small area and then going back over to see what might be hidden. That's a great idea for my particular park. Again, thanks to all for the great comments and advice....HH to all.

AirmetTango · Oct 21, 2017

Rattlehead said:
For me, how much I dig depends on 4 things.

1) What I'm looking for.

2) Type of site.

3) How I'm feeling.

4) How much time I have to dig.

The only time I truly "dig everything" is when I'm relic hunting a site that has no modern trash. Even then I'll skip small bits of iron.

At a swimming hole, I'll dig everything from foil on up.

On most of my hunting spots I accept everything from Nickels on up. Whether I actually dig the signals that fall between Nickels and IHPs depends on how I'm feeling, how much time I have to hunt, and how much trash is in the ground. At a really trashy site or when I'm feeling tired, I may skip those signals all together. If I'm feeling lucky I might dig them all or just the deeper ones. Either way, I want to hear them and make the decision myself, rather than letting the detector do it for me.

At the end of the day its all about the treasure to trash ratio.

This entire post exactly mirrors my thoughts, and how I'm currently hunting. How much I dig depends largely on the 4 factors Rattlehead outlines above, but in all but very rare exceptions, I want to hear everything from just below a nickel and higher and decide for myself whether I want to dig it or not. That decision might be made based on the quality or consistency of signal, indicated depth, quality of location, or maybe just my mood or time available - but I like hearing the tones, and making the call myself.

Corben · Oct 21, 2017

Come to think of it...Wide open spaces is where I got most of my ring finds. Soccer fields, baseball diamonds..i even found a gold ring on a horseshoe pit once.

Dig "Everything" Thoughts???

Ice Scratcher

Elite Member

Cherry Picker

Tpmetal

Elite Member

Tom_in_CA

Elite Member

normx2

Elite Member

Silversmith45

Elite Member

Cherry Picker

Rattlehead

wvdave107

Elite Member

AirmetTango

Corben

Junior Member

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