Iffy Signals

Bearbqd have you just tried digging a hole where there's no signal to see if the empty hole gives a signal ? Or reducing sensitivity ? What machine are you using?

Using a Fisher cz7a pro . Do you mean to dig a random hole and see if I get a signal? I do dig holes that at first give some sort of signal and after I dig, there is no signal in the hole or in the dirt. Or, the loose soil still gives me an erratic signal and there's nothing there. Is this just my machine being too sensitive to mineralization even when it's set on 2?

Yes just did a random hole where there should be nothing and see if its digging that disturbes the ground matrix thats causing the problem.
Only thing is I didn't think you would say you had a Fisher Cz which should not be to likely to suffer this problem or that you would have the sensitivity set low already.
After you have tried an empty hole try and find a good signal and see if further reducing (not that you have far to go) improves the target response.
I would also have a trip to a different area to see if the problem occurs everywhere or just on this farm. I've a farm I work thats organic and they fertilize with cow muck. A couple of machines sound off all over the place for weeks after they have sprayed the muck on the fields. My XLT sounds off on any farm on cow pats. Isn't detecting great !

I went to a different place after work today and ground balanced several times this time. I was getting so few signals that I kept wondering if my machine was working, but I have steel toe boots which I put near the coil when I think this and it always sounds.
I have determined to some degree, like you said epi, that a lot of times the iffy's turn out to be iron and when I set it for iron over these it usually sounds off clear. I think I'm slowly figuring this machine out a little more and I'm sure it will be a while before I can say I've mastered it, if ever. The pinpointing seems to be way off sometimes though.
Didn't find anything today, just a few nails and pieces of metal nothings.

I think I will start un notching the iron and doing that epi. As far as the steel toes, yeah they do interfere now and then if my feet are too close. I I do need to get some different outside boots. It's just that as a mechanic, I wear them at work and then just leave work to go detect. The dirt I was in today, being slightly moist, was like glue. My feet kept getting weighed down by 4 inches of built up dirt. YUCK! I had to keep flinging it off my feet just to walk right, lol. Had to leave my boots outside the house this time because they were so nasty.