Frustration setting in...

wvdave107

Elite Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2017
Messages
574
Location
Charleston, WV
Haven't posted for awhile, because I haven't had the opportunity to really hunt much this summer. :(…. Work and responsibilities have been very hectic the last couple of months and It's really put a damper on my detecting and looking for places to hunt....

I've been hunting for just over a year and can't get enough of this addiction, but as of late I've noticed my frustration growing. Mostly, because when I do get a chance to get out I'll hit the park up from the house just because of time issues. Honestly, it's hit or miss, usually miss. Went this evening and found a penny that lost a battle with a mower and a 1988 dime and DOZENS of pull tabs and bottle tops. I understand 90% of the time we're all going to find the infamous pull tab and such, but when hunting time is limited you really want to maximize the find to time ratio and I feel I'm loosing that battle.

Guess I'm just venting...LOL Earlier in the year I contemplated on a new detector, but I think I'll hold off until I can find more time to put into it. I appreciate all that that take the time to read this. Just because I haven't posted doesn't mean I haven't been around here. I'll typically check in here every few days to see what everyone is finding...Happy hunting to all.
 
Maybe try for a change in location.

Do some door knocking, maybe a change in scenery would help.

If you get a permission, great! If they want an agreement about splitting funds, stick to it.

Don't "SageGrouse" 'em!

Give the AT Pro a little more time.

Good luck!
 
I also dig a lot of trash and I can't skip many targets because there are so many variations in the old coin types in Japan. At a park today I probably dig 50-60 junk targets and only one old coin from the 1600 or 1700's and 5 clad coins that added up to ¥105 (about $1). I'm in Japan which hasn't been hunted much but still 90% or more dug targets are junk.

Your problem might be the location. Even here if I go to a new park and I only find modern clad and trash I know it's not a good place to spend too much time. If I start finding old looking pieces of brass or copper mixed in or hear a lot of iron I will keep trying. If your park isn't producing anything good it might just be better to find a new location. If you never find anything good there is no point in metal detecting. If you can't find old coins look for jewelry or if you can't find that look for clad. A lot depends on location.
 
I know it’s difficult for some, but door-knocking is the way to go. I could not believe how easy it was after the first couple times. Opens up an entirely new world of detecting. Good luck!
 
Many hunters get less hunting in during the dog days of summer.
High heat and bugs sometimes dry ground and often a busy schedual.
Spring and fall hunting often picks up.
I servive on the short hunts .

Last night my son and I sprayed up heavily and still were run off by mosquitoes before we were ready to call it a night.
, Dew
 
Just schedule a few short hunts in new different locations. The short hunt will be enough to take the edge off and the new locations might just open up a new opportunity.

It helps to get out of a rut.
 
Don't give up!! Last evening, after nine months and about 1500 holes I found my first silver coin, a 1943 quarter in good condition. This in 90 degree heat and matching humidity with an insect population that is jungle like. I too find myself going to the same park over and over because it is close by and I don't have much time and believe me this place has been hunted but yesterday I found the quarter, an old jewelry box key, a piece of junk jewelry and another 78 cents in clad. So for two hours working in a hellish environment I drove home with about 4 dollars in actual value and joy in my heart. What a hobby!!!!:laughing:
 
The short hunts in your regular local place make for good practice. Pulltabs, other junk and pennies: all practice. You have an At Pro. That's a good machine. Only have an hour or so to hunt? Think of it as another practice run. Try new settings. Practice using them. Even for long time detecting veterans, the short runs in an off season make for good practice to stay sharp.

Six words of advice: "Practice makes perfect" "practice, practice, practice"

Six more words: Make time for some better locations.
 
I think summer is a frustrating season in this hobby, the heat,humidity, bugs, and often times ground that is too dry and hard to dig can take the fun out of it.
Keep at it, one good find can change your outlook really fast. HH!
 
I have the time....but the actual mid 90* temps, with over 100* heat index gives my desires a major smack-down :laughing:

Lack of rain (concrete soil) is another issue I don't care to tackle. I'll wait for Fall ;)
 
i understand how you feel. i love this sport

but I work graveyard and by the end of the day I can barely make it home staying awake. plus I live way out of town. hard to spend 4 bucks on gas to find a buck at a park. the one thing I do though if I only have limited time is hit up local playgrounds at parks or schools. seems to be the best return for time spent most of the time. take care.
 
WV-dave-107 :

All those guys that have said "location location location" are right. I mean, go figure: If you go to junky blighted parks, and lower the discrimination, what ELSE did you expect, other than pulltabs and foil ? :?:

I've been at stage stops (which ceased usage by 1900-ish), where we NEVER find a tab, or foil, or clad, etc..... Every target is a lantern part, harmonica reed, henry shell, toe-tap, seated, barber, etc.....

Or the beach after storm erosion where all the light stuff is washed out.

And if you *do* work the parks, why not just up your discrimination ? You can reject foil and tabs. Just shoot for silver coins (so you'd also reject anything less than 6" deep, for instance, assuming your park dates to the 1950s or earlier). Will you miss gold rings ? SURE. But if gold rings are your agenda, why oh why are you knocking yourself silly in junky parks ? Just go to swimming beaches, sand volleyball courts, etc..... Or if it must be turf, there's better turf than parks where picnicking/eating/drinking is going on. Namely: Sports turf (and get away from the spectator zones where eating/drinking goes on).

Don't give up!! Last evening, after nine months and about 1500 holes I found my first silver coin, a 1943 quarter in good condition. ....

This is painful. Just plain painful. The admonition to "dig junk till your arms fall off" and you'll eventually get 1500 to 1 @ oldies/keepers, is ... just plain painful. That's the reason WV-Dave posted in the first place.

If silver coins are a person's goal in turf, why not raise the disc ? I was just @ a park yesterday, and didn't dig a single foil or tab. Yet dug a 1911s barber dime and a 1920 merc. The secret ? That's what the disc. control is used for. Would I implement that if I were in a relicky site , or a place where I was angling for jewelry ? No. But in a place where I want to sniff out silver coins ? Yes.
 
WV-dave-107 :

All those guys that have said "location location location" are right. I mean, go figure: If you go to junky blighted parks, and lower the discrimination, what ELSE did you expect, other than pulltabs and foil ? :?:

I've been at stage stops (which ceased usage by 1900-ish), where we NEVER find a tab, or foil, or clad, etc..... Every target is a lantern part, harmonica reed, henry shell, toe-tap, seated, barber, etc.....

Or the beach after storm erosion where all the light stuff is washed out.

And if you *do* work the parks, why not just up your discrimination ? You can reject foil and tabs. Just shoot for silver coins (so you'd also reject anything less than 6" deep, for instance, assuming your park dates to the 1950s or earlier). Will you miss gold rings ? SURE. But if gold rings are your agenda, why oh why are you knocking yourself silly in junky parks ? Just go to swimming beaches, sand volleyball courts, etc..... Or if it must be turf, there's better turf than parks where picnicking/eating/drinking is going on. Namely: Sports turf (and get away from the spectator zones where eating/drinking goes on).



This is painful. Just plain painful. The admonition to "dig junk till your arms fall off" and you'll eventually get 1500 to 1 @ oldies/keepers, is ... just plain painful. That's the reason WV-Dave posted in the first place.

If silver coins are a person's goal in turf, why not raise the disc ? I was just @ a park yesterday, and didn't dig a single foil or tab. Yet dug a 1911s barber dime and a 1920 merc. The secret ? That's what the disc. control is used for. Would I implement that if I were in a relicky site , or a place where I was angling for jewelry ? No. But in a place where I want to sniff out silver coins ? Yes.

Thanks for the post, Tom. Most of my frustration is self inflicted...LOL. I travel quite a bit with work. I take my detector with me anytime it's convenient and time permits. It has paid off several times...some of my best finds have been while out of town. The problem is, when home I have quite a bit to catch up on and unfortunately, I don't have the time to get out.

I did do some research on a vacant lot not far from my home, looked very promising according to Google Earth and Historical Aerials, but when I got there, a brand new set of apartments are taking up all the area that I looked at...LOL. Things should slow for me closer to the fall. That should give me the opportunity to check out some of the other areas I've been eyeing...
 
Don't give up...I once dug 104 pull tabs in one day...

since then I've found 7 rings, a couple silvers...several wheaties...two bracelets...and more than 20 bucks in clad...
 
Yes location is it!:yes:

In fact...it’s ALL of it,to start. If the location with coins in it isn’t there,you’re toast. If YOU aren’t at the location with coins in it,you’re toast. If you can put those two factors together(you and a location that by all rights should have coins),you WILL find something. And you won’t become toast.
As far as time goes...a lot of time in the field will allow you to hunt your “hunted out spots” back to life. You will know your machine better(inside out is preferable) and you’ll know how to attack even lower conductors with better probability. You will simply wind up progressing more slowly due to the lack of time available for all this.
Throwing in the towel is one SURE way to not find anything!:grin:
 
In fact...it’s ALL of it,to start. If the location with coins in it isn’t there,you’re toast. If YOU aren’t at the location with coins in it,you’re toast. If you can put those two factors together(you and a location that by all rights should have coins),you WILL find something. And you won’t become toast.
As far as time goes...a lot of time in the field will allow you to hunt your “hunted out spots” back to life. You will know your machine better(inside out is preferable) and you’ll know how to attack even lower conductors with better probability. You will simply wind up progressing more slowly due to the lack of time available for all this.
Throwing in the towel is one SURE way to not find anything!:grin:

Correctomundo!:yes::lol:
 
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