I'm with you on the counting thing Tony; since my hunts are more a relief from the stress of caretaking than serious detecting, I don't really concern myself with the number of tabs I see. But the premise of Joe's original post, which probably was more a way to introduce some discussion into a quiet forum, is a very valid point. If you seriously seek gold then you are going to have to go after certain signals and it would probably serve you well to know where you stand in terms of averages if you've been at it a while, or an awareness of the task ahead if you're just starting. I enjoyed reading all the responses and will take them to heart if my situation changes and I ever get back into truly serious hunting. My count for the day Saturday wasn't a conscious effort, but came about when I got back and emptied my pouch and I saw all those tabs and realized just how much trash I had gotten up in a short time. Then all these recent posts on this topic came to mind.
Dusty brought up a great point and it's one I am very aware of. Digging everything can be troublesome if you are in an area where people take notice. It pays to dig carefully and maybe let healing take place while you move to a newer area. No better way to have privileges revoked than to leave a mess behind.
Shade, I understand and please take care out there to not disturb the grass anymore then you have too. There is always the screwdriver method. I carry one for shallow targets, it works great. I have used it for years and don't leave home without my screwdriver. I am probably on my forth or fifth one since I started using them. I even broke one of those brass probes they sell.
Good advice for everyone BigT. I use a brass probe that I made to find a shallow hit and then a screwdiver to ease it out. Digging is for the deeper stuff. I have seen enough open holes, sloppy sod replacements, and trash left on the surface to wonder how any of us are still allowed to hunt public spaces.
I agree with Dusty as to site specific locations that are new to me. But if I'm in an area where I've been a gazzillon times I have a tendency to skip over some signals. After a while, once I know the machine I'm using, I kind of do a sorting out of targets. For example, if I'm in a really trashed out site I make a game out of seeing whether it's foil, can slaw or some other aluminum artifact of trash. This method, although sounding a little silly, helps me learn the site pretty well as to what I'm seeing in the ground. From that point I may return and play another game with zinc pennies, bottle caps, screw caps and plain old crushed cans. And etc.... over and over. A lot of times I try and guess what it is accordingly and see if I'm correct. Sooner or later I have cleaned out a specific area enough to concentrate on gold and silver signals more carefully. What I've learned through this patient exercise is that there is a lot of nice stuff in the ground being masked by a boatload of trash. But I am pretty much totally addicted to the hobby and spend a large amount of my time out there swinging, which I know some of you don't have. However, when I'm pressed for time at a new site, I will dig about everything. When I have all afternoon, I play the game. I really don't care if I go home empty handed for 2 or 3 weeks because I know it will pop up as I'm sorting it all out. For you guys that are limited on time, well, I know how you feel and you just have to dig somewhat everything. I've dug a lot of, "Man, this has got to be a can!", signals/tones and was quite surprised by the result!
Ed/Ohio Dirt Fisher
PS>>>>> WHERE IS SPRING????
The reason I started this thread, is because I've encountered a lot of hunters over the years who claim to dig it all, but that's hard for me to believe. Surely, there are indeed some out there (a small minority) who do indeed dig everything, but most cherry pick IMO. They might not be extreme cherry pickers, but they tend to go for signals that fall in certain slots or number zones.
By definition, digging everything would be just that, from the shittiest deep iron belches, to the loudest surface hits. If the detector makes a noise, and gives off a signal, it's dug. Digging a lot of, or most - even if comprising some lower conductive signals - doesn't equate to digging it all, in my mind.
There's many in this hobby who will say things on a public forum which they do not practice in the field. At least, that's been my experience. Not saying anyone here, so don't think I am. I mean the practitioners of the hobby, in general. But I don't play that game. As others have said in this thread, I selectively choose where I'm going to dig most signals, based on age of the location, indicators I'm finding, depth stratas, etc. But at most newer public venues like parks for example, as Dusty said, digging even "most" signals just takes too much time & labor, due to the excessive amounts of trash...mostly modern.
I hunted with an old timer shortly after I got into the hobby, who sadly, has since passed. But this guy would LITERALLY dig anything that made a noise. He'd call me over to hear certain signals, and many were horrible, mangled, distorted hits, or just plain crappy iron tones/numbers. Straight up BAD signals, most of which many (most would pass right over). But he enjoyed digging them for the thrill, as many times iron can be an old relic, or some other nice piece. Additionally, he said he was helping to clean the ground, while at the same time unmasking deeper goodies. All of which is true, but I've not encountered many since that man who literally does the same thing. Including myself.
The ratios of junk versus gold is something else which gets me thinking. It might have been on the Whites forum, but I cannot remember exactly, though a longtime hunter there kept records over the years, and stated that on average, one would find a ring for every 2,500 to 5,000 pull tabs. Sounds excessive to me, but who knows. Just as wheat to silver ratios can hold a lot of weight, I believe a ratio of trash to gold can prove enlightening, also.
Yeah, you are right Joe - To each his own
I knew a woman who detected and beat the pants off everyone anytime we went out.
She dug it all and she seemed like a ferret - man she took home some stuff.
But hey - we are out there for an hour, two or three maybe more for some folks why not do what you can and see what turns up.......
Tomorrow I hope to hit a wood chip area that I haven't tried yet - it's new but you never know - hopefully the weather will be warm enough to dig a few targets
The new wood chip area in this new park (I recently found) was covered by a rubber sealer. It feels bouncy so the kids might not get hurt. They tore out the old equipment and flag pole area and put in new stuff. Every time I went there the construction site was fenced in so I had to wait. The snow melt has frozen over in the grass area - it probably will melt off again by this afternoon by I will not be able to go then.
I have a different set of ratios to ask the members about -
When I look at it my yearly totals. I then ponder if I can do better with my finds in certain categories like silver, gold, tokens, wheats and indians or liberty nickles. Dang, I don't even think about three cent pieces or seated dimes. I have never found a three cent piece and my seated dime totals are real low, only found a few of them.
These are the items I am concerned with And I have to ask the following:
What I need help with and hope that I can get some - how or where are those older coins that I am not getting? What is a reading for a three cent nickle (that is what they were called way back when). Why haven't I dug an Indian head cent lately? I have forgotten those numbers too and oh yeah a Liberty nickle - don't care if the date is gone but would be cool to find that along with a Walking Liberty Half dollar.
I am not home while writing this but if I dug say seven pull tabs/can slaw at every hunt and only have say five gold items - so 75 x 7 = 525 to 1. But this is difficult because I do get pull tabs digging nickle signals - so that mixes up the numbers by at least 20%
What a crazy hobby for sure.
I don't dig every signal. I'm 72 years old and bending over a lot would wear me out in no time. When I used my SE PRO I almost never dug nickel signals. Since I got my Etrac in September I've been digging a lot of the 12-12 signals if they are reasonably deep and have been getting Buffalo nickels ( the first signal I got in that range was a Buffalo). No jewelry yet with the Etrac. I'm primarily a coinshooter looking for silver.
You may have looked at the "Hoover Boys" on YouTube. They claim to dig everything. At the end of each video they show their finds including all the junk. Their junk to good targets ratio is pretty high but I guess that's what it takes to find the good stuff. They also detect in very old parks and private property.
Gerry
Gerry F, yeah the guys on the beach always post all of thier finds and they say they want to show the junkers. I did that too awhile back but opted for just coins in my photos.
Yeah, 72 is up there - I will be 66 next year and if I don't stretch a few times a week I get stiff or aches.
Glad to hear your first nickle with the Etrac was a buffalo, very cool and you will never forget that find.
Old nickles are 10-05 on the Explorer II and usually doin't deviate like newer ones do, they can be as high as 15-06
Whatever floats one's boat
Some like looking for gold, some silver, some clad. Some like digging deep, some hate it. Some like hunting the beach, others don't enjoy getting sand in their cracks
For me, the excitement of the search in & of itself is a driving factor, and yes, I hope to find something old whenever I go out. But the enjoyment factor has to be considered too. As gung-ho as we all here are about this hobby, there are indeed many who partake simply for physical fitness reasons, or maybe to get outdoors for a few hours. Nothing more. A simple hobby to while away the time.
I know a guy who enjoys metal detecting, fishing, playing golf, darts & flying drones. He wouldn't shed a tear if he couldn't detect anymore, as he has many hobbies he's involved in. I'm the polar opposite, but, like I said...
Whatever floats one's boat
