QUESTION: HOW THE HECK DO YOU DIG --

BARKER

Bronze Member
Nov 1, 2011
2,056
1,795
BOSTON
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Garrett GMH, Toltec 100, Whites PI 3000, Fisher 75, Whites Silver Eagle 2, Whites Beachcomber, and several others from 1968 to Present
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting

SusanMN

Silver Member
Jun 1, 2007
4,534
4,098
Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Tiger Shark, Xterra 705, Makro Legend
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Live somewhere that has temps consistently above 32 degrees? Or I guess along the ocean.
 

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
32,142
Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Here in Louisiana are ground is never frozen ever. Although we did have 12 tornadoes today. Lol. I still went metal detecting


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dfallis1

Hero Member
Jan 5, 2016
751
1,420
Somewhere below the mason-dixon
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
XP Deus-
Garrett GTI 2500-
Garrett AT PRO- Garrett Pro-Pointer AT-
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Sometimes we use a small handle pick ax to pry back the first couple inches. But that's only on farm land. Had to use it last weekend up in the mountains.
 

Deft Tones

Bronze Member
Mar 24, 2016
1,547
2,352
Hawkeye State - Area 515
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i, XP Deus, Minelab Sovereign GT, Garrett AT Pro, Whites TRX (2), Predator Raven, Predator Raptor, Lesche Sampson
Primary Interest:
Other
Patience, precision striking, experience. Frozen soil is very soft by my standards and similar to working green (wet) limestone. Cake in comparison to granite. How to extract large chunks quickly and efficiently comes with practice.

These tools get the job done...
mattock_heads.jpg
The bottom pick is ideal.

Then a small chisel around 12" long or a stout slotted screwdriver and you're good to go. Use the pick head side to strike the screwdriver/chisel for detail work.

It's not so difficult and shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to get 6" down, but it is work.
 

FreeBirdTim

Silver Member
Sep 24, 2013
3,786
6,776
Scituate, RI
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Head to the woods. Leaves insulate the ground, so the woods don't freeze for weeks after the fields freeze up. Not as many good finds, but it's better than nothing!
 

Loco-Digger

Gold Member
Jun 16, 2014
11,827
17,744
Northern O-H-I-O
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
F75 LTD, 1280X Aquanaut, & a Patriot (back-up/loaner)
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
How ya doing Ron? I do not dig in frozen ground. This past weekend I hunted Sunday since it got up in the 40's and found some thawed areas.
 

Papalittle

Sr. Member
Apr 17, 2013
399
264
Hardy, Nebraska
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Eurotek Pro, Fisher F2, Garrett Ace 250 Teknetics Delta4000
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I look for spots where the sun hits most of the day. Dig close to buildings, dig under leaves in wooded areas.
 

kcm

Gold Member
Feb 29, 2016
5,790
7,085
NW Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Silver uMax
Primary Interest:
Other
It's -9° and dropping up here. So in this area, if you wanna dig targets year-round, you need a "slightly" larger digging tool. :laughing7:

excavator_w2139_13ton_excavator.jpg
 

kha924

Jr. Member
Jan 29, 2017
78
64
NWPA 814
Detector(s) used
LRP
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Barker i feel your pain been to cold to dig here but it did rain all day which I'd assume is coming your way now.. although you will need a pump to clear water from your holes now I dont know whats worse
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,422
30,105
White Plains, New York
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
A good pick on open fields, but under the leaves in woods doesn't freeze as much in my experience. Or you can just go to Arizona in the winter like I do and hunt gold. :skullflag:
 

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AlienLifeForm

Bronze Member
Jan 31, 2010
1,589
2,337
DFW Texas
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-TRAC, Garrett ProPointer, Lesche Digger
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Not sure. It was in the 80's today so the soil was nice and workable.
 

Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,004
17,108
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
My detector goes nighty-bye from October to about May.

In that time I come here and make a nuisance of myself to avoid cabin fever.
 

pat-tekker-cat

Gold Member
Feb 23, 2011
6,335
8,486
S. Fl.
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab Excal II, Garrett, Tesoro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I wish I could be of help, I looked around, and have absolutely no clue! :dontknow: :laughing7:

office1.jpg office2.jpg

I'm allergic to snow. :laughing7:
 

taz42o

Bronze Member
Dec 25, 2008
2,200
1,457
Ohio
60 degrees in ohio yesterday. Only bad part is the smallest tics ive ever seen, dont know they are babbies or just small winter tics.
 

kcm

Gold Member
Feb 29, 2016
5,790
7,085
NW Minnesota
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Silver uMax
Primary Interest:
Other
60 degrees in ohio yesterday. Only bad part is the smallest tics ive ever seen, dont know they are babbies or just small winter tics.
Grab yourself a hammer and then you can call them tic tacks. laughing hysterically.gif

...Don't know what the coldest temp got to, but last I remember seeing last night was -18.4°F - will be a good day for stayin' indoors!
 

Driftwoood

Full Member
Mar 31, 2016
188
281
Schoharie County, NY
Detector(s) used
Ace 250, AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Head to the woods. Leaves insulate the ground, so the woods don't freeze for weeks after the fields freeze up. Not as many good finds, but it's better than nothing!

I agree with FreeBirdTim... in my area, there are foundations littering the woods and they are usually diggable for most of the winter, unless we have temps well below freezing for extended periods. I was out today and just the top inch or so was crusty... underneath it was just fine. In spots where there was little or no leaf cover, the ground was like a rock.
 

Msbeepbeep

Gold Member
Jun 24, 2012
15,787
24,131
MA
Detector(s) used
M-6, pro pointer, pistol probe
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Ron, we will be needing the back hoe tomorrow....foot & a half of snow coming our way.

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Engineer in MD

Full Member
Jan 6, 2011
102
124
Berlin/Ocean City, MD
Detector(s) used
Whites V3i, Whites Eagle II SL, Pro Pointer
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
60 degrees in ohio yesterday. Only bad part is the smallest tics ive ever seen, dont know they are babbies or just small winter tics.
Those are chiggers, make you itch like a bit$@


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