How do you grid an area?

[Mirage]

Was out last weekend at our most recent hot spot. There was dew on the grass. As I swung the coil over the grass it was as if I was painting on the grass. It was very easy to see where I had searched. I was able to do a nice grid. Unfourtunately there are not a lot of times like this so what is a good way to grid a large area(say an acre of open grass)? Keep in mind will need a lot of trips back to be able to cover the whole area.

Mirage

[Antny]

Good question.
Usually on grass or soil I just go slow & hope I'm not missing any ground (although I usually am). I always find something I missed if I go back again.
When I work a beach, it's much easier. I swing with my right hand & drag my sandscoop on the sand with my left hand. This way I can grid & see where I have been.
Ant

[Sandman]

Grass is easy with strings attached to small stakes. It's important though to hit it again at 90 degrees. Dry sand, dragging the scoop as was said. In the water at a swim area, I use small floats with anchors like fishing structure marking buoys. If the water is still and shallow, the drag marks from the scoop sometimes help.

HH,
Sandman

[Gypsy Heart]

I found a great way to figure out where I have been when detecting a large area....I filled a ketchup dispenser with flour. Now All I do is mark the trail at the start,in the middle and the end of my sweep lines. Easy to see and spot and doesnt hurt the ground...

[ringding]

Get a backpack. Put flour in one of those platypus water bags. Get more tygon tubing. Extend the tubing from the platypus to your metal detector. Attach the tubing with cable ties so that the end of it exits near the coil. As you swing your coil a little flour comes out and you will be able to see your swings behind you. You will need a clip for when you get a signal and stop.

[john7734]

In dry beach sand I just shuffle my feet and it leaves a good path.

[Boobydoo]

Dig everything, never replacing the soil in your dig holes until the whole area looks like it was carpetbombed by the US Airforce. Then for months, you will know where you searched there.

lol...just kidding of course.

Keeping good records, sketches, using landmarks like trees etc if you plan a return trip. This is not perfect, but helps.

I sometimes use sticks I pick up on site, laying than flat parellel to the line I am walking at the edge of my swing on each side, or if they are pointed, stick them in the dirt like a small flag. Using several sets, like 5 or 6, means I only have to stop swinging and move them that less often.

Good luck Mirage!

Smiles!
BDoo

[RON (PA)]

I pick landmarks and try to grid off an area that way. I hunt it back and forth in several different to reveal signals. I will hunt the grid until I stop getting signals and then I move on.
When I detect the beach/water, I drag my long handled scoop behind me. That leaves an unmistakable trail.

Boobydoo is right. Good records do help if you plan to return. What to include (finds, place, weather, etc.) in your records is up to the individual.

[Born2Dtect]

In large areas I don,t gird. I just try to guess the most likely spots according to probability. Paths, corners, X the center. If I find something good I spiral out at least 20 feet then cross hatch it again. I look at it this way, if I spend too much time gridding I loose hunt time. Loose hunt time you don,t cover as much area. In a large area covering ground is the key.

Ed Donovan

[Boobydoo]

In large areas I don,t gird. I just try to guess the most likely spots according to probability. Paths, corners, X the center. If I find something good I spiral out at least 20 feet then cross hatch it again. I look at it this way, if I spend too much time gridding I loose hunt time. Loose hunt time you don,t cover as much area. In a large area covering ground is the key.

Ed Donovan

Good point Ed!
I definitely only "Grid" hot productive areas.
When starting a new unknown site, I like your theories!
Trying different passes, to find the more potentially productive areas.

Smiles!
BDoo

[Gypsy Heart]

tried the flour in the tube trick....humidity from this 90 degree weather made it moist and gummy. Not good.

[Born2Dtect]

Ant.

I Have seen guys do the same thing with a longer handle shovel (3 -4 Feet), just drag it behind them. Works great in freshly plowed fields. Oh how I wish no till farming was not invented. It is a real pain not to get those freshly plowed fields.

Ed Donovan

[Real de Tayopa Tropical Tramp]

Sheesh, just go to your friendly Home Depot and get a handful of the red flag mounted wire markers - about 14 - 16" high -. Then simply stick one in the ground at the start point and the other at your furtherest aim point Just head for the flag in front of you.

Of course as you fiinish up each sweep, you will reach down, pick up the just used alignment flag, pivot to the right, or left, stick it into the ground again. Continue this for each pass in both directions.

You will automatically be advancing your red flag markers each pass in the drection of your projected search The distance moved will be depend upon your detector and what you are looking for.

A simple accurate and non-destructive technique that can be used anywhere, including legal grassy areas.

Tropical Tramp

[Mirage]

Some interesting and good ideas. I like Boobydoo's - leave big holes.

I do use the stick method. I made some flags. Little bit of a hassle but probably the most simple and effective. I like the idea of the strings with stakes but in public parks with plenty of traffic that method is out.

One thing I have not done yet is actually make a map of the park, grid and mark off on the map the areas I have done. A lot of the parks here it would take weeks to grid. So when I go back I just have a mental map of the park and what areas I have done.

[deepsix47]

Was out last weekend at our most recent hot spot. There was dew on the grass. As I swung the coil over the grass it was as if I was painting on the grass. It was very easy to see where I had searched. I was able to do a nice grid. Unfourtunately there are not a lot of times like this so what is a good way to grid a large area(say an acre of open grass)? Keep in mind will need a lot of trips back to be able to cover the whole area.

Mirage

This is a really good question and you've already had some great answers. I've been digging artifacts, relics, and MD'ng for a long time. During that time I've had the opportunity to see many TH'ers working. The vast majority seem content to just amble along and let luck either be with them or not. I was always taught that if the site was worth working it was worth working right. The three Do's are; Good research, good equipment, and a plan. With these in mind, we can use the techniques of the Archaeologist and modify them as necessary. Without going into a lot of detail, I would highly recommend locating a copy of the "Amateur Archaeologists Handbook" by Maurice Robbins with Mary B. Irving. You'll learn how to research, gridding, digging, restoring, preserving and lot in more. It's an old book (1965) but it can still be found on Amazon and a few others. Absorb what's in it and you'll have a good base to work from. It will help you find more.
Deepsix

[treasure diver]

I bought some golf tee's & painted them blaze orange & carry them in a zip lock bag. I square off an area about 10 foot square, then cover the area & when I get a hit I want to dig I place a tee. When I'm satisfied I covered it good I turn off my detector & set down & scoot around & use my Treasure Mate pinpointer, the tee is wood or plastic so it don't give off a signal. I then dig the find & cover the holes.Saves the back some & batteries in the detector & gives me a break from the hot headphones. When all the tee's are back in the bag I pick up the 4 corner one's & move to a new spot.

[Captain Trips]

In dry beach sand I just shuffle my feet and it leaves a good path.

I do a lot of dry sand hunting, and never thought of this. Tried it last night, and it works great! Ends up looking like someone was plowing the beach in wide furrows, though. But at least I know where I've been, and it's a good guage for overlapping passes, too! (I made sure that each swing went almost to the previous track, and picked up some stuff I would have missed otherwise!)

[DDEXPII]

HOW ABOUT A GPS? THAT IS WHAT I DO ITS EZ TO SEE WERE YOU ARE AND BEEN. YOU CAN PLUG A COURSE AND SAVE IT AND IF YOU HIT A HOT SPOT YOU CAN SAVE THE GRID COORDINANCE TO THE GPS AND GO BACK A YEAR LATER TO WITHIN 3 FEET OF THE HOT SPOT . YOU CAN PICK ONE UP ON EBAY FOR UNDER $100 AND YOU WILL NOT GET LOST IN THE WOODS

[Blind.In.Texas]

Some interesting and good ideas. I like Boobydoo's - leave big holes.

I do use the stick method. I made some flags. Little bit of a hassle but probably the most simple and effective. I like the idea of the strings with stakes but in public parks with plenty of traffic that method is out.

One thing I have not done yet is actually make a map of the park, grid and mark off on the map the areas I have done. A lot of the parks here it would take weeks to grid. So when I go back I just have a mental map of the park and what areas I have done.

May i suggest, even though i dont't grid, that you keep those flag stakes about 3' long, very thin, and light weight, so ya don't need to bend as much.....that type of gridding system, tramp, is a good idea. very simple. i might even try that now..

[River Rat]

A good subject. I don't know how I missed this post earlier. Back in January, when I was trying to figure out what was the best way mark areas that I had already covered in the approximately 8 acre area. I tried sighting in on landmark trees...that did not work very good, seemed the trees were moving. I tried the plastic flagging tape marking an area, but you could not see it from a distance.

I finally broke down and bought some of those red flags, that RT is talking about. These were working great, I could find my covered area good, and continued to stick a flag (marking with an X) areas that I found Indian artifacts. Then one morning, I head out there to not see a flag in sight. Overnight the cows were in that area and pulled up every flag. So much for that...I did not want wires getting stuck in a cow's hoof.

So my last resort was to use only 2 flags. This technique works for me. My flags go where I go.

Gypsy's and Treasure's techniques sound good too, for smaller areas.