Beginner Detector in desparate need of helpful pointers!

[Newbie Hunter]

Hello fellow treasure seekers! I live in Jackson County, Wisconsin and I just started dectecting afew weeks ago. I'm having trouble finding areas to detect. I'm still learning to pin-point the object better so I don't dig a 12-inch wide, 8-inch deep hole to find a dime! I'm afraid to ask any homeowners yet for permission because I don't want to ruin the lawn. I'm asking for advice on how to pin-point the object or coin down to where I only remove maybe a 3 or 4 inches of the sod so I can then dig and probe with the hand pin-pointer and not kill the grass in the process. My Dad and I bury coins in our own yard without telling each other so we can practice and get used to the tones of the dectector. I use an X-style technique to try to pin-point and I know I'll get better but still I'm looking for some advice. I'm also wondering what major laws there are for metal detecting, for example where I can or cannot dig? If I find something is it "finder's keepers"?, because if I did get permission to dig in the yards of some of the 100 year old homes in town I would like to keep what I would find or does the landowner have to give it to me? As you all can see I'm currently very new to metal detecting but I'm already addicted to it bad! I'll just stick to state and county land or family member's property until I find out all the rules or regulations and get better at pin-pointing with the detector. Please! Please! Please give advice! I'm in a desparate situation here! Thanks!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[RotZorn]

What detector you swinging? If its one of the major brands, I'm sure you can find a vid on YouTube.

The x technique is ok if you have a concentric search coil, but you may have to get a little creative if you got a DD! You can find some how to vids on that as well.

 

[wvwildman]

go knock on doors and ask for permission the worst they can say is no then ya move on to the next house

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

One thing I would caution you on, is your characterization of your hobby as "digging" (rather than "metal detecting"). Because if you think of it in those terms ("where can I dig?"), then the answer is going to be "very few places" except perhaps on the beach, or private property.

I mean, think of it: If you walk into ANY city (or county or state) offices ANYWHERE, and say "hi, can I dig in your park?" (or school, or curb-strip, or campground, or ... whatever), what do you think they're going to say? They'll say "no", of course. And why's that? Because of course the connotation "dig", is "holes". And there are laws that forbid "vandalism", "alteration", "defacement", and so forth. However, all such laws inherently refer to the end result. And you know you'll cover it, stomp it, fluff it back up, etc.... Right? Thus when you leave no trace of your presence, then you have not "vandalizED", "alterED", or "defacED" anything.... now have you?

So ... no, we don't go ask "hi, can I dig here?". Instead we say "can I metal detect here?"

Yes, it's true, there's the necessary evil process of extraction (digging), so ... if you're going to do parks, schools, campgrounds, etc... uh ... a little discretion is in order. I mean, ... you don't go at high noon waltzing through little league games, over beach blankets, parading yourself when the lawn mower people are there, etc... You go at low traffic times. Like after 5pm's. Or early Sat &/or Sun AM before 9am, and so forth.

ok, now that that's cleared up, as for what parks, schools, etc... you can do: Any that don't have a specific rule saying "no metal detectors". You can look up rules and laws for yourself (all park rules are available for public to view, and all city/muni codes are public record/access). Look it up for yourself. If you see nothing there saying "no metal detectors", then presto, it's not prohibited

 

[gleaner1]

You need a mentor, as all newbs do in matters as complex as tectin and such. It is impossible to give any advice in a few words on a blog. So get an experienced teacher, or just keep diggin and reading and lookin at vids on the net. You will get it one way or the other. You can do it the hard way alone and figure it out yourself, or you can get somebody to show you the ropes which makes it easier a hundred fold. And don't buy an expensive pinpointer yet, your tecter has one built in to it for free. There aint nothing left in the parks by the way, try to hit privately owned lawns which are sometimes fairly good spots.

 

[XLTer]

Hunter , first I'd like to welcome you to a great hobby and T- Net . Then commend you for asking the DO's & DON'Ts before you start on private or public land . Keeping a good image for the hobby IS top priority .

Now as for pinpointing . Just place a coin on the surface of a clear area ( area that has NO signals ) of soil . Now pinpoint and see where the coin is under your coil/loop when you get your loudest or most consistant signal . Notice that if your coil is not perfectly flat above the soil it will be slightly off target when you pinpoint as to when the coil was flat in pinpoint mode . You did'nt say what type of detector you have , but as you practice , reread your owners manual and get a better understanding of the directions and controls of your detector . I've had mine for 17yrs and still refer to my owners manual when I don't understand what my detector is telling me under certain conditions . Heavy mineralized ground , lots of metal trash in ground , stong electrical interfearence from electric lines ...... ect. Then find out how to best correct for bad conditions . Also , never trust weak batteries . They will drive you crazy until you replace them with fresh ones . Good luck and Happy Hunting !!!!!!

 

[Sapper724]

Hello fellow treasure seekers! I live in Jackson County, Wisconsin and I just started dectecting afew weeks ago. I'm having trouble finding areas to detect. I'm still learning to pin-point the object better so I don't dig a 12-inch wide, 8-inch deep hole to find a dime! I'm afraid to ask any homeowners yet for permission because I don't want to ruin the lawn. I'm asking for advice on how to pin-point the object or coin down to where I only remove maybe a 3 or 4 inches of the sod so I can then dig and probe with the hand pin-pointer and not kill the grass in the process. My Dad and I bury coins in our own yard without telling each other so we can practice and get used to the tones of the dectector. I use an X-style technique to try to pin-point and I know I'll get better but still I'm looking for some advice. I'm also wondering what major laws there are for metal detecting, for example where I can or cannot dig? If I find something is it "finder's keepers"?, because if I did get permission to dig in the yards of some of the 100 year old homes in town I would like to keep what I would find or does the landowner have to give it to me? As you all can see I'm currently very new to metal detecting but I'm already addicted to it bad! I'll just stick to state and county land or family member's property until I find out all the rules or regulations and get better at pin-pointing with the detector. Please! Please! Please give advice! I'm in a desparate situation here! Thanks!

It all depends on city rules. As for state rules, just font detect on DNR managed land (public hunting land, wetlands, lakes, rivers etc.) or railroad property. There are lots of places to hunt, but don't get caught on those mentioned spots, the Wisconsin DNR likes to make examples out of people like us for some reason, probably because they're bored not doing anything constructive. Good luck and happy hunting!

 

[Uncle Jeff]

Side note smaller plugs tends to create dead grass, from all the post I have read a 5 inch plug or greater gives the grass a better chance to survive.

 

[treasurehound]

I am not familiar with your machine so I can not advise how well it does. But I have no problem pinpointing with my other machines. I used the criss cross system and I can get exactly where the target it. One thing you may want to do is find where the signal reads on your coil. Is it in the center or on the side or top or bottom? As far as getting permission you can start by asking your friends and relatives. Not only their property but maybe they know of someone else and they can get the permission for you. Never ask if you can dig. I usually say "metal detect" or "hunt for relics or coins". Most schools and city parks are free to detect without asking permission but check your local laws first. All National parks and most state parks are off limits. Don't even think about taking a machine there. Tot lots are a great way to find jewelry and you can hunt them pretty fast. During the hot summer months I usually hit several in a day. I have found a lot of rings this way. As far as finders keepers you get to keep what you find unless: you make a deal with the landowner. I have one landowner that I give a lot my finds to because they only let me hunt their 1700's home. It would be a good practice to give the landowner something that you find especially if you are on a great site. Now if you find a ring by all means try to track down the owner if you can. The only rings I keep are those not marked or have no way of finding owner. But class rings should be easy to track down. I have paid all of my machines off by my finds so you should have no problem upgrading to a better machine later. Good luck and welcome to this addicting hobby.

 

[twiasp]

Find some clear ground that is metal free, toss down some coins and other objects around. Beep them and move your coil around, forward/back, side to side, up and down, you will learn your coil and how to pinpoint with it very fast. Concentric (round) coils are the easiest, its a cone shape under the coil, so should pinpoint right to the middle of it, DD coils of course work differently. If you do have a Concentric coil and you find an object, if you know how deep your coil senses into the ground, try lifting your coil up off the ground some, will give you a decent tip as to the depth and since it is a cone shape under the coil will help you pinpoint exactly without pinpointing mode.

 

[Newbie Hunter]

Thanks for everybody's replies, they were very helpful. I got permission to detect on some private land. I made sure to get written permission and advised him that I was new at the hobbie and I was slightly worried about his grass as I didn't know if it would leave little circles of dead grass all over. All he told me was don't even worry about it and go find those gold bars I buried years ago! (He was joking of course, but he lets out a huge laugh and being a big man it was nice to not be very itimidated by him anymore.) He is my girlfriends landlord and the apartment building was actually an old school house from 1905. I don't want to make anybody jealous but what a great spot to start out! (I didn't kill any grass by the way!) I did some research on the place and found that the people from the church that is a couple blocks away used to come over to the school and have what they called social gatherings and they would play yard games, horse shoes, and there used to be old swings that are now long gone. Boy did I find alot! I thought it would have been a better place to find some older coins and I'm not done detecting there yet but the oldest was a wheat penny from the 1950's, I think it was 1953. I was suprised that it was only 4 inches down and pennys from 1999 have been 8 inches deep, and the landlord hasn't done anything like landscaping. I have gotten my pin pointing down to where I'm only taking a 5 inch circle of sod out before I go further down and I did happen to find some very cool old brass and copper buttons and an old gold plated womens shirt pennet that the lady from the antique store said would have been from the early 1920's and she offered me $30 for it but it being my best find I had to keep it and it proudly sits on my stand above my desk. I just wanted to say thanks again and I'm very addicted to metal dectecting now and every thing I find is a treasure to me!

 

[paul of Penna]

When recovering a target, I almost never cut a plug. I simply make an elongated "C" shape cut and leverage under it to expose the bottom. This leaves one side of the roots fully intact so the grass browns very little a few days after you're there. This keeps return visits a reality for me.
Paul of Penna