How to hunt historic yet real trashy areas....

Feb 23, 2009
364
8
Moscow-ish, Pa
Detector(s) used
Minelab X-Terra 705 w/7.5&3kHz coils
OK - I'm not a Charter Member so I cannot search.....

But I've got a location that dates back to the 1840's. It is a T-Shaped intersection (it was then and it is now) for horse...then stagecoach....the autos. The 'corners' has gone through its phases of hotels, general stores, taverns etc.... with a busy rail station directly across the street.

Lots of open space still remains today. Very loooong history at this spot.....but the road is pretty busy these days.

I expect a HECK of a lot of trash (Cans, pull tabs, foil, etc...) from more modern activity......but plenty of goodies from yesteryear. Ground is currently a mix of hard pack dirt and still soft, grassed areas (but I have pics of the same spot from the 1910's & teens). For this spot - I prefer to shoot coins.

I'll hunt it using an MXT with a 10" EXCELRATOR DD COIL.


How would YOU hunt this? Or rather....WOULD you hunt it? If I tighten the discrimination to help weed out trash......I'll also end up discriminating out some goodies, eh?


-
 

extractor

Silver Member
Sep 27, 2007
2,941
53
Sal Sagev Adaven
Detector(s) used
E-TRAC,,,, SOVEREIGN GT,,,, GP 3500,,,,
GB PRO.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Sounds like to much trash to hunt > BUT I would hunt in, prospecting mode, gain around +2, duel controll in hyperstat .This way ya might get lucky and score some precious metals
 

silverswede

Hero Member
Dec 12, 2005
791
7
Pinehurst. Idaho
Detector(s) used
Minelab SOVEREIGN XS-2a PRO
I'd tighten up that discrimination even to skip pulltabs and go for it. You'll miss a lot more goodies if you don't hunt it. Also you'll be in the public eye there and it's a lot cooler to be putting coins in your pocket rather than junk in a sack. You'll still be getting down to 6 or more inches on good stuf. Ya go for it Gary.
 

The-Bone

Sr. Member
Nov 13, 2007
326
24
North East,Pa
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Ace 250, Whites Silver Eagle, BHID,M6,CZ21
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Gary, if the site is as promising as it sounds there is absolutely no doubt in my mind...i would lay down another $100 and get a smaller coil to help in weeding out the junk.....you'll be pleasantly surprised as to what you find in between signals
 

truckinbutch

Silver Member
Feb 15, 2008
4,607
1,036
Morgantown,WV
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Landstar
Go all metal and clean it a square yard at a time . You won't have to wonder what you missed that way . Instant gratification doesn't hold many long term rewards .
 

Goodyguy

Gold Member
Mar 10, 2007
6,489
6,895
Arizona
Detector(s) used
Whites TM 808, Whites GMT, Tesoro Lobo Super Traq, Fisher Gold Bug 2, Suction Dredges, Trommels, Gold Vacs, High Bankers, Fluid bed Gold Traps, Rock Crushers, Sluices, Dry Washers, Miller Tables, Rp4
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
truckinbutch said:
Go all metal and clean it a square yard at a time . You won't have to wonder what you missed that way . Instant gratification doesn't hold many long term rewards .

Dig it all :thumbsup:
My kinda guy !
 

rjw4law

Bronze Member
Apr 25, 2007
1,588
180
Missouri
Detector(s) used
AT Garrett Max/ Garrett ATX/ Deus XP
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Get the smallest coil you can find and go very slow, dig everything and the rewards are what everyone else gave up on.....very tedious but sometimes extremely productive, sometimes these historic, trashy areas are in the parts of town, where you keep one eye on the ground and the other eye behind you...be careful
 

Swartzie

Hero Member
Mar 15, 2009
791
52
Tuscarawas County, Ohio
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Tejon
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Hi Gary. I have a similar situation. A place with lots of history and lots of trash. My place was a saw mill in the 1820's and later a small hydro-power station in the early 1900's. To top that off, a side cut canal from the Ohio-Erie entered in no more than 50 yards away. So there has to be some goodies in there. Problem is the place was a hang out for partiers in the 70's and 80's. So there's lots of trash. I guess it's a good thing that I'm finding lots of trash. That kinda tells me that no body has hunted the area. I have only worked the area for about 4 hours getting used to my new machine (Ace 250) in trashy areas. Boy, I never knew so much stuff was in the ground. It seems everywhere I have gone there is stuff all over. Especially iron. Anyway. Since I am interested in relics as well as coins and such I believe my method will be to dig everything. I may also invest in a handheld pinpointer to speed up my recovery time and perhaps a small sniper coil sometime later.

Good Luck!
 

luvsdux

Bronze Member
May 16, 2007
1,767
690
Lewiston, Idaho
Detector(s) used
Multiple Tesoros and Whites
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I'd use the smallest coil I could, hunt slow, use little or no discrimination and, if necessary, clean out a yard of two at a tme. The spot sounds like a very good bet for some truly old coins. Good Luck.

Bill
 

miamidave

Jr. Member
Aug 23, 2008
52
2
hollywood
Detector(s) used
recon pro
Ive got an old garrett tid but no notch or custom heres what Ive been doing in spots like that but it takes a couple of days
#1mark a spot 20ft x 20 ft then set my disc at penny/dime and start in southwest corner moving south to north
then drop to zink penny and start in northeast corner going north to south
then Im back in southwest corner I drop to pulltab and move west to east.(get the picture?)
by the time I am at nickel deep silver is popping up (usually) you just got to get all the trash and clad out of the way.
hope this helps
David
 

OP
OP
Gary in Pennsylvania
Feb 23, 2009
364
8
Moscow-ish, Pa
Detector(s) used
Minelab X-Terra 705 w/7.5&3kHz coils
plehbah said:
Or you could just coinshoot it, crank up the discrimination, use a small coil, and find a bunch of wheaties and maybe a silver dime.

Yeah - That's sorta the plan....

With an MXT & DD coil, can't I adjust the discrimination just enough to weed out pull-tabs.....that may still allow for nickels, quarters, dimes, etc.... eh???
 

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