New to detecting...a few questions?

[apetastic]

Hey! I just got my first metal detector for Christmas. It's not a fancy one, but I just wanted to try it out. I'm also into researching family history--I think I just really love solving mysteries and uncovering/discovering things--so metal detecting falls right into place.

I'm in Eastern NC on land that's been in my family since the early 1900s when my great grandfather bought it. There is farmland behind (also ours). They just harvested soybeans a couple weeks ago so I don't worry about damaging any crops right now. Is this a good time to go in the field? Is it best to go out after they till the soil?

ALSO--there was a tornado that went through here in 1984. It destroyed my parents' home, took a grain silo all the way to the back of the field (still laying in the trees back there). Point is, I think there might could be some interesting things back there from the tornado, but there's also probably a LOT of trash from the tornado. Is it even worth it? So far all I've found back there was metal wire or flimsy pieces of tin or something. Just trash.

On a brighter note, I did find a coin buried in my mom's yard...a whole penny! (ha!) It was thrilling pulling out money (especially knowing my grandfather used to bury change back in the day) and then I saw it was from 1985 (let down!). haha!

Thanks for your time reading this! Any advice would be greatly appreciated (except "get a better detector" because I am a teacher and can't afford it at this time--haha!!)

 

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[Crappies-n-Coins]

Welcome!

There's only one way to find-out if there are any "goodies" in the fields waiting for you to find them.

 

[Detectorist.CO]

Welcome. I think you just need to get back there and start weeding out the trash to find the treasure.

Good luck

 

[maccounty]

Hey if nothing else its good practice.

 

[Loco-Digger]

Welcome to Tnet. Good Luck with detecting your home turf. It starts out innocent enough as a hobby, but can turn into an obsession that has it's own forum.


TheHunterGT has a review and video featuring your detector.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/bounty-hunter/483900-bounty-hunter-gold-digger-feature-review-air-tests.html

 

[Nitric]

Welcome! And no, nothing is a waste of time as long as your having fun! I would think anytime in the field would be just as good. If your Grandfather Buried Change? Check in places where he would know where to go back to. Trees,rocks,around foundations,fence posts, etc...

Everyone has their view on detectors, They are all good if it's finding something! And if you learn your machine well? It's fine! You never know what's in the ground!

My dad lives in a historical house, we have been over the yard hundreds of times over the years, with all types of detectors, and I would bet, I could go again right now and find another old coin. You would think it would all be gone by now, but every year we find something else playing around. Now, not as many things in the ground as when we first went over it, but you would be amazed at how a year or two later something else is there somewhere. I don't care what detector is used.

Oh, and trash is a normal part of it! You will dig tons of trash, before something good. It's just part of the fun! Never knowing whats next!

 

[fyrffytr1]

Practice, practice, practice. Hit the field now and again after it is plowed. Every time the soil is turned new items will appear. If you want to learn what sound certain coins give then make you a test garden and plant different coins in it. You can even lay them on top of the ground to see what signal they give before going after the buried ones. Oh yeah, one more thing; practice!

 

[Digger Max]

Welcome...HH

 

[NC Digger]

Welcome, just dig everything! As we are also new, best advise is "Just Dig It" lol! Not sure how close you are to the coast but there are some on here that are probably near you!

 

[digger460]

Yep, dig it all. You will start to learn over time what your machine is telling you. Just a change of pace, take a hunt and dig just certain signals. Like Nitric said, you can go over area's tons of times, and you will still find something. (because signals can show up in one direction, and not others).

So welcome, and be sure to check back here often. You'll alway's learn something. Good Luck and HH!

 

[Joe hunter]

I like that you updated your totals to one penny lol .
Welcome to the family

 

[CTwoods]

They just harvested soybeans a couple weeks ago so I don't worry about damaging any crops right now. Is this a good time to go in the field? Is it best to go out after they till the soil?

I found a cornfield full of colonial era relics and some coins. My first hunt there, was right after the corn was cut. They plow in spring, then plant. Then the plowed dirt compacts with summer rains. I would hunt before plowing, as soon as the crop is gone. Then hunt again, same time next year.

If you wait until it is freshly plowed, the dirt is fluffy and not compacted, which will limit the depth of a detector IMO

 

[TheRingFinder]

My advise is to take it slow, don't get frustrated - It takes time to learn how to detect correctly and what your detector is telling you - keep at it, you will figure this hobby out.
Good Luck!

 

[Terry Soloman]

Welcome from White Plains, New York!

Read the metal detector manual again, and KNOW how to operate your machine properly. Learn how to Relax and sweep the search coil S-L-O-W-L-Y from side to side as you try and keep the face of the coil as close to the ground as you possibly can. You WILL find great stuff in the soy bean field, now, and after it is tilled - so get out there!

 

[Captain Caveman]

Welcome aboard TNet! It sounds like you have a good site to search and that is often the hardest part of MDing. Good Luck and Happy Hunting!

 

[apetastic]

Oh, and trash is a normal part of it! You will dig tons of trash, before something good. It's just part of the fun! Never knowing whats next!

Thank you, that really does give me motivation to get back out there! That I'll find tons of trash before something good. I'm completely fine with that! Just wish I had a guarantee of getting something good eventually--haha!!

 

[apetastic]

If you wait until it is freshly plowed, the dirt is fluffy and not compacted, which will limit the depth of a detector IMO

that makes sense--I was thinking it'd be easier to dig when it's fluffy and things are brought to the surface, but you are right, the depth would change and it wouldn't detect a lot of things in the first place!

 

[apetastic]

I like that you updated your totals to one penny lol .
Welcome to the family

Hahaha, thank you. I did it to be funny, but it is also true!

 

[Nitric]

Thank you, that really does give me motivation to get back out there! That I'll find tons of trash before something good. I'm completely fine with that! Just wish I had a guarantee of getting something good eventually--haha!!

If nails were worth something? I'd be rich!!! Like other posts mentioned you will hear the difference after a while. But what messed me up? was digging up deep coins or old nickels thinking it was just trash or a pop tab. So, I can't walk past anything unless I know for sure what it is! I dig it all. It bugs me to walk away, without digging, and thinking, "that might have been a gold coin?".

 

[can]

If nails were worth something? I'd be rich!!! Like others mentioned you will hear the difference after a while. But what messed me up? was digging up deep coins or old nickels thinking it was just trash or a pop tab. So, I can't walk past anything unless I know for sure what it is! I dig it all. It bugs me to walk away, without digging, and thinking, "that might have been a gold coin?".

Yep, I am there right now.