I would love to cut a plug, just once!

[Gunny71]

I don't know what its like elsewhere, but here in central Texas we have a drought in effect and our county has been labled a disaster zone.
I have had my MD a month now, and just once I would like to dig a proper plug. Most places I dig grass is brown and after an inch the ground is like concrete. If you can get down an inch. I almost dread the day I find a good coin, I just know I am gonna ding it.
Are there any tools or methods that can be used to help dig in this situation?

Thanks!

 

[bravowhiskey]

Hey Gunny,

I know exactly where you are coming from. I'm here too. I think right now the only thing to do is water or beach, salt or fresh, detecting.
Above all, pray for rain.

HH,
BW

 

[Gunny71]

Above all, pray for rain.

You got that right! Each and every night.
I did find out today that my ex-mother in law has some property that had a rual school on it in the past. I am stoked to be able to dig there, school was around from 1890 to 1945. Its rural, so hopefully I will be the first there! Maybe I need to bring a couple of camelbacks full of water and try to dig wet? Guess Ill see...

 

[Tank69]

here anything below grass is concrete , I understand how you feel I see all these rings an coins coming out of the sod an it drives me crazy cause here you either hunt in the water beach or sand because you just cant dig a plug without a pic , I tried a couple times an it was a huge mess so I dont dig plugs an I know there things there my machines sound off alot.

 

[silverswede]

I'm not much on digging plugs, but I do have a "system" that helps me dig items out of very hard packed ground like a road way. My tool is a very sturdy spade like shovel, similiar to the war surplus "fox hole" shovels. Mine is a little different and is called a clamming shovel. First the site has to be one you're cleared to dig and cover holes. Now you have a good signal. The secret is to never, never, chop or stab at the spot. Start back several inches working the spade point toward the "coin" at a shallow angle. Imagine the coin is an egg in a frying pan and your shovel is a spatula. Keep taking layers off as you go deeper depositing the dirt in a shallow plastic pan until you've captured the bugger. Very few times will coins be damaged as you are attacting the edge rather than the face. Hopefully it's the face of an indian chief.
Silver Swede.

 

[Joe(TX)]

I'm not much on digging plugs, but I do have a "system" that helps me dig items out of very hard packed ground like a road way. My tool is a very sturdy spade like shovel, similiar to the war surplus "fox hole" shovels. Mine is a little different and is called a clamming shovel. First the site has to be one you're cleared to dig and cover holes. Now you have a good signal. The secret is to never, never, chop or stab at the spot. Start back several inches working the spade point toward the "coin" at a shallow angle. Imagine the coin is an egg in a frying pan and your shovel is a spatula. Keep taking layers off as you go deeper depositing the dirt in a shallow plastic pan until you've captured the bugger. Very few times will coins be damaged as you are attacting the edge rather than the face. Hopefully it's the face of an indian chief.
Silver Swede.

..............................SORRY....but sounds like a lot of work......I will wait for cooler weather and /or go to the beach...................LOL.........Joe

 

[Cappy Z.]

I truly believe the news reporting is pathetic. I have heard or read nothing that there is a drought anywhere in the US.

Are you guys in Texas? And how bad is this drought?

 

[truckinbutch]

You guys need to come up and detect N/E Pennsylvania. Plastic siding on houses turn green. Take a 3 hour nap outside in the hammock,wake up with moss growing on you

You deserve it Here in WV we are dry to the point that there will be no second cutting of hay and garden produce will be at a premium .

 

[mlayers]

Here in Ohio we have gotten rain but not enough to made any different. As the fround is still hard a couple of inches down. So when I can get out I hunt the sand and water......Matt

 

[allen]

here in KY we've had plenty of rain and its easy digging !!

 

[extractor]

You guys need to come up and detect N/E Pennsylvania. Plastic siding on houses turn green. Take a 3 hour nap outside in the hammock,wake up with moss growing on you

LOL now thats funny !

 

[Gunny71]

I truly believe the news reporting is pathetic. I have heard or read nothing that there is a drought anywhere in the US.

Are you guys in Texas? And how bad is this drought?

Yes, I am in Texas, and am not part of the Sheeple population.
Here is a link to the U.S. Drought Monitor. My county ranks as "exceptional Drought", three above severe. Water restrictions are in effect, lake levels are way down, and farmers stock tanks are drying up.
http://drought.unl.edu/dm/DM_state.htm?TX,S
I agree most news reporting nowdays is all based on fear, and instilling as much as possible. But I am here, Living in it.

 

[arizonaames]

I don't know what its like elsewhere, but here in central Texas we have a drought in effect and our county has been labled a disaster zone.
I have had my MD a month now, and just once I would like to dig a proper plug. Most places I dig grass is brown and after an inch the ground is like concrete. If you can get down an inch. I almost dread the day I find a good coin, I just know I am gonna ding it.
Are there any tools or methods that can be used to help dig in this situation?

Thanks!

Samr tjomg we use prospecting....a small pick axe

 

[wolcottdigger]

I feel for you guys in the drought areas I wish I could send you some of our rain.
Its been cool and wet here in Connecticut, the ground in most places is like cutting
into sponge cake. Today will be one of our first days that reaches into the 90s.
Back in June it rained almost every day, sometimes the holes would fill with water.
Best of luck I hope the drought ends soon.
Joe

 

[johnnycat]

Same thing here in central New Mexico. The summer, "monsoon" rains have just failed to show up.

 

[Gunny71]

51 days straight with temps in the triple digits. I don't know how, but its still humid?
One good thing, I don't have to worry about killing the grass if I dig, most is dead already.

 

[dustbuster]

One of the first things I noticed about Texas summers, when I first moved here, was how brown the grass was. We've been lucky, I guess, in the Dallas area we've had some rain. First time I've noticed I still have a green lawn, and I'm not one to water much!
Still, some of the parks I go to are hard to dig through. If the coin is 2" or less, I'll just "pop" them out with a tool that came with my 250. I'm getting a lot of practice with this.

 

[Tater-Tots]

I sure understand that! I am in North Texas and luckily we have had some rain but it only help the ground for a day or so. But i have figured out what to do to still hunt! I have a camelback backpack thing that I keep my water in. If I ping on something worth digging then I drain a little water on to the spot and let it soak a few minutes. Then I cut my plug as deep as I can, which isn't very deep at all. From there I add more water, let it soak and then use a little weed popper garden tool to stir the dirt. I'm attempting to paste a picture of the weed popper in here. You have to be very careful with these so you do not damage your goods. I practiced with pennies until I was proficient at it. You can get these weed poppers at any Home Depot, Lowes, and some Wal-Marts and Targets. Nothing fancy or expensive but it works for me.

 

[oldgoat]

Hey Gunny, I know exactly how you feel, I live just south of Ft. Worth, down here we mow the lawn for a month in the spring and don't have to mow again til next spring...When I was doing longhaul someone asked me how I liked Ohio and I told them it was too green, by May I was used to tan and brown...

 

[George (MN)]

I use a screwdriver, usually doesn't damage the grass, but in extreme drought it may break up worn grass. Makes the palm of my hand sore with the pressure needed to get screwdriver into ground.

We had virtually no rain for 5-6 weeks, now it has rained about 3 times in a week or so, the grass is mostly green again. HH, George (MN)