Some Advice wanted

[OldSean]

I am thinking about detecting an old park in my area that probably has been detected many times. It was a ball field in the twenties. Its just a large field now. I have the ability to use a 12" coil that supposively detects deeper or a 4x6 inch DD coil that is small enough to detect between trash (and this place has a lot of trash). Which would be better in this area? I also noticed that a THer that was there before me was using a garden spade to dig up his fines. His plugs were 12" in diameter. (He did replace all his plugs) I use a small Knife and keep my plugs under 4" in diameter. Is there any advantage or disadvantage to his approach. Thanks for the advice ahead of time. OldSean

 

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[releventchair]

Last first. My opinion is the smaller the plug the better. if someones foot hits it right or a mower tire it could upset it. maybe other detectorist had trouble pinpointing or too large a recovery tool. My vote is smaller coil until trash removed. if you hit this site repeatedly and keep track of what area you have cleaned of trash and near surface targets you then get the pleasure of using the larger coil. Just my opinion. H.H.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Small coil, small plugs, grid the short outfield at shortstop and first base. Do the sidelines between home and third, home and first. Good Luck!

 

[wingmaster]

Most of the old parks have been pounded since the 70's so the real deep dimes are about the only silver left that I find, the D2 coil is great for those real deep targets where there is trash around as well. When at a park like that I turn my discriminate to 6 and run +2 gain and listen for those real faint signals thats the deep ones, the VDI will be off most of the time if really deep so if its a halfway repeatable signal thats real faint dig it. There's even times when the targets are real deep that once you dig the plug your detector won't be able to pick up the targets anymore thats when I'll pull out 12" of dirt and its usually a deep wheat or silver dime. Good headphones are a must for those really deep targets as well. HH

 

[BigBeefy]

If you get a real faint signal, don't be afraid to break out the backhoe. You wanna make sure you dig it up on the first try. That's how they do it on TV.
Seriously tho, depending on trash content I always start with my larger coil and keep my 4x6 with me. I have it on its own lower rod, so if I have to, it takes just a minute to switch out.
As far as a plug, pinpoint right the first time and dig small. Less ground you tear up, the better. Sometimes I can get a coin out with just a long screwdriver.
Happy hunting.

 

[Steveo]

If I knew the site was trashy then I would go with the 4x6 no doubt.If you were planning to hit this site several times over the near future,you can clean up the shallow targets and scraps with the 4x6 and after you start getting less and less hits with the 4x6,go to the 12" coil to hunt for the deeper targets.That's how I would go about hitting that site.
Again in my opinion,I tend to dig smaller plugs with a hand digger in parks,yards or any land that is maintained or landscaped.I do have a small relic shovel that I use only on woods or farm field,garden hunts and even then I try to keep the hole as small as I can.Even in the woods,I backfill all the holes and make it look as if I was never there.
Good luck & happy hunting.....................................

 

[OldSean]

Thanks guys. I will grid the site very slowly with my DD coil and see how I do. I have a pinpointer so I will keep the holes small. OldSean

 

[fistfulladirt]

I've had a lot of luck with old ballfields in my area, best old coin finds would be in the outfield, but can be scattered. Most memorable is a ballfield dedicated in 1976, I dug Barbers, IH's, seated, tokens, etc, like it had never been hit. Most finds will be at 5-7" depending on soil type. I always "dig outside the box" in these places.

 

[Longhair]

OK, I'll be the one to disagree about plug size.

For starters, a "plug" should NOT be cut. A flap is much better. Grass has what is known as a "rizome" root system, which means that several plants shoot up along an extended root. Each shoot is able to draw a certain amount of support from neighbors along the same parent root. Separating a "plug" from the parent roots will almost assuredly kill the plug in hot dry conditions, whereas leaving it attached along at least one side will allow for neighbors to help keep it alive.

If you're only going after shallow targets, a slit or "squirrel dig" just through a small spot in the surface won't be noticed along side the mower scalping and mole holes/tunnels and other squirrel diggings. But, if you're chasing deeper targets, a larger deeper initial hole will upset the root system the least and do the least lasting damage.

And lastly, small or shallow plugs and flaps are much more likely to be sucked up, chopped up, and spread accross the landscape by a 20+hp zero-turn mower than a larger, deeper, heavier flap.

If you're hunting somewhere that is sensitive in dry conditions, then there is no substitute for carrying a couple gallon jugs of water in the car. One can be carried while hunting and used to water in the areas that you've disturbed. The worst part of doing this, is that sometimes the place that you've dug and watered is the only place that it stays green when everything else burns up.

FWIW, my experience comes from working 8½yrs for a Big-10 university grounds department.

 

[norbyx]

I always thought that cutting very small plugs in counter productive. If you know grass you know that a small shallow plug will most certainly die unless you give it water every day. In my opinion the most important thing is to make a nice and clean job. If you cut your plug clean and you clean your area after you're done and step on the plug once you place it on the ground again it'll look like nobody ever wants there. That is how I like to work. To be honest sometimes I make such a clean job that when I turn around I have to search to find where I was just digging the hole.

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[cudamark]

All good advice. As you can see, it might depend on ground conditions and how sensitive the area is when it comes to target recovery. If the grass is well watered and maintained, I'd cut a trap door and fold it back while I remove dirt and the target. If the area is abandoned and not used much, a full plug makes your job a lot easier but the plug can die and leave a brown spot until it recovers. If the ground is dry and hard, neither method is going to save the grass unless you're going to water it yourself. I'd start with a small area around a good, deep target you've found with the 12" coil and dig every target to get an idea of what is buried. If it's yielding some nice targets, grid the entire area methodically. If you start by removing all the surface junk only, someone else may come right behind you and get all the good stuff that you worked so hard to get! Ask me how I know!

 

[Longhair]

Check out Dankowski's video on "Non-Destructive Recovery".
Keep in mind that he is trying to make a mess. Please DO NOT cut full circles! Leave it attached on at least one long side so you don't leave large dead spots.