Terrible plugs! I really want to strangle these idiots.

[DiamondDan]

Apparently the apocalypse is bringing out all the half-assed plug diggers. You know, dirt scattered everywhere, the fully-removed plug just barely resting on the hole.... This pisses me off to no end. I saw them everywhere today. Stomped as many down as I could find, but what can you do? I would really like to run into these people. Hopefully the morons find nothing and end up shoving their machine in the closet.

Please do your best to educate new detectorists on the proper way to retrieve targets so there will not be a feont page picture of someone with an etrac wrapped around their head.

 

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[vpnavy]

They ruin it for all of us!

 

[Irishgoldhound]

It looks terrible! I know how you feel. Some guys go to this park I’ve hit a couple times and they leave the plugs the same way. Half assed pressed into the ground. The park keepers go over with their commercial heavy duty riding mowers and the plugs get sucked right up and then chopped up. Now theirs a hole that the park keepers have to take time out to fill and seed or sod over! That would piss me off!

 

[SD51]

It will never end...

Different subject - saw a video of a complete jackass that walks up to a buffet table, dips the soup ladle into the soup and talks a long sip and puts the ladle back! Where's a baseball bat when you need one!

 

[VTColonialDigger]

Living in rural VT, there aren't many detectorists in my area, and I don't search parks, however I have a digging buddy that, out of inexperience, used to not dig the nicest plugs, so I know what you mean when you say "dirt scattered everywhere, the fully-removed plug just resting in the hole." Luckily he is much better at digging nice, neat holes now.

If I was in your situation I would be very upset as well. As the saying goes "It only takes a few bad apples to ruin the whole lot."

I hate the look of an obvious plug, that's why I try not to dig yards in the rain, it is nearly impossible to do a nice job when mud is involved

 

[TooManyHobbies]

A few years back, I detected an old yard and dug quite a few holes. I filled everything perfectly. The following day I went back to the same yard. Half of my holes were open. Since I remove/control wildlife for a living, I knew right away that a skunk had opened up all those holes. I caught him that night and took him away.
Just saying, sometimes its not what you think.

 

[CASPER-2]

well look at some of the holes the clowns on some of the TV shows make
they may start out good but then they miss the target due to poor pin pointing
and they rip at the side with their hands - Ive used a large knife since i was 12 - 1975 and i try my hardest to cut nice perfect plugs
does not take much extra time - and my plugs are almost invisible - i try to keep all the dirt in the hole and cut them just big enough
so they will survive (really small ones will sometimes dry out and die)
same as guys that throw trash back - takes just as long to drop in pouch as it does to throw over shoulder or rebury
both of these poor habits are reasons they put up NO DETECTING signs all around my area now

 

[Gare]

When I see someone detecting i always walk over and watch them dig . I like to see how they dig plugs . If they do a good job I compliment them. If not i ask if they mind me sharing some ideas with them. Most of the time they are very receptive. I try and help this hobby or sport what you call it.

 

[ARC]

Stupid is as stupid does.

So many people in this world go around with an "I don't give a crap" attitude... they are gonna do what they want to do and screw everyone else.

OR they just don't know any better... never thought about it or whatever.

IF you see someone disrespecting this art... IMO you have an obligation... a duty... to step up.

No respect should be met and addressed.

If we don't... we are not part of a solution... we are just part of the problem.

 

[ARC]

...

 

[Rad1sh]

I get angry over that myself. The only good thing about is most the time they are terrible detectorists and I get to pocket the target they could not find.

 

[Goldiver]

A few years back, I detected an old yard and dug quite a few holes. I filled everything perfectly. The following day I went back to the same yard. Half of my holes were open. Since I remove/control wildlife for a living, I knew right away that a skunk had opened up all those holes. I caught him that night and took him away.
Just saying, sometimes its not what you think.

I have had this happen too. Some animal will come by and pop a few plugs back out looking for an easy meal like grubs. Then there was this time many years ago when I was hunting a school yard and the cutest little yellow lab puppy shows up and starts following me around. He was quite intrigued by what I was doing and then I noticed him popping the plugs back out after I turned my back. He must have thought I was burying something interesting.

Steve

 

[SD51]

Dig a "U" shaped plug, not a small round completely removable plug. I have seen countless small round plugs laying on the ground because a skunk or racoon removed it at night.

 

[dognose]

digging a hole that can be refilled to look like its not been dug is an art that takes time and practice. A few things that some searchers do not possess. Even those who have been detecting a long time sometimes have trouble at this.

I can agree with the post from TooManyHobbies, critters will go after these plugs

 

[BLK HOLE]

Well once again I have learned something on this site! I never knew that skunks and other critters will pop plugs! I had a similar experience as TooManyHobbies but I didn't know what the cause was. Old dogs do learn knew tricks

 

[gunsil]

I always carry a gallon plastic bag when hunting yards, parks, schools, etc. I don't open the bag, I lay it flat on the ground and put plug and more importantly any dirt I have to dig out below the plug on the plastic. After recovering target it is so easy to just pick up the plastic and pour all the dirt back into the hole and re-seat the plug. Never any dirt all around the hole on or in the grass. It costs a whole plastic bag and works well. I have seen a few use a small towel but the dirt slides more easily off the plastic.

I too have had plugs removed later by animals, caught some squirrels doing it.

 

[rjw4law]

I was taught as a young boy to dig a U shape and then place it firmly back, try not to give a hint that that anything was violated....Fast forward in time ....I am now in therapy recovering after watching episodes of Oak Island.

 

[smallfoot]

I work at my plugs but as mentioned before there are reasons that some digs look really bad besides poor detector work. This time of year all the turtles are laying eggs. All the predators are looking for the eggs. The turtles wander out of the low lying areas sometimes to large open areas in the sun. Around here any clearing and even dirt roads.(probably something to do with warmth while the eggs are incubating) You can dig a nice plug today and come back tomorrow and find it dug up. I started paying attention to that years ago because I knew it wasn't me leaving them like that. When that coon, possum, or armadillo or whatever other creature it is at the time smells, sees, or senses fresh dirt, they think it's a new turtle nest and dig it up to eat. Let me tell you, they don't feel like covering their holes up after digging an empty one. I know it's a problem with some uncaring people, but that's not always the case.

 

[DigToChina]

Foxes will do this too. I do a pretty decent job of cutting the plug but one night I came back to several of my plugs being flipped back after the previous nights hunt where the foxes had been buzzing me. Luckily it was the next day and I could fix. Two things I’ve noticed helps. 1. Hunting in the morning. I figure the smell must diminish. 2. Trying to avoid hunting grass once the ground gets dry. Wetter plugs seal better of course.

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

A few years back, I detected an old yard and dug quite a few holes. I filled everything perfectly. The following day I went back to the same yard. Half of my holes were open. Since I remove/control wildlife for a living, I knew right away that a skunk had opened up all those holes. I caught him that night and took him away.
Just saying, sometimes its not what you think.

This also happened in my back yard - skunks will redig my holes and throw the plugs to the side as they look for grubs. Guess I should treat my 2 acres for grubs...or just shoot the skunks.