To Dig or Not to Dig???

[Digginman]

The best targets usually turn out to be "iffy" signals. Dig everything above iron.

DM

 

[Goodyguy]

If I could buy a detector that would beep only when something of great value was detected no matter how deep that object was I would be all set !

Until then I'm keeping mine set on all metal and max sensitivity and dig every thing that beeps because I sure would hate to pass up the iron box full of diamonds and emeralds and rubies!

Buddy~

 

[Eu_citzen]

For most sites I dig everything that's above iron.. Though that depends on location, certain beaches have LOT'S of TINY foil and of course I would be mad trying to dig them all..

I agree with Tom 100% also.

 

[pookie-princess of rust]

in my yard (1830s) i dig everything, looking for relics... and for the chance that there may be something good under all the iron. beaches and whatnot i try to disregard the iron...

 

[BIG61AL]

I hunt with iron discrimnated and foil dicriminated.....when i hunt with the foil turned off it is always trash, I may miss a little but not much....I know my machine and trash and canslaw always sound the same .... i still dig pull tabs that's how found this

 

[Montana Jim]

It depends on the site and depends on the wanted targets...

I dig small iron almost every time... I pass on large iron almost every time...

I try to dig everything else... I do NOT discriminate anymore.

 

[Duane B]

It depends on the site and what you are looking for. If I'm looking for modern coins (which I seldom do) I might use some discrimination. Otherwise, when I'm looking for 150-year-old coins and artifacts, I hunt in all-metal. Very deep artifacts, including coins, will often ID as an iron target. The target ID machine will often default to an iron ID on weak signals; there is a large enough signal to detect the target in the first place, but the signal is too small for the signal processing circuitry to do an accurate target ID. And if you're searching in a plowed field, you're going to encounter very deep targets that produce a very weak signal! I have dug several gold coins that were very deep and initially produced an iron target ID.

I still try to knock out the iron though. There's just too many small peices of wire, square nails, and tin cans to dig it all. So, if I get a strong signal with an iron ID I will often leave the target alone. If I get a very weak signal with an iron ID, and the target sounds like it is very deep, then I will scrutinize the signal in more detail. I will scan the target from several different directions. Finally, I will remove some of the dirt from above the target and see if the signal improved or degraded. If the signal improved, it's time to dig the target! If you're not searching in all-metal then you are passing over the oldest and deepest targets! But then, you may not be looking for 150-year-old gold dollars. That's OK. Turn up the discrimination and dig all the modern clad coins you want. Leave all the old stuff for those who will work for it. Nobody said that this relic hunting business (yes, coins are relics) was going to be easy.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Well, I'll tell you this--almost ANY type of iron relic can be found at an old house site. Gun barrels, lock plates, butt plates, ram rods, bayonets...and the list goes on!

We dig ALL the big iron from such old sites.

It serves two purposes.


First of all, there are good Big Iron finds to be made. Just ask HB whether or not he's happy with his CW Era rifle Lock Plate from last month.

Second of all, if you're hunting with anything except perhaps the High End Tesoros or Minelabs, you will experience Iron Masking of targets on a LARGE scale at such sites. If you don't get the big iron out of the way, you'll lose finds.

(Take an axe head and a silver dime and lay the silver dime underneath the iron and sweep over it if you don't believe me. )


So yes, we dig it all but the nails. Anything non-ferrous gets dug. And any big iron gets dug too.


Post-1900 sites I probably wouldn't dig as much big iron, but older sites--you betcha.



Best Wishes,


Buckles

 

[Lowbatts]

All metal mode in semi-trashy areas to pick the deep targets out. Other times just go for the cladventure and dig everything shallow to deep except smart iron.

 

[deepskyal]

There seems to be quite a few of us with a similar theme....."depends on the site"

There's an urban park I've hit a few times...very, very old...back to the early 1800's. I definately would love to dig every signal just to clear it out enough to find all those old coins I'm sure still lurk there.

But can slaw, tiny bits of foil, bottle caps....I can't take that and won't waste my time. There are just too many other more productive sites to worry about the loss of maybe a few goodies. To take the time to clear that out, I'd lose days, if not weeks...for a couple coins. Not to mention digging holes every inch or 2.

Mostly I go off the beaten path, researched some really terrific, lost sites where modern trash is few and far between.

Sure, I'll dig lots of trash there. That gives me an idea of what was there, dates the area a little better...and I do find the occasional goodie....and I think I have a much better chance of finding that lunch box full of silver coins in places like that than any urban park or school ground.

Some remote areas are also haunts for local teenagers that like to have their little beer parties or whatnot...and yes, I'll dig quite a few bottle caps.....lets see....24 bottles of beer in a case = 24 bottle caps....and how many kids drink bottled beer anymore anyhow?

I can identify pulltabs fairly easy in an area after digging 5 or 6 of them and have the tone id'ed, and won't dig them in a certain area of where I'm at....but as I expand my search outward, I'll again resume digging pulltab signals...just to be sure.

And iron signals out in no where...you bet I dig those!

I've gotten some pretty weird tones on my detector when I cross brass, tiny copper, nickle...and I don't mean the coin, I mean the metal nickle, lead...signals your detector can't decide weather its a coin or junk.

Some of my better relics have been those "iffy" signals.

Al