Too early in season to MD New england beaches?

Richper413 · Apr 9, 2011

Hi everyone! I was thinking about taking a trip to Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester, MA tomorrow but being new to MDing, idk if its a good idea or not. There were some recent storms out this way but there hasn't been any major traffic on that beach since September. Any info about this decision to head out tomorrow would be very appreciated!

Thank You!

Can Slaw · Apr 9, 2011

Not to be rude, but I have never found my first ring sitting at home. The only way to find targets is to swing the coil. Not all trips will be productive, if they were everybody would be metal detecting. Here in FL they are all metal detecting, but it's not that easy anymore

Lorraine in CT. hunts in snow storms and finds gold when nobody else does, because she hunts when others won't. Including me!

diggingnewengland · Apr 10, 2011

Sure it can never hurt even if only to gain more experience with your detector. You never know I hit the beaches here earlier than this and always seem to find things. You never know what you will find unless you give it a try. Best of luck in your hunt. :icon_thumright:

47thelement · Apr 10, 2011

I found a gold ring in Ocean City Maryland during thanksgiving weekend. Don't think anybody had been swimming for at least amonth

Buried Crap NJ · Apr 10, 2011

Being new I can understand the question. Your at the right place to learn. You can't beat swinging the hoop and becoming one with your detector. If you have read just a few of the most reason post you should have already learned that the targets that are being recovered were not dropped yesterday. Look at the older coins posted 1899 from the beach, do you think that was a reason drop? Old period cameo rings I think not a reason drop.The winter beaches are the best for finds that were not found when they were fresh drops. With that said the beaches are now moving sand back on the beach, as happens in the summer months. Here in central Jersey if you pay attention you will notice several feet of sand moves in over the summer, than it goes back out again and the cycle continues.There will still be older finds and the newer drops will start again soon. Like posted above if your not swinging your not finding. Any day your out increases your finds.

Sandman · Apr 10, 2011

Can Slaw is right about not finding anything by staying at home. Remember you are going detecting to have fun and if you find something that is icing on the cake. You never know what you'll find till you look. :coffee2:

Bobbie · Apr 10, 2011

Hunting in New England is best during the winter months. No one around to bother you and the storms throw goodies up from the deep. Many beaches are off limits to detectorists during the summer months when people are on them limiting your time to very early in the morning or evening after the life guards have left for the day. You have some really hard hunters in your area that have come up with Reales so git yourself out there and quit wining about the weather.

47thelement · Apr 10, 2011

There is an excellent resource for beach hunting that many of us have referred to as the beach hunters bible. It was written by a gentleman who is no longer with us. It was on online journal. Many of us have it saved elsewhere. You may be able to find it, or one of the the more seasoned hunters may be able to post a link. Personally, mine is in book form and I don't remember the link. Can anybody can help this hunter?

If can remeber only 1 thing about metal detecting, please let it be this....

FILL YOUR HOLES

RustyRelicHunter · Apr 11, 2011

You are referring to the Golden Olde website which is no longer active. You were right about the excellent information on that site when it was active.

Can Slaw · Apr 11, 2011

Golden Olde has been archived, here it is. It is a fantastic site and thankfully I made a CD of it when Norm was still alive, God rest his soul. http://web.archive.org/web/20080202052433/thegoldenolde.com/oldego3.htm

Sandman · Apr 11, 2011

Norm was a friend of mine and his site can be had at http://www.nmhra.netfirms.com/pulltab/

I couldn't get the other link to work Can Slaw.

lorraine · Apr 11, 2011

Sandman said:
Norm was a friend of mine and his site can be had at http://www.nmhra.netfirms.com/pulltab/

I couldn't get the other link to work Can Slaw.

I couldn't access it either, Canslaw; could be that my computer is not functioning properly

Lorraine

Harold in Fla. · Apr 12, 2011

Well everybody is right, if your not their you can't find nothing, i use to live up in R.I and i hunted snow storms and just about anything, in the winter i dressed warm and wore chest waiters and me and my friend would hunt the beaches when it was 20 or 30 degrees out their, on the beaches it's a little easyier digging than trying land hunting because of the ground froze. and we found a lot of stuff nobody else was finding because they were sitting home, so get out there and hunt. Harold

au4me1 · Apr 12, 2011

Richper413,
I went last weekend and did pretty well, I'm down here in Maynard.

Can Slaw · Apr 13, 2011

I got the Golden Olde archive site to load, but boy was it slow. Once it loaded, none of the pages will open. Sorry about that, it worked not to long ago.
Sandman, I couldn't get your link to open either. Hopefully Norm's site is still out there somewhere and we can find it again.

RustyRelicHunter · Apr 13, 2011

I clicked on the link that Can Slaw posted and was directed to the Golden Olde site with no problem; I guess you should try it again.

Rusty

RustyRelicHunter · Apr 13, 2011

I should add that I can only access the written portions no pics!

Mainedigger · Apr 13, 2011

Bobbie said:
Hunting in New England is best during the winter months. No one around to bother you and the storms throw goodies up from the deep. Many beaches are off limits to detectorists during the summer months when people are on them limiting your time to very early in the morning or evening after the life guards have left for the day. You have some really hard hunters in your area that have come up with Reales so git yourself out there and quit wining about the weather.

Exactly....winter is best for the beaches. Watch the beach you wanna hit for the winter storms and strong tidal surge will cause "rips" and expose ground that is normally covered deep in sand. Some of these storms will also dump sand onto the beach so knowing your beach is vital. The sand is constantly moving on and off of the beach and knowing when to hit it can make the difference in a great day or jsut the normal junk day. Summer may have more people on the beach dropping stuff, but access is very limited when the beaches are crowded, so winter is the best time to have the beach to yourself and you just never know what may show under your coil...so get out there and see what may be waiting for ya!!! :icon_thumleft:

Can Slaw · Apr 13, 2011

Never heard back from the OP. Wonder if he ever went hunting?

Richper413 · Apr 21, 2011

First off I gotta thank everyone for the replies! Lots of useful info!! I'm going to try to get out to the beach asap! I was at Plum Island on Sunday and between the celestial tide and the major storm that we just had, 6-10 ft waves were breaking on shore! I've NEVER seen waves like that in New England, it was amazing. Not so amazing for the beach front properties that were having their front yard torn up fences and walkways were all floating away. There was massive erosion from the storm. Too bad it's illegal to detect on that beach! would have been a prime time to check it out. I'll try to post some pics soon of the waves / damage. some places had 10ft cliffs where there used to be a 50 yard slope.