Whats the deal with hunting Schools?

[Darod]

Wha'ts the deal with hunting Schools?

I was just curious what everyone had to say about hunting Schools?

1. Which schools are better? Elementary? Middle? or High Schools?
2. What areas are the best to hunt on school grounds? The football field? under the bleachers? Where?

I have several schools near me and was just curious where to start.

Rod

 

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[spotz]

Re: Wha'is the deal with hunting Schools?

HI there! All schools are good. The older the school, the more likely you are to find silver. Look anyplace that the kids play or gather outside. The bus pick up area, lunch lines by sidewalks, ball fields, bleachers, dugouts,playgorund equipment,etc. If one of the schools has a building or grounds improvement project that involves sod removal, get on it if you can. Schools are popular places for MDing but no one ever gets it all. Keep us posted on your finds & have fun. Spotz

 

[1320]

Re: Wha'is the deal with hunting Schools?

Stay out of the sawdust!

 

[Lowbatts]

Re: Wha'is the deal with hunting Schools?

Elementary schools usually return the highest coinage. They generally have some playground equipment that allows kids to invert their pockets' usual orientation. I'd also argue that jewelry may be better there since parents tend to take their kids to schoolyard playgrounds in a lot of places also. High Schools seldom give much unless they also have large outdoors assemblages of one sort or another throughout the year aside from sporting events. Have fun!

 

[TORRERO]

Re: Wha'is the deal with hunting Schools?

Too be honest its really hard to say for sure, a lot will depend on what you prefer,
and how well the other hunters in your area keep the schools cleaned out.

1. Elementry schools = 99% of them will have a playground of some sort, with sand or wood chips.
this is easy digging, but its easy for everyone who just stops by. I've found some
loaded ones and some where you could not find a zinc penny.. these possibly have a small
play area, outside of the playground. Many of my Gold rings have come from these playgrounds.

2. Middle schools generaly have a football field and Baseball fields open to the public, and may or may not have a childrens playground. I've always done better in football fields.
you may also try the open areas between the fields.

3. High schools can be good but I only consider them if the football field is open to the
public, many of these fields are padlocked and gated... if not they can produce some good gold if you
dig everything, if the gate is open and no ones around I consider it open season...
then baseball fields in these places have not seemed very productive although I have swung
through them from time to time to see how much is scattered around. if your getting
a lot of targets. good... keep hunting.
But remember that there are always people like "ONION" who keep these places pretty clean.
GOOD LUCK.

 

[Darod]

Re: Wha'is the deal with hunting Schools?

Thanks for the advice guys!

Relic-Man, you said to dig everything? Did I hear that right? So, you hunt these in all metal mode?

Rod

 

[Lowbatts]

Re: Wha'ts the deal with hunting Schools?

If you want to find the incidental gold ring or charm at a schoolyard it is best to dig everything. You'll soon find there is no end to a pencil, at least not those little caps with the remains of the eraser inside. These have a distinct sound that makes them appear just like some types of gold. Gum wrappers are pretty easily figured out with a little practice unless you have the hyper-chewers in the schoolyard that wrap up four or five at a time, then they get a little harder to distinguish.

 

[Darod]

Re: Wha'ts the deal with hunting Schools?

Hyper chewers

So, Lowbatts, you dig it all at the schools?

 

[TORRERO]

Re: Wha'is the deal with hunting Schools?

Thanks for the advice guys!

Relic-Man,? you said to dig everything?? Did I hear that right?? So, you hunt these in all metal mode??

Rod

Well, no actually I almost never dig Iron targets. and this is why I said to look at football
fields as they tend to have less trash than in the "yard" part of the school.
Around the goal posts they tend to have parties after the game and this area might be
more productive, but I've been to some very clean football fields, and some that
had a lot of signals, and it tends to be more good targets and less trash, as this is a place
reserved for games and not the general school population.
But to answer your question, no I do not dig Iron, and if I get a lot of trashy low signals
I avoid them also.
Its a personal judgement call, as to where you are and what you feel like that day.
Good luck
Richard

 

[Lowbatts]

Re: Wha'ts the deal with hunting Schools?

Definitely not. There are, as others including Relic-Man have intimated, those hot zones. Applying all those SPC tools and other statistical data, or just common sense can be helpful! If it's a baseball field in the schoolyard, there are the areas where outfielders, when returning to the bench, take off their gloves. Football, soccer fields have their hot zones as do playgrounds. Once in a while you walk outside these to cover as much ground in the search for incidental drops, those that may or may not be associated with events. But to make it a good day, hit the hotspots and dig it all. Except iron. There are those odd finds where you get an iron inidication and it's masking a target but for modern coinage, clad and jewelry you want to seek the greatest human interaction and clean it up.

 

[Cladius]

Re: Wha'ts the deal with hunting Schools?

Dont forget behind the fences that surround many of the fields and behind home plate fence. Always seem to find stuff in these areas. Also look where the kids line up for lunch or the busses edges of the sidewalks can be good. Good luck. Cladius.

 

[Darod]

Re: Wha'ts the deal with hunting Schools?

Thanks for the advice CLadius,...and everyone else

I've got a nice list of areas to check now.

Rod

 

[skinnyoda]

Re: Wha'ts the deal with hunting Schools?

Back in 98 I found a Highschool that was being resoded(Ffootball Field). They actually took off the 1st layer and drug a interlocking chain mesh apparatus. The coins were everything . Three days of digging found me about $50 dollars and several nice pieces os jewelry. I guess the school was made if the Fifties, and I was able to find silver dimes, quarters and a bunch of Wheaties. Looking back now i wish i would have worked it with better direction and less discrimination. I was some what a newb in 98

 

[Darod]

Re: Wha'ts the deal with hunting Schools?

Sounds like a dream come true!

You bring up a good point though! I think I will see what the plans are in my area in terms of school projects and renovation. Perhaps, if I'm lucky, I can get in on a similar type event in my area.

By the way, that must have been a blast! How many days did you work the field?

Rod