A sad day digging…..

[Mike from MI]

I was hunting a big park a couple weeks ago with two friends. About a half hour in, I started coming across these giant plugs that looked very bad. I took this pic of two holes by my detector. As you can see there is a bunch of dirt all over the surface, and the plugs no longer fit right. From this spot I counted 10 of these holes in a 30' circle. There were many more in the general area. I knew right away it was a guy with a big shovel. We had seen him there before a couple times, but it was always as we were leaving. This time he showed up again and my two buddies talked with him. I was about 100 yards away, by the time I got there he had moved on. He gave my friend his card, so I know his name. I found out by another guy I know that he has been encouraging the guy to use a hand digger and do a better job. He does not want to. This could possibly be a factor why the parks there get closed to detecting. As often happens, they close them all at once, not just one. Shovels should not be used on public property. Not only is it harder to put a huge hole back together, but a guy toting a shovel looks worse than a guy with a hand digger. Most coins etc…. in parks are no deeper than 6" with most being very shallow. That being said, if a guy digs a huge deep plug, you now have to dig way back down through the dirt in the plug scattering tons of dirt around to get back down to that shallow coin. I know that many newbies watched some popular tv shows or videos, and the guys in them have showed you only need a detector and a shovel. I see so many people posting their new shovel, and logos with guys with shovels. Don't get me wrong, a good relic shovel has it's place. (fields, woods, private land) I also know that some guys say they can make a better plug with a shovel, and it is easier for them. I'm sure that is true for a few guys. I did share with one guy, would you rather a surgeon work on you with a small scalpel or a large butcher knife? There are different tool for different applications. It also goes back to the mention of how you look in the park or school toting a shovel. I bet if a guy went into his surgery room and seen a scalpel it would not bother him. Seeing a butcher knife is a different story. There are already enough places closed to detecting. Moral of this story, don't be the guy who helped shut down public areas for the rest of us, and the future generations of detectorists. This post was not meant to stir up a hornets nest, or to encourage nasty remarks back and forth. It was meant to educate fellow diggers.

 

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[Molewacker]

Oh my, that is sad --- I wish there was a way to inform the park that he is the one being stupid as to avoid the park getting shut down for all.

 

[djackson7348]

I would be careful telling anyone other than him. Public bodies are chicken stuff. They would rather close to all than confront a single wrong doer. Sad but true since everyone in this country is scared they will be accused of discrimination or some such rot. Take the easy, safe road and punish everybody...can you say gun control for example. Myself, because I care, I can leave as neat a recovery hole with my digging knife or a shovel. It's not that hard, you just have to care. just my 2 cents anyway.

 

[CASPER-2]

i have used a large knife since i got in the hobby in 1975 at age 12 -dig nice plugs and try to keep as much dirt in the hole as possible
ive had people come up to me and start complaining about digging and have told them i would give them a $1 for every hole they could find - have never had to
spend a $1

 

[bologna321]

That's bad.

 

[ArfieBoy]

Great job trying to educate the wrong-doer! Hope it takes and he passes the word on to others. Thanks for you and your friends concerns and actions.

 

[Argentium]

So sad that anybody could walk away from a mess like that ! I doubt this is about education , I think some people just aren't playing with a full deck ...

 

[Digger RJ]

Some people!!! Puts a bad name on the rest of Us!!!

 

[gold panner]

People have to spend a little time on plugs! Do not cut a full circle leave bit hinged so you are not cutting all roots. and even if you do a good plug do not pull dirt out of the hole onto the grass. if you do pull dirt out and it looks perfect go back a day or two not right after and you will see it. just my two cents worth. easiest way to get good at it is to go back days later and see if you can tell where your plugs were.

 

[Megalodon]

The next time that lawn is mowed, those loose plugs will be sucked up into the mower deck and leave behind a field of potholes. If it was a park I cared about keeping open to metal detecting, I'd go back on my own with some grass seed, fix the plugs and water them. Might help if he saw you do it too.

 

[Doug H]

Just like djackson said..I use a small shovel and I dig neat plugs and take the time to put the hole back together neatly. Funny thing is, I do this on a farm field permission, not a public park. I watch videos on YouTube where the detectorist hunts a farm or field and feels because it's not a public property, they dont have to be neat about their holes. If you make it a habit to be neat it becomes a natural thing to do.

 

[A2coins]

Isnt it always some idiot that ruins something good for other people.

 

[GeoW]

Those new to the hobby see this clown and here they come, detector and shovel in hand..

 

[Mike from MI]

I would be careful telling anyone other than him. Public bodies are chicken stuff. They would rather close to all than confront a single wrong doer. Sad but true since everyone in this country is scared they will be accused of discrimination or some such rot. Take the easy, safe road and punish everybody...can you say gun control for example. Myself, because I care, I can leave as neat a recovery hole with my digging knife or a shovel. It's not that hard, you just have to care. just my 2 cents anyway.

You hit the nail on the head. (It's because you care.) People who leave a mess just don't care.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

This is very bad for our hobby! I am glad he was spoken too.

 

[4seasons]

I just cringe when I see someone in a park or school with a shovel.

 

[Heavygold4me]

I made a plug like that once, it was in my backyard when I first got my detector. I dug up a Rosie with the shovel and still managed to nick the face of it.

I have never used a shovel again. The maintenance men at my local park come by chat while I am out and let me empty my trash into the bucket they keep on their cart. If anyone were to leave a mess like that they would know it wasn’t me. I watched numerous videos of people cutting plugs before I ever went to a public park to hunt, then I practiced in my own yard before I ever went to a public setting.

 

[Trezurehunter]

The idiots are everywhere ! I have found holes like that in parks where I detect. I fill them in and cover them the best I can, and just hope no one of authority saw it first and will shut the parks down because of it. Glad you brought his fault to his attention.

 

[BLK HOLE]

SMH, a few bad apples can ruin the barrel...nice job in trying to educate, it's a shame they had dirt in their ears.

 

[James/Texas]

That is BAD. As bad as in the parks I hunt. I have spent hours covering holes like this and even holes where there was no attempt to cover the hole, and the trash was left on top of the plug. Whoever it is doing this where I live only digs after a good soaking rain when the ground is soft and he/she uses a regular garden shovel. It is sad that these guys do this and make our hobby look bad. Them that do this are in the very small minority but make a big impact on our great hobby. Really sad!