all i find is junk

[danny987]

i ve metal detecting for about 3 years (off and on) ive tried parks, beaches, and house sites all i find is junk! any sugestions

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[Monk]

danny! Ofcourse you make a big joke? 3 yr's and nothing much worth keeping? What are you using for a metal locator? Maybe you ought to upgrade your locator? Or maybe also find some other coinshooter in your area to tag along with. Maybe they could give you a few pointers? or show you what you're doing wrong? It sounds like you have the bug or what it takes to find something, so keep with it and hopefully your luck will change.

 

[Mirage]

I heard that from a person recently..... his wife got him a metal detector(White's MXT) before she passed away. He would just dig the "loud" targets which ended up being pop cans and such. We got together with him and helped him find some Quarters(not junk in my book). He went out weeks later on his own and dug some more junk and then kinda put the MD on the shelf. He thinks that he should be able to go out with little experience and start digging silver while avoiding junk. Very unrealistic expectations. He also is a perfectionist. Don't know of many in this hobby that are perfectionist.

What metal detector do you use? A little more information would help.

Mirage

 

[The Seeker]

Just never give up !!!! no mattter what your doing in life .....and with metal detcting you just need to focus a little more and not get discouraged! Learn your machine like the back of your hand!!! you will notice the results....

 

[jeff of pa]

If your Not wearing Headphones, Buy some. And Dig every Small Signal.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Hahahah I am a perfectionist also ,Mirage ....a perfectionist at rusty iron and pulltabs!

Danny, I hunted with the cheapest Bounty Hunter they made for several years and found alot of junk, But I also found a ton of great stuff. I cannot stress the point that knowing your machine and researching has alot to do with your finds. For along time I figured that people here just never lost money. But then I got serious about the sites I was detecting and learning my machine and the finds started coming.
I agree with monk, hook up with someone from your area or a club that can help you out or keep asking questions here. I can assure you no question you can ask can be any dumber than the ones I had when I first started. Come to think of it ,I still ask some dumb ones. Knowing the area you are hunting is vital. If you are hunting parks,learn the spots that are heavily used by people. Get to the historical society or library in your town and start researching the old parts of town and the maps.Find out where the carnival,picnics,festivals,parades were held. Find the oldest parks and fairgrounds in your area.Look to the old schools and historic areas.

Alot of us spend our cold seasons ,researching and trying to plot out where we will hunt come spring. I have had some great luck at the teardowns. Searching the back end of properties and the outer edges.
Good Luck and keep swinging. I just talked to a woman wh approached me at a park who wanted to know if I wanted to buy her sons Minelab, because it has been sitting on the shelf for two years because he couldnt ever find anything.....hmmmm.

 

[Monty]

You'll never find anything but junk if you keep putting the coil where it ain't! Sounds like a little research would fix things. I know a lot of MDers who think they should find silver coins just anywhere, but that isn't the case. You have to search for likely spots where people gathered in days of yore and were apt to drop "stuff". I make the mistake of hitting the same old parks and schools etc., knowing I am not likely to find anything but junk and a little clad. I know better but it is just so darn tempting for a lazy guy like me. In other words, don't do as I do but do as I say! Good luck. Monty

 

[jeff of pa]

and Don't go to the Center of the park.
or the windows of the food stands etc.

Everyone Does. they have most likely been Searched.

Search along the sides of the Driveway,
in the extreme corners of the park.
The Woods where the Real Fun Happens,
Look around and
Think like Kids & teenagers that are tired of the Adults.
Where would you go ?
Is there a Creek ? a Hill ?

Metal Fences : Get as Close to the Metal Fences as Possable.
Switch to a Very Small coil if you have one.

Most Detectorists, Myself Included, Rather then Switch from my
W.O.T. coil will move away.
I leave alot near Metal Fences, & other metal Objects,
including beside Sidewalks with Rebar.

Search Behind the Outhouse, Behind the Stage, Behind the Food stands.
Under any thing you can get under. especially if it's hard to get under.

 

[OutBack Duo]

I have been metal detecting for about 12 years now and for the first 10 years I found mostly junk. It takes a lot of practice and patience. The machine you use is also very important, as the old saying goes you get what you pay for. The cheaper machines will find some good stuff but a better machine will find it easier and usually more of it. The best way to learn is to find a buddy or a club in your area and hunt along side them. Listen to their suggestions on how to swing, where to hunt and what to listen for. If you don't know how to find a metal detecting buddy or club in your area let us know, we would be more than happy to help you track one down.

 

[Aguila]

Hi Danny, I had the same prob for a while. The real trick has already been mentioned. KNOW your machine. You can own a cheap $100.00 unit, know it really well, and do much better than an owner of a very expensive unit who does'nt know their machine.

The next thing is to start small.....consider today your new beggining. Go to the local park and WATCH where people are going and WHAT they are doing. Walk around the park and find the "out of the way" places. I like to make a quick hand drawn map of the park and write notes.

The next thing is most definately RESEARCH. The internet is a wonderful tool, as is your local historical sociaty. Find out how old the area is where you intend to hunt, see if you can find WHAT and WHERE big public celebrations happened in the past.(Local newspaper archives are great for this).

Remember, this is your new begining, so you need to start all over with your machine. Dig ALL targets. As you do this, note how your machine reacted compared to what you dug.

It sounds complicated, but.....it soon becomes part of your routine and you will find that dividends will start paying in the form of better finds, less junk, and more knowlege of the areas you hunt.

When the cold season comes, do most of your research at that time, it helps when you get "the itch" to treasure hunt. My 2 cents....Aguila

 

[ringding]

Think of it like fishing. If you go to a pond that has lots of carp and bullheads and only 3 bass you are going to catch a lot of carp and bullheads. Look for the ponds (metal detecting sites) that may have lots of bass and pike with a just a few carp and bullheads, but keep fishing. Don't give up.

 

[Mighty AP]

Nice post Aguila, good info in there. It would help to know which machine you use too Danny. Im sure someone here who uses the same detector can give you some tips & settings that will help you out.

 

[SHERMANVILLE ILLINOIS]

i ve metal detecting for about 3 years (off and on) ive tried parks, beaches, and house sites all i find is junk! any sugestions

What is it you are looking for?
Have you given the above much thought/research?

have a good un................

 

[diggummup]

I've only been at this for about 4 years maybe.When I first started I had some pretty good "beginners luck" finding some silver coinage and a few pieces of jewelry along with some other religous medals and such etc.etc..Since then,i've been in a sort of lul or slump if you will,mostly finding clad and junk.I just got a new detector that i'm dying to try out this weekend.I agree with the others on here,as far as research and detecting certain areas within certain detecting spots.I've always,for the most part,hunted without discrimination,so i've scooped a lot of sand (i'm in florida)and dug my fair share of holes,usually in parks,at the beach or on private properties and sometimes even in the Everglades.You do have to "know" your machine and know it well but you also have to be willing to put in the actual hours,many,many hours of detecting a site thoroughly and as completely as possible.I don't know your situation (you haven't replied to this post yet) but you say you've been detecting for 3 years on and off.Stop and think now.How many actual hours of actual detecting have you done in those 3 years? Are you using an inexpensive beginners machine or a more moderately priced machine? Both could bring you results.If your using a "cheapie" without all the bells and whistles then it's fairly easy to familiarize yourself with it in a fairly short amount of time.If your using a "better" machine with many bells and whistles then of course it would take you some time to be able to master such a device.All in all ,i'm just wondering how many actual hours you've "put in" on your machine out in the "field"? Which brings me back to my point of my lul or slump this past year.I haven't been able to detect as much as i've wanted lately and when I did it was usually only for an hour or two at a time.Unlike the previous years where I devoted many days with many all day hunts which yielded many more finds.So what kind of machine are you using? Don't be embarrassed ,I still use a Bounty Hunter.

 

[gregl01]

Keep at it!!!! I have hunted my own yard dozens of times and I still find some goodies now and then. No place is ever hunted out and coins can be in the darndest places!!!! Be persistent and imaginative. I think we all go through droughts at one point or another!!!
HH
Greg