How much junk do I have to dig to find the good stuff???

[Desert Digger]

That's usually the first question people ask me when I show them the
rings that I find at the river. Their next remark is usually "I have friends that
have metal detectors that eliminate the junk". My reply to that is, ask them to
show you all the gold that they found. It will be very little if any. I get tired of
digging junk too, but the rewards are worth it when you see that gold band
staring back at you in the ground, especially if there are shinny rocks attached to
it. So, my advice to anyone that is new to detecting and wants to find the precious
metals, don't discriminate anything. I don't do any coin hunting at the river because
they are usually eaten up by the water. I have included a couple of pics of the junk and rings
that I have found. This is probably less than half the trash that I have brought
home. I usually put the pull tabs in my aluminum can recycle bin. If you recognize
any of your car keys in there, let me know and I will send them back to you.

 

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[seger98]

Nice set of rings... Junk don't look bad either LOL

 

[nebstater]

Looks like you are getting your exercise. And, your right about "diggin for the gold!"

 

[ivan salis]

to the gold items ya gotta dig alot of "junk" esp pull tabs ----- since gold rings and such often "rings up" as pull tabs almost all the time on the id type detectors (yes even the high dollar ones do that --- maybe just not quite as often is all ) -- Ivan

 

[Kas]

If you're looking to dig gold/rings, you gotta' dig a bunch of junk. :P

Silver rings and coins, no junk.

 

[SC_hunter]

Hahahaha...That one looks like my pull tab..but you can keep it in your collection.

 

[tymcmurray]

VERY nice finds.
Were these all found in one hunt?
Congratulations.

 

[ModernMiner]

DD,
Very nice collection of rings. Congrats to you. Well worth digging the trash.
-MM-

 

[geckokid]

I dig alot of junk, because I know one of those junk pulltabs will be a gold or Diamond Ring!!

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

What a good post, nice finds !!

Keep @ it and HH!!

 

[Fred (S.Indiana)]

According to my calculations, about one gold ring to every fifteenhundred pull-tabs, you must covince yourself that aluminum is your goal, therefore the gold is less likely to elude you, thats my own obsessive theory, almost all of the gold I've found has registered in the very low range, if I would have used much discrimination I would have left a lot of gold behind...................fred

 

[Desert Digger]

The rings were dug over the 2007 season of hunting. I would guess about 8 trips to the
river. It has taken me awhile to figure out where all the goodies float to once they are
dropped in the river. There doesn't seem to be much in the middle where the water
runs hard. I guess everything gets pushed off to the sides and the gold is the first
stuff to fall to the bottem and then the lighter stuff ends up closer to the shore. Near
the shore you will find lots of pull tabs, sunglasses, cans and the things that float. Not
a trip goes by without finding some parts and pieces of pants and swim suits. I always
check the pockets with the detector just to make sure nothing got left behind. Not sure
what the people did to get home without their pants and keys. It will be good hunting
at the river until about March or April when they turn the water back on and the cycle
begins all over again. So if you are planning to tube the river next summer, wear some
nice jewels.

 

[TreasurdiggrNY]

I dig a lot of junk too, I have only been out a handful of times. I read a bunch of forums before I got my 1280X and everyone said to dig em all so that's what I do. I have not found anything of real value, one cheap ring and a bunch of clad and lot's of pulltabs. I do know that the next pulltab might be a goodie and that's part of the fun for me.
HH
Glenn

 

[999slvrfx]

Your junk looks like my collection of treasure.

 

[birdman]

Very nice !To dig rings ,you have to dig junk.

 

[Desert Digger]

I will be going to the river again this weekend for a few hours. The weather is suppose to
be in the low 80's, so it should be some nice hunting. I usually only hunt for about four hours
because the rocks are hard to walk on and I get tired and sore from slipping on the moss
that's still on some of the rocks. The river will eventually dry up and it will be easier hunting.
There were very few people hunting this year, mostly older folks that don't get too far from
where they parked their car. I did run across one guy that was hunting with a MineLab and
he was discriminating everything except coins. Not sure why you would want to hunt for
clad coins when there is nice gold a few inches below the rocks. But I guess everyone has their
own agenda. This weekend we will hike to where there are two flows of the river and they
come together. There are alot of large boulders in the water that create some nice rapids
for people to get knocked off their tubes and have their coolers launched into the water. I
love it when people put their valuables in their coolers. Those are easy pickens...First you
find their car and house keys, some change in a baggie, a folding knife, their watch, a cell
phone, a few full cans of Budd Light, precription glasses, you name it and people loose it
at the river. I never take anything up there that I don't want to loose. My hunting partners
Lobo and a two-way radio have become casualities of the river already this year. Maybe this
weekend will be a good one, a few gold rings with some nice rocks will make my day. I will post
some pics if I find anything worth putting up here. I have included a pic of the the rocks and
the green moss that is a joy to walk on...