How not to dig a plug.

[Rawhide]

I went out today and checked about 10 parks. All I found was pennys so I have a little competition. I still found silver and gold, I like my detector. Anyway, someone from Las Cruces was digging at Young Park and did this:
This was donr over a 20 square foot area next to a tree. Its right at the main entrance, so everyone can see it. Keep digging holes like, this, kill the grass, leave holes and we wont have to worry about detecting local parks. When I catch the guy doing it, I will post it here, and every other forum I can log onto.

Dig at least 3 inches down to not kill the roots. What you did here could have been done with just a screw driver and popping the targets. I dont know what kind of digger you got, but there was no way for me to repair this. I hope the dollars worth of change you got was worth it.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[myfantasia1]

wow that is sad

 

[Ronzie]

Was Diggers filming an episode there?

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

Was Diggers filming an episode there?

hahahaha

 

[Alan Applegate]

Maybe not!

Next time you're out in the park, observe the squirrels. It is amazing what they do to the grounds when they bury their loot. The Roswell, NM park closest to me has a bunch or ornamental chestnuts. You can't eat their fruit, but the squirrels do, so they bury them all over the park. Looks just like what you see in the photos.

 

[Maburger]

Ditto on the squirrels and my other thought was moles. Both will totally desimate an area!!

 

[thrillathahunt]

If that mess was caused by a detectorist, he's the worse digger I've ever seen!

 

[gerryk]

That is what will happen if you have moles. Grubs will also attract skunk which will do the same thing.

 

[wild eyed willey]

someone should shoot an instructional video on how to dig and replace a plug, for the many novices joining our ranks each and every day. Myself included.. got any links?

 

[OZARKS]

someone should shoot an instructional video on how to dig and replace a plug, for the many novices joining our ranks each and every day. Myself included.. got any links?

Yep, here's a post about how to dig a plug on my blog:

How To Dig a Plug | Ozarks Metal Detecting Blog

 

[Nickleanddime]

Welcome to my town. I agree with the moles and skunks, they will do a number on the ground. So will squirrels stealing nuts. I just got decent at poking my knife tip in and popping out the coin. Anymore I only dig if its deep or big. Unlessaomeone sees them doing it or they are huge plugs then one shouldn't rule out animals. In my town I see kinda the same thing but the edges are clean or shovel shaped. But anyways good luck out there were in this toghter.

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

its funny all the mention on the squirrels....I have been to so many parks that i would see the holes from them and think it was detectorist that beat me there..lol...But yea..the squirrels will do a number on the ground.

 

[lookindown]

I was thinking some critter did that damage.

 

[Jeremy S]

I found some plugs like that in two parks around here. At one park they didn't even put the plug back in the hole all the way and just tossed the can tab or bottle cap on the ground next to it. I detected right next to one of these messy plugs and pulled out a new presidential dollar coin (my first). Not sure how the other guy missed that, my AT Pro was singing over that shallow target.

Big plug = easy targets for critters to dig up and lawn mowers to spit out. I use a screw driver and probe as much as possible. I've even had luck digging deep targets by cutting about an 8" slit in the sod just next to the target, slightly prying up the grass not to break the roots, and slowly picking the dirt away from under it with my probe or screwdriver. When done I just funnel the dirt back under the slit and step on it. Grass doesn't die and no plugs to worry about.

 

[Nickleanddime]

I found some plugs like that in two parks around here. At one park they didn't even put the plug back in the hole all the way and just tossed the can tab or bottle cap on the ground next to it. I detected right next to one of these messy plugs and pulled out a new presidential dollar coin (my first). Not sure how the other guy missed that, my AT Pro was singing over that shallow target.

Big plug = easy targets for critters to dig up and lawn mowers to spit out. I use a screw driver and probe as much as possible. I've even had luck digging deep targets by cutting about an 8" slit in the sod just next to the target, slightly prying up the grass not to break the roots, and slowly picking the dirt away from under it with my probe or screwdriver. When done I just funnel the dirt back under the slit and step on it. Grass doesn't die and no plugs to worry about.

There's people who pick for gold and silver here in the parks they'll dig the plug then leave the change. One day I got a ear splitting hit and went to dig my plug and seen it was already flapped. Ended up finding 2 bucks in quarters in that hole lol. Went around rest of the hour of light popping up flaps picking up the change since all the flaps were brown from being to dry. If your reading this thanks buddy you put gas in my car that day!

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

There's people who pick for gold and silver here in the parks they'll dig the plug then leave the change. One day I got a ear splitting hit and went to dig my plug and seen it was already flapped. Ended up finding 2 bucks in quarters in that hole lol. Went around rest of the hour of light popping up flaps picking up the change since all the flaps were brown from being to dry. If your reading this thanks buddy you put gas in my car that day!

Yea, I acutally hunt with a guy that passes up clad...which makes NO sense to me..I mean ONE..it masks possible GOOD targets...and TWO...its FREAKIN MONEY!....Who passes up MONEY...I dig EVERY coin signal....sometimes i pass up the Zinc pennies...or at least i used too...But now i dig them in hopes of Big Gold's....and trust me...its ALL adds up....I find on average about 250 bucks a year in just clad...and once had a banner year of almost 400 bucks.

Hopefully he isnt reading this

 

[TMac]

Yea, I acutally hunt with a guy that passes up clad...which makes NO sense to me..I mean ONE..it masks possible GOOD targets...and TWO...its FREAKIN MONEY!....Who passes up MONEY...I dig EVERY coin signal....sometimes i pass up the Zinc pennies...or at least i used too...But now i dig them in hopes of Big Gold's....and trust me...its ALL adds up....I find on average about 250 bucks a year in just clad...and once had a banner year of almost 400 bucks.

Hopefully he isnt reading this

Im trading in all my clad for silver at the end of the year...Im sure Im close to $500..probably more by the end of December. I wont lie tho lately I skip alot of shallow dime/penny signals as I look for deep signals with my etrac...but I usually only have an hour or two to hunt. On weekends I dig all the clad I can.

 

[Rawhide]

I sure hope you are correct about animals, but it being the only location in this large park and right at the entrance I suspect it was the same guy I caught with a gold pick in a 200 year old park hunt also.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Ya I've seen squirrels dig holes that look like that. If you've seen trash like pop tops next to the hole it may be both a bad TH'er and a squirrel! I'm lazy I use a screwdriver to pop shallow coins out, only dig a plug if I have to, and I don't like leaving evidence of my even being there. After all most people think I'm weed whacking anyhow! Lol