Large high school - where to begin.....

[jridg]

So I went over to the local HS yesterday to look over the athletic fields and other open areas that were so inviting on Google maps.....

I began under the football field bleachers - wasn't feeling well so I only stayed a little while - found 14 cents - all underground - easy digging - no grass - sandy soil - LOTS of old bolts from when they re-did the bleachers who knows how long ago - there are several acres of field to search and the HS has been there since 1958 - I have a feeling this is going to be a LONG term project.....any advice?

If I find anything interesting I will post it - but so far it's been very generic - although the coins were buried - a couple of inches deep except one penny on the surface. I wonder how long it takes for them to get that deep...

 

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[SilverSleuth]

I found a 80's quarter yesterday at about 5" at a school field.

If I were hitting that school I'd just dig all the low tones for some gold jewelry but I'm just a noob who still walks erratically around swinging my detector.

 

[jeff of pa]

Can you get a good Areal of the Area you have to Search ?

Is it an Older school with a Wall in Front ?
Search between the wall & The bank if it does.
kids sit on the wall & mess around.

IF It's just a Field,
Search the Corners as close to the Fence as possable & Work your way out.
good spots to get away with things at night.

Alse search just outside the Entrance to the sides.
That would be where people reached in their pockets
to pull out money.
or walked to the side to have fun without being caught.

And search the farest point from the Entrance outside & Inside the Fence.
That would be a Sneak in point.

Stone Wall or Fence around ?
IF Fence look for Gopher Holes big enough for a Kid to Crawel Under.

IF Stone, Look for Rocks Missing or loose or Break Holes in the Cement.
used as Hidey Holes for Stashes.

 

[Monty]

I visited my old high school when I first started MDing and went to the old smoke hole. Found lots of quarters, change and misc junque. I hit the grassy areas behind the end zones and did quite well on clad. Found some jewelry in the area where the cheerleaders stand during games. Found silver in the area near the field house where they sell tickets and also where the adults go to smoke at half time. The bench area of the football field did good as well as the practice field. There was a grassy slope where the moms and pops put up lawn chairs to watch practice and did some good there also. Otherwise? Monty

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Try to have a plan each time you go....use a log and notes where you search...find the hot spots and hammer them every time you go...continue working the different areas especially the ones where people gather...if it is producing keep going back if it is not hopefully you have other places you can go...that is a very brief summary how I avoid being overwhelmed in a large area...good luck...

 

[jridg]

Thanks for the advice - there is a good overhead on google - the thing is that this place has been around for fifty years - I don't know if the football field is in the same place as it was originally - but I have no reason to think it is not - there are several athletic fields and some grassy areas around the school as well. I think I will begin under the bleachers and then work my way around the football field/track area - the track is an older cinder track, but I don't want to go digging in it - so I will stick to the areas near it. There are restrooms and such near the bleachers - but they appear newer than the school - we'll see how it goes - the soil is sandy and slightly rocky - so not bad at all for digging and then covering my work

The hill next to the field has iceplant on it - I am wondering if it was different at some point - it would be great to check in there - but I think I would get an earful - so we'll see.... Practice field is on the list as well - lots of places to search.......too little time

I appreciate the advice!

Thanks!

 

[erikk]

I would first eliminate all the places that were mentioned and just do a willy nilly search of the whole area. The chances of you being the first to metal detect this school are slim to none and most people will do exactly what has been mentioned in the above posts. You are going to have to think outside the box. When you do find an area that is starting to produce old deep coins then set up a grid pattern and work every inch until you have removed every bit of metal. In an area as large as you mentioned finding some hot spots that have been missed over the years is a pretty good bet but you are going to have to search to find them

 

[Shortstack]

jridg-- You mentioned that the school was built in 1958 and has Ice Plant in one area. Ice Plant was planted back in the 40s and 50s as a low growing plant to hold down soil and sand erosion--just like Kudzu was planted in the southern states in the 40s.
Soooo, there is a good reason to believe the plants are original with the school, BUT spot check in it just in case. Be very careful of snakes, though. I was stationed at Vandenberg AFB ( Lompoc ), Calif. in the early 80s and found that the Pacific Rattlesnakes that infested the whole area just loved the Ice Plant because it is so thick and "junky" looking. It generates its own thick thatch.

Good luck and good hunting.

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

My advice to you is to first look at the place and try to imagine where it is that people concentrated the most. Secondly, take a look at the soil. Try to figure out where it is that the soil is original. There are many rules of thumb, but one is that fill dirt usually contains alot of gravel/pebbles. This you want to stay away from. To figure out where it is that people concentrated, the amount of gargbage is a good indicator. If you're not getting signals, good or bad, then that is an area not frequented. When you start finding caps, tabs and other assorted trash, then you know you are walking over areas people concentrated in. Sometimes you have to dive right into trash to find goodies.

 

[TooManyHobbies]

It seems the new thing for kids to do is throw change around. So anywhere they hang out while waiting for bus or between classes should produce clad...and even silver. My son brought home a 1951 quarter that a kid threw, along with other change. The kids even throw it in the garbage cans.

 

[jridg]

Thanks again for all the advice.

I don't think this place has been detected - at least not recently - While I was under the bleachers there were tons of old bolts from when they replaced the slats - that and the coins I found a couple of inches down. I am working out where to look and then try to have a plan - haven't been playing much for the past week as I have been a little under the weather and/or otherwise busy.

I will get as much as I can done prior to my next overseas time - then I will have to wait seven weeks for my next foray!

I will let you know what I find

Jim

 

[rmptr]

Draw a quick sketch of the place and note where you've been and at least good finds....

R M P T R

 

[bavarianminister]

work small sections at a time. A thorough search will never be completed at a large location. If you find lots of goodies, you will inevitably go back in the future. Metal objects seem to move up and down in the ground.

Bavarian

 

[Ray S ECenFL]

Sounds like you have your work cut out for you.

It is best to determine where the largest concentration of people were located and begin there. As previously mentioned, smoking areas are good, concession stand areas are also good. People hang out along the fields side lines. Any grassy areas leading to the parking lot? Lots of dropped items when folks pull out car keys. After you concentrate on the well populated areas you can then concentrate on the field itself.

Depending on how much time you have, you can work various areas or you can start at one end and cover the entire field, even if it takes several days. Use various land marks at the opposite end of your direction of travel to keep you in a straight line. Repeat this process on your return trip. Use a bush, telephone pole, fence post, distant tree etc... This does work. I used it on a very large soccor field and over three weekends pulled out over $30 in clad.

Hope this helps.

Happy Hunting.

Ray S.