Let's discuss hunted out spots giving up more goodies.

[HighVDI]

So, there are the obvious reasons why some people walk into "hunted out" places and pluck out more good finds but what are the overlooked ones?

I have a particular spot that comes to mind when thinking about this topic. I literally spent a dozen hunts on this one 150'x150' area and the only thing found was flat buttons and a couple of other period items. One hunt out of the blue I got this phantom high tone and it was undoubtedly a deep coin signal. Bang, 8-9" large cent. About 30 minutes later another non ferrous signal but this one was all over on the numbers but sounded tight and clean. Must have been almost on edge because the pinpoint was way off. Once again another mid 1800's large cent. A couple hunts later in that same localized area one more crazy dig me signal.....and the third and last largie.

I can't squeak any more non ferrous signals out of that spot but it still makes me wonder what the heck happened there to make these signals all come out within a couple days of each other. The weather wasn't extreme either....very fall like. Not too much ground heaving going on. Only thing I can think of is iron above or in close proximity to the coins. Once removed they were detectable.

Has anyone experienced this sort of thing at an older site? Very interesting and eye opening to me.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[3cylbill]

I have been hunting the SAME place for ahhh 35 years and still find . last time i was there my hunting buddy scored a NICE silver pocket watch a foot (12") deep in the most hunted part of the field . it was plowed last about 15 years ago . the first 5 years i went there i found only one wheatie but i NEVER GIVE UP .they plowed the field and the coins kept comming .Indians ,barbers v nickels and shields along with many seated coins. for years i could walk back and forth and pick up Indians EVERY time I can remember driving home one day with 16 or 17 different OBSOLETE coins on the passenger seat and almost drove off the road a couple of times looking at them this place was a dream come true and the funny this is i was told it had been hunted out .after HUNDREDS OF INDIANS and many many obsolete silver . I STILL GO BACK TWO OR THREE TIMES A YEAR AND GET LUCKY..SO I think the next time it gets plowed it will give up more ..i have had 2 or 3 places like that in my 40 years and keep looking for another and I know i will find it..its what i live for...

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

How to Research for Treasure Hunting and Metal Detecting From Lead Generation to Vetting - Grab it through Amazon!

[HighVDI]

Hi vdi: the factors you mention in post #19 are factors in cases where more depth is needed . Such that minerals and/or emi affect and thus prohibit you from reaching. But there are locations to which getting "more depth" is not reaching additional targets. Ie.: nothing is beyond, say ... 6". (like in a desert or dry terrain). And where a given machine is AMPLY reaching the depth.

And you also mention nails/iron masking. This is a true factor when such conditions exist. But there *could* be some hunt locations where nails/masking isn't an issue. Because perhaps there was never a structure or building @ the location . Like the beach, or a country picnic site, etc....

As for moon-phases, I dunno. I'm not a superstitious type, haha

I'd agree with a couple but not all that are listed. A coil change to a sharpshooter type may be needed for a trashy area where more separation is needed instead of depth. Or, masked targets could be shallow. Coins on edge that are moderate depth could be passed over by a quick coil sweep too. It's obvious this is a common scenario and I do think some inexperienced hunters would literally pass on some properties just because the owner said the ground had been detected in the past.

 

[sprailroad]

High-VDI, good topic. You are challenging the "no spot is ever 'hunted out' " notion. And challenging the assertion of "hunted out", based on examples of places deemed to be "hunted out" that ...... drum roll .... gave up more targets. Hence supposedly disproving the notion that any place can be "hunted out".

Have I understood the tone/intention of your post so far ? If so:

Then if someone could go back to a supposedly "hunted out" spot and get more stuff, then guess what ? It wasn't really "HUNTED OUT" in the first place. So the mistake is in allocations/definitions. NOT in the question of "is any place ever 'hunted out' " or not.

If someone can give an example of a supposed hunted out spot, that, .... in retrospect .... gave up more targets, then by definition: That merely means: It wasn't "hunted out".



I can think of places where you WILL INDEED knock yourself silly for NOTHING.

I tell ya Tom, you must have the sharpest blade for splitting hairs known to man. I read every one of your post.

 

[LawrencetheMDer]

I agree with HighVDI in that deeper targets are exposed to a small tip of the electrical field cone and an inch off could miss a deep target. In hunted out spots, it would make sense to use bigger butterfly coils and very small sweep increments to minimize missing the deep targets. I have same issues on beach where I have repeatedly hit it hard and while the coin count does drop over time I'm amazed that I have missed so many targets and it emphasizes the need for small sweep increments.

 

[smokeythecat]

A couple weeks ago now I dug a Confederate buckle. We had been digging the farm for over a year, and frankly, targets were getting scarce. If you did find something it was in a grouping of other things we simply walked around previously. I got additional permission to dig the grassy areas, and this came out within an hour. Now I can't get a signal anymore. That's just how it goes.

 

[against the wind]

Let me see,, moisture content, ground mineralization, depth, close proximity to ferrous metals, size of target, target composition, position of target, ground movement due to freezing & thawing, detector capabilities, your capabilities, and angle of approach, and a degree of luck.
There is also something called, the "Halo Effect",, this can grow, (a tiny bit), with each passing year. A smaller target, in the ground for 150 years, can suddenly become visible to your detector. It can appear as a larger sized target because the soil surrounding it is affected by the target's composition. The search area is not hunted out because it still contains targets. They just aren't visible to the detector being used,, YET.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... it was plowed last about 15 years ago ....

For plowed ag. fields, sure. It's *possible* that recurrent annual plowing brings something to the surface, or turns an "on-edge" target flat, etc...

BUT: 1) what about non-plowed fields ? Then none of this applies, and 2) talk to any British UK hunter about certain fields that *used* to be favorites. And you'll find that .... sure ..... they RUSHED back to them after each seasonal plowing. And ... sure got more each time (that got "revealed"). But after 10 or 15 yrs, if you talk to those guys about those fields, they will be the first to tell you that there was/is a continuing diminishing curve of return ratios. Eventually, not even plowing "brings up more targets". In those cases, they start to rely on the plowing that's from some different crop like potatoes (where ...... instead of 3' foot deep, it requires 5' deep, or whatever).

In other words, even when you factor plowing, there is still a law of diminishing returns. It's not "endless"

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I'd agree with a couple but not all that are listed. A coil change to a sharpshooter type may be needed for a trashy area where more separation is needed instead of depth. Or, masked targets could be shallow. Coins on edge that are moderate depth could be passed over by a quick coil sweep too. It's obvious this is a common scenario and I do think some inexperienced hunters would literally pass on some properties just because the owner said the ground had been detected in the past.

But this just assumes masking an/or depth scenarios. What if none of those factors are present ? There are hunt types where neither of those factors are an issue.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... splitting hairs ... .

Nope. Not "splitting hairs". Just "been there done that". 43-ish years, and 100's of sites (many virgin when we found them). And gone back with every new machine known to man. There is NOT an "endless supply" via the "no site is ever worked out" mantra.

Would love to "turn you loose" on a few of our sites, to see how much stuff you find .

Oh sure, not all. There's some parks or iron ridden sites that ... given enough time & determination and new tech ... sure. But I can think of others that .... no dice.

 

[pa-dirt_nc-sand]

Hey High VDI.
Tip 1: sort of triangulate in your head where the concentration of good targets were found and reswing this area but extremely slowly. Try to eek out even the smallest chirps and dig any signal in this target area that is small and consistent.
Tip 2: Where in this site have you not hit before? Tall weed area, try the barrel technique and flatten those suckers. Briars and old bushes, time to start pushing into these areas to uncover more virgin ground. Maybe hunt the areas closer to the street that you have avoided because of modern trash. Avoided a hillside, time to hit it, wear cleats.
Tip 3: Your kicking butt out there, time to do some more research and door knocking.

 

[HighVDI]

Hey High VDI.
Tip 1: sort of triangulate in your head where the concentration of good targets were found and reswing this area but extremely slowly. Try to eek out even the smallest chirps and dig any signal in this target area that is small and consistent.
Tip 2: Where in this site have you not hit before? Tall weed area, try the barrel technique and flatten those suckers. Briars and old bushes, time to start pushing into these areas to uncover more virgin ground. Maybe hunt the areas closer to the street that you have avoided because of modern trash. Avoided a hillside, time to hit it, wear cleats.
Tip 3: Your kicking butt out there, time to do some more research and door knocking.

It's really not so much being unhappy with my finds so to speak. It's more along the lines of signals that just apear out of nowhere. This particular spot.....which we just talked about a couple days ago, literally gave up two non ferrous signals in a place where I officially no longer get them. After pounding this section of grass probably over a dozen times these two large cents were dug.....the same night. Minutes between each. Couple days later one more. Could just be one of those flukes of the hobby. I'll take it though! Lol.

You're right about the door knocking. Location is everything.

 

[WaterScoop]

Let’s for this example pretend that the machine you own is the best there is and the best that ever was and there never will be another one like it ever again (I did say pretend)

I am a firm believer that a machine is very important but too many rest on the laurels of the glory that the machine is everything. especially if it made the cover of a magazine, won a few awards or some YouTube star is endorsing it.


I have been very successful at producing quality finds from what others call “hunted out areas” by focusing on research and technique more then expecting my detector to do all the work for me.



Here are some of my favorite ways to hit what others call “Hunted out areas”

Research older aerial maps and older topographical maps vs. newer maps to see and locate
Anomalies like:

Vegetation growth or die off
Dirt roads
Buildings

Compare multiple,layers of time at once and even overlay topo and street over time.

Hunt when the ground is wet you will get more depth and be amazed what your detector can “see” in the wet solid that it wasn’t able to ”see” in the dry/drier soil
Hunt the same area with different frequencies different frequencies see different things differently.
Hunt trashy areas with a 4-6” sniper coil( too many people are lazy and want to go deep and cover a lot of ground fast with a monster coil while the trash masks the treasure.)

Change your grid hunt pattern (too many people I see go up and down and left to right I hardly see anyone hunt diagonally)

Now imagine that the square is 100 ft on each side.


I can’t tell you how presently shocked I was with the awesome results I got the first time I hunted diagonally right after I hunted parallel.

Also hunt in a spiral pattern(I do this on sand or ground conditions that allow me dragging a scoop to leave a trail behind me)(dont get dizzy..LOL)



So in recap, I love a great machine as I am sure most of you do as well however
I love my research and technique a lot more.

 

[HighVDI]

Another example last evening. There is a business a stones throw from my house that used to sell milk and ice cream. Found probably 20 silvers from this 40'x40' yard.

I've been to this spot I'd bet 40-50 times...lol. the neighbors think I'm a loon. Anyways. I tried just one of the variables in this thread and I snuck out a very nice but quick signal in between some modern trash. About 7 inches under the suface was this 42 washington quarter. Shortly after it seemed like Emi became an issue so I backed my sens. All the way down to 59. Got another high tone that was a little on the weaker side. Ended up being a 67' copper penny about the depth of the Garrett carrot. So, actually.....sweep speed and sens. changes brought a Couple more coin signals out of nowhere.

 

[Normsel]

I went to a hunted out soccer field yesterday, I found $2.35 in clad and a silver button with an Oyster inlay. Going back today if I don't get rained out. I hunted the very fringes of the back of the field and the newest clad I found was 1975 and that's out of 22 coins so I know they been there awhile.. I have two strips about 10' wide by 300 yards I still need to cover. Based on the other coins I hope to find some silver

 

[GoDeep]

The way I hit my yard for the first three months I hit it with the AT PRO simply because the AT PRO did not see the deeper targets I cleared the yard of all shallow targets with it I know most will be saying in their heads how does he know the AT PRO did not see the deeper targets but I will tell you it does not I know this because my wife used it ahead of me both of us detecting her with the AT PRO and me with the X TERRA 705 she would go over the same area ahead of me I would get a beep on a target and before digging it I would have her come back with the AT PRO and sweep the target and the AT PRO would not see the target if it was deeper than 6 inches I was hitting targets with the 705 that the AT PRO would not hit but any how what we did was clear all the shallow targets first then we re hit it but we used stakes and that orange tape surveyors use and we grided off the yard and hit every inch of it multiple time over a four year period I threw all the clad in a plastic 1 1/2 gallon jug and kept the silvers and other items we dug separated out we ended up digging over $300 in clad out of that yard but I still to this day feel there was more to be found there like I stated we just never got the coil over it or it was to deep for either detector.

This is exactly my same experience with the AT Pro, (hence why I sold it). I called it the 6 Inch wonder!

 

[CoinFetcher]

I found a 1952 some at a 1890s schoolhouse on county propriety near my childhood home. I had hunted there many times, but I’m a little better at it now.

The dime was 10 ft from the front door, 4 inches deep. It had a weird tone, but something I’d definitely always want to dig.i have seen many other Detectors’s holes here too.

Goes to show you About the supposedly hunted out spot .

 

[CASPER-2]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/casper-2/6831910253/in/dateposted/

 

[basque-man]

We will actually move the top 3-6 inches of soil then go over it all again. Lots of nice finds over areas we have done time and time again. Heck we have even "dug out" areas where some of our best stuff has come from....... Like Loco mentioned as well; different angles have done us well in the past also. It's just darn luck.

 

[HighVDI]

I've dug 3 more largies, a handful of flat buttons and a shield nickel from this spot since posting this. Something that will always intrigue me about the hobby.

 

[luvsdux]

"no place is ever hunted out?" Have seen that notion pretty often on the forums. My own observation leans toward not completely hunted out, but often pretty darn sparse requiring a lot of time and persistence to turn up decent targets. Another thought -- some places may never had many decent targets in the first place.
luvsdux