Digging

For some you old timers this is a no brainer!

In “Tom’s Great Hunt Adventure” video the ground that was being dug up was rough and not really cared for like a lawn and a size 10 boot replaced the divots.

The QUESTION: What is the appropriate tool to use and how do you use it?

When you are hunting on say a church/park/school property and it needs to be back to the way you found it before you dug {Tom had an 8” square nose shovel in the video. I have also been told to use a dull screwdriver, knife or a garden spade.}

Hello Pips,

I think that you will get a lot of replies on this thread, because there are so many different answers.

Garden trowels, old knives, brass probes, dull screwdrivers,specialized tools, etc. The list goes on.

The best answer that I could give is that it depends on the type of area that you are in. Think about it! if you were in your front yard you would most likley want to use a tool that you could cut a nice replaceable plug or digging around your spouses' flower garden perhaps a small garden tool might be the thing to use. If you are on a farm and you are "diggin" on the "back 40" a shovel might be ok.

In any case, I believe good manners and common sense should always prevail.

May I suggest, try going on line to see what tools are available or get hooked up to a local club and ask those folks what they use. I bet they will be jump at he chance to do so!

This is a long winded answer and I'm afraid, not very specific. I do hope it is of some help.

regards,

Dan



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2008 02:14AM by dan.

Pips:

My favorite tool for areas that need to look as good as you found them is a spade type shovel. The whole thing, with handle, is about 18" long. The blade is rectangular shaped (spade type) except for the tip which is curved and almost sharp. The blade is 4 1/2" wide and 6 3/4" long.

Pinpointing with the F-75 is dead on and the target is always in the dug area. When I've pinpointed the target, I make its location the center of a 4 1/2", three (3) sided square area. I first dig the left side, then the right side and finish with the side facing me so I can pry up the sod. The plug is now hinged on on the far side. Depending on how deep the target appears to be will determine how deep I push the shovel in. Many times the target will be hanging out of the bottom of the plug or laying at the bottom of the hole.

By trying to start the hole at the probable target depth, you will usually recover the target without taking any more soil out of the hole. I use a piece of old plastic tablecloth to put any loose dirt on. When you are done recovering the target, pour the loose soil back in the hole and carefully fit the plug back in the hole. Push the plug in flush and on any side that has a little opening from digging, turn your foot sideways back and forth while pressing on the open area. I find that you cannot tell that there has been any digging by doing it this way. I'm thinking it's pretty important that the shovel have a sharp tip and thin blade,i.e 1/16".

Ron

Jackalope

Basically how Tom did it in the video except some sort of ground cover to catch the loose dirt. That sounds like the easy way.


Dan

Most of the locals here are beachcombers and you don’t worry about backfilling since the tide does it for you. I just want to know what the experts are doing.

Appreciate the replies -- Pips

Pinpointing for today's machines is quite good,so... using a lesch digger or that type of gardening tool is very good in manicured lawns.

There are a thousand places where digging a plug is talked about,but, You should dig a horseshoe type plug, leaving the back part of the grass attached to allow roots and water to supply the cut part of the plug. Put your dirt from the hole onto a cloth instead of directly on the ground so you can replace it in the hole easily and cleanly. When finished packing the dirt back in your hole and flipping your plug back over, stomp, or step heavily onto the plug to press it flat against the grond, and I fluff the grass back up with a rub of my hand. In the hottest months I also use a little water to help the plug along.

Tom is digging in soil that is sandy, which at times doesn't allow for a plug to stay in one piece. In the video he is digging on a lot where it isn't really manicured, but still you should do the best you can to replace the plug level with the surface.

ALL holes should be filled when you are finished digging whether you are on the beach or in a farm field. Allowing the surf to refill is a gamble if a lot of folks are around. The first person to step in a hole could cause a loss of hunting rights for more than just the one who didn't fill. It's just plain laziness not to fill holes, and bad for the hobby. IMO.


Hope this helped.
Ken



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/11/2008 07:32PM by Kas.

Ken:

You're right about the soil in Tom's DVD. Not a whole lot to worry about there but the holes should be filled.

I also have the Lesche hand tool and it does a good job. The blade on this Lesche digger is somewhat thicker than the spade shaped shovel I mentioned in an earlier post. That's why I use the shovel in manicured situations. The secret is in the thickness of the blade. It's only 1/16" thick. When I dig the three sides of the plug, sometimes before removing the plug, you really can't see the slits that the thin shovel makes. If you make an effort to not widen the sides of the hole when the plug is out; then when you put it back in there's almost no gap.

I think the idea of putting some water on the area is good and will help bring the edges of the slits together.

Check beforehand to make sure there is nothing buried that you might damage by digging.

Ron

Pips,
Here are a couple of videos of cutting a plug. Just in case you haven't seen them.
Metal Detecting: Plug Digging Technique
Research and Recovery: How To Dig a Plug

You guys are right on target. ... I still use the same small shovel nearly every where I go.... BUT..... on premium turf, I do indeed utilize a sheet of plastic for the loose dirt,,,, making it a perfect "return to original config" after recovery. A larger sheet of sod (plug) will damage much less root structure... as compared to digging say; a 2" (4-sided) hole. ---One side of a plug with roots intact is paramount.

Tom

If you use the large 4 1/2 " three sided (1 side still attached) plug method on sod, with a thin spade type blade and use a drop cloth for loose soil, there should be no evidence that you were ever there. Practice it some. Then when you are challenged by a property owner, park ranger, etc., you can ask them to turn their back or go away for a bit while you dig a hole for them to look for. Do a good job on the plug and be sure to leave a dime in the hole.

Have the doubting person look for the hole. If you did it proper they'll never find it. Of course, they might think you never dug the hole in the first place. That's what the dime is in the hole for. Tell them you have to leave a dime in the hole because you do such a good job that sometimes you can't find the hole again except by using your detector. Hopefully, when you recover the dime, that will ease their minds about sod damage.

Ron

Thanks for everyone’s input - it all makes sense and the video on "How to dig a plug" shows what you all have said -- Thanks again

PS - I appreciate all the explanations on why it is done the way it is (challenges, root structure, tools) Great explanations

very informative posts by everyone - i do liked all the information made available

max