Ball field hunting questions

The allure of hunting jewelry has led me to have to ask some serious newbie style questions. This will be some of them. Obviously, the sports fields are #1 on my radar for the type activities needed to lose jewelry. My area has plenty of them. I have never attempted to hunt any of them. My question is...how do you guys approach such areas. Not as in how do you break them down for searching...but as in do you ask permission or do you just go hunting the fields? What do you use to recover targets with? I don't think the parks and rec people would be happy with even a hand trowel but I've never tried it so I honestly do not know. Do you just probe with a screwdriver or something? Not interested in the coins...just hoping for some jewelry which I think would be hard to recover with a probe. If you have any tips or advice, I am all ears. I bought a big florescent green and orange safety vest that I am wearing now when hunting sidewalk strips and the park. Nobody even pays me any attention now....they just assume I am working. Great idea btw.

I have found more jewelry in the grass outfield. If it's a field that I'm completely covering I'll start up and down the left field fence and work strait across until I finish at the right field fence. If you only get so far and need to pick up where you left off at another date mark the fence by tying something to the fence like small piece of cloth so you can start there next time. If you have limited time of just hitting the hot spots then hunt all the way around the fence at least 2 passes. Also jump to dead center field and wander around there before you leave. I use my homemade coin popper I made from a gasket scraper. I show how to pop coins and jewelry in this video.
[www.youtube.com]

Kenny
[www.youtube.com]

Ball fields are usually city and or county owned, save for the private schools, so unless there is some sort of detecting ban in your area permission is not needed and asking permission might well open up a can of worms and you could get a no. for hunting them.

Try to keep a low profile and hunt them early in the day or late. Use small digging tools and or a screw driver for popping the target. Jewelry often isn't to deep. A drop cloth for putting dirt on helps keep your digs tidy. Good luck! HH jim tn

"I used to test / hunt in a few 'ball fields / sports fields' around my area in North Hills Pittsburgh and never asked permission nor was ever challenged as to what I was doing.
That was back in the mid '80's and like most hunters back then we used screwdriver's and other 'small bladed' implements for coin recovery, unlike today where the majority of US videos show hand trowels and spades!

I HATE to see spades.

'khouse' video shows how it was done back in the day and is a credit to him and it shows just how easy it is to pop shallow finds out with minimal disturbance!"

Hi Daniel, unless its private owned, I hunt it. By private I mean owned by someone who is NOT a state or county/city entity. When I hear the word 'ball field' I think baseball, softball type fields and there are a few private fields here. But most belong to the City/County or School district and those I just detect without worrying about permission. Pick the right time of day of course. Out of site out of mind type thing.

HH
Mike

I would work everywhere but on the field until people get used to seeing you. Then work the perimeter of the field inside the fence or outside the baselines. Then work the out field and so on. The key is to build the perception that you are always there and it's okay for you to be there. Once they get used to seeing you, they wont even pay attention.

very nice video, Kenny!

Wayne

Pleasant Garden, NC
AT Max, Nokta Impact, MX Sport, Nokta FORS Relic, GPX 4800, Infinium, Racer, Deus, F75SE, Nautilus DMC II (order of acquisition, last to first)

Does an archeologist argue with a plow? A bureaucrat with a bulldozer?

You get a ticket here if you step foot on a sports field or tot lot with a metal detector. The sports fields are typically well cared for and some even have sprinkler systems though.

In other small towns without such laws generally it's not big deal but if it's obviously well cared for I wouldn't touch it. Not worth making a grounds keeper mad!

Like the idea of clothing...picked up a coat with FireDept that was red at local sallies and worked like a charm.....entire field can produce but where the spectators watch is usually a good area.

That's what has me worried about our local fields. We have a 60+ acre park here that hosts all the big city events...barrel racing for horses, rodeos, and then the ball fields. Back in the 80s and 90s, the softball fields were really popular. Back then, every church and work factory had adult softball teams that played there. Not so much these days...it's mostly the kids that play on them now. The big events take place on the soccer fields that also double as the rugby fields. They are very well taken care of which is why I was asking how do you guys approach such a place. I have stayed away from them thus far; focusing my efforts on the smaller less popular fields in other parks...and it does show in the lack of good finds. The other places get the most people in them for sure. There wouldn't really be a good time to hunt them...even in the night, they have big lights to light the fields up and in the summer, often have the events at night. The only time would actually be in the winter, as every weekend there are hundreds of people at them from the time the park opens the gates til they close them at night. There aren't any signs or ordinances against metal detecting them but I also don't want to be "that guy" that causes them to be.

The picnic grove/park area I have been hunting has been decent to me but has kinda petered out. I've recovered most of the targets there from the nickel range on up. The parks and rec workers have seen me out there a lot and a couple that were mowing stopped and talked to me one day and gave me the history on the place. When I saw them coming over to me I figured they were getting ready to tell me I couldn't be there anymore but they just wanted to talk and thanked me for helping pick up trash there. One of them evidently saw me pick up some discarded water bottles that some people had thrown down on the ground under the trees and throw them in the bed of my truck. They even told me some other places I might try, including one of the parks that use to be a drive in theater during the late 60s and early 70s that I didn't even know about (I haven't been there yet).

Very early mornings and stormy days are the only times you can hunt places like that. I have a couple sites I have to be off of by 8AM, and I have a few sites I can only hunt during bad weather,and I mean bad weather, when no one else would be out just for that very reason, there is no other way to get onto the site alone.

Best thing to do there is make a friend on the inside.

HH
Mike

Here is a thought.....talk to a groundskeeper and get his name..usually the best way to get an in....getting permission from a council and the like is tough at best ......

Pinpointer, Probe, and Srewdriver. Thats all I would use along with a Bandana in case any dirt gets loose.
I would get a Hit and if Pinpointer Hits it then probe for it. Then Pop it up with the Srewdriver. If it's too deep for Pinpointer to hit I leave it as not worth it. Besides was looking for most recent drops. Man loved using My XL-PRO with Bigfoot Coil for the Big open area's as covered a Lot of ground fast.

'My first try at a baseball field near my home gave an Indian Head penny at a ridiculous depth of intertwined in the grass to an inch!
Didn't find any more there but, what occurred to me was...somebody else must have either found it there and missed his finds pouch when stowing the find or it had been accidentally lost from a finds pouch? I found a few silver's from deep down to 8 - 10" with the flavor of the year back then, a Tesoro w/11" coil"

(I still have that penny and use it for air tests all the time)

So, was it you? Did you mislay an Indian Head??? "

As already said, go when there aren't any people around, hunt the fringes to establish the commonality of it, and don't use spades. I also never hunt a sports field In Season.

I find soccer fields best for jewelry; don't forget to check where players will stash their personal stuff while playing (and then dump it in the grass when they go home after dark). Found a bunch of shallow rings that way.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/2017 06:55PM by Champ Ferguson.

I'm surprised to hear about the restrictions or fear of even hunting these public sites.
I guess I'm lucky here where I hunt. I would check the city and county ordinances.
My City parks and sports fields are free to hunt with some recovery rules and the county sells an annual
permit for detecting with recovery rules for $10.00. County schools are free to hunt with no restrictions and city schools require a free permit.
No one bothers me or seems to care. I just use my common sense and stay out of others way if they are using the play field.

Get to know the grounds keepers if you can.
Most appreciate exposing of lost sprinkler heads and don't mind bending of the recovery rules
If they know you are good at it. I have worked pretty hard to develop my deep recovery methods so I don't mess
up the park and get kicked out. Different soils, grass types and times of year require different methods.

Bryan

Off season to the specific sports is a big thing for me. Im also big on going on extreme weather days when people dont go outside.. cold and sometimes dog day heat...You can hit any baseball field you want on a frigid day in december. People are funny about football fields depending on how well theyre maintained. Theres not much trash on them, and Ive found a couple big mens gold necklaces on them. Less ladies stuff and rings in general. Softball out fields are the best spots. People lose alot of jewelry and the areas are so big it's hard to find stuff. My best areas are where the most action is, shallow in the outfide where people come forward and gets the most traffic. Think where a second baseman or Shortstop would go the farthest back to catch a fly ball, that's the sweet spot... Also have to be careful once summer hits, even if you dig a beautiful plug that leaves no sign initially, cutting into the roots when it's dry will leave a dark spot a couple days later.

My school yard method:
1.ice pick to probe and find target---can tell if solid,like a coin or if ice pick goes through its foil etc.
2.With ice pick touching target,sorta ream out a small hole about nickel size--remove ice pick
3.I have a 12" locking hemostat that is about the diameter of a pencil--slide it down hole and you can feel when it touches target--clamp on and pull target out. Pinch top of hole together with your fingers and you leave NO trace.
4.On a dry hemostat use your finger to put a coat of silicone caulking on the inside of both jaws,let it dry and you won't scratch a coin.
5.Explain your novel technique to any powers,that you HAVE to,and most will be intrigued by that 12" hemostat.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2017 10:27PM by doc holiday.

I am going to have to invest in a few little gadgets it looks like, for popping targets. For now, I am going to let the people have at the ball fields for their intended purposes, and will hunt them some whenever winter comes and there's not anybody out there. I drove by one of the fields yesterday evening on my way to work and there were probably 200+ people out there watching their kids either playing a game or at practice. They for sure get the traffic....whether they lose anything of value while there is yet to be seen.

In the mean time, I have been working like mad with that map app that Keith provided a few days ago. I have been overlapping and triangulating sites. In just pre 1900 ferry crossings alone, I have located over 20 of those, about 20 mills, school houses galore, and the general locations of at least 40 Civil War camps and pickets....most of which are cavalry....and confederate at that. And the best part of all...if my mapping skills are even remotely close (yet to be determined) at least 95% of them have no modern development on top of them!! I have enough to keep me busy for a while. I sent my buddy on a recon mission yesterday to one of the sites and he said he found the old road bed and a bunch of iron but didn't turn up any relics....but he did say he didn't get to hunt but about a half hour because the skeeters were about to eat him alive.

Quote: whether they lose anything of value while there is yet to be seen?"

Good thought that! I can see in my mind some 'soccer mom's' twirling the rings on their fingers as they shout for little 'Johnnie' to score!"

I have found a couple of women's gold & platinum rings in the grass where parents sit to watch the games or grassy areas around tot lots where they sit to watch their kids play.

On the grass fields, those used for soccer and baseball, I have found larger men's gold rings. A couple of those were near the moveable soccer goals. Maybe they fall off when they are moving the soccer goals.

I've never had a problem digging with the Lesche.

This is the best (most valuable) ring I've found:

My Platinum Diamond Ring Find

Des D Wrote:
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> Quote: whether they lose anything of value while t
> here is yet to be seen?"
>
> Good thought that! I can see in my mind some 'socc
> er mom's' twirling the rings on their fingers as t
> hey shout for little 'Johnnie' to score!"

I have sort of written off the kiddie fields for the other side of that scenario. Soccer moms these days sit in those camping style chairs with the umbrella attachment so they can sit in the shade, and instead of twirling rings on their fingers, they are holding cell phones and living up the social media life while ignoring their kids. That is one of my pet peeves right there too. They care more about posting selfies than they do about what their kids are doing. My 2 cents on the matter is, that they are only kids once and all too soon, they are grown and living their own life. Maybe one day the parents will look back and realize they missed everything even though they were there.

Go to Utube and see"Idiots with cell phones".

In my area theres alot of OLD ballfields now grown up and wooded...

Ive hunted a couple and found coins but was only going for the High conductors..

Might look and see if there's any OLD fields...hunt them at leisure ..

Being in the south the OLD Mill Villages around cotton mills all had ball fields..

Actually any type mill that had villages will have ball fields usually and picnic areas for where horseshoes and the like were played ..

Just a thought..might find some older Jewelry too diggin the pull tab readings...and luckily those old fields are pre pulltabs....!!

Keith

“I don't care that they stole my idea . . I care that they don't have any of their own”
-Nikola Tesla

Keith's idea is a good one. I have found more than a few rings at old neighborhood ball fields. You can find these types of fields by looking for the older homes in a town or city.

Tom

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In a democracy, it is difficult to win fellow citizens over to your own side, or to build public support to remedy injustices that remain all too real when you fundamentally misunderstand how they see the world.

I Named one of my Ball-fields (6 month Park) because every 6 months, I find a Ring behind 2nd Base.

99% of The Targets are under 3 inch's, A Detector / coil that Pinpoints very good is a Must...

Daniel, geat inputs here so far, about the likely spots for gold rings to show up at various types athletic fields. As to the other (1st) part of your question: No, you don't "need permission" to hunt them. Unless there were a specific rule or law that said "no metal detecting". And if you are skittish that such a thing might exist: You look it up for yourself. City /muni codes and ordinances, + park rules are usually always on-line, somewhere for public viewing. Eg.: dogs on leash, no fireworks, blah blah. If you don't see anything that says "no metal detectors", then presto: It's not prohibited.

But sure: You're in a hobby with ... uh .... connotations. A busy-body might think you're about to leave a mark or hole. So you have to develop a tough skin, go at lower traffic hours so as not to offend squeemish. You're simply not going to get every last-person to "sign off on you" and love you. If you try to head off any issues at the pass, by running around in city hall ahead of time, you will risk being the latest victim of "no one cared UNTIL you asked". So .... just go.

If the turf is super nicely manicured and uppity-up, it's actually gotten to where I do most such caliber turf at night. So peaceful . So serene

when hunting open recreational areas,just be careful,watch the people there,and stay out of their way!
recover your targets quickly and neatly,with NO damage!..if ya get 'dimed" out,just show 'em where you dug,and you should be ok!
it's important to be pleasant.act like an older f**k,enjoying a hobby,and MOST people will leave ys alone!..never have any issues here in
new england.

(h.h.!)
j.t.

Our City has banned metal detecting in city parks and sports fields because of those using shovels.
The club fought and fought years ago to get this ban lifted, they did but, kept the ban on two historial parks and sports fields.
This year the full ban went back in effect. Shovels, unsightly open holes, damaged lawns. According to the City, an actual by-law is on the books, so no signage is needed. Big Fines.
After another big discussion with the City, they agreed for now to allow hunting with any city parks but, the two. Again no sports fields.
Permits may be required in the future like some of the other large cities around here.
Keep your shovels out of the sports fields, or any tool that looks like an excavator to the general public.
We can't blame the holes on moles, rabbits, woodchucks, skunks, dogs etc...................

DeepTech Vista X with 3 search coils.
Works for me

Sven1 Wrote:
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Shovel
> s, unsightly open holes, damaged lawns.

Sven1, did any of you md'rs actually see holes left by md'rs ? Or know/see that a city person saw them, and made this decision? Or are you merely going by the information the city gives you, when they explain a "no md'ing " rule ?

It is very common , whenever a city announces such a rule, to give the reason of "holes" as their justification. So the md'rs mutter under their breath: "Durned those md'rs who left holes". But I'm not always so sure there was necessarily cases of holes (or, at least, that would have been connected to md'rs and thus led to "rules"). Here's what I mean:

What is the obvious connotation of a "man with a metal detector" ? HOLES . Of course. So when someone passing by a park sees a man with a metal detector, he could think "holes" EVEN THOUGH THE MAN IS LEAVING NO TRACE. Or if someone shows up at city halls seeking permissions or clarifications, what's the knee-jerk mental image ? Holes, of course.

So quite often, when some city bureaucrat says "no because of holes", it doesn't necessarily mean there was cases of that. It could just be their "go-to" reason to justify the law/rule/policy they just announced/answered. Because, did you really think someone was going to answer : "No, just because I feel like being mean" ? Of course not. They always have a "reason", and the knee-jerk reason will always be "holes". Even if a case didn't exist. Or if they DID seem to cite a "case", like I say: It's sometime the mere SEEING of a man with a detector (because they assume that's what he's about to do).