What we can and should learn from trash

In the topic ABC of detecting I commented that we need to learn to love trash to really keep the joy in the sport of metal detecting. I also said that I feel Trash is important because it can teach us things.

So what things does trash tell you and how do you use it to become a better detectorists?

Bryanna

Well there are some obvious ones
Trash like pulltabs on the beach mean the possibilities of finding a ring have increased. No serious ring hunter can risk leaving pulltabs or nickels. So I know the beach has not been hunted lately or maybe by someone who is sloppy. Pulltabs in the wet sand along with bottle caps and foil usually indicate gold is going to be too deep today.
Different kinds of trash around a house can tell you if there were kids there. Kids lose money. It can help you date a property. And since I got the Deus I look for the trash and iron area to begin my hunt. Most hunters stay away from it. So I know I got a shot at picking out a few keepers.
I can always tell where people burned their trash. The volume of it will pick up where the barrel was. A trip to the burning barrel was very frequent. A well traveled path that involved reaching into pockets for matches and such. Just like under clothes lines I like the path to the crapper and burning barrel.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2012 11:06PM by goodmore.

goodmore Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> . Pulltabs
> in the wet sand along with bottle caps and foil
> usually indicate gold is going to be too deep
> today.


Ok not sure I understand why pull tabs in wet sand and bottle caps means gold will be too deep - I am very interested because some beach hunting is in my future.

Thanks

Bryanna

I learned a tremendous amount from Tom's beach hunting DVD. I don't want to give away his wisdom for free. But I guess I can tell you the basics as I understood them.

The surf gives sand and the surf takes sand away. Gold is very heavy and sinks deep. A clue to finding gold is finding other heavy things. Like sinkers and even quarters. If you find these slow down and look for gold. The opposite if you find light trash like aluminum pull tabs and zincolns. A sure sign the gold is out of reach.

People look for storms to move the sand. Your average person who does not detect assumes storms wash the gold in. No the gold has always been there. The light weight sand is gone.

Now this little rule only applies to slope and wet sand. The dry sand is another world.

Other things also influence sand movement. Strong Lunar tides. Real strong wind. Beach replenishment.

Your Sovereign will do great in the surf break. Get a good scoop and work on getting comfortable with that chest mount.

If you want to be successful beach hunting you need to set yourself up for it. Tom's beach hunting seminar was a great source of info for me and I encourage anyone out there to get it.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/2012 12:17AM by goodmore.

When I detect parks,I usually try to locate the densest trash areas,and concentrate there with a hockey puck coil...most the easy stuff is picked over,but most avoid the worst areas.

Some of parks I hunted I a. Pretty sure were avoided by many detectorists because the trash was so high. - I was always amazed when my Safari could pick a cheery out of a pile of poop -almost like magic when it happened.

deathray Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I detect parks,I usually try to locate the
> densest trash areas,and concentrate there with a
> hockey puck coil...most the easy stuff is picked
> over,but most avoid the worst areas.

deathray Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I detect parks,I usually try to locate the
> densest trash areas,and concentrate there with a
> hockey puck coil...most the easy stuff is picked
> over,but most avoid the worst areas.


yess! it has been my experience that ya still
got silver hidin' in the junk! low and slow with
a "small" dd coil can be an "eye opener!"
also "sidewalk easements" with a "hockey puck"
can be enlightening!

(h.h.!)
j.t.

I think it is out of production because it is not listed on this site as far as I can tell

If it wer,nt for trash there would not be any thing left to find.

Same as others here, if I find an area in a park with a high concentration of pull tabs, I know that the mid tones have not been hunted and the prospects for a gold ring are good. High conductive targets are a possibility as well due to masking.

Then, I take note of the depth I am finding the beaver tail pull tabs at. This tells me where the soil from 1962 to 1975 is at.

Lately, I have developed a perverse mind set whereas I actually hunt for pull tabs. I don't get bored that way as I score each pull tab as a victory. Then, in those occasions when I actually find something other than a pull tab, the elation factor multiplies exponentially in relation to the value of the find (any value from cool to monetary).

Important to note the following since so many people say they can't hunt pull tabs due to the potential damage to the site: I hunt in layers; as in, one day I try to id only the beaver tail pull tabs. Next time I go after round stay tabs. Later, I may come after the foil. If the trash is dense, then I start hunting depth levels. This allows the holes I dig to 'heal' and the general population is unlikely to notice I was ever there.

Pinpoint twice, dig once

this is interesting! it is definitely an
"event phsycological!"in that you "like"
to dig pull tabs for the reasons given!
a "very novel" approach i must say!

(h.h.!)
j.t.