Have you ever been to DIV?

My buddy is trying to talk me into going to DIV, if a spot opens up in November. Have you ever been to DIV?? If so, what machine did you use and how was your luck? I'm curious to get other people's input and experience...

I currently have the Nokta FORS CoRe and Whites v3i in my arsenal to use.

Thank you,
Bubba

Many times. You need a PI machine or you wont dig much.

Why say that reidman? Supposedly these are virgin areas too of known campsites. Think it's all that deep?

bubbadirect Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why say that reidman? Supposedly these are virgin
> areas too of known campsites. Think it's all that
> deep?


I don't think it is the depth but rather the mineralization of the soil...

I have been to several DIV hunts and they are the funnest digs I have ever been on.

First, understand that nobody has EVER claimed the sites were virgin sites. They have been hunted by night hawkers and some have had limited access by legit relic hunters, and some of the properties have had other DIV hunts on them. But you also have to consider many of the properties are in excess of 2000 acres in size and were overlapping, dug in winter camps...meaning there were thousands of troops there for several months time. And you can't cover 2000+ acres in 3 days of hunting. So there are loads of relics to be found if you have the experience of what to look for in reading a property.

The ground itself is what makes it tough. VLF machines perform poorly in that soil. Everything reads as iron in it. A minie ball will read 100% iron just by being in a dirt pile or dirt clod. Even large items like belt plates will read as iron just a few inches in ground. Pulse machines conquer the soil. You can use VLFs there but your best bet is one with a true all metal mode and a dig everything approach. And even still, somebody with a pulse machine will come behind you and make you sick at what they pull from where you just covered with your coil. That's why probably 95% of the hunters have a pulse machine now.

I've been on 2 and you need a PI with GB in most spots. It is the toughest digging soil I have ever experienced in most places.

Bubba I'll extend this invitation to you. If you decide to go I'll let you borrow my ATX for the hunt. I have no problem at all doing that. However you'll need some practice so you'll need it probably 3 or 4 weeks in advance. Just let me know. All it'll cost you is the shipping, that's a pretty cheap price to pay.............. I'd carry the CoRe also, I seem to remember someone posting maybe here, IDK, that they ran a good iron machine in the heavy iron and pulled a lot of keepers out of it thinking outside the box.

That was probably me Jack. I hunted with the F19 in some of the spots littered with iron and ration can pieces that overloaded/overwhelmed the pulse machines. I didn't find much but did get a few things that were hiding in the trash...although everything was very shallow.

The hard part of these hunts is sticking to an area. The grass is greener thing will kick your butt...if you are finding relics, the best thing is to slow down and concentrate in the spot. While standing in a field that stretches for a half mile or better...that can be tough if you hit a lull and aren't digging anything in a few passes. Sometimes though, my problem is actually not giving up an area. It's a two edged sword. Most of the time though, the people that hunt an area pretty through are the ones with the most finds...versus the folks that may make one super quick pass through a 300 acre field and move on.

I thought it was you Daniel, just wasn't sure. That double edged sword kicked my tail with turkeys and deer in my lifetime. Just could not give up on that one special target/place that I had identified.

I don't think I am going to be able to make it even though I made the list. I see there are 466 participants this time. I assume the spot is much larger?

I think John said they had gotten access to 2 previously unhunted by DIV properties that join one property they have hunted a few times. The Coles Hill location is my favorite property but with things going on with my new house and such, I couldn't make this one. Expect to see a lot of people digging for bottles and such...because that is one of the perks to that particular property. Bottles and those 3 leaf clover corps badges. No idea about the new properties that join. They tried it once before with a new field and it was a bust for most people. But that whole area was swarming with troops. If you can get a spot, and can find the clear schedule to go, DO IT.

I've never been to one. Was invited twice but couldn't make it. Probably won't ever go. It's become too big and too expensive. Besides, I have friends in Culpeper that have invited me to hunt their property.

Been to maybe 15 or more DIV although there may be some lightly hit areas most have been hammered hard for years.
A VLF in the red dirt will only get a couple inches, areas in the woods are less mineralized and the VLF can work ok till you get deep.
This question comes up every hunt so many people say how a VLF will work then they get there and don't find a thing. I watch every kind of detector
you can think of come out then spend the rest of the time in the truck. Any multi Freq detector barely works at all. I have watched people with MXT burry a bullet at
3 inches and the detector doesn't make a sound. All metal works but you will dig 10,000 nails. If you want to dig every signal in an area that is covered in trash modern and old
then be my guest. If you want to have a good time bring a PI. I just hate to tell people you will do fine when you wont. Yeah some bullets are found with a VLF and the occasional
nicer item but most targets are now well below the capability of a VLF.

I use the TDI Pro. I decided to try my MXT-Pro ,but after burying a .57 cal about 2 inches deep and my buddies properly ground balanced CTX wouldn't even make a peep, I quickly put the MXT back in the truck!


reidman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Been to maybe 15 or more DIV although there may be
> some lightly hit areas most have been hammered
> hard for years.
> A VLF in the red dirt will only get a couple
> inches, areas in the woods are less mineralized
> and the VLF can work ok till you get deep.
> This question comes up every hunt so many people
> say how a VLF will work then they get there and
> don't find a thing. I watch every kind of
> detector
> you can think of come out then spend the rest of
> the time in the truck. Any multi Freq detector
> barely works at all. I have watched people with
> MXT burry a bullet at
> 3 inches and the detector doesn't make a sound.
> All metal works but you will dig 10,000 nails. If
> you want to dig every signal in an area that is
> covered in trash modern and old
> then be my guest. If you want to have a good time
> bring a PI. I just hate to tell people you will do
> fine when you wont. Yeah some bullets are found
> with a VLF and the occasional
> nicer item but most targets are now well below the
> capability of a VLF.

I have made it to every DIV but one. The only thing I would add is to bring a good VLF machine along with a pulse machine. Many of these areas we hunt were dug in winter camps where the soldiers built above ground as well slightly below ground huts. Then there are also the trash pits to consider. If your lucky enough to dig any of these features, you sure don't want to try picking through a dirt pile than can be filled with nails, ration can parts, etc. with a pulse machine. Never had a problem with spreading out the pile of dirt and picking the relics out of the dirt pile with a top of the line VLF.

I've got a modded tdi and would let someone borrow it and especially if they had an f 19 or g+ to temp swap.

Jack Flynn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Bubba I'll extend this invitation to you. If you
> decide to go I'll let you borrow my ATX for the
> hunt. I have no problem at all doing that. However
> you'll need some practice so you'll need it
> probably 3 or 4 weeks in advance. Just let me
> know. All it'll cost you is the shipping, that's a
> pretty cheap price to pay.............. I'd carry
> the CoRe also, I seem to remember someone posting
> maybe here, IDK, that they ran a good iron machine
> in the heavy iron and pulled a lot of keepers out
> of it thinking outside the box.

Oh my! Thank you Jack. I just might take you up on the offer! Seriously. I know my buddy said I could even rent a 5000 for the weekend, but I would probably just be wasting time and money trying to learn a "new machine to me", instead of finding relics. So I would think with a Pulse machine that there is a learning curve also. When the ATX came out, I almost dropped the coinage to buy one, but I couldn't justify spending that kind of money for relic hunting less than 10 times per year. But from what I know, the ATX is an awesome machine.

I will be in touch buddy!

Bubba

Just pm me here when you are ready if you get a spot. Like I said maybe a month in advance so you can learn it. Real easy to use for me and is really deep so you might be buying another shovel too lol. Matter a fact you can go to the Garrett web site and start watching the videos that came with the ATX to see just how easy it is to use. Lot's of nuances with the machine for me that were learned rather quickly in the water and on the beaches. Let me know.............

I've been to the DMV....

Hello Bubba,

If you can make the hunt go for the learning experience at least, image the wealth of information you're bring back home. And that's nice of Jack offering the use of his AXT, Especially weeks ahead of the hunt I agree with him you'll need 2-3 weeks of using the ATX to get a good grasp of the Pi before the hunt.

Don't have experience with the DIV hunt but based on our West Coast mineralization in the Pi category would bring a GPX with discrimination or an ATX, For VLT in mineralized ground either a Blisstool V5 or v6. In areas with mineralization these four machines are my best for punching down deep, although Blisstool does have some degree of masking from hot ground in my area they still consistently punch down deeper than other top end VLT.

With the use of Jack's ATX and your Nokta FORS CoRe you should be good to go, Get a good feel for the ATX before hitting DIV it'll reward you at the end.

Good luck,
Paul

Bubba please report back after the hunt with your experiences. The good bad and ugly. I would love to go to that some year.

What the heck is Div??

Digging in Virginia

Jack Flynn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Digging in Virginia


ok thanks, so likely organized hunts you pay a fee? like in England?