Digging in the dirt worth the hassle?

[Booty Hunter]

How many of you water/beach hunters also dig around in the dirt? Seems to me like the work to reward ratio would be much higher for those looking for gold jewelry. Just wondering. I keep to the water and sand but have been thinking of looking elsewhere as pickings can be real slim these days.

 

[OldBeechnut]

I have not dug the dirt since I went wet in late 2007. I'm not sure if I can deal with the ticks again...and the lack of treasures.

 

[sdesic]

Last year I did some relic digging, old site, 2000+ years.
Thing is I was happy with anything with date on it.
Maybe in summer when it is too hot to be in water...

 

[Grilled Scallops]

Yep. When you want gold, dirt digging is terrible. Even the beach on a bad day will give you a better chance of gold than in the dirt, in my opinion. the only time I dig dirt is when the beaches are totally, absolutely sanded in. And even then, I only look for silver on land. way too much trash in the low conductive region for dirt digging. Every once in a while I dig some low conductors on land, then I'm reminded of why I never do it.

 

[dtsoutdoors]

I prefer beach digging but I'm 3 hours from any decent beaches and my hunting time usually comes in blocks of no more than 2 hours. I'm stuck on land for the most part. Gold jewelry on land? Forget it. I very rarely find an IH penny, occasionally a wheatie and every once in a great while a silver coin. While I have yet to score multiple jewelry finds in a single day while at the beach, it is so much easier digging than on land. During the summer there are no ticks at the beach (and the scenery can be pretty good). Give me beach hunting any day BUT I'll take MDing anywhere over being at work!
HH
dts

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I enjoy detecting and it does not matter whether it is dirt, sand or water. Yes I find far better target at the beach and the Scenery can be distracting but I still love having a nice silver coin come out of the dirt. Since our government no longer mints silver coins they are especially nice finds for me.

 

[Sanderling]

I do a lot of beach detecting, but as Booty Hunter mentioned the pickings have been pretty slim, so I like to dirt dig from time to time just for something different. Problem is there are more and more restrictions on where you can dirt dig. The parks in the county where I live and the neighboring county prohibit metal detecting. One of the local parks and rec directors just told me that while there is no prohibition on having a metal detector in a county park, you cannot dig or remove anything from any county park. The beach has had many more rewarding finds than what I have been able to find in the dirt, but I still like to get off the beach now and then.

 

[Champ Ferguson]

I enjoy detecting and it does not matter whether it is dirt, sand or water...

That sums me up exactly.

I view the hobby in 2 main lights: dirt and beach. Each has its rewards and limitations. If I want gold and easy digging, the place to go is the beach. If I want to find targets regardless of the value, then dirt is the place to go. Some days I will even undiscriminate the zincs when dirt hunting because I just feel like digging lots of treasure (however minor the value) that day.

The fun is in the Finding for me. I have yet to sell a find, tho I have given quite a few away. My fondest memories in this hobby are not of finding a heavy piece of gold, but of returning a ring that was thought lost forever to someone who was devastated by the loss. The intensity of those emotions are indescribable. It just isn't about money for me, tho it certainly is fun to find something of value anywhere.
Every detectorist will differ in what s/he likes to hunt/find. Some of us differ on a daily basis. I urge new detectorists to try it all and see what works for them.

 

[John(Tx)]

I do go land hunting from time to time about 10% of the time. I only do it when I can't go water hunting, have found too many gold rings in the water to be an avid land hunter....HH

 

[RichW]

I do it all. Mostly water but love to coin and relic hunt. I hit parks, old lots, and farm sites. Only thing I haven't done is nugget hunting and hope to do that some day.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

I also do it all..why limit your possibilities? dirt hunting is great fun if you can find a spot that will give up some meaningful finds... really depends how you define success. . ive found a few coins and relics that hold more value to me personally than most of the gold jewelry ive found... i struggle a bit at saltwater beaches finding gold but im 2hrs away and dont have the luxury of hitting it at optimum times...