Tips for hunting on lawns....

[Eric]

Never experienced this actually, been hunting only farmfields, beaches and woods. What is the best way to have a clean way on manicured lawns in parks. What tools are the best to use and can somebody explain more about that probing method?

Since I am from the Netherlands and we only had those euro coins since 2002, do you think they can be deep already? If not, I guess I could reduce sensitivity a lot. I have to admit I would feel embarassed a bit coz I am not sure if I feel comfortable. So I better do it very early in the morning.

In fact I think there is still a lot out there, never in my life I saw somebody hunt playgrounds or parks. When I speak about this to fellow detectorists, they say they only want to get the old stuff.

Maybe this is a new alternative for me as I get tired hunting farmfields. One can only hunt them in the worst months of the year since they seed it in again in spring. Hate wearing muddy boots all the time..

Thanks, Eric

 

[Uncle Willy]

First of all you're missing a lot by skipping playgrounds, parks, and schools. Your friends aren't too knowledgeable if they think only lawns produce old stuff. If you hunt a park that is 100 years old you're going to find coins and stuff the same age - if they haven't already been cleaned out. Hunting lawns, especially well manicured ones, is tricky as you can't dig holes. You have to either cut a neat plug to retrieve the coin or use a knife and cut a slit, then widen the slit with the knife by moving it side to side, plucking the coin out with long-nosed pliers, then stepping hard on the slit to close it up.

If you use a probe use one made of brass or nylon or a Phillips screwdriver with the tip ground round so as not to scratch an old coin. Dipping the tip in epoxy resin helps a lot also. If you're careful you can use the coin popping method shown in the enclosed diagram. Just probe till you locate the coin then leave the probe in the ground and slip the tip of a large screwdriver alongside and just past the coin. Then pull the probe out and lay the handle up against the screwdriver shaft to use as a fulcrum, then push the handle of the screwdriver down as shown and the coin will pop out of the ground. This takes a bit of practice.



Bill

 

[TURNMASTER]

Quite a bit of practice I am thinking. I started practicing it last week. Works well but it don't take to much depth and I have a hard time. I worked on it at a local park, just so I can use these methods if I want or need to. What I found is that on shallower targets it can cut MY recovery time significantly. Slit, Propointer, screwdriver and a good stomp make for a virtualy undetectable recovery. Using just a philips screwdriver the worst recovery mess was a hole about 1 inch across. push push stomp, gone. What hole.

HH
Jeff

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

You will do VERY nicely on Euros when you hunt on the lawns Eric. I hunt similar targets all the time in parks and the like. I use a Philips head screw driver all the time and although it can look a bit messy during the recovery, once you push all the dirt and lawn back together (and stomp on it) it's hard to see where you have been. I've had officials check out my recovery technique a couple of times and although I felt very self conscience of them watching me, they were quite happy with what they saw and left me to it.
Most modern coins will be in the top 4 inches, but there are times when they can be deeper, ie soft muddy ground with folks walking over it or the lawn could have been top dressed. your finds totals will make a few of our US friends here a bit envious as they mostly only have quarters as their highest denomination coin that is found commonly; but I'm sure that they'll enjoy seeing your finds.
Good luck.
Mick Evans.

 

[Eric]

Jeff & uncle Willy, thanks for the long reply and U.W thanks also for the included drawing. The answers really helped understand the process of probing,

Thanks. Eric.

 

[Eric]

Hi Mick,

nice to hear from you again. Yes, the aces really hit hard and clear on the euro coins from 10 cents up. Now I have to overcome a bit of shame and go out to the parks, playgrounds and schoolyards. I probably will do it in the rain or at dawn first. In April I am in the Philippines and want to try one there in beachresorts.

I am really curious how my results will be here with modern coinage but I have high expectations. I was surprised how good the ace did in a part of the forest that I also hit hard with all my other detectors including the the high end toys.

Take care, Eric. Holland

 

[Old Katz]

Tips for hunting lawns? Yes,.....be very careful!
Many people prize their lawns and don't want to see
dead yellow spots, in the summer especially, where someone had
metal detected. Keep the hole as small as possible if your
detedcting on a beautiful green lawn. To prevent the hole from getting
bigger because you cant find the target, get a Garrett Propointer. Most
of the old timers have no problems but many times the target is there but
can't be found because the pinpoint was off so they keep digging and
expanding the hole. Thats where a hand help pinpointer saves your life.
The Propointer is the best.

Katz.

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

Good luck with it Eric.
I know what you mean about hunting in parks. I don't mind hunting when there is only a few people there, but if it gets crowded, I move on. Partly don't like folks watching me, partly I don't like every kid and his dog coming up and asking questions and diving under the coil every time I stop to recover a target and partly I don't like to intrude on the space of others ie, by having the detector sounding off eta (even with tape over the speaker).
You should do very nicely in the Philippines. There is a Doug from Mania that gets onto another popular forum that has a lot of the guys from this forum on.
Mick Evans.

 

[Eric]

Yeah Mick, I know Doug from Manila. We had contact several times. I am afraid that I will not be able to meet Doug now this time but i will try as my time in Manila will be limited. We will be in Mindanao down south. I'm looking forward to do some detecting there whenever we will be in a resort.

Yes, I feel the same about people in the parks. I will pick up parkdetecting when I have a propointer to be able to locate the targets with more precision.

Thanks Mick.

Eric. Holland.