What is the proper way to make a plug?

[king-ghidorah]

I have always been under the assumption that making a cut in front of the find indicated and then one on each side so you can flap the plug still hinged to the grass structure was the best way to preserve the grass but I have been seeing people just cutting out a big round crater with no grass structure intact potentially killing the grass?

Which way do most of you do it?

I also looked up who invented the metal detector and it is none other then Alexander Graham Bell who first used one on President Garfield to find an assassination bullet, cool, huh? I never knew that!

 

[grumpyolman]

I have done research on that very question. I haven't competed writing the entire thing yet. I polled many professors of universities who had Turf Grass (that's what they call it) programs and asked the same question. I also contacted professional Turf Grass associations and also asked them. The one thing that was unanimous was all felt if the detecorist would apply water after digging the plug there would be little or no damage to the surface. There seemed to be an even split between round plugs vs. 3 sided flaps. There was con-census that the least amount of disturbance to the root system was desire able. A side note.. Grass grows from top or the soil upwards and from the top of the soil downwards. Cutting a 3 sided flap and prying just the top cover of the grass to get at the dirt underneath is less desirable than cutting a 4" deep flap and taking as much dirt with the roots as possible when opening the flap and then refine the search from there. That concept is also the reasoning behind taking a full plug circle. Golf courses do that often on their greens when moving the cup. More to come if there's interest....Jim

 

[king-ghidorah]

That makes sense keeping the whole root system intact.

 

[Bill_S]

I just seen a video the other day on youtube that was just posted but I can not find it anymore. One thing I noticed is that some people cut huge plugs. I don't know if they do this to try and get a lot of dirt and roots togather or they can not pinpoint that good.

 

[Bill_S]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EemmbOHr39Y

 

[Steve(OR)]

Golf courses do that often on their greens when moving the cup.

Actually, golf courses do that EVERYTIME when they move the hole to a new position (... I should know as I've performed this task countless times over the years (I'm also a golf pro, if that makes any difference)).

Otherwise, grumpyolman is entirely correct. My MDing plugs are generally oversize, deep and irregularly sized;
Oversize == better chance of grass survival as small plugs can disintegrate easier;
Deep == root protection. If the coin is shallow, search for it from the root end - shake the dirt out, and back into the hole;
Irregularly Sized == like a jigsaw puzzle piece, it only goes back in one way - which always looks better if it goes back in the way it came out. The real trick though is to not have any dirt lying on the grass. It's always a dead giveaway.

These type of plugs that I cut can scare the ignorant bystander though - happened to me recently at an older school - had my big plug sitting there next to an even bigger pile of dirt, chasing what turned out to be an old brass-bodied padlock at about 9". A passerby noted that "... big holes like this don't look good." I explained to him that they always get filled, and pulled out a handful of clad and junk (and a couple wheaties) and politely challenged him to find the holes where they came from. After a quick scan, he declined.

Just my... [attachment 110562 1864_two_cents_rev.jpg]

SCM

 

[Weasel_Loader]

I'd like to think I cut my plugs pretty deep too. I'm a snail when it comes to target recovery. Some guys are really fast with this and maybe in time I can too, but until then, I'll continue to take the time to cut my plugs deep and clean. Here is a video I did last month from one of my hunts.

[video]http://www.mlotv.com/view/455/california-silver/[/video]

 

[king-ghidorah]

I am going to start doing it that way from now on. It makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[Andrus(ut)]

n/t

 

[king-ghidorah]

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[treasurefiend]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqRyBlS8220

 

[dewcon4414]

I agree deeper plugs are better. I read another reason for larger cuts.... the new zero turn lawn mowers have a tremendious amount of sucktion and lift smaller plugs easily. Ive seen this in parks where people hunt and they might as well have left the plug out if they go shallow and small.

 

[Eu_citzen]

I think there is some good info here.

Yes big plugs help the grass to regenerate (re grow) and also prevents the grass mowers to lift it.(the plug)
I learned this the hard way.

Also keeping one part of the plug attached to the grass prevents it from lifting when the grass mower comes over it.

Deeper plugs also make sure I don't have to spend as much time digging in loose dirt (less of a mess) and I can more quickly reach my target.

I recover my targets quite fast I think.. 10 to 30 secs is average.

 

[king-ghidorah]

I just have to get a better probe. The one my eye is on is the Pistol Probe. It goes deep.

 

[Chris/MA]

n/t

 

[grumpyolman]

Talked with a forum sponsor the otherday and ordered the Garrett Pin Pointer . O too was going for the Pistol Probe before talking to him. Chose it over the Pistol Probe as the sponsor indicated it is a real pain in the side to lift that 6" barrel out of the holster and then put it back in all day long. The PP alos interferred with this Mine Lab. The Garrett didn't and it vibrates so when you have the headphones on you can tell by feel when you get closer to the target. Besides, it was about $60 cheaper. However...Each to his own. Jim

 

[king-ghidorah]

Of course he's going to say it's a pain pulling out a monstrous 6" probe from his prejudiced persepctive. He wants you to buy his brand! It's also a pain pulling out the Pin Pointer too. How much is it a pain to lift a probe out of a holster anyway. It probably weighs only a pound or so and the probe is 6