I was metal detecting with a partner today, and we got into a discussion about understanding your environment to better maximize your finds. This concept is not a new concept, but one I find myself thinking about often. This is particularly useful if you are very familiar with your digging grounds.

This concept is the ability to visualize what “could” be the target based off of facts that you have gathered in your detecting experience for that area and or condition. For example, I know that Wheat cents are usually found around 1.5 inches below the surface in hard packed dirt. I know that Indian heads will appear in the 4-5 inch range in standard pack dirt. This will vary from town to town and could vary considerably from one side of town to the other. Also this is based off of my personal experience, your results will vary.

When starting a detecting session, I try to understand my environment by judging the type of soil I’m digging in and the age of the area I’m in. Next I try to establish that base line by hitting Wheat cents at the proper depth. If these indicators are found it should help you recover targets faster and safer. Along those same lines, this information can help determine possible silver or large “bad” targets. If I get a strong signal reading at 2 inches, and my pinpoint is indicating a small target, my chances are good for a Mercury dime. Again, if I hit a strong signal at 2 inches, but my pinpoint is showing a large range, this could be a large ferrous item like a pipe. Either way, these two facts will dictate my recovery technique.

I also want to mention that this doesn’t mean to disregard shallow targets, either. If I enter a new area, I like to start with the shallow targets to help develop that base. Am I hitting zinc pennies at 3 inches or ˝ inch? These all add up to help formulate a detecting “plan”.