I Have No Doubt, That Moisture In The Soil Helps

[deathray]

Been beating this hilltop for 2 years now. Targets where getting slim...last time out, had to break out with the Deus and elliptical coil, cranked up to 74k, just to avoid the skunk. Hit it with the good Ole GP Extreme/ minelab 11dd today, and damn! Was digging signals , where there was none all summer, ha. Thought I would finally post something, since I've become more of a lurk n give an attaboy type member.

[deathray]

Sorry the pic is bad, just got in, and too dark to take in natural light. Here's another bad pic...bobcat I saw today, to far for my phone camera

[phrunt]

Some real nice gold there.

I also have no doubt moisture helps, in my soil detecting after rain is a good thing, especially for small gold nuggets.

[blackjack]

1 hour ago, deathray said:

Been beating this hilltop for 2 years now. Targets where getting slim...last time out, had to break out with the Deus and elliptical coil, cranked up to 74k, just to avoid the skunk. Hit it with the good Ole GP Extreme/ minelab 11dd today, and damn! Was digging signals , where there was none all summer, ha. Thought I would finally post something, since I've become more of a lurk n give an attaboy type member.

Hey DR nice finds, all but one appear waterworn, possibly an ancient river terrace ? I always thought that wet ground was a good thing, but a recent report by a member of a local forum here did have me thinking, when referring to his Equinox 800 he said it runs fine in pipeclay or dry ground, but when the soil is wet or in mineralized ground he had trouble. So the mineralized ground I understand for a VLF but I was puzzled about his statement regarding wet ground, I thought it helped or is it a case of modern VLF's being so sensitive that the wet ground makes them unstable. You did say you were using a P.I. machine so maybe it depends on that, or do you think it applies to both P.I. and VLF. 

[IronDigger]

I agree with you deathray that moist soil helps for some reason, another thing I noticed is the earlier I hunt in the  morning when it's real cold I get more targets. I am talking about ground I hit 50 times , hit the ground early before noon. Less EMI, threshold runs very smooth.  Saying that you will also get more false targets , those wet clay mineralized spots that sound off more often.

[blackjack]

23 minutes ago, IronDigger said:

I agree with you deathray that moist soil helps for some reason, another thing I noticed is the earlier I hunt in the  morning when it's real cold I get more targets. I am talking about ground I hit 50 times , hit the ground early before noon. Less EMI, threshold runs very smooth.  Saying that you will also get more false targets , those wet clay mineralized spots that sound off more often.

Okay, that makes sense. An increase in target sensitivity also means more sensitivity to varying ground mineralization, thanks.

[strick]

Nice work Ray...I’m out of likes lol those kitties are real common up your way...used to hunt them in your area but that was a long time ago..now I just like looking at them... Nice gold.

strick

[rvpopeye]

Nice lookin' soggy nuggies !👍

[snakejim]

In my experience over the years, VLF detectors lost depth in wet or damp ground that was highly mineralized. A partner and I had a nugget patch on a hill side that produced some really nice gold. One spring after a very dry winter we hit nuggets at depths we had never seen before. I know we had been over the same ground several times. The opposite was true with the pulse detectors.        snakejim

[deathray]

I'm mostly a relic hunter, and though I've had the gp extreme for about 8 years, only started really using it 2 years ago...when I got Docs screamer batteries. I HATED carrying that brick. So, I don't know a PI machine well enough , to give advice.

But, I do know that wet ground can be kind of a curse, when in the real irony gold rush camps I hunt. All that iron hides the good stuff, and then wet ground amplifies it..halo effect I guess. Regardless, I detect when I can, which is mostly during the wet times...often in pouring rain.