TARGET RECOVERY
Once you have identified and pinpointed a target, your objective is to recover it quickly and neatly, leaving virtually no trace of your excavation. There are almost as many ways to do this, as there are treasure hunters. Whatever works for you is good enough as long as you don’t break any laws, damage vegetation, or leave uncovered holes. Generally speaking, beachcombers do little if any damage to the environment while recovering targets. However, if you plan to use your
1.Use headphones. You’ll hear fewer distracting sounds and more target sounds. And you’ll find more.
2.It’s always a good idea to walk slowly and overlap your sweeps. But if you’re searching large expanses of new territory you may want to walk a little faster and not overlap your sweeps as much until you start making a few good finds. Then, slow down, overlap your sweeps and cover every inch of ground.
3.In trashy areas, to reduce the “masking” effects of trash on nearby good targets, use a shorter and slower sweep pattern. Also, the optional smaller
4.When in doubt, dig. If your
5.Good things often come in twos. Or even threes. Once you’ve recovered a good target, always recheck the hole for a second signal and carefully search the immediate area by walking slowly around the hole two or three times, overlapping your sweeps in an ever widening circle. Always dig every suspicious sound in the vicinity of a good find.
6.Recheck your hole even if your find was trash. Good targets are often found beneath the bad ones.
7.Practice. Practice over known targets. Practice ground balancing. Practice pinpointing. Reread the appropriate part of this manual if you’re having problems.
NOTE: Whichever method you choose, remember that responsible treasure hunters take pride in their ability to leave soil and vegetation intact and undamaged.
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