One of my favorite sites to hunt is our local county fairgrounds. Built in the early 1920 after World War One at least that was when the race track was finished. The older fairgrounds is now in the middle of a new housing development with houses on the old race track and concessions area. The new fairgrounds which I hunt was very busy in the 1920's to the 1970's. Since that time the attendance has fallen off. With cable TV, Netflix, HBO, and ESPN people have quit coming to the fair. This year because of the virus we had no amusements.

Old John a fellow metal detectorist hunts the fairgrounds he said he didn't know how many times he been told that IT'S HUNTED OUT. Yes no silver or any thing of value left there. Every inch is hunted clean. This last week I have hunted every day there. Two hours is my limit there just two hours. Now if Old John is there we might talk for a hour or so tell each other stories drink a cup of tea compare our different detectors. We both keep finding coins not old but coins just the same. Mostly lots of pennies copper ones. Maybe this year we are doing better as Old John found a silver Half I a silver Dime. I am up to 18 wheat cents and 12 ride tokens. I don't know how many clad quarters and dimes.

Yes it's hunted out nothing of any value left to find. In the last week with 10 hours of hunting I found 82 good finds coins or ride tokens. One every 7 minutes of hunt time from a place that is hunted out. Am I that good or are others that bad? The newest detector I own is 30 years old. Old and heavy how can I compete with the digital detectors?

My opinion is #1. Technique in searching. #2. Knowledge of my detector and it's settings. #3. Time management in recovery (digging and pinpointing). #4. A positive attitude while hunting ( not being discouraged by finding junk or pennies). #5. Research looking at old photos and maps of the fairgrounds and the surrounding area. Where people parked their cars, paths they walked, where the amusements were. The old cattle and hog barns were. The old show ring. Concessions stands, dance pavilion was. The old horse shoe pits were. All this leads up to going into a hunted out area and finding coins consistently.

I would be interested to see how the rest of you tackle the same thing. Told this is all hunted out nothing left to find. Your help will be greatly appreciated.


Senior Deacon