First time hunting in 3 weeks: 8 rings, including a gold one!

Skippy SH13

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Gee whiz... I wish all my hunts were this productive!

Last night, I was watching Boston Legal with my wife, and I slowly watched the light disappear from the window, as it got dark. Around 7:15, I decided I didn't care that it was dark out and asked my wife if it would be ok if I went metal detecting.

She gave me the same answer she always does, "Sure, have fun!"

I grabbed my jacket and hat, tossed the equipment in the truck, and made sure I had the headlamp... and I headed to my favorite "Jewelry Box."

This elementary school is one that I go to when I simply MUST find a ring. It's got a very large field accessible from all sides by the neighborhoods, a Boys and Girls Club is next to it, and there are afterschool programs that keep the field constantly in use (in the daylight anyway!). It's a magnet for jewelry, and I've found 50+ rings there over the last 4 years, including 5 gold ones.

Last night was no exception... I fully expected to find one or two rings... but even I was surprised at the volume of my encounters. At ring #4, I actually called out (in the middle of the field), "HOLY !!!!." When I pulled back to back rings out. Randomly, about 20 feet apart. I found a ring roughly every 10 minutes while hunting. Total hunt time was just over 75 minutes. Total ring count? EIGHT.

The gold was the last of the night. Rang up a 42-48-43-48... enough to be intriguing, which is all it takes for me. I pulled it out of the ground and instantly saw the lack of corrosion on the shank, and the brilliant stones looked promising too. My headlamp was a little TOO bright, though, and I couldn't make out what the shank inscription was, even though I could tell something was there. Either way, I was 90% positive it was gold.

That was it for me. I did another 3 rows, and then headed home.

When I got home, I pulled all the change and rings out (you can see the picture below), and I DANG if I couldn't find the ring. I panicked. I looked into the bag, to see if it was there... I dumped the bag on the ground. I sifted through the trash from the pouch... I went to the truck and carefully tore it apart looking for the gold glint of promise...

NOTHING.

I was dying inside.... Would I have to go back to the elementary school to find it? One last ditch effort, I went back to the wood plank where the finds were, and looked to see if maybe the ring had gotten stuck inside another ring (it happens sometimes). Nope. Then I noticed something... There were EIGHT rings in there... Whaaa??

Oh... THERE IT IS!! Right in front of my eyes, just dirty. LOL Never was lost, never fell out of the pouch... just was a dirty ring, and I missed the glint of gold. I felt both relieved and stupid at the same time. Then I realized, that's my normal state of being. All is well in the world.

The gold ring rang up 2.0 grams on the nose. The stones are not real. They have the whitish look of CZ, and definitely failed the diamond tester.

Gold is gold, though. #16 FTY!

Cheers!

Skippy
 

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Gold is gold. I'm surprised you didn't stay longer. But in the dirt it's not going very far.
 
Congrats on a stellar haul. I am looking forward to my first ring. Any theories on why there are so many rings - especially gold ones - on an elementary school playground?
 
Congrats on a stellar haul. I am looking forward to my first ring. Any theories on why there are so many rings - especially gold ones - on an elementary school playground?

Seawolf, I only detect Parks and Schools. Roughly half my 70 gold rings have come from school yards, mostly elementary some High School, and a few Middle school.

Most elementary school yards are prime places for people to gather for sporting events after school hours. In the case of this particular school, where the yard is accessible by the neighborhood (and it's a very big area, including a full soccer field, several ball fields, and lots of grassy areas), it gets used for everything from birthday parties, to "Turkey Day" football games, and little league sports.

I've found gold on over 50% (seriously) of the elementary schools I've detected. One of them, I found 8 gold rings.

But here's the rub. When I'm detecting school yards, I'm looking for rings. Most people go detect school yards, and look for money. Specifically Dimes and Quarters.

There are days I'll get out, pull a half-dozen rings, and only have 2 or 3 quarters in my pouch. Rings come in in trash ranges. Last night, one of those rings (steel), was in the 30's range. I was curious, so I dug it. Pleasantly surprised.

Most of the elementary school lot rings I find are like this one. Small, lightweight, and likely to ring up in the 40s... Most folks skip that thinking it's trash. ESPECIALLY when it sounds just like the foil toppers of the milk bottles. I dig things I'm not quite sure of, and as a result, pick up far more rings that others have left behind.

Bottom line is that where there are people sitting in the grass, or playing, or doing sports, there's going to be rings... and when there are rings being taken OFF for sunscreening... there's going to be gold.

Cheers,

Skippy
 
Hi Skippy, I can’t tell you how helpful that is. Being a relative noob to metal detecting, I appreciate you sharing your logic on where / how to work. I am still excited to find nails, but I can see that fading fast. Point is, I will likely continue to dig everything. One of the buffalo nickels I shared in another topic rang up high teens / low 20s. I am glad I stayed in the hunt and dug it. Elated actually, as that was my first buffalo.
 
And another good find goes in the Treasure Box. Congratulations. Unfortunately schools in my state have fences around them with Locked Gates. Makes it difficult for an old man to get his fix.
 
Eight rings is an outstanding count; even for you, Skippy! Glad to hear you had a good hunt, and chalked up another gold FTY. Nice looking double-row of pretties on that one.
 
I'm surprised you find anything at a school with covid 19 around! Nice cheddar 🧀!!!

I live in a State where the governor "Mandates" things but tells people at the same time, "but we're not enforcing this."

Schools are open with 50% students showing up every other day. It's weird. Lots of COVID going around...

But sports are still going on, practices being held, etc... and that means drops.

Skippy
 
Hi Skippy, I can’t tell you how helpful that is. Being a relative noob to metal detecting, I appreciate you sharing your logic on where / how to work. I am still excited to find nails, but I can see that fading fast. Point is, I will likely continue to dig everything. One of the buffalo nickels I shared in another topic rang up high teens / low 20s. I am glad I stayed in the hunt and dug it. Elated actually, as that was my first buffalo.

Try this thread... I wrote it a few years ago, and it's still my standard:
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=245454&highlight=ring+find+rings

Also, congrats on the Buffalo! I've only ever found one, and I'm sure it was a recent drop...
 
Wow, hunts like that would turn me in to a dirt hunter!

I'd be a beach hunter, for sure, but somehow, driving 9 hours to the closest one, kind of prevents a quick "after dinner hunt!" LOL

Sometimes we just make the best of what we've got...

I've used my techniques for finding gold in places around the USA (on business trips), and I've always found gold in other locations, too. Targeting rings, works!

Skippy
 
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