General Tips:

• Know your machine well – so start off practicing in your backyard with items that you bury yourself so you can learn the signal differences.

• Learn from others: join a metal detecting club if you can, or join a forum on the internet. You can learn an enormous amount from the experience of others.

• If you are searching a particular area and not getting many signals, set your detector to all metal mode.

Finding Locations to Hunt:

• Research: you need to really do some background research and study on the areas you want to hunt. Look at old maps and documents to get good information on where to hunt. The local library is a good place to start. Scan old newspaper clippings to get ideas of what was happening in your area.

• Speak to some of the older generations in your area – they may have a wealth of knowledge about particular areas that could be good hunting spots.

• Try hunting along sidewalks (particularly older sidewalks and along the grass verges of these sidewalks).

• Any older building is a good place to try your luck with metal detecting. Old homes, schools and parks and any open space that would perhaps have served as a meeting place in the old days is a good place to try.

• If there is any construction work going on, this is a great place to search for treasures. In particular if sidewalks are being ripped up you should look to see what you can find as these would’ve been unpaved walkways generations ago.

• The number one rule is to always get permission, no matter where you go metal detecting.

• For safety’s sake, ensure that someone knows where you are hunting and can reach you if necessary. This is particularly important if you are detecting in very remote locations on your own.

Digging Up Your Targets:

• When you’ve identified a target and are digging it up, be very careful not to damage the item with your trowel or digging implement.

• Once you’ve dug your treasure up then always double check by swiping your coil over your hole – there may be something else in there.

• It’s a good idea to wear gloves when you are digging for targets because you can hurt yourself on broken glass, rusty nails, cans and other metal objects in the ground.

• Don’t forget to always fill in your holes after you have retrieved your item – it’s common courtesy and good ethics to leave the place as you found it.

• Remove any trash that you dig up as well as any treasure.

Equipment and Supplies:

• If you are going to be working for long hours in the sun, then be prepared and take along sunblock and a good hat. Drink plenty of water.

• Insect repellent can be a useful thing to take along if you don’t want to be deterred by plagues of bugs.

• Take some basic first aid equipment along with you on every hunt, you never know when something nasty happens and its best to be prepared.

• Remember to take along some spare batteries for your detector, you’ll be extremely frustrated if you run out of power in some great location.