The proper recovery of targets is discussed at club meetings throughout the year and is the recommended practice in the field. The WCHRRA Hunt Masters monitor the member's technique during all club hunts to insure that our members leave no visible signs of our being there. Our club stresses to all members, that our goal is to be invited back as friends to any hunt location.

As we hunt for lost treasures, we want to make sure that we leave the area better than we found it. One of the points in the Code of Ethics is that we remove any trash we dig up and carry it away for proper disposal. This trash may consist of aluminum cans, pull tabs, broken glass, bottle caps, rusty cans, etc. We carry this trash out and place it in the appropriate collection containers. We also make sure that if we find that someone has improperly dug up a target, we make an effort to refill the holes and make every attempt to inform the individual of the need to practice good recovery techniques.



Club members while hunting on the lawn of an old house recently took the pictures shown here.

STEP 1. The target is located by the detectorist and pinpointed. The target will usually be within a 3” center circle. The metal detector usually provides an approximate depth. The depth will be indicated on the control panel and the detectorist will be able to judge the depth and adjust the size of the plug to match.

STEP 2: The detectorist will use a digging tool and cut a plug, leaving one side attached to the sod, sometimes referred to as a hinge flap and remove only as much soil as necessary to recover the target. This technique allows the grass roots to remain attached on the side.

STEP 3: Once the target is recovered, the detectorist will begin refilling the hole. If the hole is deep and a fair amount of soil has been removed, the soil will be added back in stages and tamped down to prevent mounding. Note the removed soil has been placed on a cloth to help keep the area clean and not leave a dirt ring around the hole. The target in this case was a quarter recovered at a depth of 5".

STEP 4: The plug is then fitted back into the hole and tamped down. The target has been recovered and the hole refilled properly leaving minimal evidence that the grass has been disturbed. The tip of the PinPointer shows the location of the plug. Stepping on the plug or doing the metal detector stomp also helps to tamp down the plug.

For additional information send an email to: info@wchrra.org