Found a cartridge casing in my duck's run area

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Hi Friends,

we have been told after we bought our house here in West Virginia that the previous owners were a bit crazy, throwing huge parties with loud music, gun-shots fired and so on.
Today, after locking up the grown up ducks, i was walking back from the duck-house to the porch when something metallic on the ground caught my eye, i picked it up and to my horror:

This is a copper or brass cartridge casing, 2.1cm (0.83") long and 1.2cm (0.47") in diameter, the imprint at the bottom says »45 AUTO+P CBC« and it is small enough to be swallowed by a duck. I'm not only concerned about heavy metal poisoning, that thing has a really sharp edge that could cut through flesh with ease!
There is one area here, off-limits for any duck, between my work-platform and the wooded area where the previous owners did target-practicing, i have found a lot of metal there, from BB-pellets (led!) to cartridge cases of all sizes, but this i found in the main area where the ducks are roaming every day. Luckily i found it and not Blanca Duck!
My assumption is that because this area has recently been strip-mined by the ducks, a lot of soil has been washed away and the casing was exposed. I definitely will visually inspect the area tomorrow before i let the ducks out, but is there any better method to find these things? I am scared, because y'all know Blanca and her »Panzer Division«. They swallow first and quack later…

 

[AllenK RGV]

I can't think of any easy way outside of a metal detector. Casings are almost always non ferrous so can't use a magnet.

 

[johntfs]

Yeah, pretty much you're going to need a metal detector to do any kind of effective search for stuff like that.

 

[Saigey]

Hi Friends,

we have been told after we bought our house here in West Virginia that the previous owners were a bit crazy, throwing huge parties with loud music, gun-shots fired and so on.
Today, after locking up the grown up ducks, i was walking back from the duck-house to the porch when something metallic on the ground caught my eye, i picked it up and to my horror:

This is a copper or brass cartridge casing, 2.1cm (0.83") long and 1.2cm (0.47") in diameter, the imprint at the bottom says »45 AUTO+P CBC« and it is small enough to be swallowed by a duck. I'm not only concerned about heavy metal poisoning, that thing has a really sharp edge that could cut through flesh with ease!
There is one area here, off-limits for any duck, between my work-platform and the wooded area where the previous owners did target-practicing, i have found a lot of metal there, from BB-pellets (led!) to cartridge cases of all sizes, but this i found in the main area where the ducks are roaming every day. Luckily i found it and not Blanca Duck!
My assumption is that because this area has recently been strip-mined by the ducks, a lot of soil has been washed away and the casing was exposed. I definitely will visually inspect the area tomorrow before i let the ducks out, but is there any better method to find these things? I am scared, because y'all know Blanca and her »Panzer Division«. They swallow first and quack later…

Have you maybe considered a metal detector or a large magnet from Home Depot or a store like that? I used a big square magnet to get roofing nails and staples out of our yard after I stepped on one a few years ago.

 

[DiYMama540]

Rake the area you found it in maybe? That's when I always unearth nice, dangerous surprises.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I can't think of any easy way outside of a metal detector. Casings are almost always non ferrous so can't use a magnet.

Yeah, pretty much you're going to need a metal detector to do any kind of effective search for stuff like that.

I have looked around at the usual sources in the internet and am overwhelmed! There are so many different models of metal detectors with prices varying from a sandwich to something a normal humon being would need a mortgage for…
I just simply don't know what to buy. Has anybody a recommendation?

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Have you maybe considered a metal detector or a large magnet from Home Depot or a store like that? I used a big square magnet to get roofing nails and staples out of our yard after I stepped on one a few years ago.

I actually swept the area with a large shop-mag from Harbor-Freight and found a ton of scrap metal, from nails, screws and staples to unidentifiable objects, but neither shell casings, nor most bullets are magnetic.
So it will be a metal detector (see above), but which one - i have no clue!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Rake the area you found it in maybe? That's when I always unearth nice, dangerous surprises.

You don't know our soil here!
45% loam, 25% marl and 30% rock. I have used the rake here only once in the veggie bed and it's still stuck there… just kiddin'. I have an electric tiller and have to wear rubber boots to protect my legs all the time because of rocks being flung around.

 

[Pennys Mama]

We have a HUGE magnet on a pole, to use to find screws, nails, etc. I haven't even thought about my spent .22 cartridges! thanks!
Ducks were out today exploring, it was fill the kiddy pool and play day for them, I should've took pictures.

 

[casportpony]

I did a necropsy for someone's peafowl and found these their gizzards: