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| Where to go?; Newbie locations | |
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| Topic Started: Jul 20 2011, 01:32 PM (824 Views) | |
| BrianH | Jul 20 2011, 01:32 PM Post #1 |
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So I got my new metal detector a couple months ago, and have taken it out a whole two times, and the second time was very brief due to my daughter getting tired before we even got there. I find myself feeling rather uncomfortable when I take it out, like I am waiting for someone to give me a hard time about it. I have read a lot of stuff on various forums of police, park maintence, etc... giving people a ration of poo while they are metal detectiing, and while I am new at this I hope to avoid that kind of stuff atleast until I get more comfortable with it. So I find myself having a hard time working myself up to take it out and start playing with it. Any tips on finding locations that are quiet, parks and school yards are fairly well used around me, so while they are the most likely to turn up goodies, they are also the most likely to turn up a confrontaion. Am I making it a bigger deal then it really is? It seems like I might be limiting myself to private property, and while Chris found an awesome private property location in the area with great history, I found the owners and they gave a flat out no way, not a chance, but thanks for asking response. Having a hard time thinking of any hassle free areas to try. |
| I am in Shasta County...... | |
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| Ron (CA) | Jul 20 2011, 04:04 PM Post #2 |
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You are over thinking it. Pick a park and go for it. Schools are a good place right now as most schools are out for summer. You will find that you get more people asking questions out of curiosity vs any type of confrontation. Just make sure you dig a nice clean plug, carry a mat of some sort to put your dirt on and fill in your hole. Make it appear as you never dug a plug when you are done. It is never perfect but do the best you can to show little sign that you were there. Private yards are the most unsearched areas (my opinion) because most of us hesitate to ask. If you pick the best looking manicured yard in the area you will probably get a NO but if you approach property owners in a nice manner with a nice appearance (no ratty holed jeans etc) and just explain that your hobby ismetal detecting and saving history from the ground. That you like to look for lost artifacts and certainly would show and return any personal items they may have lost. Try to avoid saying you are looking for money as they get images of gold coins and will tell you NO. Tell them that you will dig a small plug and replace it so they will not know you ever made a small hole. Just keep in mind that that area will probably brown a little bit during the summer. I think most of us had that "people are thinking I'm weird" feeling or "I'm uncomfortable doing this in plain sight of other people" feeling when we first start out detecting. But it is more in our own heads and most people usually show a sincere interest when they see you. You will get kids that run up to you to see what you are finding. Sticking their hand in the hole trying to get whatever it is you found. You will get teens that walk by and yell "Beep Beep" and on a rare occasion a park worker may tell you that it is not allowed. Usually they are wrong but just move on to avoid any conflict. Go to a different park or school and come back later. Just remember, you are not doing anything illegal or wrong. Clear your head of any negative perceptions of the hobby. It is a great hobby (albeit a bit of a "underground" hobby) pun intended. Also, just do not crowd people or hunt on top of their picnic and you will have no issues. Check out the ball fields. They were not always a ball field Could have been part of the older park. I have found a lot of silver is baseball outfields or soccer fields. Watch for empty lots that once had a house. Someone owns it and you will probably get permission if you find the right person. Wait until they mow it or disc it up and go for it. Watch for any street or sidewalk demo in older areas. A lot of goodies under old streets and sidewalks. Beaches, lakes, swimming areas etc etc. Good luck just my two cents but wanted to reply and welcome you to the hobby!! Ron Edited by Ron (CA), Jul 20 2011, 04:09 PM.
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| Tom in Salinas | Jul 20 2011, 06:40 PM Post #3 |
GMOAP
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Ron's advice is good. And I agree, that you might be "over-thinking". It works like this: you are new to this, you pick up a machine, you do a key-word search, find some hobbyist forum chit-chat, and ...... invariably ......... there's something there, about someone, somewhere, who got grief (or a ticket or a booting, etc...). What follows next, is sort of self-fulfilling: you think "oh no, what if that happens to me? What if someone doesn't like me, or this, etc....?" And then your persona displays JUST that kind of skitishness, that perhaps you'd never have even THOUGHT of (nor would anyone else have cared less passing you by), till you read about some isolated stories. Start with innocuous non-historical parks, non sensitive, etc... go for shallow clad with a screw-driver probe, till you get the hang of "blending in". Of course, be discreet, don't go at high traffic times, go at odd/off hours when park crews are done for the day (or aren't working that particular park, etc...). Not necessarily because you are doing anything wrong, but just because some people can make inferences, be busy-bodies, etc... But that's rare. Barring those rare busy-bodies, most people just ignore you, or are actually intrigued, ask questions about how it works, etc.. Start shallow with probe, and work your way to the deeper stuff later. |
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| james02 | Jul 20 2011, 06:42 PM Post #4 |
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Best advice I've seen for a beginner, good job Ron. |
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| BrianH | Jul 20 2011, 09:47 PM Post #5 |
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Thanks guys maybe I will hit a couple of local school yards just before it gets dark and get an hour here and there. A friend mine just got a new house <mobile home> sitting on 40 acres just outside of town so I was going to talk to him about letting me run it out there a bit too. Still looking for some documentation as to wether there might of been anything of interest in that area, but honestly, this area has had settlers since the early to mid 1800's chances are somebody had been around that area that might of dropped something right?  Thanks again for the pep talk! Brian |
| I am in Shasta County...... | |
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