OOOPPPPSSS!!!! Not quite what I was looking for . . . . !

[Skywola]

From: http://www.kpho.com/news/28099746/detail.html

MESA, Ariz. -- A man was treasure hunting in the Arizona desert when he came across a briefcase filled with dynamite, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said.
He was in Bulldog Canyon near the Salt River using a metal detector when he found the briefcase. The man took it to his home near near Ellsworth Road and Main Street in Mesa and called authorities. The bomb squad is at the scene assessing the situation.


Bulldog Canyon is north of Apache Junction. Anyone know this guy?

[TerryC]

I... don't...know,... Skywola... if I WANT to hunt with a fellow who picks up explosives and carries it home. As a Milwaukee police officer, I knew of a fellow officer that picked up some Sabot (Civil War) artillery rounds from a woman's attic to the station. We called Fort Sheridan (IL) EOD and they said, if they have not yet hurt anyone to EVACUATE the building! They came down and blew them in the parking lot. Found explosives of ANY kind should NEVER be touched. If dynamite is still made with a nitroglyceryn (?) base, the sticks must be TURNED daily or the nitro drips out of solution, becoming very unstable. WOW! very interesting comments but this is definitely a "Warning, don't try this at home" situation. TTC

[Skywola]

Yea, by the sounds of things he is lucky to have a house left . . . and his life! The probable reason he was desert detecting was because it can be very fruitful if you are lucky . . . some guy doing this in CA found a huge gold nugget . . . . there are metorites out there too. I have been looking for a good site to do desert metal detecting, did some hunting south west of Maricopa, but you have to find a place where not to many people have been, otherwise all you find is bullets. Of course, I would rather find bullets than some idiots dynamite stash!
BLM land, as long as you are not on BLM National Monument, or someone's claim is good. I was panning in the Bradshaws, but my vehicle is getting old and I do not want to get stuck up there with a broke down vehicle. Metal detecting in the mountains is nice in the summer, but climbing up and down can be exhausting, and it can be a long trip.

[TerryC]

Gold Basin, in NW AZ, is a good place to look for meteorites. Of course, you will be turning them in to the state, right? Right! "Buck" did a get-together there. We had a great time! Others found rocks from space but not I. Go for it! TTC

[Skywola]

If I found a big one, I would want someone to look at it, as I am certainly no expert. I am not sure what the regulations on finding them are if you were to find one on BLM land, as far as I know, you can remove it, but if it is a big one, you may not be able to remove it, because the big ones are just to heavy. Searching for anything with a metal detector on State land is just insanity, unless you can get a permit, but the cost is prohibitive.

I prefer looking for gold, not likely I will find any at the places I look, but there is always a wildcard chance at finding something interesting . . . no desire to find anyone's dynamite though!