Does metal detecting dictate where you live?

[bearbqd]

I love metal detecting. I love the thrill of the hunt and not knowing what gem your next signal may be. I love that no matter what negative thing might be going on in my life, when I'm out detecting I'm completely focused on the task at hand and THAT is the only thing in my thoughts at the moment; which makes it the most relaxing thing I do aside from sleep. I could be going over tough terrain and physically exerting myself, but in my mind I am completely relaxed.
But, I especially love living in a civil war rich area. I have found many civil war artifacts and I plan on finding many more. I often think of moving to some far away place like Alaska,which I finally visited recently, but honestly, I don't think I could move there for one reason-- the absence of civil war history.
That's the first thing that I think of when I consider moving. Now the option of moving to some other southern state is there since the theatre of war was vast. But, when I consider living some place like Alaska, Florida, or even a Western state, the thought of not being able to be around civil history pops up first.
I would love to live on the Florida coast where thousands of shipwrecks have occurred. I would love to be able to go out after a big storm when the newer sand has large cuts in it allowing detection of deep and older sand when numerous Spanish galleon coins and artifacts are discovered. I love how easy it is to recover finds in the sand. But, however tantalizing that prospect may be, it is still overridden by my love of civil war finds. Florida has some civil war sites, but they are limited.
I was just wondering how many of you also live where you do because of what you like to detect. Do those living on Florida coastlines live there for the reasons stated and if so, would you consider living somewhere else if that type of detecting was no longer available to you? Does your passion for what you find dictate where you live?

[Sandman]

I used to travel up and down the coast in my van which I called my motor home cause it had a bunk, stove, fridge and what not for living near the water. It was the life but now you can't park on the beaches. Now however I live in Michigan and only hunt freshwater. I have more swim areas to hunt where the swimmers are more concentrated to a certain area. Its all in the fun you can have.

[baywalker]

I think it should be" does where you live dictate how you metal detect"

jONNIE

[bearbqd]

I think it should be" does where you live dictate how you metal detect"

jONNIE

Actually, it is worded the way I intended. I want to know if people live where they do because of what they can find in their area like me and civil war relics. Where I live already dictates HOW I metal detect because I can only find what there already is in my area. Unless you travel outside of your residence any distance to detect, the area where you live already decides what you might be able to find.

[kayden]

No.....If it did there would not be 6 inches of snow in my yard right now!

[Keppy]

No.....If it did there would not be 6 inches of snow in my yard right now!

Your right if it did for me there would not be 2 feet of snow in my yard right now..........

[baywalker]

BBQD you live in one of the most beautiful places in the U.S.A. and it is full of history . I still work 8 months of the year the rest of the time we travel in a fifth wheel camper.I have tried to md every where I go but as you know it is hard to do it cold .

Jonnie

[U.K. Brian]

At one time I moved house every five years or so for one reason only, fuel costs. I would detect all the sites within an hours travel from my home (so maximum two hours travelling a day).

When good/fairly close sites got exhausted it was time to move to the next area and repeat.

Now I live in an area that has beaches facing in all directions to maximise the chances of at least a few stripping and for land sites travel in a motorhome to more productive areas. With luck a farmer or landowner will let me stay on the fields I am detecting so straight out the door in the morning and the detectors on. Little cost, just the gas for cooking/fridge with solar power topping up the batteries so we can sit and watch T.V. in the evening.

When the ground freezes its time to move abroad.

[CanadianTrout]

I think people making their living accommodations to suit their hobby of metal detecting (it wouldn't be a mere hobby then, but a lifestyle!) would be in a vast minority. I got to believe that the majority of us have houses/jobs/families etc that keep us generally anchored in one spot and we metal detect what is around us. Which is the category I fall into. If you happen to live in Florida and are into this hobby, you dive. If you happen to live in Tennessee or Virginia and you're into this hobby you hit Civil War areas. If you live in Europe and are into this hobby, you dig Medieval or older items.... etc etc.

Unfortunately there's no castles/civil war sites/Spanish galleons/Celtic/Roman/Norse occupation here in southern Ontario. So I hit tot lots, old farms/houses, etc

Personally if it was me I'd split my time between the treasure coast in Florida diving for treasure (I am a scuba diver) and going to hang out with Crusader in England. Alas, I need my job and I'm not sure the kids would appreciate jumping around. It is what it is.

*sigh*

[Mzjavert]

Not yet, but it will. When my last parent passes, I'm putting the house up for sale that day and starting the search for a job in a beach town.

[Keppy]

I think people making their living accommodations to suit their hobby of metal detecting (it wouldn't be a mere hobby then, but a lifestyle!) would be in a vast minority. I got to believe that the majority of us have houses/jobs/families etc that keep us generally anchored in one spot and we metal detect what is around us. Which is the category I fall into. If you happen to live in Florida and are into this hobby, you dive. If you happen to live in Tennessee or Virginia and you're into this hobby you hit Civil War areas. If you live in Europe and are into this hobby, you dig Medieval or older items.... etc etc.

Unfortunately there's no castles/civil war sites/Spanish galleons/Celtic/Roman/Norse occupation here in southern Ontario. So I hit tot lots, old farms/houses, etc

Personally if it was me I'd split my time between the treasure coast in Florida diving for treasure (I am a scuba diver) and going to hang out with Crusader in England. Alas, I need my job and I'm not sure the kids would appreciate jumping around. It is what it is.

*sigh*

You are 100% right there..... It is a hobby to most .......So you can not let a hobby control your life................. Now if you made a liveing at hunting for treasure...... Then it would dictate were you live ............. But like you said we have our families & homes .. And it is not easy to pick up and take off on a whim to hunt treasure......... And like you in Northern Ohio we have no ..Gold.. Civil war relics .. ect..ect.. Only fresh water beaches & Lake Erie.........

[Keppy]

Not yet, but it will. When my last parent passes, I'm putting the house up for sale that day and starting the search for a job in a beach town.

Well the % of ones makeing a liveing in beach towns is a very small %..Of all the ones you see out there .......And now there is a lot of them out there ......The ones doing good you could count on one hand.......

[Mzjavert]

Not yet, but it will. When my last parent passes, I'm putting the house up for sale that day and starting the search for a job in a beach town.

Well the % of ones makeing a liveing in beach towns is a very small %..Of all the ones you see out there .......And now there is a lot of them out there ......The ones doing good you could count on one hand.......

LOL I don't plan to make a living metal detecting. I'll still be repairing medical equipment...just a a hospital that's not 3 hours to a freshwater lake or 15+ hours to a salt water beach.

[bearbqd]

Hmm, interesting replies. In my case, I love being in a civil war rich area. Although there are other places I would really, really like to live, I know I probably wouldn't move there due to lack of civil war relics. The only places I would consider actually moving to would be ones that have equally rich civil war history or better.

[birdman]

About 12 years ago I bought a lot in the oldest town in NC. The history of the area played a big part in the purchase. Now I hope I can build there in 6 years...Tons of history from1600s on. Just a sleepy little coastal town now.

[LuckyLarry]

If someone is dedicated to just one detector or just one brand (or type) of hunting don't expect your Minelab Sovereign, Explorer, or high end Garrett or Nautilus to save your day in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, California, or some of the NE States. When I ordered my Sov from KellyCo the three different people I talked with there didn't have a CLUE as to how different soils are here, there in Florida, and compared to the rest of the nation, and especially the coastal beaches full of magnetite AND salt! In short, those two Minelabs really sucked when compared to the CZ's and most Whites. It was an honest mistake on their part, so I forgave KellyCo, but I think they need some more education about different soil types before they recommend something again.

You will find some areas in the NE and SE that have lots of mineralization in them too. So if you are stuck on just one brand or one type of hunting - you are missing out on a whole new world.

Oregon was never involved in the CW. Most states weren't very much either. I travel a lot and I need detectors that will work the best anywhere I go, so I use more than one brand or one type. If I didn't I would most certainly lose lots of goodies, for sure. I lived in Alaska and believe me, if you ever get involved in nugget hunting you may never leave Alaska, people become highly addicted to it there, even transplanted old CW hunters that are caste in concrete types - and lived in Virginia the first 40 years of their lives. Alaska is FULL of ex CW hunters.

I live in Oregon because it is the most beautiful of all States, and in my eyes, the second most beautiful area in the world, save for Austria. I have a travel trailer and I can shove 200 different metal detectors in it if I care to, and come to think of it, that's not a bad idea.

Hope this helps.

LL

[MetalDetector27]

I would love the treasure coast of FL. I am lucky to have family there and can visit anytime. My friends and most of my family are in the Northeast, so for now I am stuck here. Thinking about the UK in the next ten years. My wife is Irish.