Ugh !!!!! Really man.... REALLY !?!?!?!

[Walleye]

So I am 40 something who has enjoyed MD on and off for years. I am working in a small town and have relocated for a year or two... I have had the run of the town MD for the last few months and have not seen anyone else with a MD... wherever I go its a coin every three steps.

So tonight I see a fellow at an old city park that was rehabbed some time ago and is good for some 1920's + coins (usually 80's but some are old)... rather large park. I had not been there for some time and low and behold a fellow digger :-)

I watch him for a few minutes and he is digging with a garden trowel as if it were a backhoe... he was digging up about 12" of sod then pulling it apart passing it in front of his MD then casting the chunks to the ground.

I approached him and introduced myself... we chatted and he asked about my machine then he asked what the ProPointer was... I told him and mentioned it helps dig smaller holes and showed him how I use a 9" x 1" tool to all but pop the coin out of the ground.

I let him borrow a pointer (I have one for my GF) and I asked if the NUMEROUS 12" round chunked dead spots were his, he said "Yup I am surprised I haven't been ran off". He was an older guy... we exchanged some more stories then he tells me one about when he a a couple friends went at night to go hunt a nearby 1800'2 fort on the river, its a national historic site. Said they found some coins but he hid in a ditch while the others broke the law...

I again mention the ginormous hole he was digging for a penny and he states that its the closest he can get...

At what point is it ok to slap them in the head

I mean I try hard to make sure you cant even see where I was digging and this a-hat is killing NUMEROUS chunks of very nice city park... I was almost ready to turn him in... nice guy but he just doesn't get it I guess.

I did what I could while being polite, but at what point do you simply tell him to stop taking advantage How selfish can you be to kill 20 12" spots of city park grass I was almost ashamed to be a MD guy when I watched him...

Anyway venting I guess but this is such a small town I will almost certainly see him again... suggestions other than slapping him in the back of the head ??

Am I making too much out of this ??

Thanks all !!!!

Wally

[Ads]

TreasureNet.com is the premier Treasure Hunting Forum on the internet. Registered Users do not see these ads. Please Register - It's Free!

[Catobra]

You're def not making too much of it, but other than showing him how to do it correctly and letting him know that huge holes are a main reason metal detectorists get run off, I don't know what to do-besides smack him, of course! : )

He knew he was doing it wrong, was he remorseful/ashamed? interested in how to do it correctly? sober? : )

[Walleye]

Honestly he didn't seem to give a crap... hopefully he will think about it, I would really hate to get run off of these parks especially since I called the parks department for permission... there is so little to do here I may be in trouble if I cant MD lolololol

[kshollywood]

I have people in my town who will detect anywhere they want, they trespass at night, and I have heard one of them say " its easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission" what a bunch of idiots, if we don't teach the newbies how to do it right it could ruin it for all of us!!!

[Catobra]

Walleye-He is probably a die hard fan of American Digger.....ugh! Since you asked permission and they might think that it is you, maybe make a friendly oh-by-the-way-I saw at the police station just so they know that you are a decent digger.

kshollywood-yes, there are a bunch of idiots out there! Not just metal detecting, but EVERYWHERE! : )

[cjon455]

when this guy found his penny did he stand up, get real fat all of a sudden and scream "BOOM BABY"! if so we might have an explanation........lol

[ticm]

I would not have been very polite.

[River Rat]

I just don't understand some folks at all. I mean why can't they respect other people's property as if it was their own? If I go elsewhere to detect, I try to do it after the rains, I do not want no grass dying and if I can't dig a decent plug in the dry ground, I just leave it. I can always go back later. On my own property, out in the cow pastures, I'm using my Mighty AP digger, and/or my hunting knife. I know I can use a shovel out there, but there's no need. Besides that, all holes are filled back in, and tamped down...showing no evidence that I was there. I have respect!!! I don't want my cattle stepping in a hole & breaking a leg.

[kshollywood]

Preach on sister river rat, tell them how it's done!!!

[AC1955]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here....perhaps the old timer is new to MD. I hate to admit that my husband and I have left some unsightly plugs when we first started 4 months ago, but we are getting better now. (We use a Lesche digger). Digging properly is trial and error and practice, as you know. I am fascinated with the folks who can pop a coin out of the ground with a screwdriver...we are still far from being able to do that. You did the right thing. You showed him how it should be done (wish we had someone show us). Next time you "meet" him, ask him how his hole digging is going. You might need to show him again. Eventually, maybe?, he will get it and do it right.

[Walleye]

Was back out tonight and was alone :-) ... If he was there I was going to tell him he could use the pointer and a real trowel if he promised to work on his holes.... lolol I did get permission to MD on ND State ground !!!!! Quite a few restrictions and I literally have to box up anything of value that I find as its property of the state trust.... Not sure if they were really serious there but I guess I will comply lololol There are some really old farmsteads in the states possession now... anyway glad there are still so many who respect community and other peoples enjoyment of public grounds...

[NOLA_Ken]

Well next time you see him out there casually snap a pic of him and his craters so you'll have proof it's not you.

[Steveo]

I've always felt that digging a neat plug,recovering your find,backfill,replace the plug add a lil tamp,fluff the grass a bit and make sure there is no trace of you being there is a very important part to MDing.
In my opinion,that feller you ran into sounds to me to be either ignorant or lazy or maybe a lil of both.Either way it makes responsible Md'ers look bad.I think we can all agree on that.....................................

[jharhed]

KS have you tried to talk to the problem bunch of "idiots" or "idiot" that you are pertaining to? Thats what I do when there is a problem . Talking to the older ones is as important as teaching the young, just make sure that you are quoting the ("idiots") correctly, Jhar

[New Orleans Relic]

I have people in my town who will detect anywhere they want, they trespass at night, and I have heard one of them say " its easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission" what a bunch of idiots, if we don't teach the newbies how to do it right it could ruin it for all of us!!!

If you're gone to quote, you need to be accurate Kevin. It was mine and it was; "SOMETIMES its easier to ask for forgivness, than permission". And you took it out of context. Thanks. (crawling out, scaved, from under the bus)
Twice at different parks in my short nine months enjoying this great pastime, I was told no when asked. They were wrong! Perhaps a groundskeeper. Perhaps a employee that was ignorant to park rules and/or local laws. Perhaps a sympathizer of archeoligal twisted reasoning. And then you have precedence. Weak but there! You don't think that happens? I know federal laws. I know local laws. State law is fuzzy. There's an art to being vague in writing laws and rules. I don't open gates to hunt. I don't hunt posted property. I don't hunt occupied private property without permission. And I don't like VAGUE or fuzzy! Along with 7 other don'ts and 18 wills I havent mentioned. Remember "This land is YOUR land. This land is MY land". So now I'll say, "When I'm wrong, I'm humble". Not, " When its gray, look for Ray". My respect and consideration is strong and in place. How dare you question my character. But now, I- yours.
Oh yes by the way, I do think your heart is there and do enjoy your videos!
You want to hunt on the high horse ---- Have a long shaft!
Thanks AC1955. Well put. So cool are the screwdriver pops. I'm not ready for that yet but do have one ready. Put some of those videos up, Kevin. Thats impressive! My plugs are getting better also. Don't see myself fluffing the blades though.
HH, Ray

[kshollywood]

I wasn't quoting you Ray, I was quoting someone here in Natchez that says that all of the time.

[ynpto804]

You should have stopped being nice and been a little harder with the truth.

[Gunrunner61]

Explain it one time, tell them it hurts us all, explain that when asked about the dead spots you'll be honest.......Then......................SLAP DA S$#T outta da dude!.........Honestly, all you can do is try to teach........you can't fix Stupid!...........HH

[austin]

Don't know how old he is, but I discovered that the older I got(64), the less I even wanted to dig. Now there are TINY holes that only appear if:
1. the outside temperature is between 60* and 65*.
2. somebody actually put batteries in the detector.
3. the truck runs out of gas near a beach.
4. I have to leave the a/c truck to get more beer
and scuff at a dropped quarter with my heel.
5. the detector makes so much noise
it can't be ignored.
6. the damm grandkids threaten to tell grandma
about the cute young latinas I bought
a 6 pack for.
7. I see a hot babe out there detecting
and want to share my expertise.

Well, you get the idea. As Giant Hole Guy ages, he will not have the energy to create craters anymore. And yes, before a thousand of you tell me you can still "do it", quit lying to yourself and admit, you just are not the man/woman you used to be...

[kshollywood]

Austin your funny!!!!!!!!