My first bad experience (MDing)

[fathead]

Hello all, I wanted to tell about my hunt today and see if this is typical.

I have only had my detector since Dec. and I am loving it.

Today I hunted eggs with the kids and then got permission from the boss to go out for 6 hours. I drove to a soccer field that I found a 2 center on last Friday. I had the field to myself so I was taking it slow. After about 2 hours I was startled by two kids (20ish) walking up behind me. One (the smaller one of course) starts giving me an earful about digging up the field. The field is used a lot and has many bare areas from cleat use. I said it isn't much worse than the cleat marks. He then started to get mouthy about how little kids play soccer there. His buddy came over and led him away, but I then had to keep one eye on them.

I am a teacher now, so my old reaction of inviting him to make me stop seems juvenile and counterproductive. I also didn't want my new detector to get damaged. I considered placing the detector in the car and going to have an adult conversation with him. I wanted to explain to him how I wasn't breaking any laws and I was also being careful to fix my plugs.


Mainly, I wanted to explain that many MDers carry a handgun. While I do not, I would have explained that he did bring his mouth and fists to a knife fight. But, I am working on being more mature and level headed. I did keep detecting until they left just to prove a point. The rest of the hunt was unproductive, so I went to a back up spot.

The sheriff showed up 30 min. later because there had been some robberies in the area. I talked to him, but by that point I had lost my focus and just went home.
I got home early and had a great afternoon.

I have read many encounters people have had on this site. Why do people have such low opinions of MDing?

Thanks for letting me share.

-Fathead

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[fetz]

i think some people have poor opinions of mders because you will come across it where some guy detects a playground or sports field and dosent fill in a single hole looks like group of muskrats went through and u being a decent guy fill them in but who gets blamed the good guy

[fathead]

Thanks for your reply.

I have recently seen that, and I get why people would be annoyed.

I felt like this kid was looking to pick a fight. He was decidedly less interested when I turned around, but I have heard other people on this forum relay similar problems. I get annoyed when someone doesn't clean up after their dog, parks in a handicapped zone, or fails to monitor their children, but that doesn't mean I bother all the people who don't do those things.

Hopefully, this was just an annoying kid, but it really soured my morning.

-FH

[krazyace]

I live in a duplex, I took the kids out the other day to play and someone went through the yard with a metal detector and left tons of holes all over the place. I had to walk around and try to fill in whatever I saw so my kids would not trip in them. Anyway I was wanting to md the yard because the house is pretty old but I won't get my md til next week and now I can't otherwise I will probably get blamed for tearing up the yard. It just really irks me that lazy pinheads are ruining this hobby for everyone else.

[Sandman]

"Why do people have such low opinions of MDing?"
Many times it is just those holes that the sloppy MD'ers leave that create the banded parks. Anytime you cut a plug you make it easy for amimals to come along at night and dig them up looking for grubs. Sometimes grass dies from to many roots being cut and there are then a bunch of brown patches. The kids might have been bored and you were entertainment for the day. You have to expect that when you look different. You are on their turf an they feel they want to drive off the weirdo. Get a CCW and don't worry about it.

[fathead]

CCW?

[GopherDaGold]

'Concealed Carry Weapon' with a permit

[fathead]

Thanks everyone.


I am going to chalk it up as an isolated incident for now. I'm heading back out today for a couple of hours.

Thanks for letting me vent.

-Fathead

[Iron Patch]

Thanks everyone.


I am going to chalk it up as an isolated incident for now. I'm heading back out today for a couple of hours.

Thanks for letting me vent.

-Fathead

Punk kids are usually not too bright so if it happens again just tell them a player cut his foot on something sharp and you're there working to clean the field of all sharp metal. If that isn't quite enough tell them the scrap metal and bottles you find is still better pay than 7 cents an hour in prison.... then laugh saying it's just good to be out after a 20 year sentence.

[fathead]

Thanks IP. I was irritated at the confrontation, but I really didn't like trying to hunt while having to keep looking over my shoulder.

Now that I am supposed to be a pillar of the community, these matters become more delicate than they used to be.

I might get a tazer or stun gun. I really don't want to put someone down permanently.

From what I hear a tazer will definitely get someone's attention and slow them enough so you can better define the way civilized social interaction is supposed to work.

-FH

[bula]

There are always those that want to interfear with others enjoyment & that is all. I have only had one person ever saw anything to me about hunting & she said that I should not be digging in her park. I told her I was not digging & showed her the screwdriver I had. She still claimed I was digging in her park. I found out later that she was a transplant to the area & was just an old B*^*( I think the only thing that she was upset about was the fact that her six dogs were barking at me & she could not get (nor did she try to get them to) quit barking.

[warsawdaddy]

Here in MO and south we have an added attraction besides the md'rs not filling holes and that is the armadillos.They eat the roots of grass and overnight they can leave a yard or field looking just like the bad md'rs do,holes everywhere, so the people don't know who to blame.

[ivan salis]

it happens --ill informed folks think your killing the grass -- leaving huge holes ect (other slob hunters might have done so before) -- or it might be plain old bored folks with nothing better to do that want to get in your "bussiness" to be a pain -- some folks might think your some kinda child grabbing creep using MDing as a way to be there.--- theres all kinds of folks out there --some are WAY OUT THERE --and some are just jerks and a holes with nothing better to do that bust yer chops -- to them say -- nothing happening here --so just move along -- I talk nicely and inform folks --IF they can be reasoned with --if not I just ignore em , unless they become combative or aggressive than I call the cops and defend myself if needed .

[JohnnieWalker]

First of all, you being a teacher should already have some good skills in confrontation.
The kids said something because they, like you, are concerned over the park. So when you think about it, if someone WAS in fact there digging holes and doing it wrong they would ruin the turf and ruin it for the kids playing as well as other detectorist just like you right?

So, if you think about it, in a way you probably agree with him in a distant sort of way. The reason he came off so intimidating is probably because he was enraged at the damage he thought you were doing. I didn't see your plugs so I am not going to take sides. But you agree that if they were too shallow it would in fact brown out, die and possibly leave holes right?

A CCW? now that response deeply concerns me that some may think you should carry a firearm and possibly use it in order to continue metal detecting when confronted by a teen. I got nothing against a CCW but that is just not a situation to have one. I think it's is a bit rash. It could also give you a false sense of security and end up making a bad situation worse.

Your statement about mouth and fists to a knife fight deeply concerns me especially from a teacher.

Maybe you could have said something like this.

I can appreciate your concern, this is a nice park and I agree with you that it is important that the turf is not ruined. This is why when I dig for coins I ..... explain how it will not ruin the turf because.....It is not much different then when the plugger comes by and aerates the grounds in the fall.

Maybe that would have helped, maybe not. There will always be people that you need to try and avoid and that person may be one of them. I think what you did was right, but your afterthoughts are a bit out of balance due to anger and frustration.

So what I am trying to say is as far as direct confrontation you will loose. You best hope those plugs don't die cause if they do don't be surprised if soon there is a sign at the park saying no digging.

[fathead]

JW, message received and I agree. I was just venting. I have been in situations as a teenager that got out of control because some of the participants felt that false sense of security. I would never carry a gun because at the end of the day, none of it is worth hurting someone over. As for wanting to explain the fists to a knife fight theory, I would only have said that once the kid understood that I was not interested in a conflict. I have found that kids of all ages don't understand the full consiquences of their actions. I am learning as Ivan suggested, that ignoring them is the most effective method. Turning the other cheek is something I have been working on since my youthful days.


-FH

[JohnnieWalker]

yeah, figured that. I'm kinda like that too.
By the way, love the dog photo.

[GreenMeanie]

It is not just kids OLD people do it as well.
I had an older guy accuse me of all sorts of stuff to get me to leave.
I said I wasn't leaving the farmer gave me permission and he said he was calling the COPS.
I said I am parked over there let me know when they get here LOL.
They never came but I think they think if they make enough commotion the person won't want the grief and tell you no more metal detecting here.

[jasonbo]

I was in a park this last week a pretty rough park populated by trannies an druggies. I went off to the ide where no one was parked an parked got out an started around an conession stand. After 10 mins a guy in a car (lets say not a patron of the park) pulled up and parked near me as i approached. I didnt look at him but i let my digging took which is pretty much a digging knife slide down an heldin plain view as I swang my coil. I heard his car start an he drove off.

[ford7379trucks]

every law abiding citizen should be armed just for protection but unless your life is threatened you can not by law use it.

[Monty]

That "kid" was no kid if he was in his 20s. He was a man but not old enough to have developed a man's common sense. More than likely he was a bully in school as a kid and was just out to take advantage of someone he felt he could bully. My Dad use to tell me that a young man can hurt you but an old man will kill you. I find a lot of truth in that statement. I carry concealed and I am an older man who will do just about anything to avoid violence. But if I am backed into a corner I know I am not physically able to defend myself from a much younger man and if he attacks me he is in serious trouble. Nothing in the law says you have to take a beating in my state. We have the "make my day" law and you are not obliged to retreat if you feel your life is in danger. I am also 100% disabled as well as being an older man and I am pretty sure a beating would be critical to my health. Therefore I would advise a bully to exercise extreme caution when screwing with me. Monty