I believe we need a gun thread. Carrying while detecting?

OldGreybeard

Greenie
Jul 22, 2017
14
25
Polk County, FL/ Originally Massachusetts
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Quick Draw II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My EDC is a Glock 19 9mm. I go NOWHERE without it! "To not be prepared at any one time, is to not be prepared at all times." (personal motto) I also carry a LEO karambit and an assisted opening pocket knife.
As to being in the 'wrong place', I don't go looking for trouble, but if I have a right or need to be somewhere, I plan to go.
To all the veterans here, THANK YOU!!! To all LEOs AND OTHER First Responders, THANK YOU!!!
(I'm the proud son of a WWII Pacific/Japan Pacification USMC vet, the father of a Gulf USMC vet (and LEO), and the father of a firefighter/EMT.)
 

Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,006
17,114
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Now you've done it, Charlie; Peta T will have to join back in. :laughing7:

In that case I'll have to post my most interesting shot. I was grouse hunting after deer season on my own property (we go back half-a-mile into an eight mile by 5 mile wooded hilltop) with a 20 ga Ithaca/SKB 200-E double-barrel. I saw something that immediately registered "antler" in my brain but it wasn't right for our whitetails. As I stood still I could see a very tall, narrow rack - but it was attached to a chocolate brown head and neck. Nothing like the brown or reddish brown of a whitetail. "Wha-haah?

I knew it was either a fallow or sambar deer - but it was a LONG way from where it should be. No ear tags (this was when livestock had to have ear tags - we raised Boer goats at the time). I oozed behind a milliflori rosebush (Thick briars) and when it got to about 30 feet I put a 20 gauge high brass in its face; knowing what that would do for vision. Immediately I ran up and from six feet put a second one just behind the foreleg.

I went back down the hill, called the DEC (our fish-cops in NY) and took the tractor back up to retrieve it.

2i05U5a.jpg


This was NOT sport. I killed it because I knew it to be an introduced species. We have enough trouble with CWD, black-tongue and other diseases the local whitetails are helpless against. The DEC asked me to take it to a local cooler/meat packer. I did. They confiscated it.

Two days later I got a call to pick it up. It was a fallow deer. We did process the meat (it all tasted like liver - not awful but not delicious). They also returned the rack to me; which is now a hatrack.

Turns out they checked it for tuberculosis, rabies, CWD and other problems. It was clean. The deer had "escaped" two years earlier from an unlicensed game farm that wanted to make a petting zoo but had neglected to get or find out about import permits. When they were supposed to surrender the herd it turns out that there had been a fence malfunction and a dozen escaped. Two have been found since (that I know of). The one I killed and another a bowhunter killed.

I am impressed what a 20 gauge can do from six feet. Don't try it at home. Or, for a home defense choice . . .
 

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WawaDuane

Sr. Member
Oct 12, 2013
393
1,624
Northern Ontario
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett At Pro International
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I just came across this discussion and I have often thought I needed a pistol for the remote areas where I detect. We are black bear infested here in Northern Ontario, they come around our town usually every night. I have come across bear poop and at least twice a bear den...eventually I will meet one. I make a lot of frickin' noise in the bush, tripping, swearing and stomping around with my size 13's....I have also used my Garrett without the headphones to make some more noise. Long story short there are many bears and wolves around my detecting areas and a even a few moose. I would love to have a pistol but with the complex laws in Ontario it's not worth the trouble..plus I'm a hippie and don't kill anything. Maybe a scare/bang kinda thing would be better? As a side note....Ted Nugent hunts bear here in the spring...that's how many bear we got!
 

Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,006
17,114
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Yes, the M1 Carbine had a niche but I have faced the NVA and VC in close battle. Believe me, when you KNOW they are in front of you, you would find a way to sling a Ma Deuce into the fray! ╦╦Ç

I say again: God bless 'ya. I was 16 when Saigon fell. I'm enough color "deficient" and see a little worse than Mole in The Wind and the Willows[i/] without my glasses so both the Marines and the NY State Troopers said "m'eh" when I visited their recruitment booths and i was in that window that never did have to register with selective service.

Looking back it would have done me a world of good to have served, no doubt. That or I'd have been in federal prison for disobeying an incompetent officer.
 

releventchair

Gold Member
May 9, 2012
22,550
71,635
Primary Interest:
Other
If God had wanted man to shoot over-under doubles, He would have stacked our eyeballs one on top of the other.

Well now...That explains my bruised right cheekbone and the frequent nosebleed from the top of the stocks comb.....:laughing7:
 

trdking

Gold Member
Feb 28, 2015
5,139
7,923
Fullerton CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
IMG_4984.JPG Here is a pesky Fox that I shot in Cordoba Argentina. Iron site .22 mag . They are littered with them and they go after the chickens like no other!
 

TerryC

Gold Member
Jun 26, 2008
7,735
10,996
Yarnell, AZ
Detector(s) used
Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
My EDC is a Glock 19 9mm. I go NOWHERE without it! "To not be prepared at any one time, is to not be prepared at all times." (personal motto) I also carry a LEO karambit and an assisted opening pocket knife.
As to being in the 'wrong place', I don't go looking for trouble, but if I have a right or need to be somewhere, I plan to go.
To all the veterans here, THANK YOU!!! To all LEOs AND OTHER First Responders, THANK YOU!!!
(I'm the proud son of a WWII Pacific/Japan Pacification USMC vet, the father of a Gulf USMC vet (and LEO), and the father of a firefighter/EMT.)

OORAH! ╦╦Ç I have W in the W. Good book.
 

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TerryC

Gold Member
Jun 26, 2008
7,735
10,996
Yarnell, AZ
Detector(s) used
Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
If God had wanted man to shoot over-under doubles, He would have stacked our eyeballs one on top of the other.
VERY good! Very good! ╦╦Ç
 

TerryC

Gold Member
Jun 26, 2008
7,735
10,996
Yarnell, AZ
Detector(s) used
Ace 250 (2), Ace 300, Gold Bug 2, Tesoro Cortes, Garrett Sea Hunter, Whites TDI SL SE, Fisher Impulse 8, Minelab Monster 1000, Minelab CTX3030, Falcon MD20, Garrett Pro-pointer, Calvin Bunker digger.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I just came across this discussion and I have often thought I needed a pistol for the remote areas where I detect. We are black bear infested here in Northern Ontario, they come around our town usually every night. I have come across bear poop and at least twice a bear den...eventually I will meet one. I make a lot of frickin' noise in the bush, tripping, swearing and stomping around with my size 13's....I have also used my Garrett without the headphones to make some more noise. Long story short there are many bears and wolves around my detecting areas and a even a few moose. I would love to have a pistol but with the complex laws in Ontario it's not worth the trouble..plus I'm a hippie and don't kill anything. Maybe a scare/bang kinda thing would be better? As a side note....Ted Nugent hunts bear here in the spring...that's how many bear we got!
Size 13?? You need to take a SADDLE with you and have some fun! ╦╦Ç
 

trdking

Gold Member
Feb 28, 2015
5,139
7,923
Fullerton CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Is this thread dead already? I thought it was going strong? Someone post there favorite of choice?
 

FeralMermaid

Jr. Member
Jun 10, 2017
37
73
Best state in the whole damn Union.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Can't say I have much fear of man or death to make carrying a gun worth it to me, despite my father suggesting it. Black bears are statistically very unlikely to attack in populated areas such as my own. When I delve into the ghetto to do questionable things I do clutch my mace. I'd just rather accidentally spray than shoot myself. lol Men have never really messed with me (as much--EVERY woman has been harassed or assaulted) because I'm tall, hold my head high, and walk like I own the place. I guess I just don't really understand living in daily fear unless you have people that depend on you. My motto has always has been, "Today is a good day to die" (thanks, Star Trek)! I know where I'm going when I die so that's settled (in a nice deep hole.) Statistically most gun deaths occur in the home, and most women are murdered by people they know...pretty predictable factors. And I primarily detect in countryside or wooded areas...the safest place one can be. Most predatory animals are far less threatening to humans than popular myth dictates. I think a nice deep breath could benefit this wary world!

Edit: wow I rambled much longer than anticipated. Nothing personal here. Just haven't slept in a....oh, good long while. Cheers
 

mrwilburino

Hero Member
May 7, 2010
680
617
Northern Ohio
Detector(s) used
Fisher, Teknetics, Minelab, XP
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
A few years ago I was the nurse for a patient who had checked himself into the hospital for depression with thoughts of suicide. What we didn't know was that the night before, he had been drinking with a woman at her apartment when, in a drunken rage, he decided to smash her head in with a hammer and stuff her body in a closet. He came to the hospital the next day; maybe because he was feeling guilty, maybe to hide out and to set the stage for an insanity defense. We didn't find out about the murder until two weeks after he was discharged and the police caught up with him. He was a very polite, soft spoken man. We had no idea that he was capable of doing what he did. That woman probably didn't know either. The danger is out there. No need to fear it, just be aware that it exists and have the means to deal with it effectively.
 

ChampFerguson/TN

Bronze Member
Nov 22, 2013
1,181
1,620
TN
Detector(s) used
Minelab Safari .......... Minelab Excalibur II ....... ........Minelab CTX 3030
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
FM: Fear? Is that why you think people carry? You are so wrong.
 

Treasure_Hunter

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 27, 2006
48,552
55,156
Florida
Detector(s) used
Minelab_Equinox_ 800 Minelab_CTX-3030 Minelab_Excal_1000 Minelab_Sovereign_GT Minelab_Safari Minelab_ETrac Whites_Beach_Hunter_ID Fisher_1235_X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Can't say I have much fear of man or death to make carrying a gun worth it to me, despite my father suggesting it. Black bears are statistically very unlikely to attack in populated areas such as my own. When I delve into the ghetto to do questionable things I do clutch my mace. I'd just rather accidentally spray than shoot myself. lol Men have never really messed with me (as much--EVERY woman has been harassed or assaulted) because I'm tall, hold my head high, and walk like I own the place. I guess I just don't really understand living in daily fear unless you have people that depend on you. My motto has always has been, "Today is a good day to die" (thanks, Star Trek)! I know where I'm going when I die so that's settled (in a nice deep hole.) Statistically most gun deaths occur in the home, and most women are murdered by people they know...pretty predictable factors. And I primarily detect in countryside or wooded areas...the safest place one can be. Most predatory animals are far less threatening to humans than popular myth dictates. I think a nice deep breath could benefit this wary world!

Edit: wow I rambled much longer than anticipated. Nothing personal here. Just haven't slept in a....oh, good long while. Cheers

Do you have car insurance, are you living in daily fear of a car accident?
Do you have health insurance, are you living in daily fear of getting sick?
Do you have fire insurance, are you living in daily fear of a fire?
Do you have life insurance, are you living in daily fear of dying?
Do you have home owners insurance, are you living in daily fear of a tornado or hurricane?

Do you have these insurance policies out of fear or just for your protection just in case you ever need them.

We carry our firearms as insurance, just like any other insurance, not out of fear, but for protection just in case we ever need them.
 

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Charlie P. (NY)

Gold Member
Feb 3, 2006
13,006
17,114
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
Detector(s) used
Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Can't say I have much fear of man or death to make carrying a gun worth it to me, despite my father suggesting it. Black bears are statistically very unlikely to attack in populated areas such as my own. When I delve into the ghetto to do questionable things I do clutch my mace. I'd just rather accidentally spray than shoot myself. lol Men have never really messed with me (as much--EVERY woman has been harassed or assaulted) because I'm tall, hold my head high, and walk like I own the place. I guess I just don't really understand living in daily fear unless you have people that depend on you. My motto has always has been, "Today is a good day to die" (thanks, Star Trek)!

That quote is attributed to Low Dog, an Ogala Lakota chief in 1881 (from his account of a battle in 1876). The context was that he was ready to die fighting for what was rightfully his. And he was one of the war chiefs that kicked General Custer's ass at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

He also said:

If any white man tries to destroy my property, or take my lands, I will take my gun, get on my horse, and go punish him.

He didn't carry a gun because he was afraid. He carried a gun because his enemies carried guns. That's why I do as well.
 

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