Interesting encounters while MDing...

[G-bone]

Hello, Hello....

First off -
I just purchased a new/used Gold Bug Pro over the last weekend.
My goal is Nugget hunting in my local Mountains and Deserts.
But it's all new to me so I'm swing this thing anywhere I can and I'm having a blast.
In the last three days, swung my back yard, a trip to the beach for an hour and some time last night at a local park. I am hooked and can't wait to get out on an actual hunt for some Au Nug's.

Now to the point of this post....

Darn near every night I take our dog on the usual walk around the block that ends up at a small park, where she chases rabbits does her usual drop off. This nice little park has a sand-filled area for swings and such too. Now I go to this park 5 to 6 nights out of the week and spend a good 10mins there letting the dog get her yaya's off. It's a small park and from one of it's vantage points, you can see and scan the whole park easily. 99% of the time, when I see someone there, it is a local resident doing the same thing I am with their dog.

SO - last night I decided to bring my new tool to the sand area and swing a little - more practice for me...
How Ironic that last night, while I'm only 5 minutes into swinging, I find that other 1%.

From the shadows, I hear come up behind me... "What up yo?"...exhaling his cig.
So I turn and say "not much, just letting the dog take a sh#t"
Right away....
"How much did that thing cost?"
"Oh this is a cheapy we got for the kids" as I swivel my head side to side, looking for his friends.
"find anything good?"
"yeah, If you like paper clips and bottle caps"

Chuckle, chuckle.."right on, happy hunting" and he walked off into the shadows. (no car in the vicinity that I could see. And he was not walking any dog.)
But I know for a fact "You aint from around here, are you?"

So it gets me wondering....
Surprising me the most, is how often I go to this park and not "seem" to see strangers here.
Only when I had the MD out, did this person come out of the shadows.

An Interesting encounter I thought I would share.
And I'm sure a lot of people here have some stories of there own

Cheers

G

 

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[Hitndahed]

Yep,,
Seems you have found,,, or rather you were FOUND by a potential person who may have been planning to relieve you of your new found wealth.
I would have answered those questions almost exactly as you.

Least you had your dog,, hopefully it would defend and protect you if that issue became a reality.

Good luck and awareness is everything

Hit

 

[littlehugger]

I had a similar situation, only with two guys, well "off-road" and they kept trying to get one of them behind me, and I was worried to the point I waved my long, stainless steel trowel around a bit. That worked, and they backed off and left.
Another time, I found a set of brass knuckles in the grass of a large field. Not long after a biker guy happened along, glancing around as if he was looking for something. Neither of us spoke, and he passed on. I was not about to start an awkward conversation over a set of 'knucks.
I determined to hunt as a team from then on.

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

Oh Yea, I hunt the ghettos nonstop and get ask : "How much it costs?" all the time...I to tell them its a cheap thing at Walmart , like 30 bucks or so.

Luckily mine is VERY worn looking anyway, so they can see it has no value...But I have had them ask me before if they could find Diamonds....lol

Sometimes its better to talk to them a bit then ignore them...most the time they tell me good luck and walk off

 

[Carolina Tom]

I hunt in sketchy places on the wrong side of town.

I always try to keep an eye out for the bad element. So far so good, here is the "not so secret", if the bad guys think that you are an easy target, like any predator in nature, they will give you go. If they think that you are not intimidated, or will fight back, they look for an easier target. I nod, but usually don't speak, and I keep my head up and watch them as they watch me... a little scowl helps too.

Remember, tough guys are toughest when taking advantage of the weak. No weakness! GL&HH.

 

[bigfoot1]

the dude may have actually wondered about detecting and was hoping to get some info.I have hunted some bad areas in the desert and have been approached many times by less than stellar looking folks.Never a problem.you answered the questions well I would say.

I always carry a lesche and a sampson...prolly helps

 

[thadd]

Probably why some people go heels while out detecting.

 

[TheHunterGT]

I usually just place a hand in my hoodie or jacket pocket when approached by strangers in mysterious situations. They glance at my hidden hand and draw their own conclusions. Polite and kindess both ways 99% of the time.

Wife usually goes with me....her being the MMA fighter and me being her coach/corner.....we fell pretty confident in most situations.

If confidence waivers her Taurus and my Kimber usually stiffen the spine back up in a hurry.

 

[Skippy SH13]

All of my interesting encounters lately, are with middle aged moms bringing their 5-6 year olds up to me to ask me to explain to them what I'm doing. I lose a lot of small change this way (I let the kids "practice" a round on a planted coin), but in the end, the Moms are getting used to me being at the parks!