What percentage of finds do you give to landowners.

[Loco-Digger]

How about you finding a buried treasure worth millions and you have no contract and the owner standing there with a gun and demand that you leave without your share of treasures? Then you be in a bad stinking mood. I am sure that all professorial treasure hunters use written sign contracts. I am no professorial treasure hunter, but I use one for sure, if I research that there may be buried treasure. Good hunting and good luck.

Samuel, now let's be real. Millions The odds of that are highly unlikely. Most home owners jokingly say if you find a cache, we split it okay. I would be willing to split a cache, but I go on a man's word like calabash (no contract necessary) I am enjoying a hobby, not doing it as a business. Most people don't want anything, some just want to see what you dug out of curiosity. I had one guy ask that if I find 2 similar old coins, he'd like the less valuable one. I put an 1887 IHC in a thank you card and taped it to his front door and I kept the 1877. One lady just wanted a few of the relics like a junk ring and the flatware I dug, she did mention that she really liked the 1812 5 Francs I dug, but I told her it was the oldest I dug so far and I would really love to keep it. She agreed and that was that. I bought a 6 pack for one owner, I dug 3 bucket lister's on his property (it was a cold knock). I dug enough change in his yard to cover the beer. I gave one lady a broach I dug near her farm house, maybe early 1920's or little newer. I cleaned it up after the hunt and gave it to her when I went back to detect a 2nd time a week later. She wasn't expecting anything and was pleasantly surprised. The broach would have looked nice in my display, but I figure a little good will can go a long way.

I would not hunt anyone's property if they wanted everything. I'd have to recommend that they get a detector and hunt the property. My time, experience, and investment in the gear has to be worth something. I would hunt a site for a local historical society though and keep nothing as long as my name would be associated with any finds displayed. Doing the hunt would shed a good light on the hobby to the locals and might just net me some more permissions.

I keep an F2 in the van just in case a property owner wants to detect with me. I have enough gear to set them up and can get them up and running with about 5 minutes of instruction. The ones that want to hunt are the same people who see you detecting, pull up and offer you to hunt their property. It's a win/win when that happens. You make a new friend and get to hunt a new site.

 

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[SultansOfSwing]

I offer to show my finds to the owner when im done. Usually they like to just hold and see what i found in their yard. Most of the private permissions are older folks and they dont have any interest in dirty coins and relics. They already went through their treasure hunting phase if they ever had one. Being polite goes a long way when keeping your new found treasures.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Loco-Digger, you are a good man and a friend. Each to our own. Good hunting and good luck.

 

[JackalopeZL1]

Reading these replies reminds me of something that happened when I went to hunt with Brad(Treblehunter) out in New Jersey, We got to hunt a 1800's house that Brad had just got permission for. We got our stuff out of the car and started hunting the front yard. The owners 10 year old Kid was with me watching. About 1 minute into hunting I got a decent signal and popped the plug. Out popped a nice little possibly silver with enamel Pin with a "R" in the center. I asked the little Kid if he knew anyone with R in their name? he said their families last name was Robinson (house had been in his families forever). I handed it too him and Said "you better keep this then, Might have been your great grandpas" that little kid got the biggest smile on his face, He ran in the house to show his Mom immediately, Then Came running back out to tell me all about it after he cleaned it. I would have loved to keep it. But it was way more satisfying to see the joy he got out of it! Hopefully it keeps the Farmer happy with Brad hunting his fields too!!