Almost threw in the towel

[Mezrein503]

I almost gave it all up today. Not just hunting for the day, but metal detecting in general, I've been hunting with a Bounty Hunter Tracker II for about 2 weeks now, and the best I've found thus far after hunting park after park after park was some clad, and some trash. I decided today after doing some research to go to a nearby lake and hope for something better. I figured a lake would be a great place to go, espically with all the hot weather we have been having as of late (It doesnt get hot often in Oregon, and when it does, people take advantage). I got up early this morning, and made the drive out to the lake, paid my day use fee and went off hunting. 4 hours later, I had one small piece of trash, and enough rocks to fill my drive way. The top soil at the lake is only about an inch thick. Below that, 3 inches of 3/4- fill rock. Packing up, and considering calling it a day, I went out of the lake area, but decided to hit a small town school thanks in part to my fiances encouragement that since I was so close, I might as well hit it. Within 5 minutes of being at the school, I was afraid I was going to find more rock, as my first attempted signal was again nothing but rocks. I turned on my heels, swinging the detector and getting ready to shut it off when it beeped at me again. Not really expecting much, I went ahead and dug it, and this is what popped out at me



First Silver!!!!
Im glad I didnt give up, just hope my lack of luck starts to get better from here on out. HH all! Thanks for the look

 

[Old Fart in TN]

Aren't you glad you didn't quit. Everyday is a new adventure in the treasure hunting game.
As most everyone so far has posted, most have questioned thier sanity for going out hunting to begin with but for the most part I don't think many would give up on this fun hobby. Stay with it the next signal may be that big ticket item you have been hunting for.

 

[Mezrein503]

Update and a find from the columbia

Found tons of nails, on the order of about 100+ and plently of other rusty items. Was hunting in all metal mode and highest sens I could without chatter to get the depth. Found one hole that pulled nail after nail after nail, and just kept going. Got 2 and a half feet down and pulled a 1981/82 Pepsi Pop can in fairly good condition. Found a couple penny's as well, but didnt really get a chance to do more than about an hour or so of detecting, and that was mostly pulling the nails out of the ground. I also found myself a sunburn all over my face except where my sunglasses were (Racoon look is in right?) and all over my arms.

Again, I want to say thanks to you guys, truely a spirit lifter as I said before, and good to know there is a very large community here ready to back me up and keep me going when times get rough.

 

[ProPointer]

Very Nice Ring!! Patience pays off in a big way.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Dont give up. In this hobby the law of averages apply. More time in the field, + more experience, + more research, = more finds. Ron in IL.

 

[Skelly607]

Nice ring!!! Dont give up yet!

 

[Lil Eagle Eye]

Nice Ring,,,Keep at it!

 

[Nate in Ga]

it took me like two years to really get savvy, best advice it is whatever you machine just field test the crap out of it

 

[olepossum]

go get you a ace250 from garretts or a new coin master from whites both under 225.00 give the bounty hunter a hiding spot in the closet

 

[Mezrein503]

Trust me, I would love either one of those machines. If I could find someone locally who has one and doesnt want it anymore and would be willing to do a lease to own, I'd be all over it. But right now I can't afford even the very affordable prices I've seen on here for any detector, It's driving me crazy too as I've finally found a park near me that is virtually untouched. I've only covered about 10% of the park, all my signals are around 4 inches down, and have pulled a total of 1.36 in clad and a pocket spill of .38 calibur shell casings. And thats only hunting the park for a combined total of about an hour. There are places I've hit for 7 to 10 hours and not made it past a buck on the clad findings.

 

[Happy Harry]

Keep at it. Winners never quit and quitters never win!! Put your winnings in a can / jar and next year or sooner you will be able to afford either a ACE 250 or Ace 150. I have had my ace 250 for three years also started hunting three years ago. Have paid for it four times over. Best finds 1876 Seated Quarter, 1908 Barber Dime. Always remember that this is a hobby not a job. Enjoy the scenery and fresh air. If you are a joiner find a local treasure club and join. There are members that will share with you and keep you motivated.

HHHH

 

[{Sentinel}]

NEVER GIVE UP! You'll find that your finds will get Better and Better with time and experience and once you save up alittle money, you can buy a detector that has more

depth and discrimination ability and you'll start finding even more nice finds without as much trash as you have to dig with a Bounty Hunter. Great save on a pretty ring

 

[IWillFindTheGold]

Nice ring!

Let me give you the perspective of a fellow newcomer to the hobby. I got my first detector on May 26th. That evening I put the unit together very quickly and went across to a local park and found 1 penny. I was super happy. I got my first silver ring on June 14th. Since then, despite many, many outings, I haven't gotten another ring, but I'm looking forward to finally finding another (preferably the gold or platinum variety.) I have found a few very nice coins, one as old as 1889. I've also found a silver half dollar, and some quarters and dimes. I have yet to find gold. The great stuff will come if you keep it up. GUARANTEED.

That being said, let me say this. Today I went out and, I got to be honest. Guess what I found after 3 solid hours of detecting? 2 dimes and 2 pennies. 22 friggin' cents. Now, I have to add that the park I was checking is in the woods, so I was going for the "good stuff" here, coins left over from when the place was a military rifle range, and old coins left by loggers in the early part of the 1900s and campers from decades ago when people used to camp there etc.

But there I was, 3 hours later with 22 dirty cents in my pocket. Was I upset? I gotta be honest, I was a little. Did I have a good day? You're darned right I did! Out in the park, the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, no boss breathing down my neck. I had a great day! It's a journey, my friend. This hobby is a journey. There will be great days and there will be less than impressive days, but all of the days spent detecting are part of the journey.

Let us know when you get your first gold. Maybe you can beat me to it?

 

[LandStar]

Very Nice ring...I am glad you found it and saved your hobby...I have been hunting for 5 years now, and have found very little in the way of Silver and gold...My biggest problem is that I do not drive, so I am not able to always get to the good spots I research...I rely heavily on my hunting partners for rides (I should start shelling out some gas money me thinks). I started out with a Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202, and in my opinion...It was junk...I could only rely on it to about 4 inches. I moved up to a Pioneer 505 a year later, and it was not much better...About 6 inches and falsed a LOT...I then got a Land Star, and found a few interesting items, and it went to about 8 inches...I then got a Discovery 3300...It was OK, but I did not like the way you had to ground balance it...time consuming, and hard to get it perfect...It did go VERY deep when it was set up right (about 25% of the time)...I was finding dimes at 10 inches, and quarters at over a foot, but alas...they were all clad!!!...I now own a White's QII that I converted to a QXT, and I am loving it...I just got the XL-1 probe for it, and am longing to give it a try tomorrow at an old abandoned home site...I do not hunt for profit, but to enjoy nature and relax...The silver, gold, and coins are just an added bonus...What really keeps me going is the not knowing what the next hole might hold.
If you come into this hobby thinking your gonna strike it rich...Your most likely gonna be sadly disappointed...
Hang in there...It gets better with time.
BTW...I am on a fixed income, so I am low budget when it comes to detecting, but I have fun all the same...

HH,

 

[Joe(TX)]

.....NEVER GIVE UP........but some of us need to give ourselves a break.....do something else for change ......go fishing.....boating......garage saleing......spend a little more time with your kids and wife........anway when I do this I still am a Treasure Hunter........going shopping I find money in the parking lot.....I go for a walk and find some CD's, an old binonculars, old watch, lead weights for the tire rims.....etc......LOL.....my wife goes swimming and kicks up a gold ring at the shore line.....LOL..........my mom goes to the local bingo and gives me all of the winnings.......LOL.....usually camping gear or drygoods........LOL......treasure is all around us.....you just have to look.....I helped my brother clean out some excess dirt from under his house and found it saturated with old marbles......found 9 at last count...........a true treasure hunter needs No detector.....but...of course a good detector really helps.......Joe

 

[detectahead]

When I am feeling depressed that I have not found anything I always tell myself " Don't ever give up,Don't ever give up!!" You see what happens. A big congrats!

 

[olepossum]

justread your manuual front to back back to front that will help do some research on the places you wish to hunt and also make a seed bed get you some silver coins and some clad wave over them and burn that signal signature in your mind 5c 10c 25c 50c clad and silver remember the signals each type of coin gives you some times you gotta dig it all trust me i have a dfx 300 w/12 inch coil and i still have to dig the unwanted signals to make sure DONT GIVE UP NEVER IS FOR THE LAZY when it come to mding unless it is 95 degress or hotter then the dirt is almost 2 hard to dig unless you got a water bladder with you

 

[allen]

dont ever give up, we all have good and bad days !
Just be patient and get to know your detector a little
better and then better finds will show up under your coil.
Congrats on that sweet silver also !!