Anyone else got people wondering?

[Jimmi]

I'm actually ashamed to admit the amount of time I have put into detecting and digging in my own yard and surrounding horse field . It's to the point I try to only go out during the brief window that my neighbors work schedules coincide so they don't see me out there anymore. It's about 3 1/2 acres, but im visible to either or both of them almost constantly . I'm dying to do right along my road , it's a road that dates back to 1700's but now is traveled pretty good.
Parents of kids at my childrens' school keep saying " oh I saw you out digging again " uuhhhgggggg. My neighbor jokingly told me they are gonna put up an electric fence to keep me from hopping the fence and detecting on their property.
Soooo , does anyone else have people wondering if they are a little strange , because of this hobby. I sure hope so.
And of course all the good. Stuff is on tbe property line where the barn sat.

 

[Tedyoh]

I feel your "pain" as well.......my family owns about 15 acres along a road that dates back to 1850's, my dad told me stories from the 1950's about how they would be surprised if they'd see 1 car driving down that dirt road during the whole day, now-a-days if a car doesn't go by in 30 seconds you wonder what's going on. I'd love to hunt close to the road but have been avoiding it as well. When I'm there hunting the only neighbor we have on the one side follows me around like a puppy dog - normally I wouldn't mind but he's on disability and a 24/7 drunk and I can never understand what he's saying so I stay away from that side of the property. My freind and I have an old horse track that's been swallowed by the woods over the last 70 years, problem is we have to walk down the road a mile to get to it, he carries his MD openly with pride and doesn't seem to care about what or who is looking at him, I on the other hand break mine down and back pack it in. I guess in my case I sometimes feel a little strange.....but I love it and as the time goes by Im starting not to care anymore!

 

[Number9]

"Soooo , does anyone else have people wondering if they are a little strange.."

You got'a be kidding... a little strange!? I'm way beyond that point!

I can't live my life based on what other people say or think. As long as I'm legal, or they don't know I'm not legal, they can kiss my lily white butt!

 

[relicmeister]

Yes, I'm sure I make some people wonder about what I'm doing when I'm out detecting in more open or more publicly accessible places.
I have to push myself to do parks or anywhere people are likely to be encountered, because it's not my comfort zone-I prefer the solitude of
the woods any day. I do notice though, that once people see what you're doing they pretty much then ignore you. Anyway, if metal detecting was as common as bicycle riding, you might stand out less, but also find less due to the competition.

 

[capdoc]

Yep. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm nuts. Trying to get the house ready to sell, so haven't been able to get out in the field, but have been hitting the back yard every day- in a subdivision surrounded by homes - have been getting a lot of strange looks and people bugging me with questions. Haven't even braved the front yard yet, and that's probably where all the good stuff is lurking. Hard to avoid the neighbors, most all are retired and out puttering around all day. Shouldn't bother me as I have been swinging a detector off and on for about 40 yrs, but still like it better when the spectators are few and far between.

 

[Jimmi]

I feel your "pain" as well.......my family owns about 15 acres along a road that dates back to 1850's, my dad told me stories from the 1950's about how they would be surprised if they'd see 1 car driving down that dirt road during the whole day, now-a-days if a car doesn't go by in 30 seconds you wonder what's going on. I'd love to hunt close to the road but have been avoiding it as well. When I'm there hunting the only neighbor we have on the one side follows me around like a puppy dog - normally I wouldn't mind but he's on disability and a 24/7 drunk and I can never understand what he's saying so I stay away from that side of the property. My freind and I have an old horse track that's been swallowed by the woods over the last 70 years, problem is we have to walk down the road a mile to get to it, he carries his MD openly with pride and doesn't seem to care about what or who is looking at him, I on the other hand break mine down and back pack it in. I guess in my case I sometimes feel a little strange.....but I love it and as the time goes by Im starting not to care anymore!

Lol, I got a clone . You sound just like me.

 

[Jimmi]

I am so relieved to see I'm not alone on this! Why do we feel so embarrassed? It's crazy !
I scurry behind the truck when a car is coming ... Or I stash it in the the lilies as I'm digging , if I'm out front ... It's so dumb .. Lol
But maybe it's because of the reaction we get from people . I swear my heart jumps in my throat and my face burns if my husband gets home from work early and catches me " in the act" lol. He acts like I'm parading up and down the road selling myself ... Lmao ... He' ll be like " your unbelievable !! Get in the back yard , I don't want people seeing you do that ! I told you not to do that in public! " he gets so mad . No wonder I have such a complex about it , come to think of it! Lol And it does wonders for my social anxiety .
Went to my sister's house to be in peace to dig , and her husband was laughing at me , telling me to get all the good nails , before somebody else does. Lmao . I don't even tell people I'm not close to that I detect , cause I've had people laugh and say " that's an old man hobby !". I'm surrounded by jerks... Lol.

 

[Jimmi]

I feel your "pain" as well.......my family owns about 15 acres along a road that dates back to 1850's, my dad told me stories from the 1950's about how they would be surprised if they'd see 1 car driving down that dirt road during the whole day, now-a-days if a car doesn't go by in 30 seconds you wonder what's going on. I'd love to hunt close to the road but have been avoiding it as well. When I'm there hunting the only neighbor we have on the one side follows me around like a puppy dog - normally I wouldn't mind but he's on disability and a 24/7 drunk and I can never understand what he's saying so I stay away from that side of the property. My freind and I have an old horse track that's been swallowed by the woods over the last 70 years, problem is we have to walk down the road a mile to get to it, he carries his MD openly with pride and doesn't seem to care about what or who is looking at him, I on the other hand break mine down and back pack it in. I guess in my case I sometimes feel a little strange.....but I love it and as the time goes by Im starting not to care anymore!

One other thing .. My sister said to
Me today ... Why don't you detect shortly before it gets dark on a weeknight when everyone goes in ... Mark the spots , then Take the wheelbarrow around as you dig , Then People will just think your gardening . Awesome suggestion I think .. But I got to get a propointer first before that will work for me.. Right now my detector is my pro pointer.
Uuhhgggggg to being followed around , that's the worst! Totally saps all the joy out of it for me.

 

[mustangpalmer1911]

Everyone I know all ready knows I am strange.....who wants to be normal anyway what fun is that. I wear a mawashi when I am doing it that way people dont even notice you are detecting they just notice the grown adult in a diaper wondering around the fair grounds, swimming area, park, my own yard(My house was built by a Civil War vet). You should see the look I get when people ask me about my full sleeve tattoo... Muppet Treasure Island my favorite movie ever. 30 year old with a arm full of Muppets. LOL Do what makes ya happy who cares. Especially if it embarrasses your kids that is the job of a parent to embarrass the kids!

 

[WVARelics]

Let em laugh or talk or stare. Yeah I got a complex about it too. I guess my wife gives it to me, always complaining about it, spending too much time with it, would rather go detecting then spend time with her etc etc. I enjoy it, I go every weekend and nobody is gonna keep me from it. I get in a zone and tune everybody else out. Good luck and ignore them.

 

[watercolor]

To most on-lookers (neighbors), they can't possibly imagine finding anything
out in those fields. But you, me and everyone on TNet know differently.

Just wait. . . the time will come when you'll have the last laugh and all
your embarrassment will just fade away.

All it will take is recovering a few 18th-century flat buttons, an old coin
or a few interesting relics from your property and then your neighbors will be
asking you—all the time—if you found any more cool things.

 

[OUTCOME1]

yes, i am the same way and live on a horse farm that is not mine. i have permission but i still feel werid sometimes because i go all over and the neighbors across the road have called the people before to tell them that someone is on there property digging. and they keep saying they know. it almost becomes a hassle for them but i hope not...people need to mind their own business

 

[labradigger1]

i do not feel embarrassed any time i md, i enjoy every single minute of it, soothing, relaxing and you just dont know what you will dig. i personally do not care what people think of me md'ing. it makes me happy and you have to enjoy the little things.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I stop caring what other people thought about what I do many decades ago. I care about what my wife thinks and that is about it.....

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[mammoth29]

Ya know I have never had to worry about that because I live in a rural enough area that I only see a few people during my detecting time, but I did see life for the rest of you last week.

I was in Portland for a business convention and was staying right by the river and right in front of a large grassy area. As I was walking the river front I noticed a fella detecting on the grass. Now Portland is a very active town and there were a whole lot of people passing by this guy, and every single one of them took notice of him! I saw head shakes, arms thrown in the air, and people asking their companions what the heck he was doing. I tell ya, it made me a bit nervous for him!! I have never had that many people be concerned with what I was doing and really don't know how I'd act if put into that situation. I guess the guy didn't seem to care though cause he made no mind of those people and just went about detecting. Unfortunately while I watched him he didn't find anything! Some of you must have pretty thick skin to "be weird" in such a populated area, and I say good on ya'!!!!!!!!

 

[Number9]

I stop caring what other people thought about what I do many decades ago. I care about what my wife thinks and that is about it.....

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Heck, at my age and 45 years of marriage.. i don't even care what the wife thinks half the time! LOL!!

 

[Jimmi]

Heck, at my age and 45 years of marriage.. i don't even care what the wife thinks half the time! LOL!!

Lol. If I did everything my husband thinks I should do, I'd die of boredom...

 

[Number9]

Lol. If I did everything my husband thinks I should do, I'd die of boredom...

I've always been a "Rebel".. and it will never change!

 

[AU Seeker]

Holly,

Welcome to the "Old Man's Club"

, just don't worry about what others think, it will take a little or a lot of getting use too, just keep on walking

beeping and digging!!!

I personally don't really care what anyone thinks, my wife even likes it when I metal detect and go gold prospecting, she knows that there is treasure bury out there, she actually joins me in gold prospecting because not only can she find gold, there's gemstones to be found as well most places we prospect and she love to find gemstones!!!

 

[AU Seeker]

I had an idea, you can get you some of those little flags like they use for marking utilities and have them sticking out of your back pocket and everyone will think you're with the company that marks electric, gas and water lines before someone needs to dig, and you can just put the flags everywhere you get a good target and come back later with the wheelbarrow and start gardening!!!