Be careful who you tell where your hunting spots are! My "friend" snaked mine...

[TK in VA]

Be careful who you tell where your hunting spots are! My "friend" snaked mine...

I have been hunting with this guy for years now. I even took him to the spot where I found my 2 CSA buckles. -The deal was that he only go with me and tell nobody else. I went back to my "secret" spot the other day, and BAM! -Holes EVERYWHERE! I quickly sent him a text hoping that it wasn't him...but it was. He acted like it was no big deal. Well, it is to me! Our relic hunting days are done, and I hope he falls and breaks his machine. LOL! Guess you never know who your friends are...

 

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[pat-tekker-cat]

I don't wanna see no puppy paw prints in my kitty litter box!

 

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[birdman]

I have been invited to join several clubs but I have been hesitant due to gold fever and other stories . I pick my friends well but you still get surprised every now and then.

 

[gerryk]

I have taken people to spots and had others take me to spots or give me spots to go to. It is mostly for new people to help them out but also a new hunting buddy. But I think if i hit a really good spot i would keep it a secret for a while.

 

[wild eyed willey]

The point I'm making here is that you don't need to deliberately inform someone about a site for them to figure out the spot based on one's unwise and unwitting divulgance of clues. Keeping quiet means you keep your trap shut and don't share a word. Even pictures of the finds alone can offer useful clues; level and types of corrosion/tarnish/patina, wear patterns, etc. can show what kind of soil or environment the items came from. A few more foolish utterances and the clever observer will easily figure it out.[/QUOTE] This should have been done by PM, but you make a good point. I have actually been able to find Bigfoot sighting locations from just reading the sighting reports posted and using my brain to follow the clues given. It really is possible to do with enough information and some effort. Too bad finding Bigfoot wasn't as easy. If I could just get one to start posting.

 

[gerryk]

One more thing when posting pictures make sure ego tagging is turned off on your phone.

 

[ScribbleMuse]

I realize that there are a couple of reasons that my opinion on this subject is not exactly enlightening, or useful--I'm relatively new to the hobby and have a zillion years of learning to do before I'd be comfortable claiming anything more than "yes, I have heard of metal detecting." Perhaps most importantly to this particular subject, I have not yet had any major finds or anything even remotely exciting, and therefore do not have a site that I feel the need to guard. But, perhaps due to those very reasons, maybe my thoughts will help out some of the friendships that are apparently being strained or even broken due to these topics.

If I'd never come in contact with this board or with others who are in the habit of guarding sites etc, I would never have considered the idea. Obviously if you're talking about land owned by friends and family, I can see that it's not something you would really encourage as an option to anyone else, but I would have basically never had a problem sharing the location of my finds if I shared the finds at all (i.e., yeah, I can see finding something in a site, and then hunting till you're happy--but if sharing the finds, I'd likely naturally share the location). It just simply would not occur to me, and I really want to stress that, because it's important to what I'm about to say.

If going along in this happy little ignorant way for a while brought me in contact with a local group, or just one or two buddies who have had experience, this issue still may not be brought up. I know that many people feel this is something that is just KNOWN, like it's only natural common sense in a particular society to apologize or express gratitude in various times. This is not the case, though, at least for me, and I imagine for others as well.

I'm not criticizing anything--just pointing out that while this may be natural etiquette to your mind, to assume this is something that everyone would protect may be causing much of the damaged feelings. It's a different personality type--my husband is very much more suspicious than I am in general, probably not more than "normal," whereas I admit to a more open nature than many others.

I also have to admit that this exact situation in the original post may go completely past me if I were the "snaky" friend. I read the post and gathered that the site is not on a private property, so somewhat open/public. If my friend TOOK me to such a site, I would assume implied understanding that this is an area I can go by myself as well, unless it were a private property where permission has been granted expressly to my friend alone. Especially as the friend did not attempt to lie or evade the question when asked--it just simply may have been something that was absolutely not intended to be a betrayal. It seems the most "wrong" was done in apparently digging up the area so badly.

Again, I'm not really much weight in importance, and while my opinion is not changed on the matter for MY personal codes, I do not argue with the concept of secrecy and the rights to maintain silence about your sites, regardless of the public access or not. I'm just trying to point out that perhaps the "snakiness" that some people assume is in place is actually the exact opposite of sly manipulation or cunning--I may have done the same to someone else without a single intention of betrayal and with only open and honest misunderstanding. In that case, I would feel terribly to have hurt my friend, and apologies would be sincere and immediate upon understanding. However, if I were not even given the benefit of understanding, I have to say that the accusations of intentional betrayal may damage the friendship from my behalf.

I just recommend giving the friends in these scenarios some slight chance. These feelings are the type that are difficult to truly take to mean ultimate bad intent--while the actions of going without you and hunting are obvious, the REASONS are not always underhanded. A friend who does not understand how you feel on this matter should not be labeled with the same label that a friend who DOES know, and still does it blatantly.

 

[ScribbleMuse]

Also, just out of curiosity, and assuming a situation where a site is open like a public park, how is it any different than sharing a great little thrift shop or other public area where the chances of finding unique and dirt cheap items change with each day? In that case, I certainly would not expect a friend to never visit the shop unless I was with them. I think that this is one reason that I would NEVER intend to hurt a friend if I were taken to a public spot to detect--I just really would never consider it any differently.

 

[justdugcrazy]

When we find a great spot through hours of investigation and looking through maps,the site becomes special to you. For any so called Friend that you include in your hunt to go out without letting you know that they went kinda is a slap in your face. My only point is that if you did the research and believe that your spot has the potential to be full of great finds,the least your buddy could do is RESPECT YOU ENOUGH TO KEEP HIS WORD. HE SHOULD ALSO allow you to see what his finds are to at least confirm your investigation\gut feeling about a spot originally lost to history and rediscovered by you only to have somebody else go in behind you and remove a percent of the easily found items. It all boils down to RESPECT AND KEEPING YOUR WORD. METAL DETECTORISTS SHOULD BE HONEST AND ABLE TO KEEP THERE WORD. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH FIND YOUR OWN SPOTS DONT LEACH ON SOMEBODY ELSES RESEARCH IF THE SPOT HASENT ALREADY BEEN SEARCHED..........KEEP DIGGIN AND KEEP POSTING SHOW YOUR FINDS CUS HISTORY BELONGS TO ALL OF US NOT JUST A SELECT FEW OR MENT TO BE PUT IN A SAFE OR BOX LEFT TO BE FORGOTTEN ONCE AGAIN

 

[Papa Bear]

It is very unfortunate that there are some, even many, who feel that they are entitled to crash another's permission...

I am lucky I guess. And I will just leave it at that...

 

[Gunrunner61]

Man it's been like that ever since trhe old days of rock hunting, a man takes you to a place ....you don;t go back without him UNLESS he say it's ok, Same thing with relics, took a friend to one of the oldest trash dumps in Dalton,went by a week later.............$hit! looked like he had been out there with a backhoe, plus two guys I did'nt know......Needless to say we don't hunt togather anymore

 

[Rawhide]

Well I hunt with very few folks. Since I have quit posting finds, I am not seeing holes at any place I hunt. Today my friend and I found a great site. I scored a rosie, a silver cross, and a silver ring. My second silver for the year. I think we are getting better at this md thing.

 

[justdugcrazy]

It's sad when a man's word is all that separates him from a good friendship.MY DAD TAUGHT ME THAT MY WORD CAN MAKE ME OR BRAKE ME.I BELIEVE THAT TO BE TRUE AND I STAND BY THAT IF IM PRIVILEGED ENOUGH FOR SOMEONE TO TRUST ME IM KEEPING MY WORD BECAUSE IN THE END ONE HONEY HOLE ISNT WORTH ME NEVER GOING ON ANOTHER HUNT WITH A FRIEND WHO MOST LIKELY SHOW ME MORE SITES TO HUNT.

 

[justdugcrazy]

Well I hunt with very few folks. Since I have quit posting finds, I am not seeing holes at any place I hunt. Today my friend and I found a great site. I scored a rosie, a silver cross, and a silver ring. My second silver for the year. I think we are getting better at this md thing.

Congrats casca on your finds but why no more posting.none of my business but curiosity is getting the best of me

 

[Goldwasher]

I guess it depends on how much is shared....I have taken a few guys to a couple spots I know that are public access for gold prospecting, knowing they would go back without me...aqnd they found decent color..and had the same guys tell me later..".ohhh I went to this new spot and we got some good stuff.....but, sorry I can't tell you where"...and on top of that " hey, I took so and so..you know the guy with that killer spot I can't tell you about....down to that spot you showed me....we had a good day...I'll send you the pics.." I don't have a partner and I won't take anyone anywhere unless I don't care if their gonna hit it without me and take their friends, because I don't expect any less from most people.

 

[Limitool]

Just a rhetorical question. What is more important friendship or stuff?

STUFF..... ! I'll share my "stuff" with my friends when I want.... the way I want.... and when I SAY. And I'll totally respect my friends "stuff" also and always.

 

[Rawhide]

Congrats casca on your finds but why no more posting.none of my business but curiosity is getting the best of me

As mentioned before, there are lurkers on here who wont talk to you, hunt with you, or share with you, but they will camp out on here just waiting for you to post a picture of your finds. Even if I take photos at home on my kitchen table, it doesnt take long for someone to see you md'ing and bam you got holes everywhere. Only way to keep it a secret is to hunt at night and keep your yap shut. I hunt early mornings when most are still in bed. Finding the old virgin sites is just too much for some folks. I caught a guy with a gold pick, in a place I was hunting, he had tore the whole place up. It was a shame too. I spend a lot of time building a rapport with the land owners. The lurkers and the guy with the shovels can ruin that in a second. My hunting buddy and I have to come to a agreement we dont talk about our sites any more. We have invited some more seasoned fellows on a few hunts and soon found ourselves uninvited from the property's. Its a cutthroat hobby to some. I have never sold one thing I have found, there aint a boom baby bone in my body nor any necture in any of my holes. My wife rides me hard over the tv shows and puts me away wet I tell ya. She is also the one that lets me plunk down hundreds of dollars on new equipment too though, so I dont bicker. Some folks feel if they dont steal it they are not a pirate.

 

[Rawhide]

I guess it depends on how much is shared....I have taken a few guys to a couple spots I know that are public access for gold prospecting, knowing they would go back without me...aqnd they found decent color..and had the same guys tell me later..".ohhh I went to this new spot and we got some good stuff.....but, sorry I can't tell you where"...and on top of that " hey, I took so and so..you know the guy with that killer spot I can't tell you about....down to that spot you showed me....we had a good day...I'll send you the pics.." I don't have a partner and I won't take anyone anywhere unless I don't care if their gonna hit it without me and take their friends, because I don't expect any less from most people.

Thats why I have very few people I hunt with GoldWasher. The sad part is, I have seen some really good places that would motivate even the seasoned of folks to wanna get out and look. Me I call it competition, its not all private property. But I can tell you there is nothing like having some one there to watch your back, you know how they hunt, and you can pick right back up where you left off last time hunting.

 

[screwynewy]

Let's be realistic here. There are very few "virgin" sites anymore. If you discover a site then most likely it has been detected before. I know that there are exceptions to this but for the most part it is true. But this does not change the fact that when you spend hours doing the to research and reading about the history of an area then go to the effort to gain permission to detect a site and then do the scouting and searching of the property you can't help but feel possessive and not want to share it right away. I have also shared a good site with a newby and didn't even think to tell him not to go back without me only to find out that 3 weeks later he had been back there 6 or more times. I blame myself for that because him being new to detecting didn't understand the code of etiquette and respecting another persons site. From now on if I have a good site I keep it to myself.

 

[bzbadger]

There are acres upon acres of virgin sites, to say there are few or none left is absurd. Just in the past month I have found 5 hot places popping out colonial era to civil war era. The problem is too many think stuff has to be on a map with a big X showing the historical spot. If you take the time to find a spot and you share that with a friend you do so at a risk but you expect them to adhere to a certain code and part of that is no solo digging or bringing in unknown or unwanted people. If the property is a public land well you're out of luck, you don't own it,have exclusive rights or have the ability to curtail what happens there or who goes there. Heck I'd be glad to post my sites, I don't have to worry about them because if you don't look like me the owners will shoot your ass off. If you think its worth you losing your poop chute padding over coins and relics then you deserve it. Sites are like dirty little secrets if you don't want people to know about them then don't tell, look at the Facebook idiots who tell everything then wonder why people are in their business.

Get your facts first, then distort them as you please-Mark Twain

 

[BuckleBoy]

Let's be realistic here. There are very few "virgin" sites anymore. If you discover a site then most likely it has been detected before. I know that there are exceptions to this but for the most part it is true. But this does not change the fact that when you spend hours doing the to research and reading about the history of an area then go to the effort to gain permission to detect a site and then do the scouting and searching of the property you can't help but feel possessive and not want to share it right away. I have also shared a good site with a newby and didn't even think to tell him not to go back without me only to find out that 3 weeks later he had been back there 6 or more times. I blame myself for that because him being new to detecting didn't understand the code of etiquette and respecting another persons site. From now on if I have a good site I keep it to myself.

Um... if there are no virgin sites left, then how come I have detected almost nothing but virgin sites over the last 4 years?