Dont have to sell it...

[SportFishingTourism]

Hi All... New guy here, been with you for a few months just sitting back and doing some watching and learning.. gotta say this is one of the best sites I have seen for the sport... I want to get a first post under my belt so I got a shot at the banner some time. A few months ago I stumbled upon some youtube videos of MD Hunts and that was all she wrote. It really fascinated the heck out of me. I have always been interested in exploring, pirates & treasure, and things like that from when I was young, just never really took it seriously enough to go get a metal detector.. and then I saw those videos of people finding such awesome things, then I saw this board and see people finding killer stuff everyday, and it was over.... Much to my wifes dismay I had to have a metal detector, and of course I wanted the best one I could get.. So I looked around and researched it for a while, and yes you got it.. I got the etrac... Well I was so darn excited I could not hardly wait to start learning this thing... I read the books, and just about everything I could find on it. Then I got to digging. Dug up my yard, I still got to fix that. And just went crazy for a few days going on MD hunts... Well I really did not find anything but lots of junk.. Lots of pennies, and clad.. And I thought damn this aint as easy as it appears on those videos. I thought maybe this would be a brief attempt and a failing effort and I should just cut my losses and sell it.. My wife has started a countdown for me to find something with it or I have to sell it.. And I got to get past the joking from my brothers and friends that I am a geek or something for wanting to do this. I just tell them I am walking my money sniffing dog.. And I am after one eyed willies treasure... Then I dig holes in their yards!! HA.. No seriously I am very aware of the of the sport etiquette and I am learning how to dig clean plugs and put it back like it never happened. So I got about 50 hours on my machine....
It took me about 5 trips until I found my first silver... It was a mercury dime... Since then I have only found one more siver, another mercury dime.... I also found a buffalo nickel.. and I found a few wheat pennies.. Lots of clad.. No jewlery or gold yet... Pretty crazy how much clad is in the ground. Well I have not done any MDing in a month or so.. I got too many hobbies... But I just really had to go see what I could find after this hurricane came through.. So I packed up the wife and kids and headed to VA BEACH..
Right away I started finding LOTS of clad.. More so than I ever have on the beach.. Beach hunting seems like a whole different animal than dirt.. And I find my machine falsing alot with too much sensitivity.. And I usually dont find too many targets... but this time there were plenty.. Crap loads of pennies.. got tired of digging em.. But I dont want to skip over anything so i dig em.. I like digging in the sand a whole lot better than the dirt... Well time was winding down and I was getting ready to pack it up.. When I got a low pitch signal.. a 12-01.. which repeated over and over.. Sounded just like the falsing but repeated so I knew it was something.. I thought probably some foil or something.. But much to my surprise it was my first ring... Little 10k ring with the Stone.. Which looks like a nice little diamond.. Yeah buddy.. Not a whopper but still my first Gold and it made my day.. And it fit perfectly on my wifes finger and she liked it... So I believe I have earned an extension on keeping the machine!!!
I dont care what she says, I am not selling it..

Hope to put some more posts up of some serious treasure... And the next one wont be so longwinded...
I just wanted to allow myself to introduce myself!
Thanks!!

 

[sniffer]

I look at it this way....this is my hobby, my way to relax. I don't care what others think. I also don't have a time frame on finding things. if I find something, great, if I don't, oh well, I had a chance to get out and relax. good things come with patience. good luck and welcome to TNET.

 

[fishbone3d]

Excellent finds! Here is something for your madness. I hope it helps! http://www.historicmapworks.com/Browse/North_America/

Find out if you have any old ones in your area. Got to go to ancient places to find old coins. These maps helped me find a lot more stuff. Use it side by side with Google Earth. Good luck my friend!

 

[BobinSouthVA]

nice that'll get your blood pumping. I was considering heading down there (hour drive for me) but usually I don't find anything on the beach that will cover the cost of gas. Happy to see others were able to get out and pull some bling out of the surf.

Welcome to T-Net

 

[Chug And Red]

If you Keep find those Gold Items!!!! Your Wife will stop saying Your Going out Again and Start Saying Where are You Going Today!!! It make an easier sell When you decide to Upgrade your detector!! If she has A few Trinkets!!!

Congrats On your First Gold HH Chug

 

[Bart@Big Boys Hobbies]

Very nice ring brotha! I say keep it!

 

[Cal_Cobra]

Congrats on the gold and welcome to the insanity

 

[CRUSADER]

I used to Fish Welcome

'walking my money sniffing dog' - funny

 

[JUNKYARD DOG]

WELCOME!!! to Tnet. The addiction that pays. the more you use your
detector the more you find. Good luck on future hunts and we hope
to see you posting all them great finds. wes... JYD...

 

[allen]

welcome to TNET and congrats on your first gold !!!

 

[fortunehunter]

Where are You from?

 

[SportFishingTourism]

Thanks All.. Appreciate the replys and thanks for the links to the historic maps...

Im from Norfolk VA...

Take care...

 

[freddy williams]

Congrats on your first gold I am saving some money to get a photo on here of my 5 th gold ring was authenticated at the jewelers it is 18 Karat and they are real diamonds he valued it at around 4500.00 so good things do come to us in this hobby great ring

 

[hikeinmts]

Been "crazy" nigh goin on 35 years now......and love the craziness more everyday.
After all, a day dirtfishin beats a day doin anyting else.
Good find.....yep, find some nice do dads for the little lady, and she will help pick out
your next "dog" with you.

 

[g-olden years]

Welcome to t-net and congrats on your pretty gold ring and on your mercury dimes too. Good idea to also detect well-used paths and places where people have rested and relaxed over the years! Happy Hunting! Andi

 

[ivan salis]

welcome to the "habit" --uh hobby

 

[cdv1]

Don't give up. I'm sitting here at myrtle beach about to go out again today and read you r post to my wife. She laughed the whole way through it saying that sounds like you. Here is a tip if you can, let her try it, I now have a second detector cause my wife fell in love finding neat things.10 rings and counting and two days left to hunt.
Cliff

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Welcome to the forum and hobby! Since you are from Norfolk VA, you have a good chance to find some of Americas oldest relics. Research and permission. Can't you just give wifey the ring and bribe her, LOL? That's what I did, took some gold 14K ring finds to our local Goldsmith, had him melt them down and make some nice earrings and a finger ring for the wife. Gave my Mominlaw a nice 12K gold ring with 11 real diamonds, a find. They don't harass me much about detecting these days, LOL. Let us know what you are finding and HH, Mike

 

[NC Iron Man]

Great story. A lot of us can relate to it. I'm lucky, my wife loves the beach so we make the 3-4 hour drive fairly often. This feeds my addiction for a while. Once you're hooked on the beach and you've found your first ring, it's tough to go back and dig clad out of the rock hard dirt with poison ivy and mosquitos everywhere. Can't wait for my next beach trip!

 

[Roland58]

Welcome, SFT and 'grats on the ring. The dirt fishing is a great way to relax for me.....gets me out of the house and a little exercise to boot, especially since I dig zinc.....found a few nice silver rings in that range. Not quite a year for me and I'm still looking for that first piece of gold, but, I didn't get the machine with the expectations of getting rich or even paying for itself (although, it almost has!). It has just been to *&#^$ hot for an old man to get out for the last couple of months, but, cooler weather has got to come back soon and I'll be after that gold again!

Good hunting to you!