Has anyone quit relic hunting in the past few years?

[Davers]

My question is for those relic hunters still in good health , or even those who live outside relic rich states like Virginia , much of the N.E. US & certain areas in the South east. The main reasons for for quitting relic hunting one of these many reasons, 1 over development ,2 many of the known sites in your area have been hunted so hard over the past few decades , that relics still may be dug in these areas only with luck , or high dollar machines, way too many 5+ Hour hunts ; with only a pouch full of Shotgun shell heads ,22rf cases & common bullets + the typical junk.I'm NOT giving up yet , tho I have recently thought about Coin shooting & taking the relics that come along with that......Sorry folks just a quick RANT after my last 7-8 oriented relic hunts have only turned up countless shotgun brass, junk ,1 nice dropped 3 ringer and a [suspect small cal, round ball].... The relics are still there, one just has to work harder /smarter & use more patience these day's. Good Luck & May GOD Bless Everyone ....Davers

 

[Joe hunter]

I used to be an avid bottle digger but good spots are few and far between my old ones are pretty spent and its hard work with little financial return

I've dug three times this year .I'm doing ok on coins and some jewelry to and it's defiantly cleaner.

 

[Davers]

have never ha the chance to dig for bottles , all my semi, older types are surface finds but I know it can be a dirty/muddy affair. Davers

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Lot of good spots still out there.. Problem is getting permission and dealing with landowners to actually get out there and let you hunt. I know spots that are loooaded but the landowner won't let anyone detect it with POSTED signs every 20 feet.. Maybe one day I can hit the PowerBall and use that money to buy land that is loaded with relics.. I can wish can't i ?? Just do some good homework and you can still find good spots even if it means driving to a remote place to hunt. I do that all the time. I would say 70% of the sites I hit are very remote aka Deep in the woods...

 

[Davers]

Lot of good spots still out there.. Problem is getting permission and dealing with landowners to actually get out there and let you hunt. I know spots that are loooaded but the landowner won't let anyone detect it with POSTED signs every 20 feet.. Maybe one day I can hit the PowerBall and use that money to buy land that is loaded with relics.. I can wish can't i ?? Just do some good homework and you can still find good spots even if it means driving to a remote place to hunt. I do that all the time. I would say 70% of the sites I hit are very remote aka Deep in the woods...

You are correct HSD , about the landowners and such [many times it's not what u know but who u know] that helps in this hobby. Over this past year I have enjoyed your posts ,threads,reply,s as many have been educational. Every now & then I get in a slump and feel like quitting but the next thing I know , as I'm out and about [my heads on a swivel ,as my wife says ] ill see places that need a coil swung over them & I get excited about relic hunting all over again; I suppose the die hard reilc hunters never give up they just work harder. Davers

 

[kuger]

Hang in there.A couple years ago I moved one county over....to a whole new world.....I came from an area I am seventh Gen. and a family of Ranchers/landowners,and I knew all land owners to the new kid on the block where the few major land owners I knew already had long time multi Generation hunters on their ground,and most all of the good land's tied up.Has bit a huge chunk out of my yearly totals and time even spent out,but makes me appreciate the sites more when I do get one!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I remember, when I started in the mid 1970s, you could go to any obvious old park ... and with determination, find silver coins In fact, we used to take beginners to the main old-town park in my town, for practice lessons, and it wasn't uncommon for them to find silver on their first day out (once you showed them the settings, what sounds they were to listen for, etc...). But NOW, 30+ yrs later, I SHUDDER to think of the poor newbie who goes to those same parks now, with any notion he can find silver . They are sad, worked out, zinc and clad ridden blighted messes You gotta be one tough cookie, able to grasp for deeep whispers (or resort to "strip-mining"), in order to get any more silver now.

So yes, we had to get creative, and start working parks in other cities which had less md'ing traffic Or getting exotice and watching for old-town demolition sites, beach storms, etc.... Sites are still there, and machines are better and deeper now than they ever were. But yeah, the poor newbie who picks up a machine and runs out to the nearest old park .... doesn't have the benefit those of us 35 yrs. ago had.

 

[Davers]

You are correct about "the good old days" of Metal detecting be it for coins or relics . I was recently reading a story about an old time relic hunter who stated in those days [late 50s begin of the 60s] "nothing was worse than finding shells and bullets"; man those must have been the days . Hopefully there are common items we find these days that folks in the future would love to find; only time will tell , until then ill just keep on digging for the love of history & enjoying nature. GOOD LUCK TO ALL.... Davers

 

[Joe hunter]

You are correct about "the good old days" of Metal detecting be it for coins or relics . I was recently reading a story about an old time relic hunter who stated in those days [late 50s begin of the 60s] "nothing was worse than finding shells and bullets"; man those must have been the days . Hopefully there are common items we find these days that folks in the future would love to find; only time will tell , until then ill just keep on digging for the love of history & enjoying nature. GOOD LUCK TO ALL.... Davers

You mean like Wow scored four pull tabs today at the park gotta love aluminum .lol

 

[CoilyGirl]

We've never had any stellar sites to hunt,last good one for us produced an Eagle button,a few round balls,three ringers,and carved lead and that was a good day for us.

 

[Davers]

You mean like Wow scored four pull tabs today at the park gotta love aluminum .lol

Yea kinda like those future collectors of "vintage" Shotgun Brass.

 

[Davers]

We've never had any stellar sites to hunt,last good one for us produced an Eagle button,a few round balls,three ringers,and carved lead and that was a good day for us.

That would def, be a good day for me as well esp, when you throw in the Eagle button .

 

[Swartzie]

I haven't had any good finds this year. But, I still keep hunting as long as there are signals to be dug. Something good is bound to come out of the ground sooner or later. Really it doesn't bother me if I find anything or not. It just gives me something to do in the woods and relaxes me. Actually, I have taken notice of the different bird calls while I'm hunting since I use a one-ear type headphone. So, I guess you could say I do a little bit of bird watching while I'm hunting so it never gets dull.

-Swartzie

 

[Davers]

I haven't had any good finds this year. But, I still keep hunting as long as there are signals to be dug. Something good is bound to come out of the ground sooner or later. Really it doesn't bother me if I find anything or not. It just gives me something to do in the woods and relaxes me. Actually, I have taken notice of the different bird calls while I'm hunting since I use a one-ear type headphone. So, I guess you could say I do a little bit of bird watching while I'm hunting so it never gets dull.
Swartzie ; it's odd you should mention birds , as yesterday I went on a fairly good hunt [ I dug 1 small cal, ball-No Buck] to go with the dropped 3 ringer & fired 3 ringer from this same area, when I crept up on this beautiful Hawk [ I think I ruined his hunt] but it was cool to get that close to him 20ft or so . I also have an affinity for Box Turtles ,I came across 2 of them as well one being older as it was one of the largest I've seen over the years & it's shell was pretty beat up from attempts [to get in] by Foxes ,Coyotes etc over the years ; anyway this area has already been staked off & surveyed for clearing / development ,so while digging countless 12th,16th & 20th GA buttons [ I wish ] Shotgun brass , I found myself worried more about the Poor Turtles future so after finding the other Turtle [ further away from the staked off area] & a couple more hrs, of spiderwebs / sweating , I returned to where Id found the first older Turtle picked him/her up and carefully walked back to the car we stopped by the Coin store to grab some scrap Mercs & home we went & after some pics and hellos to my wife and son and 3 choice [ unlucky ] Earthworms ,man that thing was hungry ; I let it go behind my house for hopefully a bright future. p.s. I probably would have relocated the other Turtle if I could have just put the first one in my relic pouch or backpack while I searched for the 2ed one.