Have you ever encountered shady people while hunting alone?

Dutch

Tenderfoot
May 23, 2009
7
2
Chico CA
Detector(s) used
Garrett Infinium LS, Garrett ACE 250, Automax V4
I was wondering how many of you have encountered a freaky or shady character while out detecting by yourself.
I have not yet, since I just recently started, but it's always on my mind when I go away from civilization.
For this reason I will carry a gun with me outside of town, and a mace gun if I am in town. Paranoid, maybe, but you know the saying,
Better have it and not need it...
Anyway, just wanted to see if anyone has a good story here about this topic.

Sam
 

Upvote 0
Not allowed to carry a gun here in Canuck land so I rely on my fists and common sense. Most cases I am the one people are afraid to go near. I will always be a leather rebel. :headbang:

I try and dress as ragged as possible so no one comes and bugs me with their fifty questions. It still doesn't work and people are drawn to me like a fly to....... ::)
I've gone into rough neighborhoods a lot and the shady ones there respect my hustle. The don't ask me for change either as they see how hard I am working for it. :tongue3:

It's the rich areas that scare me. Uptight, miserable people yelling out there doors to get away or police dial happy busybodies with nothing better to do than complain. Those are the places where the only problems happen to me, anyways.
Attitude is the key. Common sense prevails. Fear is the real Demon on this Earth.
Happy New Year!
Dave.
 

GrayCloud

Bronze Member
Jan 24, 2008
1,797
120
Louisiana
Detector(s) used
Explorer II & Garrett 2500 w/Treasure Hound
Jeff, You and Old Dazz need to come down to Eudora Arkansas, Lake Providence or New Orleans Louisiana with your unhealed attitude. Sorry boys, yaw know not what some of us live around down here. And do not call this a racist statement. It's reality.
 

jeff of pa

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Muddyhandz said:
It's the rich areas that scare me. Uptight, miserable people yelling out there doors to get away or police dial happy busybodies with nothing better to do than complain. Those are the places where the only problems happen to me, anyways.

Yea I Can Believe That.

Fear is the real Demon on this Earth.

I Agree.

There is a Whole Group of People (& Buisnesses)
who Thrive on Fear.

You take that away From them, They Got Nothin'
 

dazoff

Sr. Member
Aug 7, 2007
321
3
Lower Mainland Vancouver,BC
Detector(s) used
To many to say
GrayCloud said:
Jeff, You and Old Dazz need to come down to Eudora Arkansas, Lake Providence or New Orleans Louisiana with your unhealed attitude. Sorry boys, yaw know not what some of us live around down here. And do not call this a racist statement. It's reality.

I believe there are area's that I may look at and take a pass on and yes I have been all across the US on many trips and met many fine folks. I do stay up to date on US news and am up to speed with the economy CNN .

I do know Louisiana is among the poorest states.

The idea of needing a gun to metal detect I find troubling and may very well be trouble in itself. Protecting your own property is one thing but being on public land and shooting someone is another.
Remember the recent case military soldiers in war convicted four if I remember right. Right or wrong as that is it did happen so as you can see I do keep up with events across the US.

I don't have the answer to life's problems but being part of the problem would not seem to be the way to go. :thumbsup:
 

jeff of pa

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YEP same here.

Trust me.
I Am not anybodys Fool.

I Know there are Dangerous areas
with Humans & Animals

But I Stand by my Statement
Until I Am proven Wrong

"It Can't Happen to Me"

& Never Met anyone I Was Nervous to be around
That I Remember.
I Have Met people I Thought Wern't Quite Right :D,
But Never Felt Threatened by them. :D
 

GrayCloud

Bronze Member
Jan 24, 2008
1,797
120
Louisiana
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Explorer II & Garrett 2500 w/Treasure Hound
Dazoff don't take this personally. BUT watching CNN is not reality in the least. In other words, CNN is a complete waste of time. They water down any news that put a democrat voter group in a bad light. Now if an old boy with a what appears to be a redneck is involved, then they will jump all over it. Do there very best to call it a hate crime, but thirty blacks stomping the crap out of two innocent white girls, that were in the wrong place at the wrong time, is covered up. Sorry, CNN is a joke to the Tax Paying side of the USA.

Again, don't take it personal, but driving through here does not tell the full story. You have an open invitation from me to come down and let me show you around. We can even do a little detecting, I'll stand guard for ya.
 

tinnpan

Tenderfoot
Jun 2, 2008
9
0
Yes I have been messed with while detecting and I've ony been detecting 4 years, i was at a elementry school when it was closed for the summer and parked in the empty parking lot and noticed six kids sitting next to the school four of them boys but paid no mind to them for why should I? Got out and grabbed my stuff and walked around the school to the back area which has three ball diamonds and a football field, walked out into a outfield and started to get my detector and gear on when i saw these kids walk around the school but still payed no mind to them, why should I? Putting my gear on and turning my detector on I looked up and noticed them walking to a bench for the ball diamond to sit down but one was walking directly toward me carrying a skateboard, they were about 25 yards away, started to swing the detector and looked up again and the kid is still walking directly toward me and figured he was just wanting to see what i was doing and ask questions!! got to about 5 feet from me,stopped,I took my head phones off and said hello and I could see his buddies sitting down looking at us, He says, Looking for gold, The way he said it i could tell something was probably up! I said, Mostly for coins but would be nice to find some gold! He then looks back at his buddies and looks at me and looks at his skate board and points to the wheels and trucks and says I think theres metal in these and throws the board down at my feet and says, Think you can find that! I looked at him and looked at his buddies sitting and ask how old are you and he said 15! then I knew I couldn't touch him unless I really had to! I'm very short fused and like to be alone for that reason,Lets just say I cant shop in a store two days before Christmas!! I'm 42 and a former marine 6'1 180lbs and holding a fiskar digger knife that looks like a k-bar knife and this kid starts messing with me! Any how I asked him if his buddies put him up to this and he just said think you can find that! I put my detector down pick up his skate board and spun like a shot puter in the Olympics and his board goes about twenty yards! I said to him do you think you can find it!He starts calling me every name in the book and wanting to fight! Could not believe it! I just ignored him and walked away and he went and picked up his board went up to his buddies and i started detecting but he started walking back toward me after a couple minutes but with a girl carrying a cell phone holding it up like your recording video, I just stopped detecting and walked buy them eyeing him and his buddies and left! I carry mace with me now and have always carried a sidearm when I'm in the woods!
 

jeff of pa

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I Would have Unpluged My
Headphones swung My detector over it
& Said "Yep ! See ! ;D "
 

dazoff

Sr. Member
Aug 7, 2007
321
3
Lower Mainland Vancouver,BC
Detector(s) used
To many to say
GrayCloud I probably will be in your area at some point as I retire later this year and do plan on spending time in the southern states. We have a fellow at work on contract from Louisiana don't recall which parish he's from but I do talk often with him.

Back in the early 70s when I was riding touring bikes a lot more and living in the east, I spent a fair bit of time going to rallies.
I remember only one guy at the time of the gas shortage in the mid 70s that packed. He said he was a business owner and worried that he would be robbed so he packed. Even coming into Canada he packed on vacation, always remembered that just seemed odd to me.

I figure if I accept folks at face value as being mostly good and I'm not a threat to them there should be no problem.
In close to 60 years that has served me well, if someone wants something I have that bad there welcome to it.

PS no worries I can handle the idea that everyone has a different point of view and it's not personal. :thumbsup:
 

Steel714

Tenderfoot
Feb 28, 2013
5
1
Primary Interest:
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You guys are making me glad I live in Illinois. One of only two states out of our 50 that are so safe they don't allow the law abiding citizens to carry guns. Whether I am out in the city or down in the boondocks doesn't matter because I know that no matter who I run into they won't be carry a gun because that would be illegal.

I sure hope you are being sarcastic......
 

Sdthunter760

Jr. Member
Feb 9, 2013
30
3
san diego
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bounty hunter elite 2200
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I was hunting in Oceanside north of sandiego and had a group if crack heads try to sell me crack and car air freshners the little tree ones. And then another time a homeless guy pulled a knife on me bc I wouldn't give him another cigarette on the joys of hunting in the ghetto
 

iCandy

Sr. Member
Aug 19, 2011
470
32
Primary Interest:
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GrayCloud said:
Dazoff don't take this personally. BUT watching CNN is not reality in the least. In other words, CNN is a complete waste of time. They water down any news that put a democrat voter group in a bad light. Now if an old boy with a what appears to be a redneck is involved, then they will jump all over it. Do there very best to call it a hate crime, but thirty blacks stomping the crap out of two innocent white girls, that were in the wrong place at the wrong time, is covered up. Sorry, CNN is a joke to the Tax Paying side of the USA.

Again, don't take it personal, but driving through here does not tell the full story. You have an open invitation from me to come down and let me show you around. We can even do a little detecting, I'll stand guard for ya.

AMENNNNN BROTHER!!!!! Soooooo SOOOOOO TRUEEEEE!!!!!!
 

herb n surf

Hero Member
Jun 12, 2011
687
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Gulf Coast Fl.
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Scumbags are everywhere . When detecting I always hide my valuables , use the smaller headset in the rougher areas to be able to hear (Them) . Knife on the belt sheath (the sight of this when shirt tail was lifted has on at least a couple of instances turned away some punks) and finally peace of mind when detecting is my cc 357 on the belt (Two thieves tried to jump me one night and ran when they saw my 44 spl ) ..a shame things are like this but the use of drugs has some of these dummies ready to hurt anyone they think they can jump on..always hunt with friends if possible ,it's safer and a lot of fun...
 

mcb

Jr. Member
May 6, 2012
83
24
Northeastern ohio
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Gold bug pro, Fisher F70, bounty hunter IV
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I always carry prepper spray and a key chain stun gun. The stun gun gives out 5 million volts. I've never had to use either nor have I come across someone shady. I have come across young unsupervised kids wanting to help. I couldn't shake them LOL they kept following me and begging to use my detector.
 

DizzyDigger

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Dec 9, 2012
5,879
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If I am detecting around any kind of populated area I tend to be somewhat cautious of
anyone approaching me, so, I keep my head turning and looking constantly. I'm not paranoid,
but I am completely deaf on one side, and I've got headphones on so I still can't hear with the
other ear. Someone walks up behind me (and I'm not watching), I have no idea at all that
they are there, and I hate being snuck up on!

Used to hunt some of the parks near downtown Seattle and Capitol Hill, and these
parks are not among the best areas for a straight guy to be hanging out in, if ya
get my drift. Very aggressive gay activity takes place in these parks, so when Steve
and I used to hunt one of them we always stayed close together, just for safety.
Now, that said, Steve was 6'4" and a husky fellow, so when one of the "special
people" would come out of the bushes, Steve would wander over near me, just to
let the guy know that I was "taken"..lol.

Never once did we have a serious issue, although I threatened to castrate a couple
guys one night that were getting a bit over-the-top with their "suggestions", but that
was the worst case I've run into.

Could be they don't mess with me much because of my looks. Short, stocky (not overweight
though) and once I toss on the Harley skullcap it changes everything. I might give 'em
that "one eye nasty look", and then they see the wrinkles, scars, boots and long gray hair hanging
out the back. Typically, they figure I'm some old badass biker, which is the last thing most any
street punk wants to mess with!

If I'm working a single area (sluicing, digging, etc) the 12ga. is never far away...but that
to protect me from any stupid critters that presume I'd make an easy dinner.
 

Dixiegal

Full Member
Jul 8, 2012
204
74
GA
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You are smart. We always carry a weapon and spray.
 

dieselram94

Gold Member
Jun 17, 2011
9,174
6,675
Mid Coast Maine
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I suggest always carry. Not much reason not to, but a whole lot of reasons to carry!
 

dougofpa

Banned
May 18, 2012
486
121
PA
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I never felt the need to have a gun.....I've worked in the woods for over 10 years and grew up in the "country"..the nearest town to us was over 5 miles away....I could literally hunt out my back door.

I've seen and encountered 100's of Timber rattlesnakes, countless bears, bocats, and a few coyotes....I never was in any danger....

For my job I'm in the office about 5% of the time and the rest is in the woods, usually by myself........and yes I've encountered weirdos also...but again...never felt like I was in any danger or where I wished I had a gun...

If I ever feel the need to carry a gun to enjoy this hobby....then I think I will find something else to do with my spare time.
 

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