Hunting Spots That You Avoid

[Higgy]

The title really doesnt say it all.

Does anyone here have hunting spots which may contain great digs, but avoid them for certain reasons? I do.

I have several spots that I would like to ask permission to hunt, but I'm shy to do it because they are too close to home. I live in VERY rural NH. You can hear the trees growing here. The town I live in has about 800 people spread out, with a small center of town. Of course with 800 people you just know that we all know each other. This area is the last bastion of Anglo-Saxon/Celtic-decent white people left in New England, so the townfolk are naturally xenophobic. They are all very tight but they talk about each other constantly. Its delightful and horrible at the same time. Thing is, I dont want them to discover that I'm a detectorist, so I keep away from in-town activities. Detecting at the local swimming hole (which is non-productive btw), is sketchy enough. I just dont feel that they will understand, and I am not the type to explain myself.

Can anyone relate to this, or am I just a self-conscious weirdo?

 

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[DDancer]

I have to say your argument is counter intuitive. Based on the fact you live there. You should be involved with the community and should be open with your activities. Your feelings on your community being xenophobic and tight knit due to cultural heritage suggest you either don't fit in with the norm or have had some sort of conflict there already. As you suggest you may just be to self conscious as well.
Get involved. Ask permission. Whats the worst anyone can say? No. Nothing will turn a community off to ya faster than being sneaky pete or a stranger and nothing can get you into and onto a property faster than being one of the fella's *or gals* when the community sees ya as legit. My thoughts for ya.

As to the topic : Yep there are plenty of areas I'd love to dig but just wont go into. Reason being is I value my life, property and have a healthy respect for my freedom. Some places you just don't go. High crime areas, areas of genuine racial bias and places where the law says no metal detecting allowed. Otherwise I'm quite open with my activities and don't get hassels very often. More often I get the curious and see the strange.
Keep swinging.

 

[Frankn]

The title really doesnt say it all.

Does anyone here have hunting spots which may contain great digs, but avoid them for certain reasons? I do.

I have several spots that I would like to ask permission to hunt, but I'm shy to do it because they are too close to home. I live in VERY rural NH. You can hear the trees growing here. The town I live in has about 800 people spread out, with a small center of town. Of course with 800 people you just know that we all know each other. This area is the last bastion of Anglo-Saxon/Celtic-decent white people left in New England, so the townfolk are naturally xenophobic. They are all very tight but they talk about each other constantly. Its delightful and horrible at the same time. Thing is, I dont want them to discover that I'm a detectorist, so I keep away from in-town activities. Detecting at the local swimming hole (which is non-productive btw), is sketchy enough. I just dont feel that they will understand, and I am not the type to explain myself.

Can anyone relate to this, or am I just a self-conscious weirdo?

Your are a self-conscious weirdo, but you have a lot of company here. lol
I have a location of a 1600 trading post, but alas, it is on an island and I don't have a boat.
I have tracked down the location of a retired pirate, but the property owner will not cooperate.
Hay, you can't win them all! Frank

 

[Higgy]

I'm not a sneaky pete, I don't fit into the norm. I'm a loner. I wasnt born here, but I have lived here for 25 years. I'll never be "from here". I'm not looking for advice for how to socialize or act as a member of the community. All I wanted to know is if anyone has these same feelings. I like to stay grey. There are simply places I do not want to be seen detecting because I am self-conscious and self-aware.

 

[Higgy]

Your are a self-conscious weirdo, but you have a lot of company here. lol
I have a location of a 1600 trading post, but alas, it is on an island and I don't have a boat.
I have tracked down the location of a retired pirate, but the property owner will not cooperate.
Hay, you can't win them all! FrankView attachment 1068887
View attachment 1068888

I have a boat. Say the word, Frank!

 

[Davers]

Yes Many

Obviously I can not hunt on Protected Lands.

That said
Most places I avoid are in Higher Crime Areas ,With old 1940's /& before Homes.
Unless I was 'Beat ' into the Gang but then a few blocks over I'd likely be in the Wrong Gang.
It seems most of the oldest homes are in a 'Run Down " area or a Ritzy Upscale Neighborhood .

In my Experience the poorer people are nicer.

Ill try not to rant, As I tend to do.

In your post U kinda remind me of myself esp, when I first started detecting but still now.

I have always had Anxiety Disorder & Used to I would not detect where anyone can see me
& Door knocking was like Asking for their First Born. ' still is Many times'

I'm now 43 or 42 (whatever) & I wasted the first 30+ years Worrying About What People Thought about me & a bunch of other Dumb Stuff.

I always told myself "just ask " "all they can say is no" BUT It's Still hard.
It's much easier / 'not Really' to sneak around but in the end it's a pain & on private Property
makes you /me a Trespasser .

So IMO Hunt Where legal -When ever you want 'just dig nicely' & If people Don't like it
FORGET THEM!!.

It's So much easier said than done 'for folk like me' but Just Ask , You never know.

On another note asking for Permission over the phone for me is like a bunch of babble & leaves
most Confused , as I try to Perfectly Explaining what it is I want to Do . LOL

Think "Jordan" and " Just Do It"

Good Luck

Davers..

 

[Higgy]

Thanks, Davers. I'm much obliged by your candor.

 

[Davers]

Thanks, Davers. I'm much obliged by your candor.

It's all GOOD.

Davers

 

[mikeraydj]

This is my first year of detecting. It is a very fun hobby for me. It is relaxing, enjoyable, and gets me out of the house. I mostly look for coins and jewelry. So I go to places where there have been, or are a lot of people. That being said, I enjoy it the best when there are not a bunch of people there. There are places I know that would be very productive but aren't worth the trouble. An example is an old park in another town close by that is legal to detect, but the chief of police has taken it upon himself to run out any detectorist because he doesn't like metal detecting. I could challenge him, but not worth the battle. I feel that if I am worrying about other people, that it takes the joy out of the hobby. So I go with my gut. If it doesn't feel right I don't do it. I am not going to hide the fact that I am a detectorist, but I also am not looking to put myself in situations with people who dislike detecting also.

 

[CincinnatiKid]

I avoid parks at all costs, unless its raining. I've answered all the lookie lou questions way to many times. It was fun at first, but after being asked; have you found anything, what's it worth?, how much does a metal detector cost, etc., you know the drill.
I've been doin' research and staying in the woods lately.
Good luck
Peace

 

[Auriemma]

Higgy, you've lived among the locals for 25 years. You may not be a native to that area, but you are still a local. That being said, use that and MDing to your advantage. MDing is about finding history and saving it. You live in a rea rich in history particular to that region. Use it, find and save it. Get over being shy and get permission to hunt where you have the best chance of finding it. If what you say is right, you have a great opportunity before you. But you need to take that first step. The rest is up to you. BoL and HH.

 

[Higgy]

I have great success in surrounding towns. I just get the willies up and down my spine whenever I think of doing it in town. I prefer the anonymity of being away from my locale.

Good answers so far! Does anyone else have places they avoid for one reason or another?

 

[Rawhide]

I avoid hunting behind my buddys T2, unless we are just comparing deep signals. He had a quarter this weekend, and couldnt find it in the hole. I told him I was digging it. He finally fished it out of the hole. Now theres this other guy with a AT Pro.............

 

[BigWaveDave]

I will NOT hunt in the hood.... and here in Ft, Myers, the hood is clearly defined..... unless I have a gangsta as a hunting buddy.

 

[Frankn]

I have a boat. Say the word, Frank!

The word is, that is a long way to row. lol Frank

 

[releventchair]

While many near here recognize me and or me detecting there is a place, surrounded by businesses ,on the border of no detecting for one boundary and a small area in the middle of the public and all traffics eye that holds a good recovery possibility. It has lots of trash and an owner if recovered. I been leaving it alone. The commitment of time to search the reasonably small area would cause too much curiosity for now. Plus the questions would follow of what was found after warning some of the businesses's that would need to be warned like the very near bank I frequent,l.o.l..Being it is the bank holding my mortgage they might be confused as to why I'm scrounging cents, or worse join me.

 

[Higgy]

Now THAT's what I'm talking about, Releventchair! Curiosity! Like I said, I try to stay grey. The less the public sees, the better I feel. This hobby is already too crowded.

 

[DDancer]

Higgy it was not my intention to call you any names or imply that your techniques may be nefarious in any way. The way I read your comments as relates to your topic simply strikes me as I said. To each their own as to how one feels about conducting their business in their communities. Personally I don't have the hang up of being overly concerned about what other people think of me when I'm out conducting any of my hobbies.
To be true I did not start out that way~ I did have a similar hang up with public perception however I worked it out. Hence the advice because it is counter intuitive to my enjoyment of the hobby where I live and the other places I go if I limit myself on what others think about me. *shrugs*
That's all. There's still plenty of places I wont dig. Keep swinging.

 

[foiler]

Higgy, I'm a native New Englander though I don't live there anymore. I understand the way people think up there. If you weren't born there your not one of them and you never will be. Despite that I had much success when I did live there. I kept my conversations one on one and got access to many sites. Often as not they are of the same mind as you. They don't want anyone else to know they let the guy with the metal detector on their property. One guy wouldn't let me on his property till his wife went out of town for a few days. He said "she wouldn't understand" Discretion is your best tool, a valued trait to be known for. 50 years in this hobby it's something I hold close.

 

[fliermartin]

Well this being my first year detecting I've stuck to local parks and my yard and a lumberyard on the outskirts of town. I want to make sure I think I know what I'm doing before I ask to dig in other peoples yards. I want to get a coupl of differant yards in here before it snows, but I need the jod to slow down to get a chance. been working 12 the last 2 weeks and its getting dark when I leave work.