Is metal detecting still fun?

[7up2000]

I still enjoy detecting. But there are hassles to it:

1. Worrying about trespassing and someone getting irate, calling the cops, or maybe even shooting at you
2. People staring at you like you're a martian.
3. The ubiquitous homeless ppl who seem to be wherever I want to detect!!--and the threat to safety that they impose.
4. Many days it seems like all I dig is copper pennies. They are everywhere!!
5. Hunting partners leave without an explanation.
6. All the good spots have been hunted out completely and finding a new spot is very challenging. Furthermore, to get to a good spot it seems one has to drive further and further out

I could probably go on. But we'll leave it at that. It's just a rant

 

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[Chilli]

Yeah its changed a bit where I am. Used to be others see you detecting and come and say hi, good conversations.
Now its "what have you found" with no Hi or civil friendly anything. Just vulture stuff. But personally I still love it. The times we live in.
I act like an idiot to those that have no manners.

 

[Loco-Digger]

yes it's still fun, I have slowed down due to my rheumatoid arthritis. I still get out on occasion and am less obsessed with the hobby than when I started. I have met many friends through Tnet and other social media. That's the real treasure, I hunted with a buddy in NC a few weeks ago and am planning on going to upstate NY in the fall to hunt with a handful of other diggers I met here.

 

[ARC]

I only have fun when i find pull tabs in great numbers.
Brings ya back to the good old days.

 

[sibbley]

I always seem to find the trashy areas and leave with a 1/4" bucket of that trash and maybe a couple keepers. That gets frustrating.

But, the rush of hearing that great signal and digging to find the target is fun. Then, a small piece of flashing comes out, and its frustrating again.

Some of those great signals turned out to be silver coins, so that keeps me going back. I think all in all, still fun.

 

[ticndig]

Im not faced with any of the problems you've listed , I have fun and enjoy relic hunting deep in the woods . uncovering history one beep at a time. leave the crowds and hit the woods.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Is it still fun? Oh Gawd Yes! What keeps it fun? Constantly learning, always listening to other detectorists and treasure hunters (knowing that we all lie to each other but there is always a nugget of knowledge to be mined - even in the desert of bloviation and blather!). Refining and improving my research techniques, and looking for smaller tear-outs and forgotten dirt and grass in urban hoods at 6am on Sunday mornings. Always jumping on targets of opportunity with my "Trunk Buddy," a Minelab X-Terra Pro. Killing time while my gal is shopping detecting the grass parking lot strips ($186.00 in change last year). For me it is therapy. Escape from responsibilities, problems, life's challenges that we must all face 24/7, 365. And every now and then, when it's not another piece of can slaw, a nail, or pull tab, I experience the rush all treasure hunters relish. The feeling that keeps us swinging.

 

[7up2000]

Im not faced with any of the problems you've listed , I have fun and enjoy relic hunting deep in the woods . uncovering history one beep at a time. leave the crowds and hit the woods.

I envy you guys with the woods. Out here in Arizona it's all desert. But I grew up in Illinois and still remember exploring in the woods and the cool things we'd find. We even found a huge depression in a farmer's field that was once used as a dump site and had an old model T in it!

 

[pepperj]

Tired? Never, even after 50+ years digging.

It's my escape place.
To forget the world and to think of nothing.
I couldn't replace it even if I tired that's for sure.

 

[ARC]

Tired? Never, even after 50+ years digging.

It's my escape place.
To forget the world and to think of nothing.
I couldn't replace it even if I tired that's for sure.

100% absolutely agreed.

To be very serious about the ops question... Metal detecting is always fun to me... i have never not found it fun and a release for me.
I dont give 2 craps if i find anything really... i always find something interesting... even if trash.
Its the thrill of the hunt for me.
I will own metal detectors till the day i die even if I were unable to use them.
This IMO is the trait / sign of the true treasure hunter / explorer.

A day detecting is better than any other hobby activity to me.

PS..... If i lived in England.... I would do it full time as a job.

 

[McKinney_5900]

I personally find metal detecting a lot less fun in metal detecting. It is harder to find anything here now and my old body can't dig like it did in 2010 when I started. With debit cards instead of pocket money there has been more decreasing returns. Texas clay make it WORK. Jm2c.

 

[Bucket Lister]

Maybe OP has just had it too good for too long...

Sounds like a spoiled brat whinging because all the low-hanging fruit has been picked, and now s/he may actually have to put in some effort--like getting a ladder or trying another tree. 🤨

Sorry, but IMO, most of those complaints seem to be things brought on by OP and/or a negative attitude.

If things are that bad, and you have to ask if it's still fun, why are you still doing it?

 

[pa plateau hiker]

Im not faced with any of the problems you've listed , I have fun and enjoy relic hunting deep in the woods . uncovering history one beep at a time. leave the crowds and hit the woods.

I'm with you on this one. I've been detecting for more then 50 years, miles back in the woods. In all those years, I've never seen anyone else. I'm all alone, the way I like it. Looking forward to Autumn so I can head back out.

 

[mtdoramike]

I still enjoy detecting. But there are hassles to it:

1. Worrying about trespassing and someone getting irate, calling the cops, or maybe even shooting at you
2. People staring at you like you're a martian.
3. The ubiquitous homeless ppl who seem to be wherever I want to detect!!--and the threat to safety that they impose.
4. Many days it seems like all I dig is copper pennies. They are everywhere!!
5. Hunting partners leave without an explanation.
6. All the good spots have been hunted out completely and finding a new spot is very challenging. Furthermore, to get to a good spot it seems one has to drive further and further out

I could probably go on. But we'll leave it at that. It's just a rant

It sounds like you need to take a break brother.

 

[mtdoramike]

To me, it has little to do with whether or not I find anything, it's all about getting out of the house, enjoying nature, and if your hunting with another person, bonding time. Now as far as getting shot at or upsetting people, you need to make sure where you are digging BEFORE that happens and make sure you have permission.

 

[brianc053]

My $0.02: when I'm actually out metal detecting I'm loving every minute of it, and wish I could stay at it longer.

For me what has taken a lot of the fun out of the hobby is seeing so many YouTube videos about detecting. Click-bait titles like "You'll never believe what I found along this old road!" and "The most amazing find of my life!" drive me absolutely insane. I know I could just avoid YouTube - and I don't watch detecting videos anymore - but I learn a lot from YouTube on other subjects (photography, home repair/renovations) so I'm on YouTube a lot. Seeing those click-bait titles honestly turns my stomach. (Maybe there's a way to teach YouTube to stop offering me metal detecting videos...).

For me one other thing impacted the fun-level: a move from NJ to Delaware has reduced the fun (I enjoy historic detecting on old farms/homesites, not the beach very much) because I've lost all the permissions I had up in NJ and have to start over down here. And that's intimidating because there have been some very good detectorists in my area of DE before me who have knocked on (apparently) every door. People here seem less willing to grant permission, which reduces the fun.

Nevertheless, this fall I'll be out there knocking on doors in hopes of an untouched homesite or field. And I'll be returning to a couple of properties where the owners have granted me unlimited permission. Like others have said: for me it doesn't matter if I come home with anything (though it's certainly nice to dig up a large copper or silver...) because the process of detecting itself is still a lot of fun. And hopefully always will be.

- Brian

 

[Bucket Lister]

My $0.02: when I'm actually out metal detecting I'm loving every minute of it, and wish I could stay at it longer.

+1.

For me what has taken a lot of the fun out of the hobby is seeing so many YouTube videos about detecting. Click-bait titles like "You'll never believe what I found along this old road!" and "The most amazing find of my life!" drive me absolutely insane. I know I could just avoid YouTube - and I don't watch detecting videos anymore - but I learn a lot from YouTube on other subjects (photography, home repair/renovations) so I'm on YouTube a lot. Seeing those click-bait titles honestly turns my stomach. (Maybe there's a way to teach YouTube to stop offering me metal detecting videos...).

There is.

YouTube "forces" content providers to do a lot of that sensationalizing; you can find just as many vids complaining about all the hoops they have to jump through to get clicks--to get paid. 🤮

For me one other thing impacted the fun-level: a move from NJ to Delaware has reduced the fun (I enjoy historic detecting on old farms/homesites, not the beach very much) because I've lost all the permissions I had up in NJ and have to start over down here. And that's intimidating because there have been some very good detectorists in my area of DE before me who have knocked on (apparently) every door. People here seem less willing to grant permission, which reduces the fun.

Do you mean getting permissions isn't the most fun part of metal detecting ‽ 😲😁

Nevertheless, this fall I'll be out there knocking on doors in hopes of an untouched homesite or field.

Me too.

And I'll be returning to a couple of properties where the owners have granted me unlimited permission. Like others have said: for me it doesn't matter if I come home with anything (though it's certainly nice to dig up a large copper or silver...) because the process of detecting itself is still a lot of fun. And hopefully always will be.

- Brian

+1.

 

[smokeythecat]

It's still fun. Not necessarily safe anymore. Baltimore City just banned all detecting on city property.

 

[Bucket Lister]

It's still fun. Not necessarily safe anymore. Baltimore City just banned all detecting on city property.

Did they give a reason why?

 

[mtdoramike]

My $0.02: when I'm actually out metal detecting I'm loving every minute of it, and wish I could stay at it longer.

For me what has taken a lot of the fun out of the hobby is seeing so many YouTube videos about detecting. Click-bait titles like "You'll never believe what I found along this old road!" and "The most amazing find of my life!" drive me absolutely insane. I know I could just avoid YouTube - and I don't watch detecting videos anymore - but I learn a lot from YouTube on other subjects (photography, home repair/renovations) so I'm on YouTube a lot. Seeing those click-bait titles honestly turns my stomach. (Maybe there's a way to teach YouTube to stop offering me metal detecting videos...).

For me one other thing impacted the fun-level: a move from NJ to Delaware has reduced the fun (I enjoy historic detecting on old farms/homesites, not the beach very much) because I've lost all the permissions I had up in NJ and have to start over down here. And that's intimidating because there have been some very good detectorists in my area of DE before me who have knocked on (apparently) every door. People here seem less willing to grant permission, which reduces the fun.

Nevertheless, this fall I'll be out there knocking on doors in hopes of an untouched homesite or field. And I'll be returning to a couple of properties where the owners have granted me unlimited permission. Like others have said: for me it doesn't matter if I come home with anything (though it's certainly nice to dig up a large copper or silver...) because the process of detecting itself is still a lot of fun. And hopefully always will be.

- Brian

To each his own I guess. I love those click baiting videos. the older you get the more you will come to rely on those youtube detecting videos. A lot of times I do usually due to health reasons, I will log onto youtube and search for those metal detecting videos and watch all those guys and gals swinging their machines, running across a target then kneel or drop to all fours and start digging. Then after digging a good sized hole, pop back up off the ground with all the youth and vigor that comes with a younger age.

Then I drift off in my memories of days gone by when dreaming of those times when I could hunt for hours, through brush up to knees, up and down hills digging all those iffy targets in hopes of hitting it big or at least finding something other than trash. But now a days, when I do go out, I'm carrying a 4ft shovel so I don't have to bend down or get down on the ground in hopes of being able to get back up again.