MOST dangerous Situations you have been in while Detecting

[Gare]

If you have been in any dangerous situations while detecting would you mind sharing the incidents with us. maybe it was animal related , Floods, Dangerous people

About 10 years ago maybe a few years less I had just paid around $2,500 for a Minelab CTX 3030 . I was detecting a park up near Akron Ohio and three guys came up to me and they looked like trouble . There was no one else around . I remember one tall person said "HEY WHITEY How much that GEIGER counter worth., Now i thought i was going to get robbed. I told them i had just got it last evening for 15 DOLLARS . To which he replied NOT worth it guys lets go. and they LEFT and then I LEFT LOL
Another time i was in a cane brake field near Vicksburg Mississippi and stepped on something thAT was wiggling under my sole. I had stepped on the tail end of a rattle snake. Not a very big one but it did not have to be . He was around a cane brake and trying to strike me. Mind you i had snakes chaps on but I still got very shakenup/.
Do you have any close calls you would care to share ?

 

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[CreakyDigger]

This would have been some 30 years ago. I often hunted with a buddy who was a very good detectorist and arrowhead finder, but had a temper. We had permission from an elderly woman to detect her yard. The property was on some old maps. Well an hour or so in her son or grandson showed up and was irate that we were there. My hothead friend and he got into it just to the point of blows before being pulled away.

We left; not worth a fight or a trip in the back of a deputy's car.

 

[Gare]

I am sure had i told the three guys what i really paid for it I would have been in BIG TROUBLE !! and back then i was not PACKING 111

 

[Gare]

This would have been some 30 years ago. I often hunted with a buddy who was a very good detectorist and arrowhead finder, but had a temper. We had permission from an elderly woman to detect her yard. The property was on some old maps. Well an hour or so in her son or grandson showed up and was irate that we were there. My hothead friend and he got into it just to the point of blows before being pulled away.

We left; not worth a fight or a trip in the back of a deputy's car.

you are correct BUT i think those guys would have done more had they know the real value.
Your point of not hunting with a hot head is also taken

 

[ticndig]

I was hunting along a creek bed about 25 years ago on property owned by the county I was employed by . a guy dressed like rambo came up behind me and put a gun to my head and called me a effing grave digger.
I tell ya the guy was talking crazy and said he should kill me . but instead he marched me to my truck and let me go. I reported it to the police who did nothing, I found out later who the guy was and was going to get revenge on him but in the end I just let it go as I'm sure he was mentally ill.

 

[traveller777]

I cannot touch you guys on stories, but probably my most eerie situation was when I was rock/gem hunting in northern New México. I was alone and had walked in about a mile to the collecting site. I had to walk on a dusty/sandy trail to get to site, and I am forever looking at trail for signs. Nothing special but some small game and birds. So I spent a bit of time collecting which wasn't my best day and started back to my truck. As soon as I stepped down off the hill side onto the trail there was fresh VERY LARGE cat tracks that had not been there when I walked in. They cut off the trail just before my collecting site. I back tracked him several hundred yards to where he came on the trail. I am sure he would not have bothered me but still eerie to know you were likely tracked. Just a curious putty cat, I am sure.

I would say the 4.5-foot Timber rattler I ran into last summer, but I saw him maybe three feet before I got to him so will not count that one. But he was in strike mode, and I do not like that. I have a picture of him. Beautiful and deadly.

 

[Gare]

I was hunting along a creek bed about 25 years ago on property owned by the county I was employed by . a guy dressed like rambo came up behind me and put a gun to my head and called me a effing grave digger.
I tell ya the guy was talking crazy and said he should kill me . but instead he marched me to my truck and let me go. I reported it to the police who did nothing, I found out later who the guy was and was going to get revenge on him but in the end I just let it go as I'm sure he was mentally ill.

WOW That is scary and the police did NOTHING so sad.
Glad you did not seek revenge.
My feeling is revenge only makes me a lower person
BUT THANKS for SHARing !!!

 

[traveller777]

I was hunting along a creek bed about 25 years ago on property owned by the county I was employed by . a guy dressed like rambo came up behind me and put a gun to my head and called me a effing grave digger.
I tell ya the guy was talking crazy and said he should kill me . but instead he marched me to my truck and let me go. I reported it to the police who did nothing, I found out later who the guy was and was going to get revenge on him but in the end I just let it go as I'm sure he was mentally ill.

Good thing that guy did not practice the often said, "Never point a gun at someone unless you intend to use it". That had to be a scary moment. And those police are complicit if this guy ever follows through with harming someone.

 

[metrotec]

I met Jerry while we were competition skeet shooting. Jerry was from Nashville,TN and shot on a skeet team. I shot for a large Corporation.
We struck up conversation about various subjects, one of my subjects was metal detecting and treasure hunting. By the way I have a 50 and 100 patch from Winchester for 12 gauge.
Jerry called me several months later telling about someone who has a treasure on his farm and would I be interested in helping him locate it. My response was of course.
Talked to the gentleman farmer and decided on a date and price for travel & time. It was a Saturday morning @ Shoney's near Cumberland River, Nashville,TN.
We talked over breakfast and lotsa of coffee. It had been a 130 mile trip for me. I was to follow him to the farm. There was a lot of construction going on in downtown at the time "CB Radios Off" read the signs. I followed close, because Mr "x" was driving fast, l stayed close, little did I know Mr. "x" had blasting caps and 2 cases of dynamite in the trunk of his car.
We arrived at his farm which was actually in KY. A river or large creek we had crossed on a country rd. was the state line. The farm over looked the creek. He said he was going to hire some help at a local tobacco barn and left. Returning shortly with 2 black kids about 12-14 yrs old.
While he was gone to retrieve help I was looking around at the old pre-civil war home, barns etc. when a teenager came out and started talking about his Uncle. He told a couple of stories and then surprised me with one about his Uncle had just been released from a mental institution, and had talked about the "Treasure" for years before being committed. An obsession, he said.
Mr "X" got a tractor outta the barn, hooked a wagon up and said for me, the 2 helpers and the caps and DuPont Hercules boxes to "git in". We headed to the woods, over looking the creek.
I MADE my detector blare out a signal in a half dozen spots, marking them and the helpers would dig, and Mr. "X", would jump the caps and charge off the tractor battery. We blew holes all over the ridge top. Waawhump, waawhump, dirt & rock flew, the boys asked if I were some kind of scientist "NO"
I excused myself, and told him to keep digging and blasting the extra spots I had marked that I was going back to the house and call my wife that I would be late arriving home. I got into my car and LEFT!
Never did hear about anyone being blown to hell, or a vast treasure being discovered.
Gotta be careful out there, I'm not the threat, they are, or am I just paranoid?

 

[CreakyDigger]

I met Jerry while we were competition skeet shooting. Jerry was from Nashville,TN and shot on a skeet team. I shot for a large Corporation.
We struck up conversation about various subjects, one of my subjects was metal detecting and treasure hunting. By the way I have a 50 and 100 patch from Winchester for 12 gauge.
Jerry called me several months later telling about someone who has a treasure on his farm and would I be interested in helping him locate it. My response was of course.
Talked to the gentleman farmer and decided on a date and price for travel & time. It was a Saturday morning @ Shoney's near Cumberland River, Nashville,TN.
We talked over breakfast and lotsa of coffee. It had been a 130 mile trip for me. I was to follow him to the farm. There was a lot of construction going on in downtown at the time "CB Radios Off" read the signs. I followed close, because Mr "x" was driving fast, l stayed close, little did I know Mr. "x" had blasting caps and 2 cases of dynamite in the trunk of his car.
We arrived at his farm which was actually in KY. A river or large creek we had crossed on a country rd. was the state line. The farm over looked the creek. He said he was going to hire some help at a local tobacco barn and left. Returning shortly with 2 black kids about 12-14 yrs old.
While he was gone to retrieve help I was looking around at the old pre-civil war home, barns etc. when a teenager came out and started talking about his Uncle. He told a couple of stories and then surprised me with one about his Uncle had just been released from a mental institution, and had talked about the "Treasure" for years before being committed. An obsession, he said.
Mr "X" got a tractor outta the barn, hooked a wagon up and said for me, the 2 helpers and the caps and DuPont Hercules boxes to "git in". We headed to the woods, over looking the creek.
I MADE my detector blare out a signal in a half dozen spots, marking them and the helpers would dig, and Mr. "X", would jump the caps and charge off the tractor battery. We blew holes all over the ridge top. Waawhump, waawhump, dirt & rock flew, the boys asked if I were some kind of scientist "NO"
I excused myself, and told him to keep digging and blasting the extra spots I had marked that I was going back to the house and call my wife that I would be late arriving home. I got into my car and LEFT!
Never did hear about anyone being blown to hell, or a vast treasure being discovered.
Gotta be careful out there, I'm not the threat, they are, or am I just paranoid?

I've been on a few wild goose chases in my time, from plane trips to long drives. I'm thankfully they never involved dynamite! yikes!!

 

[flashs]

I've been on a few wild goose chases in my time, from plane trips to long drives. I'm thankfully they never involved dynamite! yikes!!

 

[Gare]

I have a place maybe 3 miles from me that has 3 old abandoned dynamite shacks.Now all this talk about Dynamite and blasting caps makes me wonder if any caps are laying loose around there. Does anyone have any Pictures of Blastingcaps so we can see what they look like ?

 

[flashs]

I've been detecting since early 70's... this happened on my second or third try hunting Civil War relics. A good friend and I were given permission to hunt a 40 acre site that was part of the battle of South Mountain.
The first trip there I jumped the fence and my first target was a US waist belt plate! WOW!
I went back the next day alone and hunted the pasture again, it was loaded with bullets, and I was digging them all over.
There was a house next door with about 4 or 5 dogs in a kennel who were barking at me non-stop. After about a half hour a man came out the back door and proceeded to beat hell out of the dogs then went back inside. This happened 3 or 4 times, and I paid it little attention.
A while later I was on my knees digging a target when I felt something bump the back of my head. Looking around to see what it was I was looking at the barrels of nasty looking double barrel shotgun in the hands of the neighbor. "I don't know who you are, but your leaving right now or I'll blow your brains out!" he said. He escorted me to my truck and I was told never come back.
I made it a mile or so down the road before I pulled over and sat there and shook for awhile.
Sometimes it just aint worth the price you pay.

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Ok I have two... maybe 10-12 years ago when it was still legal to detect in the forest preserves here... I was completely at peace in the middle of a very heavy treed area... Not a sound... working my way through and around some trees I looked up and saw what appeared to be two solid black marbles about 5 feet away... it was a deer and it was just looking right at me... scared the crap out of me... I froze...it looked gigantic... I started to back up very slowly and was able to get to a different area but MUCH more aware...

The second one... I was detecting in a public park rich area at the time... kind of changed a little now... but....anyways... moving along... light rain and all of a sudden I think crab apples or something falling from the trees... I keep moving and realize it is 3 landscapers throwing stuff at me... I just stopped gave them a look and thankfully they stopped...

 

[Dugk44]

This guy caught me by surprise one morning, no one around, could have been a bad day. There a couple places i won't hunt alone after that... this is one of them. Found this ring that same day.

 

[villagenut]

Got nothing on you guys......but I went out bottle digging many years ago, told. My wife I would be gone for about two hours to just scout a site with my probe. Left my phone in the car and time got away from me, hit a few good pits that kept me occupied for the next six hours.........Man I about died when I got home to a cold dinner and that LOOK... but that was just the beginning..Very dangerous fellows..... You all know what I mean......

 

[tomytye]

If you have been in any dangerous situations while detecting would you mind sharing the incidents with us. maybe it was animal related , Floods, Dangerous people

About 10 years ago maybe a few years less I had just paid around $2,500 for a Minelab CTX 3030 . I was detecting a park up near Akron Ohio and three guys came up to me and they looked like trouble . There was no one else around . I remember one tall person said "HEY WHITEY How much that GEIGER counter worth., Now i thought i was going to get robbed. I told them i had just got it last evening for 15 DOLLARS . To which he replied NOT worth it guys lets go. and they LEFT and then I LEFT LOL
Another time i was in a cane brake field near Vicksburg Mississippi and stepped on something thAT was wiggling under my sole. I had stepped on the tail end of a rattle snake. Not a very big one but it did not have to be . He was around a cane brake and trying to strike me. Mind you i had snakes chaps on but I still got very shakenup/.
Do you have any close calls you would care to share ?

Two weeks ago, still snow and ice was poking around on some trap rock ridges. Rocks baseball to pickup truck sized, sharp and jagged. Moving slow and careful. All of a sudden I’m airborne and horizontal. Landed hard on my left shoulder. Ow! Laid there a minute then went to get up and now I’m on my back sliding headfirst downhill. Kind of a bumpy ride. Started trying to jam my heels in any hole or crevice I could. Finally my right foot jams in a crack up to my knee and I jerk to a stop. (The whole time my minelab 800 held high in my right hand never touched anything and came out scratch free) I lay there a minute making sure my upper and lower leg are still connected and knee functioning. Yup. Laying on my left side, head downhill. I roll a little left and turn my head a bit more and realize my head is in open air and I’m looking straight down 50’-75’. I carefully set my machine down and got upright in a stable spot. Sat a few minutes to make sure nothing was broken or bleeding and take in the grand view before me then grabbed my machine and headed off the hill and back to the car and said yup, that’s enough treasure hunting for one day! I wish my destiny was on more gentle flat ground but I was back up there last Saturday with most of the snow and ice gone. Woo Hoo!!

 

[traveller777]

Two weeks ago, still snow and ice was poking around on some trap rock ridges. Rocks baseball to pickup truck sized, sharp and jagged. Moving slow and careful. All of a sudden I’m airborne and horizontal. Landed hard on my left shoulder. Ow! Laid there a minute then went to get up and now I’m on my back sliding headfirst downhill. Kind of a bumpy ride. Started trying to jam my heels in any hole or crevice I could. Finally my right foot jams in a crack up to my knee and I jerk to a stop. (The whole time my minelab 800 held high in my right hand never touched anything and came out scratch free) I lay there a minute making sure my upper and lower leg are still connected and knee functioning. Yup. Laying on my left side, head downhill. I roll a little left and turn my head a bit more and realize my head is in open air and I’m looking straight down 50’-75’. I carefully set my machine down and got upright in a stable spot. Sat a few minutes to make sure nothing was broken or bleeding and take in the grand view before me then grabbed my machine and headed off the hill and back to the car and said yup, that’s enough treasure hunting for one day! I wish my destiny was on more gentle flat ground but I was back up there last Saturday with most of the snow and ice gone. Woo Hoo!!

When conditions are like that heed the advise of that great sage Pete:

 

[crashbandicoot]

I have a place maybe 3 miles from me that has 3 old abandoned dynamite shacks.Now all this talk about Dynamite and blasting caps makes me wonder if any caps are laying loose around there. Does anyone have any Pictures of Blastingcaps so we can see what they look like ?

I never used any thing but military caps.They,re a metal cylinder about 3/16" or so in diam. and about 2" long.Your search engine is your friend!

 

[Deleted member 140734]

Most of the time while I am detecting I feel some danger. Since I hunt almost entirely in the woods sometimes miles from my car I have to worry about hunters and ticks. While detecting in the brush near wetlands I have flushed waterfowl towards hunters opposite to me. Deer hunters can be stationary, and I can push deer towards them, putting the deer between me and the gun. The deer get skittish when between two humans. And full on camo deer hunters in tree stands can scare the crap out of you. I hear plenty of shots and find many bullets, casings, and arrows. I come across dead deer, wounded and not retrieved. I pass my detector over skeletons to find rounds and arrow tips.

I usually like to get out when it gets cold enough to stop the ticks, and this corresponds to hunting season. Ticks cannot be underestimated where I live on eastern Long Island, NY. They carry so many debilitating diseases aside from Lyme's. I know of people admitted to the hospital for tick borne diseases attacking the heart muscle. There is also the alpha gal meat allergy transmitted by the lone star tick. Once you get it you cannot eat meat from cloven hooves without getting a reaction which closes off respiration.

I also see tremendous yellow jacket nests on the forest floor. One time I plunged my trowel into a nest while digging a target not realizing a nest was there. When the swam emerged I ran a forty yard dash, stopped to celebrate outrunning them, then they caught up with me and stung me 7 times around the neck.