Nearly Skunked At The Tot Lot.....Literally

[Ryan1979]

I hit up the local tot lot last night after work at about 1 am. I was detecting the sand around the jungle gym and I caught some movement out of the left corner of my eye. I figured it was a cat coming to check out what I was doing, I turned my head and my heart dropped! It was a huge skunk that was about the size of a small bear! He looked at me. I looked at him. Luckily, he was facing me. He was only about 6 feet away! Slowly, he raised his tail.....and I ran like hell!! After I was about 50 yards away with him still looking at me, he turned around and waddled away. He checked out a few trash cans in a dark part of the park and then disappeared. Wow was I ever lucky that I saw him when I did! I would have been in HUGE trouble with the wife if I'd come home with that smell on me. After he left I continued detecting the sands and ended up with 17 pennies, 2 dimes, and 1 quarter.

Mr. Skunk was the last thing I expected to be interrupted by at 1 am. I think he heard me digging around in the sand and came to see what I was up to. I've been kind of paranoid at this lot because it is in a ghetto area. Two nights ago a drunk homeless type was pestering me and I had to give him some choice advice on leaving me alone and finding somewhere else to hang out. He left quickly after that and I haven't seen him since. Then some local toughs came by and inquired as to what I was doing.

"Digging for buried treasure"

"Really"

"Yep"

"Find anything"

"8 pennies"

"You should go to that other park over there (they pointed), it's bigger and more people hang there"

"Thanks guys, I didn't know there was another park that close"

"All right, later"

So, the local toughs are now giving hints as to where the real loot is stashed. I'm going to hit this one up here in another couple of nights.

It is kind of freaky wearing the headphones and not being able to hear people come up on me. I've gotten pretty good at glancing around every few seconds to make sure that the homies aren't doing the belly-crawl to get close and jack me for my measly 50 cents in clad. Maybe it's time to get the concealed-carry permit. Then again, who needs a gun when you can whack them with the ACE250, swung like a baseball bat. That coil is heavy!

Til next time,

Ryan1979

 

[haboo]

LoL......Almost had to take a tomato bath ..... What are you thinking? 1:00 AM in a Park in the Ghetto! Your asking for trouble. I would know, I grew up in the inner city of Baltimore.

Anyhow, congrats on your finds, and not having to take a tomato bath.

 

[Ryan1979]

LoL......Almost had to take a tomato bath ..... What are you thinking? 1:00 AM in a Park in the Ghetto! Your asking for trouble. I would know, I grew up in the inner city of Baltimore.

Anyhow, congrats on your finds, and not having to take a tomato bath.

What am I thinking? I hear that from my wife every time I go out after dark. She thinks I'm nuts. She always says something like, "Now? They're going to shoot you."

I reply with something like, "Maybe, but I'm hard to kill."

She ends the conversation with a sarcastic, "Yeah."

Here is kind of what I'm thinking. I don't think anyone else hunts this park because they're all scared. For me that equals lots of buried treasure and it's all for me! I have yet to see anyone in the park with a MD'er. I like to go at night because then I don't have tons of people breathing down my neck and asking me what I've found. So far, so good.

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Where I live those things happen during the day! Have talked to gang members...bums all the time...seen just about every animal that runs wild around here....including a skunk... good work on sticking it out. I have received good tips from the bums...almost all the parks I hunt have them...and they also keep an eye out and tell me when and where people detect...

 

[haboo]

After reading you post, The image I got was the park from where I grew up. I'm not sure how the parks are up your way, but In b-more it's not a place you want to be after dark.

1st... their is a sunset curfew
2nd... gang/drug dealers controlled after dark
3rd... In a Cops perspective, their is only 1 reason your are in their, to buy/sell drugs

Be it as it may, no more city life for me......lol. I will never give up the peace and quit found in the country.

Well hope you find that lost cache.....and keep safe.

 

[Ricardo_NY1]

No concealed permits to an average Joe in this gun paranoid city, but my digging knife is my second line of defense. I agree about the 250 making a good baseball bat, but that would ruin it. Instead, I'm carrying my Lesche 28" Ground Shark these days (Helps dig those deeper ones), and let me tell you, that thing has the kind of heft I feel is perfect for the application we speak of. I myself have detected at those midnight hours, and will, especially when it starts to get colder. Congrats on the finds.

 

[Nick A]

Forget the skunk, that's minor compared to getting shot, stabbed, or beaten!

Parks here are "closed" at dark. If the cops see you they'll run you out.
I agree with others that night hunting parks, especially in a dodgy area of town is not a safe thing to do, but that's your choice to make.

And if you're hunting a tot lot for clad it's especially not worth it IMO. There are easier ways to find $5 in clad without risking your life or your health. Make sure you have good health insurance and a life insurance policy if you are determined to continue.

 

[MarkDz]

People don't often talk to me while I'm detecting (then again, I'm usually on the outskirts of civilization). Whenever I'm in a park or a visible field, though, I swear 4/5 of the people who approach me say, "HEY! Find any gold coins?" When I tell them the truth (i.e., "Nah, just an old beat-up spoon") they usually walk away shaking their heads. They don't realize I LIKE beat-up spoons...

 

[Colonial KirkPA]

Forget the skunk, that's minor compared to getting shot, stabbed, or beaten!

Parks here are "closed" at dark. If the cops see you they'll run you out.
I agree with others that night hunting parks, especially in a dodgy area of town is not a safe thing to do, but that's your choice to make.

And if you're hunting a tot lot for clad it's especially not worth it IMO. There are easier ways to find $5 in clad without risking your life or your health. Make sure you have good health insurance and a life insurance policy if you are determined to continue.

Exactly! Noooow, if there were gold coins littered around the place, go for it!

 

[ScrewcapRoy]

Hello Ryan,
I can relate to your night hunts but not at that hour. Since it has been dark when I have the opportunity to hunt I use a head light and haven't come across anyone yet that has bothered me. I also almost got skunked last week but something must have scared it (coyote) as I smelled him from a distance. I would love to go back to where I grew up and hunt but too dangerous. Safety is the first concern and my wife also gives me grief when I head out at night. Sometimes the fix gets the better of us so stay safe and HH.
Roy

 

[bushlight]

I had to give the dog a tomato bath a fews years back.Weird seeing a white dog go red when you pour the juice on there.But she did smell a little better.