Newbie needing some help

[Foxtrot197]

Hello all. I am a newbie to SERIOUS hunting . I have toyed with metel detectors over the years but nothing that lasted more than a couple weeks. I was hurt in the line of duty back in 01 and was paralized etc. I have regained my health enough where I can walk and do things. Fortunatly I have access to some old archives from my old work and for a couple years I researched certain keywords in hopes to possibly find good spots in the tristate area. I am in Maryland. It was a goal so to speak to start hunting and I am at that point now. Through research I was able to obtain some information that many do not or can not access but not to say all the tales in the archives are true. However this is what I have found and where I am at with 1 of my cache searches and my concerns are laws and also maybe claims.

Through research I located pictures that HCS (what you guys call homeland security now) had taken and one had a tree that was carved up they guys called a bible tree. For security related purposes they had to take that and other trees down in that area however I did get the complete snapshots of it and deciphered iot with help of a senior analyst to the best of his ability . in turn I compiled a location witch was wrong and then snooping the internet and watching over you guys speak I reversed the map and took my detector to the new location and I found a pointer type object with a whole in the center. Here is my concerns and let me thank anyone in advance for their help . the site seems great and a lot of good people are here .So i guess I am coming out of the closet that I am now a new serious treasure hunter .

The pointer I found I am guessing I would take and place it on the map and reverse the poles and spin a circle with it and where the lines cross would be payment caches ? well the pointer was located in a state park out in the country within only 15 miles of where I live on the edge of said park. !st am I legal to detect there ? I am sure I could possibly get a pass if confronted and not fined witch leads me to a second question. If I locate gold coins on state park land must I turn them in or split said funds with them ? This leads me to a 3rd but honest question, If a person just pops up with old coins what is the best route for liquidation and must a provenence be provided ?

From the research I have done I believe that each or any caches I locate I take the same pointer to that location and start again . This would be stashes from a offset group called the KGC and the pointer was located where the tree said and within that area (an area nobody has been to i would say since civil way time ) i also located a few artifacts buried . I am using old detectors that the tech guys at the cage supped up for me but they seem to work great. I have me and my wife of 25yrs marriage doing this and I am retired so out of the 17 cache type treasures I compiled intel on over the years I have 5 that are very strong prospects . We are using machines called Garrett that a branch of my old work used to locate shell casings and the guys in the cage made alterations to caps and diods etc to suposibly make them more effective . They are Garrett model American AM2 with Groundhog X co planer coils . Are these effective units ?

I only get my social security and a small pention so I can not afford the fancy units that many of you guys talk about but my units are as brand new and hyped up a little for me the guys said. Also what inexpensive hand wands do they make and is there a used section for equiptment like that ? Are there any laws or bilaws that I must be concerned about and also what about crossing state lines as 1 hunt is right on the Md Del border. Lastly should I obtain a business lic and or Tax ID for this new hobby as I will be putting over 40hrs a week in so I was wondering if I should obtain a sales and precious metals licence or must I obtain one ? I am aware that many of these things will be gone by now but I think with a lot of hard work and time I will uncover some nice finds maybe . Oh also is there a kit or conversion pieces I can use to make one of these units fully waterproof as I have wold class submarine cameras a Admiral gave me many many years ago I would like to make a ROV out of .I am thinking that will be better for another thread. Thanks in advance for any advise and its finally nice to talk to the people I have been reading about for so long.

25% of what we find will go to wounded warrior foundation and another 25% will go to St Judes medical center and 15% will go to our church and 10% will go to the homeless we already help when we can if that makes any difference in bilaws

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Welcome, and Good Luck!

 

[BARKER]

Hi Foxtrot197; First things first ok. The first thing is "WOOOOW, NELLY." I have learned after 48 years of doing this that you "MUST" take things "ONE STEP AT A TIME" ok. What you Posted "is" a headfull for even the most Senior Hunters here, myself included. We will be glad to help. Thing is you MUST slow down a bit ok. By tomorrow you will have a number of guys here who will respond to you with pertinent info ok. We will try to answer your question piece by piece. REMEMBER: "Rome was not built in a day. If it was I would have hired the Contractor." You will get good SOLID responses in this manner here ok. So with that said I wish you good luck. I can't wait to see your future Posts.
Folks, Now it's your turn guys. What say ye ?? PEACE:RONB

PS: Glad your feeling better.

 

[Foxtrot197]

how can I wipe this thread and start smaller ones as I have many many more questions but I do understand one at a time . I must admit after reading the forums for eaons its seems like and soaking that in . finally when I posted i was a bit excided and over did it. thanks

 

[Terry Soloman]

No need to start again Foxtrot. Let's start with a good metal detector for you. The old Garrett machines you are using may be OK, but you need to think about getting some newer technology that is lighter, and more effective. Most cache finds are too deep for 95% of the metal detectors available, and a Minelab GPZ with a 24" coil is going to run you around $9,000.00 +

I suggest that you set a budget for equipment so that we can make targeted suggestions.

 

[Foxtrot197]

No need to start again Foxtrot. Let's start with a good metal detector for you. The old Garrett machines you are using may be OK, but you need to think about getting some newer technology that is lighter, and more effective. Most cache finds are too deep for 95% of the metal detectors available, and a Minelab GPZ with a 24" coil is going to run you around $9,000.00 +

I suggest that you set a budget for equipment so that we can make targeted suggestions.

Yea terry I am not within that budget at all. the tech guys at the cage said they took my garret machins and modified them from about $ to 6 inches to 12 inches but thats the best the can update them . I really can not afford new detectors as I have limited income and 2 mtgs to pay . Part of the reason I got into this field is the minimal funds needed , I can come up with a nickle or a grandif need be for the pieces I am missing but I am hoping with the couple years of researchch that I would be able to target the finds the way I did the pointer. until I get a good amount of padding built up .What is the cheapest the hand wands sell for being a quality unit ? can i get something of quality for a couple hundred each ? 9 grand is honestly way out of my reach right now

 

[Tom_in_CA]

foxtrot, you are asking too many questions on a single post. The answers that folks here could give their opinions on, would be 3x as long

I'm highly skeptical of any treasure legends, secret codes, superstitions and folklore, etc... But assume for the minute you "hit the mother lode". Then to answer your other questions:

If you asked enough of those state pencil pusher bureaucrat archies: "Is it ok to detect there?" and "can I take this home for my own fun and profit ?" They would say "absolutely not" (even if no actual rule said that) and "You must turn it in to lost & found" (to be in technical keeping with your state's lost & found laws, cultural heritage, etc....) Ok. That's the technical answer.

Or were you preferring the realistic answer ?

 

[Terry Soloman]

...What is the cheapest the hand wands sell for being a quality unit ? can i get something of quality for a couple hundred each ? 9 grand is honestly way out of my reach right now

What is a "hand wand?"

 

[bigfoot1]

welcome and know that I applaud you for going for it.the groundhog unit will get you up and running.You will need to put some time in to become profiecient with it.It should be able to locate a large target to about 12-14 inches.the larger the target the deeper it will detect it.for our purposes lets call a toaster a large target.Following is a hypothetical story with some nuggets of wisdom that every seasoned hunter already knows.....

Joe has some inside info about a valuable cashe.Fortunately he told no one anything about his plans or research.Joe would go and detect like any other coin hunter and always wore a day pack(just in case)Joe never asked for specific advice about legality from ANY public servant.joe knows its usually better to ask forgiveness than permission when dealing with public land.He did the research on laws quietly on his computer.

One fateful day ol' joe found his intended target.He quickly and quietly placed it in his small back pack and went home.He told no one save perhaps his wife whom he swore to secrecy.Joe researched each coin on ebay(sold units)and compared the conditions etc to his and made adjustments.Joe sold those coins 3 or 4 at a time at coin stores and coin shows.Those were joe's coins from his dads collection.

joe spent his hard earned money as he saw fit.....the end


there you have it.the life of a cashe hunter is a quiet and lonely enterprise....good luck foxtrot !!!
p.m. me if any non public questions arise....

 

[Foxtrot197]

I am a total newbie in the field of hunting so please bear with my wording as i am trying to be vernacular with what objects I see and how they are used. I have watched videos of professionals in the detecting field and when they get a hit they usually place their main unit down and use a small pencil type of detector thats small . Thats what I was trying to refer to by saying hand wand. I have not come across the proper name for the micro sized detector . Thank you for the inquiry

 

[bigfoot1]

they are called pinpointers.they make it quicker to find small objects in the hole and loose dirt.not required but nice to have.garret propointer is under 130.00 the sponser vendors here will treat you right.it is by far the most popular one in the world.

 

[Foxtrot197]

yes great story and I fully understand err ummm Joes problem would be outside the small bits he found in drawers that are normal to be viewed what he is searching for his father had all of but a couple that the public has ever seen and they would be very noticeble to collectors and to melt them would kill the value by 95% . Yes I fully understand and HEY THIS IS MORE ABOUT THE ENJOYMENT AND FUN OF BEING THE INDIANA JONES AND THE ODDS OF ME REALLY FINDING WHAT I WANT ARE FAR SHORT OF A PIPE DREAM BUT THE TRACKS ARE LINING UP SO THIS ADVENTURE IN LIFE SO FAR HAS BEEN GREAT AND IS THIS NOT WHAT ITS ABOUT ? yes will pm you in a bit. if joe finds them they are going to ask joe where and press on him a bit i would think.

 

[Foxtrot197]

thank you so much , pinpointers yes thats what I need. Thank you so much and yes will check the sponcers and also is there and second hand section where i could get like a $500 one for like $200 or so ? is there a section here with second hand equiptment ?

 

[BARKER]

Hi Foxtrot; No need to apologize. We know your new so no problems ok. We here will help you all We can. Bigfoot is giving you some SOLID advice. First, DO NOT "EVER" talk to a Public Official, especially the Rangers ok. They "will" BAN you, try to confiscate your gear, hit you with Fines etc.. We here know this from sad experience ok. I also understand and do appreciate your enthusiasm. I know that feeling well. I think we all do. The best way for us to help you is piece by piece ok. First, the Garrett Groundhog is a good starter detector. Use it to make smaller finds like Clad coins and jewelry until it adds up, and it sure does, to enough to buy a decent newer detector here. I recommend a Whites DFX. You can get one used for about $450. The Dealers usually throw in headphones for free ok. Fort Bedford Detectors is my dealer. His name is Keith. Nice guy. He'll take care of you ok.
About Pin Pointers. We use them AFTER We have gotten a signal and dug a nice neat plug to locate the small object in the hole. Makes digging easier, prevents you from hitting your find with your trowel, called "scoring" your find and you can dig faster because it takes you less time to retrieve your find ok. The Garrett ProPointer ATX is the one to get PERIOD ok. $130. It will pay for its self in time saved ok.
So now you know about the proverbial Law, Public Official rules we follow and what hand wands are called, Pin Pointers, and the best one to get and it's price and how to save up for a new detector ok.
Now your really in the swing of things. Welcome Aboard.!!! We here will be glad to answer all your questions ok. Just be gentle, I'm getting old.!!! One last thing is that We have a Golden Rule here. "ALWAYS" fill in your holes.!!! I don't care where you are. In a park, on a beach, in the woods or 100' underwater. FILL IN YOUR HOLES ok. That's about it. .Good Luck. I, we, look forward to your Posts here ok. PEACE:RONB

PS: YES there is a large used Classifieds Forum here. At the top of your Page you will see where it says Forums. Click on it. Follow the screen to the bottom and you will see the Classifieds Forum Link ok. PEACE:RONB

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.....Following is a hypothetical story with some nuggets of wisdom that every seasoned hunter already knows..... Joe has some inside info about a valuable cashe....

Good post bigfoot1. I liked your "hypothetical Joe" story But your "Joe" is not answering the technical question. It might be the realistic answer, but not the technical one. Because if the question was/is: "what are the laws regarding such & such...." , then Jose hasn't abided. Ie.: IRS laws, lost & found laws, perhaps cultural heritage laws (depending on what type land he found it on, and the age of the coins), etc... Shame on Joe, eh ?

 

[G.I.B.]

Get a basic detector, one you can afford.

Find enough stuff to afford a better detector.

Wash, rinse, repeat.

Once you have a really fantastic detector, move onto step two.

 

[ScubaDetector]

I have one major question. What line of duty were you paralyzed in in 2001?

 

[bigfoot1]

Good post bigfoot1. I liked your "hypothetical Joe" story But your "Joe" is not answering the technical question. It might be the realistic answer, but not the technical one. Because if the question was/is: "what are the laws regarding such & such...." , then Jose hasn't abided. Ie.: IRS laws, lost & found laws, perhaps cultural heritage laws (depending on what type land he found it on, and the age of the coins), etc... Shame on Joe, eh ?

agreed tom.I feel the need to change the question as only a team of cpas and an antiquity law expert would touch those with a ten foot pole.The level of complexity should prolly be reduced and simplification argued for here.I know that you know the drill on such a quest.not easy for the expierienced,daunting for the new.hows this for ultra simple;
1)shhhhh
2)learn whatever machine you are destined to use
3)shhhhh
4)limit sales number per transaction
5)shhhhh

 

[Tom_in_CA]

..... only a team of cpas and an antiquity law expert would touch those with a ten foot pole.....

Precisely . Which is exactly why we md'rs need to consult CPAs, the IRS, and archie antiquity law lawyers, before we set out to metal detect. Afterall, you "can't be too safe" , right ?

 

[BARKER]

Hi Tom_in_CA; a few hypothetical things. If we here reported every good find we made then NONE of us would have ANY good finds left. Let's turn Our good stuff over to the Police. Let them Investigate the finds circumstances. Then if any Law was broken then We should be Charged with a Criminal Offence and have Our gear confiscated as Evidence. That is the Lost & Found Laws in action. Sound Good ?? On the IRS Laws, If we sell a find then by all means Pay Your Taxes as Capital Gain ok. I Always believe in Respecting a Peoples Cultural Heritage and we should do the Right thing by them always. In this case Foxtrot is not talking about any Cultural Heritage items. He is talking about the KGC having buried money ages ago. I agree that if he were to make a find then he should pay the taxes AFTER any sale of found items. So it is, though I may be wrong, that there is no shame on Joe. I also stand by my suggestion NOT to talk to Public Officials about getting permission to hunt a given area Unless it is Posted as No Trespassing. I think We all have said the same thing at one point or another. Public officials will only do one thing. Tell you NO, Create a Law BANNING detecting and impose Fines. I've seen it happen here sadly many times.
I honestly do wish that was not the case but it is. I would love to see the Passing of the Trove Laws such as England has but alas that is not the case ok. PEACE:RONB