Nice guy

[deepseeker3]

There was an older home for sale and I was riding by on my bike so i stopped and asked the lady outside if I could detect. She gave me the "I'll have to ask my husband line", so I stopped back later and caught the hubby. He was OK with me detecting after I did some explaining. I told him he could split up what I found as he found appropriate. Anyway, as I am finding stuff, he is running off with them. I thought it a bit strange, maybe he was hiding them thinking it was the only way to keep the stuff.

When I finished he brought me over to the car in the driveway, and showed me how he had laid everything out for us to look at!



For a house built in 1937, there was not doodle. Some clads and two wheats! He kept one wheat and gave me the rest. Nice guy, nice day.

 

[treblehunter]

I'm struggling with the, "letting them decide what to keep". I had two of my best large cent, 1844 and large copper King George, 1752 get confiscated after I showed the owner. He then informed me the next weekend that "the historical society advised me to stop the digging, there will be no more digging" This place was seeped with history, but the owner really was a greedy person. (there was much more to the story) Now I find myself not wanting to show the owner. I wanted to tell the greedy creep to cover his eyes while I put them back. I have told people that I showed stuff in the past that "really I want to keep this, this is not easy, you could always go spend 600 bucks and try and find it yourself, not to mention all the digging, but I'll show you and then we will decide how to divide it up" The majority of the people just tell me to keep everything. I wasn't this bad until that guy took my LC's.

 

[g-olden years]

deepseeker3 & treblehunter, you 2 guys sure had opposite experiences with owners! My emotions reading this went from wondering how uptight ds-3 may have felt as the old fellow ran off with all the finds to laughing when ds-3 learned the old guy's laid them out & offered ds3 everything; then I felt really angry with the greedy guy t-hunter described as I can barely imagine a homeowner being that nasty! I've yet to detect on private property as can't get over my feeling that to ask is somehow an invasion of privacy, plus my dislike of hearing the word, "no", lol. But if I were detecting private property, my instinct would be to put a few of my best finds in my pocket without showing them to the owner, then spread everything out to offer the owner a pick of half of what he saw. My instinct of hiding the best finds may not be popular, but that's how I feel -- unless I'd made a prior verbal agreement with the owner to show him everything! One guy here on t-net has made wonderful display boxes of some of his finds on certain properties to give to their very kind owners - a practice I'd also like to copy if I ever dig private property. Have Fun, guys! Andi

 

[TNGUNS]

I don't know if it is just different in my part of the country or what. Seldom ever have such problems. Most just give me the go-ahead and I hunt. I always try to share after the hunt and even that is sometimes refused. Most land owners seem truly happy and well rewarded when you do share though. I do get the occasional "no" but that is OK. I have had some offer to let me hunt if I split, or even worse, let them decide what I can keep after they inspect it. I respectfully refuse. Fortunate enough to live in a small rural county where many folks actually know me or we will have common acquaintances. Have no doubt that makes it much easier.

 

[Ahab8]

This is the beauty of where I live in Maine. I can drive 15 minutes in any direction and be on a huge state owned parcel of land. Maine buys up giant pieces of land for the public to use and enjoy . Some of these places have some very serious history. The towns also are great at creating lots of hiking trails and public areas for us. 88% of my hunting is done at these sites. Good luck guys. People are not always easy to deal with....but it is there property and unfortunately they decide

 

[Vino]

This is the beauty of where I live in Maine. I can drive 15 minutes in any direction and be on a huge state owned parcel of land. Maine buys up giant pieces of land for the public to use and enjoy . Some of these places have some very serious history. The towns also are great at creating lots of hiking trails and public areas for us. 88% of my hunting is done at these sites. Good luck guys. People are not always easy to deal with....but it is there property and unfortunately they decide

Great place to hunt if you want to get frost bite in September. ...lol.
J.K Abe...

 

[WHADIFIND]

It only takes one to spoil the barrel. Back when I was starting out I had found a rather nice graduation ring. It had a very unique name inscribed. I thought I would try to locate the owner. I did. We met and, honestly, I was probably expecting some sort of reward at least. After all, I could cash it for scrap gold. What did I know? I was young back then. LOL

Anyway, longer story shorter. He showed me the ring he'd bought to replace the original. It looked like any ring that had been worn for 30 years. The one I found? Looked brand new! He said, thank you and left. My mouth dropped open and I swore that from then on ANYthing I find, is MINE! Never, would I try to return something again! LOL

Of course, I grew up and grew out of that, (to some degree). Still, I have the attitude that it is mine first! Then, if I want to, I might try to find the owner.

Glad it worked out for you, this time.

 

[Ahab8]

Great place to hunt if you want to get frost bite in September. ...lol. J.K Abe...

Sadly you're not kidding buddy lol. Everything evens out in the end

 

[garviso8]

I really don't understand this giving it back to the one that lost it business .if I see someone drop something or if I can help someone locate something with my detector when asked ,great happy to oblige. but finding something long lost and going thru the trouble of trying to locate someone ,for some kind of feeling of gratitude from a stranger, seems like someone who needs a hug to me. enjoy your good fortune and move on. sorry just my opinion hh

 

[Ahab8]

I really don't understand this giving it back to the one that lost it business .if I see someone drop something or if I can help someone locate something with my detector when asked ,great happy to oblige. but finding something long lost and going thru the trouble of trying to locate someone ,for some kind of feeling of gratitude from a stranger, seems like someone who needs a hug to me. enjoy your good fortune and move on. sorry just my opinion hh

When somebody is nice enough to allow you to hunt "there" property you have to come to some terms of the hunt. It does all belong to them after all and if they don't let you hunt there you're assured of one thing.... That's that you won't find one thing from there property. So if somebody's gonna be kind enough to allow some stranger with a detector to dig up there yard they should certainly be allowed to get something. I just think their needs to be some agreement made before the hunt so everybody knows what to expect and if somebody isn't happy said terms they can say thanks but no thanks. I think leaving things up in the air causes most of the issues

 

[WHADIFIND]

When somebody is nice enough to allow you to hunt "there" property you have to come to some terms of the hunt.

Understood, but I don't believe that's the general issue at hand here. If someone has received permission to hunt, of course it's their yard. So, consideration needs to be done. But, I was speaking more in general. Like finding a ring in a park/beach etc.

I also think that's where garviso8 was coming from too. If I find a ring with a name in it, I might try to find the owner or a family member if it's historical. BUT, this ring that I uncovered through my own work and expense, is mine first! THEN, maybe, I'll try for a return.

Returns make good copy for stories and we can use all the help we can get to keep this hobby in a good light. Still, it's my option.

 

[Ahab8]

Understood, but I don't believe that's the general issue at hand here. If someone has received permission to hunt, of course it's their yard. So, consideration needs to be done. But, I was speaking more in general. Like finding a ring in a park/beach etc. I also think that's where garviso8 was coming from too. If I find a ring with a name in it, I might try to find the owner or a family member if it's historical. BUT, this ring that I uncovered through my own work and expense, is mine first! THEN, maybe, I'll try for a return. Returns make good copy for stories and we can use all the help we can get to keep this hobby in a good light. Still, it's my option.

I apologize I missed part of this thread. I was referring to a homeowner allowing us to hunt. I agree that if we find something like dog tags or anything that's easily able to be tracked down its prob the thing to do. But there is certainly a point where you did the hard work and it belongs to you. It's mind blowing that somebody could be so cold after you went to the trouble of reuniting them with something nice that they lost. I'd be so thankful if someone did that for me. But some are different I suppose.

 

[Pointman]

I've had different experiences, but when I find that a landowner wants everything I move on. Typically, I will ask if they had lost jewelry and I will also ask them how long they have lived at the place in order to determine if I would give up a piece of jewelry or if I find something with a name on it to give them. On one owner I gave him a picture of a baby that I found in a very small frame. I would have probably gave him a gold locket with a picture of the baby as well, but I can understand if someone wouldn't. I never give up coins, or offer them unless they are a few wheat cents.

Two weeks ago, I offered the homeowner a token that I found that was of the Modern Woodmen of the World because in conversations with him he had worked for them for years. I just use judgment when dealing with people.

On one property the homeowner had lost a baby ring. There were 3 lots and my hunting partner found a gold baby ring across the street from where they thought it was lost. I told him they were looking for a baby ring, but I didn't pressure him into showing him. I let him make up his own mind.

 

[coinman123]

 

[Old Dude]

Apparently the poster not understanding how we could give something back has either never lost anything valuable to them or has just never found anything valuable to someone else. You are absolutely right Abe about feeling grateful to someone that allows us to hunt on their property, and if they wanted something I found, I would feel obligated to do so because I have certainly had my share of no's. As a matter of fact, I probably would be the one saying no if the tables were reversed lol. It seems many older owners ask me if they can see what I find but never want anything. They are just curious as to what I find, and usually say " It just doesn't seem worth all the time you spent in getting these". I always smile and tell them you never know if you don't try and thanks for the chance.

 

[MichiganMan]

I'm struggling with the, "letting them decide what to keep". I had two of my best large cent, 1844 and large copper King George, 1752 get confiscated after I showed the owner. He then informed me the next weekend that "the historical society advised me to stop the digging, there will be no more digging" This place was seeped with history, but the owner really was a greedy person. (there was much more to the story) Now I find myself not wanting to show the owner. I wanted to tell the greedy creep to cover his eyes while I put them back. I have told people that I showed stuff in the past that "really I want to keep this, this is not easy, you could always go spend 600 bucks and try and find it yourself, not to mention all the digging, but I'll show you and then we will decide how to divide it up" The majority of the people just tell me to keep everything. I wasn't this bad until that guy took my LC's.

It is their place. And you are a guest on their property. Everything belongs to them. It is not yours. If the owner wants to see everything you dig and you keep back some then you are a thief.

 

[cjon455]

I stuff my keepers in my underwear lol.........

Just kidding of course, but I cringe showing owners sometimes in fear of what they'd want to keep, so far I haven't had to give up anything good, except a ring I gladly gave back to the owner