Organised Metal detecting Vacations

[magjm]

I'm single and don't have a detecting partner. My clubs, I belong to 2, occassionally take group trips and I join whenever possible. What I'd really like would be group trips of the Jimmy Sierra type but here in the States. Anyone know of such a thing? Exploring around home, alone, is one thing but it sure helps to have a guide or group of like-minded for vacations. Yeah, I know, anyone who detects has to have a screw loose, or so I've been told by family, friends and rubber-neckers. Doesn't even need to be more than a quick get-away. I live in North Carolina but have travelled to Georgia, South Carolina, and even New York to detect. No, I'm not looking for romance. Quite happy single. Just another obsessed detectorist.

Maggie

 

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[Darren in NC]

NC residents?

Hi Maggie. Welcome to the forum. What area of NC do you live? Seems like we have quite a few guys and gals from NC who love metal detecting. I wonder how many would live close enough to form a detecting group that could indeed plan trips and outings.

For all those reading this, who lives in NC and in what area?

 

[magjm]

Darren,

I live West of Asheville and know several who live in Franklin and the Cherokee area. We're surrounded by State and Federal property so sometimes difficult to find a new hunt spot. I belong to two clubs-Greer South Carolina and the Blue Ridge group of Asheville/Fletcher/Hendersonville. Both meet once a month formally. The Blue Ridge group mainly takes field trips to Myrtle Beach. I like variety and when the same old schools, parks, etc. get boring it's good to get out of town for a few days. It sometimes leads to looking at home with a new perspective.

Maggie

 

[Darren in NC]

Actually, I'm pretty jealous, Maggie. I would kill to live out your way. There may not be much there in the way of coinshooting (unless I found a Bechtler coin!), but you are loaded with cache hunting and prospecting opportunities! Living in Raleigh is great for coinshooting and running to the beach for jewelry, but I'm not as interested in those things. Maybe we need to learn to be content with where we are and make the most of it

 

[southern gent]

I'm so close I could be from NC as well. Some of my hunting buddies have said " there's nowhere to hunt". Well my list has over thirty spots for land and twice as many for water. Much of what I hunt is in the local rivers. For some reason the guys were'nt thinking about the rivers. Our group, to speak on the original post, used to take trips to Myrtle several times a year. Lately it seems like the harvesters are doing a good job of cleaning up. The last few times I've been It was pittiful. I do enjoy the coast though, so I love to go anyway. I've always wanted to go out west Gost town hunting. There's an interesting trip. The club in spartanburg used to go down state Plantation hunting, but I have'nt seen any of them for a while so I don't know if they still do. The library may give you some good leads for out of town as well. I found an early american homestead through research. Now some of my buddies want to go with. Your close enough to lake lure, maybey you could get permmision to hunt it when they drain it again. The options are endless. Good luck, and let me know what you find. HH! Chris

 

[ChadsMach1]

I'm in Cary, NC. Just got a new Minelab Explorer that I'm still learning how to use. I do mostly beach and old home sites at the moment. I have a huge interest in some of the local treasure tales, and have been researching some getting ready to go try my luck.

 

[hrdy32]

Hello Maggie,

My name Is Chris and i live in Winston-Salem, n.c.. I have just got back into metal detecting a hobby i have loved for many yrs. I read your posting of not having a metal detecting partner and i myself do not have one. It is always better to hunt with someone who has the same intrest and i like you would love to take excursions, after some research, into the field to look for some really old and intresting things. I do not belong to a club frankly because winston-salem or my surrounding area's doesnt have one. If your still intrested in finding enough people for a weekend trip or whatever it is you would like please keep me informed. Thank you and have a great day.

Chris

 

[magjm]

I know I got a few responses but had a recent kink in my mobility. My mother became ill and I had to rush out of town Now have her with me so I'm into care-giver mode and much less time to swing the detector. Did get to the parks around her home a bit in SW NY early in October but no great finds. I heard beaches in Florida are yielding good things post hurricanes. Leave something for me to find if I ever get there.

Maggie

 

[southern gent]

Good luck Magjm. I know how tough it is to care for someone. Still, you need your time. I wish you all the best and keep us posted. HH! Chris

 

[warthog steve]

8)HI MAGGIE-WARTHOG STEVE HERE,I LIVE IN MICHIGAN-SOME PEOPLE HAVE THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY TOO;THAT IS;UNTIL I SHOWED THEM MY CASES FULL OF FOUND RINGS AND OLD COINS!!I ENVY YOU FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THE SOUTHERN STATES THIS TIME OF YEAR;YOU CAN GET OUTSIDE ALL YEAR WITHOUT DRESSING UP LIKE NANOOK OF THE NORTH!!A WORD OF ADVICE:SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY ANYTHING TO GET WHAT THEY WANT;BE CAREFUL,AND OH BY THE WAY;FIND SOMETHING GOOD FOR ME!! 8)

 

[welly]

Hi Maggie.
it's a pity you don't live in the UK. I am desprite to try metel detecting but don't know where to start. do you need permission of the land owner? I would love any advice.
Welly

 

[magjm]

Welly,

Here in the States the best place to start is public property such as schools and parks, but check local laws first. When I first started hunting in my mother's home town, I went to the local city hall and asked. I still carry the card of the Officer I talked to, just in case. Rules do change. Even when it is legal to hunt a certain area, you can still be challenged and ask to leave. I try to quietly state my case, and then leave.

Never hunt on private property without permission of owner, preferably in writing. Web pages have sample forms. I started on my own property, practising my pinpointing and digging before moving on. Demonstrating what you do may help, or perhaps the owner has lost something in the past.

It's much easier to start close to home where you know the area, and have access to people who know the history. I keep going back to the same old places with different detectors, different coils, or to different areas of the parks. I think the familiarlity improves my technique. I don't need to worry if the next grounds keeper is going to tell me to leave, since I've been there so often, I've spoken to most of them. Always a thrill to find a nice ring at that old worked out spot.

Still, I do like to travel. I don't have much chance to do relic hunting where I live. Wrong part of the state, and beach hunting is also a welcome change. Hopefully I'll get out there soon. I just got out to a local park today for an hour, for the first time in 2 weeks. It's good for stress reduction, a taste of fresh air, and gets the joints moving.

Maggie