Rant about buddies!

[LaRoper]

How many of you out there has put lots of time into research to find great places to detect, the work hard getting permission from the owner of the land, then invite you friend to a fun filled day of detecting with some great finds. Then you return to your area after being away for a while and find the sight that you have worked hard to locate to find out your friend has returned to your location with his buddy's and hit the place hard. I now will no longer ever ever bring anyone or even hint that I have a great new area. I love to detect with other people and enjoy seeing their discovery's, but I'm afraid my days of detecting with anyone are over.
Would you feel the same way? Do you think I'm taking things a little overboard? I figure there are some great people out there, but when do you know you can trust them?


LR

 

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[jeff of pa]

LOL, Try Mace

jk I try to choose my hunting partners well.

they pretty much know if it is a private hunt, or public hunt.
there is no real research involved in finding a pubic park,
ball field, etc. & in most cases permission isn't even involved,
so it's open season to people I don't know.
so why not let it be open to my friends .

If it's an area I had to obtain permission, or do deep research,
the people I hunt with think like I do.
It's their permission, their site.

 

[vpnavy]

I haven't experienced that LaRoper. Like jeff of pa - I try to choose my hunting partners well. FWIW - I always enjoy MD'ng with a partner so I would probably give it another try but try to discuss what you expect for all your research, permission gathering, etc. before you hit your new site.

 

[justdon]

I have not gotten permission to hunt anyones land yet.But it looks like i have a farm lined up.If it turns out to be a good spot which i think it will.Nobody else will know about it but me.I like to go solo all the time.A bad person can ruin your relationship with the land owner.And you can end up loosin a good spot.If you find a good spot it can sometimes turn a buddy into a buzzard or vulture.

 

[LaRoper]

I know what y'all mean. I made the mistake of thinking he would think like me, if its someone else's spot I would never go there unless invited. I will probably take someone that lives a good distance away, but I will never invite someone in my area again. Chalk it up to lesson learned.
LR

 

[birdman]

Yea,that is a dirty deed for sure. I would be flying solo as well if I got done that way..

 

[Hunters Haven-NC]

I believe your friend was wrong to assume he could go without you. When I find a spot and I tell my friend I always make it clear that's it's to remain between the two of us. I don't assume he knows that. I want to hear him affirm it. That way if the trust was broken it would be the end of sharing info. I expect him to do the same to me. " Are we clear?, Crystal clear" ! Did your friend admit he went back without you or could it have been someone else altogether. Don't assume that either. I was hunting a spot behind my house that my friend knew about and found dig holes that weren't filled in with the shotgun caps left beside the hole. I know it wasn't him because his detector was in the shop for repairs. So the bottom line is make the boundaries clear and don't assume anything. There are good people out there who can be trusted. I put myself in that category but I admit they are hard to come by.

 

[CoilyGirl]

I'm lucky to have my husband as a hunting partner so he knows better,lol, but yeah,that is a low blow and I'msorry that happened to you and no ,I don't think you're over reacting.

 

[Jeremy S]

These are the only hunting partners that I have. They only come with me when I detect around my 1920s farmhouse and the barns. They perform a "cat scan" of the area before I dig. You have to watch them though, they will attempt to steal my finds out of my tool pouch when I'm not looking.

The more people that I meet, the more that I like my cats.




This guy always seems to get in the way when I detect with him. Plus I think he only tags along because he wants to dig my holes open looking for whatever he thinks that I just buried.

 

[treasurehound]

I joined a club a while back and did a lot of research and invited some club members to hunt. Found out later that several of them went back to my sites and hunted without even calling me. I have since quit the club and found some friends that I hunt with on a regular basis. We all research and hunt together. It is very hard to find honest people to hunt with but when you do you will have a great time. We mainly hunt civil war relics so one has to have very trusting friends to hunt with.

 

[Jeremy S]

This hobby (and most others that I have) have people that are fueled by greed and jealousy. This guy obviously wanted your site and played friends with you to get the info that he wanted. Once he found out where you hunt, him and his 'true' friends returned to clean it out and get the last laugh.

You had permission to hunt there but did he seek permission? If the guy and his buddies went back and made a mess or caused damaged, you would foot the blame as you were the one who was given permission by the owner. The other guys were trespassing if they returned without seeking permission like you did (assuming that you had permission to hunt the property).

If this is a public place like a park then just write it off as a lesson learned. This same situation happens with fishing, hunting, etc. You have people who want it all and are basically leeches. I won't even tell others what parks I hit just because I've already had to go behind people and clean their holes and mess up. I took the time to find these parks, research the rules, and leave no trace when detect so why would I invite someone else to go there and ruin the fun.

This is exactly why I hunt alone (besides the occasional feline and canine companions). I do my best to follow the code of ethics, but unfortunately I may be a minority.

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

There was a thread on here I believe about something like that. Someone mentioned if someone does that to you seed the site with thousands of bb's lol. They also said tie the wire of a bread tie stripped of plastic to the bottom of their coil when they are not looking so they get a hit no matter where. You are not over reacting. The metal detecting code is kind of like the pirate code. When I get permission from owners I ask them to make sure only I am there so that if something happens to their property I am liable...it gets them thinking. If I am bringing a friend I introduce them but let the owner know in advance that they are not to be there unless I am. It is amazing what a simple trespassing charge will do to someone that wants to snake your site.

 

[mercury1]

Sometimes, we learn the hard way. I think you are right to be upset. Keep those special spots to yourself. If you have a really good trustworthy partner it's ok to share but don't start out sharing your best spots. Also it's a two way street so your partner needs to offer up some sites also.

 

[TNGUNS]

I have been burned both detecting and deer hunting. Not kidding when I say I get threatening about it. Plain and simple here are the rules. You are hunting this for one reason and one reason only ...... I invited you. I do not care if it is public property or a place you can obtain permission. The only reason you know about it is because I am telling you. It is MINE. You WILL NOT tell others of the place or ever come back without me. I literally demand an "I understand" confirmation. Then take about a minute to tell them to what extent you will retaliate if they betray your trust. This is done well before the location is revealed. Then hunt and have a ball. If they betray your trust use your shovel to neatly remove the sod from the grave area before you dig it and replace it afterwards.

 

[HutSiteDigger]

I joined a club a while back and did a lot of research and invited some club members to hunt. Found out later that several of them went back to my sites and hunted without even calling me. I have since quit the club and found some friends that I hunt with on a regular basis. We all research and hunt together. It is very hard to find honest people to hunt with but when you do you will have a great time. We mainly hunt civil war relics so one has to have very trusting friends to hunt with.

One mistake is taking club members to a spot.. I took a few members of the Northern Virginia Relic Hunting Assoc. years back to a camp where we dug 2 breast-plates and several shaler bullets in some hut sites in a area in Stafford known as "The Shaler Camp" - very very wooded area, I had permission to bring them there since my friends great uncle owns the 100s of acres back in there... Come to find out after the hunt one or two or them came back and dug out a few more huts in the spot. I went back in there and posted a bunch of Posted signs and never had a problem since... Gotta be-careful with club members or basically anyone in general. But it's not worth losing a friendship over it imo...

 

[Tnmountains]

I hate having to post land but do it often. Wether it is relics or artifacts or deer hunting choose your hunting partners wisely. Friends won't do that.

 

[myfantasia1]

yep, I hunt alone

 

[Rawhide]

A handful of friends is worth more than silly club or a dime Im gonna dig out of the ground. I would never even consider crossing that line. Friends would not do that. You need better friends.