so how much competition do we really have?

Mell0w Sl0w · Oct 14, 2015

during my time lurking the halls of this forum I have read many accounts of metal detectorists (is that a word

?

) bumping into other detectorists, people hunting spots they know others have hunted and other various situations of knowing their are others, like ourselves, scouring the ground for the same goodies that we are looking for.

all of this has spooked me a little and I always have a nagging voice in the back of my head, when the finds are few and far between....."has someone already worn this spot out?".....but I have to admit, in my entire lifetime, if I scan all my memories, I can think of only a handful of times I have ever seen another person swinging a detector and most of those times were on the beach. The only other one I can think of, was as a kid, there is an annual festival at a local park and I can recall seeing people out there yearly, after the event was over.

now if you live in an area where major events of the civil war occurred (which I actually do) or if you are, as mentioned, on the beach, I could imagine a higher prevalence of detectorists (there's that word again) but really do some of you have the bad luck ( or good, if your looking for company) of having competition at your local parks, or getting to the residents door first for local permissions?

im just curious, because I am in an area that I would consider probably more saturated with people into the hobby than many other parts of the country, but I still don't see them. Yet, I hear you guys talking about it.......so, just curious what the deal is......are we alone in the universe? or do you folks see our like minded brethren swinging coils over the soil in your area? 8-)

Keppy · Oct 14, 2015

Well i know that were i live there are a lot i say a lot that detect here .. But i never see any one detect when i am out or were i hunt ... But i do not hunt in places were most hunt so that could be the reason... I find no thrill in hunting school yards or parks .. I do not hunt peoples yards..

wmpwi · Oct 14, 2015

That's really hard to gauge, but I imagine it's maybe a little regional. Certain parts of Florida are festooned with metal detector types, some residents while others like me pop up on vacation and hit the beach. States like Michigan, maybe less so, but still I run into others of my ilk and more than I like when I see footprints in the sand along a beach shore walking a search grid. So yeah, sometimes it feels like there's some serious saturation. It forces me to be creative and do some research to find the spot no one thought of. So far, I haven't been too successful at that part yet.

pepperj · Oct 14, 2015

Been doing it off and on 45 yrs and I can probably count on the hands the number of times I seen somebody hunting out in an urban setting, less in a field setting (except England) and never in the bush setting. The FL beaches don't count because somedays the folks detecting out number the beach goers. :laughing7:

Given the machines have been hitting the parks and urban areas for 55 yrs the odds are heavy in the favour of the park being hunted many times. It doesn't mean that there's nothing left it just means a person has to work at it smarter and harder. I will say it sucks to go to a site and all one hears is the threshold of the machine and nothing else, you know it's being hit hard or they've put a foot or more clean soil over everything.

Argentium · Oct 14, 2015

I remember posting a thread on this topic some time ago, I started hunting 11 years ago or so in Northern New Mexico . I never saw
anybody out hunting in urban parks when I was there . I didn't see evidence of people hunting either . The only exception was at
a park that had a once a year festival that drew crowds of nearly 18,000 people over many hours . Folks would come from at least
60 miles away to hunt that park the next day. From what I see here on T-net the population dense areas , San Fran , Chicago ,
Philly , ( fill in the blank) are absolutely loaded with metal detectorists - where as the small towns/cities in the West or Midwest
see relatively little activity. I think this is an interesting thread - hope to see lot's of theories here !

Dust Eater · Oct 15, 2015

I suppose it depends on where you live.

A couple days ago I was in a corn field next to a road and a guy pulled over, got out of the car, and started talking to me about metal detecting. He also detects and only lives one town over from me.
He was quite friendly, but it still caught me off guard a bit.

treasure diver ct · Oct 15, 2015

Aswell as how well do guys use their and know their machines, there is an area I hunt that has the most guys detecting but I know the balk of them don't swing their machines correctly, are in a hurry and don't grid and focus on spots, I used to try teach them, not anymore, I don't mind going behind them and picking out what they left behind

FreeBirdTim · Oct 15, 2015

Aswell as how well do guys use their and know their machines, there is an area I hunt that has the most guys detecting but I know the balk of them don't swing their machines correctly, are in a hurry and don't grid and focus on spots, I used to try teach them, not anymore, I don't mind going behind them and picking out what they left behind

This is a great point. Just because you see someone detecting a spot doesn't mean they have a clue or the patience to detect it correctly. I ran into a guy at an old baseball field a couple of weeks ago who told me it was hunted out. He had done the field a few times and hadn't found anything good recently. I gave it a shot anyway and have found 4 musket balls, an 1859 fatty Indian and a 1798 LC in my three trips to the field!

Bottom line, never listen to the opinions of other diggers and never write off a spot just because you know other people have done the spot before you.

dirtscratcher · Oct 15, 2015

Not a lot of people in western Mt but I would say we have a pretty high percentage of people detecting. I would guess around ten guys. I watch for sidewalk tearouts constantly. One guy I don't know,who but if he beats me to them will bury clad always a brand new and shiny every 10 feet where the sidewalk used to be. What can a-hole.

relic nut · Oct 15, 2015

I don't see a lot of other people doing it but they are definitely here. 95% of the good places here to hunt are privet land so a lot depends on who you know. Lots of places I hunt other people can't and Vic/ versa. I don't think you ever find it all so if I get permission I check it out. I have learned this..... "Most detectorest are liar's expect for me and you and I'm not real sure about you" LOL

Loco-Digger · Oct 15, 2015

I know of 5 other MDers in town. I have also met 2 others that are local who admit to have pounded some of the sites I have hit, but there were active back in the 70's and early 80's. That's why I have a hard time finding big silvers on old properties in my town. Some of the sites I have gotten permission on have been hunted before according to the owners. Most were just cherry picked because I still find older coins. When I hit a permission I grid it and hunt in 2 directions. I know of 5 active MDers in the next town over. There are only a handful of sites I have hunted withing 30 miles of home where I have seen evidence of plugs being dug. I just saw 2 older Mders from 20 miles away hitting the catholic church grounds in town 2 weeks ago without permission. They were also cherry picking the area. Many of the locals only get out about 4 hours a week, to most it's a hobby, I must admit I was forced to slow down if I want to maintain my marriage. Last season I had cart blanche. The wife was so happy I found a hobby I thoroughly enjoyed and I got in over 600 hours. but she is not so understanding this year and I get out maybe 16 hrs a week instead of 26 to 30 hrs a week.

I estimate that there are 1 MDer per thousand people in my area.

kingskid1611 · Oct 15, 2015

All has to do with the population odds. Here where I live, I know they are out there but they are few. I have talked to a total of 2 people over the last couple of years that consider themselves metal detectorist, but haven't been out in years. I think the odds are in my favor here..... :laughing7:

mikeraydj · Oct 15, 2015

I am still new to this hobby. (In my second season). I have met 3 detectorists in that time. All were friendly. One I even did a hunt with. I know that some places here have been hit hard as they have mostly zinc pennies. I haven't gotten out as much this year because of work. But I have still done alright. I am getting better at using my F5 and that is making a difference. Not that worried about the competition, they were using Garretts. Lol

dirtscratcher · Oct 15, 2015

I've had a couple older guys tell me they've got all the good stuff.

mikeraydj · Oct 15, 2015

In my area most of the old easy coins have been found. But I was still able to find a 1934 quarter and a couple war nickels so far. I am mostly a jewelry hunter because of that. I found a 14K mens ring the other day in a heavily detected park. I would like to go after deep stuff but the parks department here would freak out. I only use a screwdriver to probe and pop out the targets. If it is more than 4 inches I pass over it.

DeepseekerADS · Oct 15, 2015

Back in '81 I was putting my ADS III together to go hunt a ball field in Monroe, MI. I hadn't even turned it on yet and this old fellow came up to me and said "Boy, you ain't gonna find anything, this place has been searched a thousand times".

He left, I went 3', got a signal and dug a gold ring.

From what I've seen, and done myself, there's a whole lot of people out there who own detectors (just check Craigslist in your area to see how many for sale = used only a few times). I quit detecting for a number of years, for many reasons - like cops tapping me on the shoulder 3 times telling me I was trespassing.

Most people want to try it and do purchase detectors - But:

1) Too shy to be seen in public detecting.
2) Impatient for good finds, thus give up easily.
3) Too impatient to learn how to use their detector.
4) Public reaction to their detecting.
5) Cops tapping you on the shoulder.
6) Increasing laws against detecting.
7) Easier to lay on the couch dreaming about it instead of doing it.
8) Physical issues from detecting - shoulders, knees, back, weather.

And the list would go on and on.

Even in my isolated area here I've met two other detectorists, but I've never seen anyone out hunting.

Patriot 1776 · Oct 15, 2015

Mell0w Sl0w said:
during my time lurking the halls of this forum I have read many accounts of metal detectorists (is that a word?) bumping into other detectorists, people hunting spots they know others have hunted and other various situations of knowing their are others, like ourselves, scouring the ground for the same goodies that we are looking for.

all of this has spooked me a little and I always have a nagging voice in the back of my head, when the finds are few and far between....."has someone already worn this spot out?".....but I have to admit, in my entire lifetime, if I scan all my memories, I can think of only a handful of times I have ever seen another person swinging a detector and most of those times were on the beach. The only other one I can think of, was as a kid, there is an annual festival at a local park and I can recall seeing people out there yearly, after the event was over.

now if you live in an area where major events of the civil war occurred (which I actually do) or if you are, as mentioned, on the beach, I could imagine a higher prevalence of detectorists (there's that word again) but really do some of you have the bad luck ( or good, if your looking for company) of having competition at your local parks, or getting to the residents door first for local permissions?

im just curious, because I am in an area that I would consider probably more saturated with people into the hobby than many other parts of the country, but I still don't see them. Yet, I hear you guys talking about it.......so, just curious what the deal is......are we alone in the universe? or do you folks see our like minded brethren swinging coils over the soil in your area?

I try going out as much as passable . I would have to agree with you. I have noticed my finds are getting less and less. Area's have been beaten to death.
I am doing more with Google Earth trying to find that open spot or lost farm field ;it has not been easy. I just wrote a recent blog :
METAL DETECTOR BLOG

SEPTEMBER 30, 2015
Locations are Never Truly Hunted Out

Again like you stated, it doesnot happen a lot with prior hunted areas. I just keep trying and I know I will find another good spot . When is the question. Went out last night , goose egg, nothing.

Keppy · Oct 15, 2015

I think there are to many new people out there detecting .. I am one that will not help or encourage new ones to detect..

Limitool · Oct 15, 2015

Well I admit... I mostly hunt in a small area.... 100's / 1000's of acres within a wooded area high on a ridge top here in TN. If I EVER saw another person in this area MD'ing I'd probably make an ass of myself hugging them for the help!!!!!! I went out Sun. morning within the SAME area I've hunted many times before. And.... AGAIN.... I dug up 3 more horseshoes.

Anyway back to the topic of competition... I do believe Frank (Huntsman53) dug up 2 more horseshoes than I the last time here.... Frank... I'm over it now. Come on back buddy! .... Brad