THE OUTCOME OF MY INNOCENT OUTING COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS

[Magic Fingers]

I have a question since I am new to detecting and just got my detector the other day.
I hear many people use headphones to hear the signals better.
Are they mainly used when detecting with a group of people?
I can see how easy it would be to sneek up on someone detecting alone who has headphones on.

I am so glad you are ok Nat and I also believe you did the right thing at that moment.
Did you have headphones on?

I have been held at gunpoint twice in my life and I know what you mean when it plays over and over in your head.
I can still hear the sound of the cocking of the riffle and that happened about 10 years ago.


Donna

 

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[Natman]

Thanks all for your comments. Writing about it and reading your replies was actually theraputic to me..kind of allowed me to put the incident in its place, so to speak.

I have a question since I am new to detecting and just got my detector the other day.
I hear many people use headphones to hear the signals better.
Are they mainly used when detecting with a group of people?
I can see how easy it would be to sneek up on someone detecting alone who has headphones on.

I am so glad you are ok Nat and I also believe you did the right thing at that moment.
Did you have headphones on?

I have been held at gunpoint twice in my life and I know what you mean when it plays over and over in your head.
I can still hear the sound of the cocking of the riffle and that happened about 10 years ago.


Donna

Hi Donna, thanks for the nice words. I'm sorry to hear about your bad experiences.

I never use headphones, and it's because of that very thing..I applaud people who use them to aid them in the detecting hobby, but I know exactly what you mean to turn around and get scared to death because someone is right there. This happened to me before, even WITHOUT them on! It's amazing to me how much better it is when your hearing and your eyesight work together, rather than using one or the other exclusively.

Especially in areas you're unsure of, using as many of your senses as possible can make all the difference.

Nat

 

[NEAL]

Wow Nat, so glad you got out alive! No second chances in a situation like that. I don't have a ccw but I still open carry. If I ever have a run in where I was forced to protect myself or my family, I don't believe I'd sweat about doin a little time...when you think about the alternatives. I just hope and pray that I,you or ANYBODY never has the chance to find out!! Thank you for the reality check, Happy(SAFE)Hunting.........Neal

 

[rmptr]

Donna, My favorite MD Machines are Tesoro, which offer a particularly rich vocabulary of tones.

Headphones are almost a must have!

Headphones are available that block out exterior noise, or allow a certain amount of exterior noise through.

It depends upon your choice.

Some are too hot in the summer!

Headphones also prevent other users of public places from hearing the possibly annoying beepie noises.
They just might not be interested...

You mentioned your discovery of a forgotten Whites machine.
They are well thought of.
Perhaps you might inquire on the Whites forum for user advise?


Ha! Ha! You're gonna have a sore forearm for at least a couple weeks! LoL!
...Hope you find a buncha gold coins!

Best
rmptr

 

[ole_grisley]

Hey Glad to hear you all came out ok in your misshaps. I had a man put a snub nose 38 between my eyes one time and another stuck on in my stomach and neither one took the shot as all I did was look them straight in the eyes and keep my voice calm and they was the ones to freak out. the one threw his gun and it went off and almost hit his son then I said real smart man and walked away.the best defence is to stay away but that failing keep a calm mind and never show fear if you can help it. that unnerves them.and if they think it will cost them more than they gain sometimes they give it up. but if you do carry then get the proper training in the use of the hand guns as more people are killed and injured by people who do not have the proper training. and hey there to all the vets I got out in 1972 ARMY 101st airborne here .

 

[Jimmy(PA)]

I had a problem at a cellar hole once, I detect alone 99.999% of the time but this time my uncle and cousin came to dig some bottles from a trash pit I found near it. As I was getting near the cellar hole (it was heavily grown over) I hear some guy say "I got a gun" from the brush I was kind of suprised because I was about a mile deep in the woods and have never seen anyone near it before (I started detecting these woods when I was 16, I was 25 when this happened). So i grabbed my gear and was about to start hauling ass for my car like the guy was expecting us to do I think but he doesnt know my uncle, my uncles a big guy who takes stuff like that as a challenge so he starts yelling I got a rifle and starts hitting the bushes with the shovel and telling the guy to come out. I was waiting for the guy to open fire, luckly he dindt, so we eventually left. I dont think any of us seen the guy, just heard him yelling stuff to us, the brush was thick. Needless to say I had to give up that prime site.

 

[ivan salis]

my 3 rules

Rule #1 handguns have a reason to defend you and loved ones and innocent folks from scum -- so learn how to use one well & have one handy --better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Rule #2 if theres no life or death reason folks will not know its in my vehicle. -- do not play with or flash it

Rule #3 -- if your gun is drawn --- shoot and shoot to kill as the only reason you can LEGALLY shoot someone is that you MUST be in valid fear of loss of life or serious injury --- no shooting to wound / punish type stuff-- DEAD

it is easier to explain why to 12 than to be carried by six.


many years ago a young punk retard tried to rob me by shoving a 25 cal raven in my face as he approached me -- his mistake was getting within arms reach --so close that I could see that the safety was still on --so I grabbed the gun and hand locking it straight out and using my other hand busted his elbow joint by hitting it from the outside inward. nice crack as the joint gave way -- then I used his gun to pistol whip his butt royally before dropping a dime on his sorry butt.

 

[arizonaames]

Hi all,

I wasn't ready to write about this until today..something happened to me Sunday morning and it's imperative to let as many people know about it as I can..both new and seasoned detectorists need to hear it.

I was at a grade school Sunday that I had been to at least 4 times before..I never had any problems and there was never anyone else around, that is, until my last hunt.

I was pretty far out into a soccer field and very far away from my truck. I noticed a person on a bicycle riding on the blacktop in the distance. He seemed to be looking my way every so often. After a few minutes I looked over and he was gone.

About 10 minutes later I was walking back toward the entrance of the field and continued to search a grade above the playground, still a good distance from the parking lot. There was a wooded area to the left, then the field in the center, then far to the right were houses, the back yards facing the field.

As I was checking this area, a guy walking a bicycle seemed to come out of the woods, walked a few steps and started looking on the ground. The guy yelled out, "I found somethin'!" So I looked over and saw he was looking at me from a distance. "I said, "What did you find?" Then he said, "A GUN!" I said, "What?" He said a second time, "A GUN!!"

I saw him pick something up, and from where I was standing it was indeed the size of a handgun, and it looked like he was holding it by the barrel. Immediately I sensed there was something very wrong with this picture, so I didn't take one step in his direction. The last thing I said was, "You can have it!" I shut my detector off and started walking very fast toward the parking lot.

When I turned around to see how far away the guy was, he let go of his bike, stopped, and poised himself in a stance that made me aware he was aiming whatever was in his hands DIRECTLY AT ME. Right then I thought shots were going to ring out any second, so I began to run as fast as my tired legs would go (I detected for over an hour before this happened).

As I was getting closer to the lot where I could see my truck, I stopped to turn around again. The guy then stopped, put the hood up on his jacket, and proceded to walk with the bike toward me.

The whole scene began to feel surreal, and at one point it was almost as if I was watching myself running away from this unknown thug. I could feel my heart beating and hear myself breathing. The only thing I was able to do was run. I didn't think my digging tool was any match for a firearm in the hands of some idiot.

I made it to the truck, unlocked the door, threw my detector in, turned on the ignition and floored it. As I got to the end of the lot (next to the main road) I dialed 911 on my cell phone. I looked back, and the guy got on the bike and started riding it once he got to the parking lot.

When he was getting closer I made a right onto the main road and parked on the shoulder. The guy crossed the main road on his bike, so I U-turned, trying from a distance to keep an eye on where he was going. The police got there pretty fast, but I lost the guy and never got a call back from anyone.

The scenario I have described was exactly how I remember it, as I have gone over it a hundred times in my head. I made two mistakes..I wasn't hunting in a familiar area (although I was less than 8 miles from home) and I didn't call to leave a message to my wife so she would know where I was.

The outcome of this could have really been disastrous if I had been farther out in the field. If the guy would have come out of the woods then, I would have been trapped and no one would have seen anything.

Thank God I was able to come home again to see my family and to be able to even write these words of warning. Needless to say, I will NEVER go alone to an area I'm unfamiliar with.

Be careful out there.

Nat

That is why I got a CCW (permit to carry a concealed weapon). Out west, most people carry one in the open. It is legal to do so in NV, AZ, and OR as long as it is not concealed. I would also suggest practice using one. It is not as easy as you see on TV westerns or crime dramas. It takes a lot of practice to qualify with a pistol.

 

[greydigger]

I have not seen folks carry open in Oregon for many years altho it is legal.
Tends to scare folks in totlots.
Also invites bad folks.
I CC with permit.
Also now we can carry in National Parks!

 

[Goodyguy]

Natman,

What a wake up call! The fact that that you were being watchful and aware of suspicious behavior helped you to avoid a potential deadly encounter.

From the feedback I've read You have sent out an alarm that has shaken some and disturbed others. Because most can relate to that helpless feeling of not being sure of what to do or how to react in certain dangerous situations is what could lead to becoming a victim rather than the victor.

As you have stated even if you had been carrying a weapon you may not have used proper judgement in its use. The use of deadly force against a kid just playing around with a play gun could have killed him and landed you in lots of legal trouble or worse. PRISON!

You were able to get away this time but what if there had been two of them and they came up to you and threatened violence and you had no gun and one of them did.
Would you know what to do then?

If you are not sure, then I suggest going to this website with an open mind and find out exactly what to do when confronted with asocial behavior. www.targetfocustraining.com

I highly recommend signing up for the free newsletter and other free information It cost you nothing and could save your life!


Buddy~

 

[txpathfinder]

We MDers go to remote areas of public land, get caught up in our gridding, digging, separating trash, etc. How often do we think about the homeless guy who just froze his ass off in the wilderness or is taking shelter on the steps of church that we are trying to hunt. Or the number of people who are too scared to take a bed in a shelter, have mental illnesses and are released to the streets. And all you tough guys, how many of these people you regard as unworthy scum are veterans who end up on the street. I hate when all people think about is themselves and their $50 sneakers, etc. Sounds to me like this guy was toying with you.

 

[Old Dog]

I have enjoyed reading all the possibles on this thread.

Nat,
I just wonder what the outcome would have been ...
if you had decided to just turn the truck around and run the idiot and his darned bike over (out of self defense).
Toy with me...

Merry Christmas.
Glad you are still here.
Thom

 

[jeff of pa]

We MDers go to remote areas of public land, get caught up in our gridding, digging, separating trash, etc.

Sounds to me like this guy was toying with you.

I Must admit, I thought the same thing When I First read his post.

Toying with him holding a stick,

Or Found a toy squirt gun & Joking with him.

Or realy did find one.
(Being he believes he was holding it by the Barrel)

lotta possabilities.


I guess it depends on where one lives as to how one would react.
I Must admit, I'd have layed my detector down to remember my spot,
& Run over to him.

Maybe wouldn't be here today, Maybe have a Cool story of
some kid finding a gun with his eyes that
I missed with my detector by not being in the right place :P

But either way, My Enviroment wouldn't have made me think twice
about running over. even if I had been in Natman's Area Visiting.

(I Lie, I wouldn't have "Run" Over, too much like work.
It would have been a hurried Walk :P )

 

[cazar]

As a former cop and corrections officer I feel for someone who feels threatened and has no way to protect
him/her self.. Look up the laws and if feasible and legal get a concealed weapon permit. I have felt sort of
threatened a few times but thank goodness never had to pull my 1911 or Keltec that I carry. Now for the
other part.

remember that training is essential in getting a gun or self protective device.

I have been in a couple of situations where a glib personality and a quick witted response were the best
options out, but when someone has a gun, then most options are out.

Be safe and be aware.

respects

HH and happy holidays

Caz

 

[greydigger]

cazar,
I agree with you but sometimes glib talk fails. I rely on it a lot.
Then I would hate what could happen.
If someone shows a gun you must think they intend to do you massive harm and are allowed to defend yourself.
But later is found to be a water pistol, "Who would kill a kid with a toy gun!" they might say.
"Brandishing" a weapon is a term I have heard but don't know for sure what it means.
If some bad guys are harrassing you for sure walk away but if they follow you and get "too close" pulling a gun and
telling them to go away might be too late. If you have time to pull a gun.
Oregon laws allow open carry, meaning I can have a 6 shooter on my leg as I walk down the street.
Would I do that in a downtown situation? No way. Scares the folks for one thing and invites bad guys.

When to draw and if you draw do it only to kill is what I was told.

WOW

Everyone think about this.

I cannot say if I would know when.

Grey

 

[phantomfinder]

WOW , Thats not good ... Glad you are ok , and still hunting. I carry a 15" hunting knife on my side . No one mess with me I make it a point that poeple can see it , It's a tool. But the bad guys don't know that. I hope you get over this fast , and start hunting in new places...