What mistakes have you made while detecting?

[mrs.oroblanco]

Good Gosh,

I've done almost all of these things (not on the same day, of course, but still....)

Now Mr. O and I have 2 small packpacks with extra batteries, a days worth of our meds (just in case we don't feel like leaving the spot), hard candies, jerky and some trail mix - tape (duck, of course), a small tarp (you can detect under a tarp with some practice) 2 space blankets, and a couple of non-perishable drinks, just in case, 2 cups, coffee pouches, sugar & creamer and a couple packs of hot chocolate) and a little tiny propane stove. It all fits in a space about the size of a fanny pack. Oh, and a couple extra hardward aprons, in case one gets ripped, a small hatchet and a wire saw, some bandaids, betadine and tylenol. (we've learned by trial & error and taking days off that are not the best weather in the world). (truth? it saved our lives for 5 or 6 days on a trip).

But, the one thing we did - once - and once only - is bring metal detectors and gold pans to a creek. So what, you say? It was 80 degrees at home. There was snow almost up to my behind where we went, AND the creek was frozen - and we took our hatchet, broke the ice and STILL tried to detect and pan. Can you say "frostbite"? PLUS, we actually got stuck for awhile in the snow with a 4 wheel drive truck! We dug our way out and got home, but, I was thankful for the hot chocolate and coffee.

B

 

[Pulltab Parson]

hey all,

The dumbest thing I have done thus far is confusing my disc and alt disc on my tejon. I was detecting with the highest discrim. I had been wondering why I wasn't getting any hits (we were hunting an old tannery site). After about 20 minutes, I looked at the box and realised that I had discriiminated out anything less than silver. I was pretty discusted with myself, but I didn't go back and cover the same ground again (I wasn't that discusted )

I'm certain that there will be more,

HH

Pull-tab

 

[mpostma]

I recognize my short sightedness in many of the earlier posts. Most notably:
1. Dead battery in pinpointer with no spare.
2. Three leaves on plants that I should have paid more attention to.
3. Dropping pinpointer while putting it in the holder at the end of a hunt in the dark climbing a big hill in the woods, and spending an hour finding it.
4. Steel toed boots.
5. Forgetting various pieces of equipment.
6. Not using bug dope and coming home covered in bug bites.
7. Failing to find tics on returning from a hunt.
8. Kicking an old rotted log to dig a signal under it, and finding a very large and angry hive of wasps. Making it back to my truck with many welts and swollen hands and feet.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[hunterinthesky]

Traveling long distances to find no places to hunt.

 

[pookie-princess of rust]

I recognize my short sightedness in many of the earlier posts. Most notably:

6. Not using bug dope and coming home covered in bug bites.
7. Failing to find tics on returning from a hunt.
8. Kicking an old rotted log to dig a signal under it, and finding a very large and angry hive of wasps. Making it back to my truck with many welts and swollen hands and feet.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

ouch!! especially #8!

 

[mpostma]

Hey Pookie,
Funny thing was that was just a few weeks ago. My kindhearted detecting buddy laughed and lauged, until three days later when he did it.
He ended up in the doctor's office and taking some kind of perscription for ten days. Did I laugh? Well...........
Mark

 

[N.J.THer]

Hey Pookie,
Funny thing was that was just a few weeks ago. My kindhearted detecting buddy laughed and lauged, until three days later when he did it.
He ended up in the doctor's office and taking some kind of perscription for ten days. Did I laugh? Well...........
Mark

I've never done this while detecting...knock on wood but when I was a kid I would look for snakes in the woods and found a hornets nest under an old rotting log. I was young and fast so I only got one sting and deep down I think my parents were happy because it stopped me from bringing snakes home for a few weeks.

NJ

 

[mpostma]

LOL

 

[EDDE]

buying an ace 250

 

[relichunters]

My biggest mistake was detecting around children. They picked up my detector and was like I WANNA HELP YOU!

 

[N.J.THer]

buying an ace 250

Wow...that bad. I've only heard good things about it up until now. I told my father-in-law to get one...oppps.

 

[diggindeep]

Being to honest with the land owners about my finds,who then get greedy and kick you off their property!

DITTO.......

 

[EDDE]

buying an ace 250

Wow...that bad. I've only heard good things about it up until now. I told my father-in-law to get one...oppps.

personal preference good starter but it sounds like a f'ing ice cream truck

 

[BuckleBoy]

buying an ace 250

One of the best things I've ever done was buying a Silver uMax for about the same price.


Sorry Mr. Baron VonDaKalb, Just had to rub it in.



-Buck

 

[mastereagle22]

Bumped the switch on my headphones and didn't realize it for 5 minutes. I just thought the yard was full of iron and the Beast was nulling on it......

 

[ifitshistory]

I was hunting Civil War relics many years ago near the Wilderness battlefield in Virginia and kept digging nails, barbed wire, shotgun shells, etc. Later that day I went to visit a civil war relic shop. They had several items that looked similar to something I had cursed and tossed far away. Turns out it was a civil war musket ramrod! I now of course keep everything until identified...

 

[Ramapirate]

Walking almost a quarter of a mile up a beach and realizing I'd left the detector off.
I felt like Peter Sellers in Pink Panther "But of course I knew the detector was off,
I was practice swinging to get a feel for the area you fool, and now that I have gotten
a sufficient feel for the area I shall cut on the detector (push, push)..... after I put the
fresh batteries within the battery receptical !"

HH,
Ramapirate

 

[Mojave]

Nice topic!

Living in Colorado, I had a lead on a site in the wilderness. Even had a picture from the very early 1900's to go by. I had all my gear (two-box unit, two regular metal detectors, a couple books, food, water, and clothing. Started hiking down the side of a mountain into the valley. I was only supposed to go about a 1/2 mile or so, and see the faded path of RR tracks cut into the side of the hill, but missed it. I was going downhill, on a pretty steep (but not too steep) slope, and overshot the destination by about 1 1/2 miles. It really didn't seem that far, it didn't take that long, and I wasn't that tired.

Anyway, when I finally realized that I must have missed it, I turned around to head back. That's when I noticed how steep it really was, and I could only hike a few feet at a time (10 to 20 feet) before I had to stop and rest. Being the Rocky Mountains, and springtime, it started lightly snowing about half-way up. By the time I reached the original target (1/2 mile from the top), it was heavily snowing, raining, and the biggest lightning storm I had ever seen. But, I was basically on the side of a huge mountain, with nothing around me at all except trees! Nowhere to take shelter or anything. I had to keep on hiking, trying to go quicker, but not able to breathe, my legs burning, etc., and all the while hoping I wouldn't get struck by lightning and die (it was that bad).

Also, this was an area known for mountain lions, and all I kept thinking about was how lions look at a pack of prey, and pick out the weak or sick looking one to eat. And here i was, looking VERY weak and sick (LOL).

I finally made it up and out, without even getting to detect anything, soaked from head to toe, and the water frozen on my clothes, all my equipment soaked, and barely able to climb into my van. By the time I got home, though, I was very thankful, and had to laugh at my mis-adventure.

 

[Sandman]

There are really some nice reasons to make metal detecting a favorite hobby. After reading some of these it makes my simple forgetttin' to bring the detector lame................

 

[Monty]

Left my detector in the trunk over night and the LCD froze! Turned it on the next morning and it wouldn't do anything except light up. Then I noticed the LCD screen looked funny. Sat in the car with it in front of the heater vent for about 10 minutes and it started working. Monty