When you run into other detectorists.......

[Pointman]

I was just wondering what everyone's take is on bumping into other detectorists, because a few weeks ago I was detecting some houses where they were tearing down and tried to speak to a guy who was doing some detecting and he didn't seem very friendly at all or even wanting to speak to me.

When I see someone detecting my first thoughts are "geez more competition", but then I kind of like it because I am a little competitive anyway. I always try and speak to other detectorists and see how they are doing. I think that we are a rather small circle because we are willing to invest the time and money into this hobby and I meet a lot of people that want to do it, but won't invest. With this, I feel a certain kinship toward other treasure hunters.

 

[Terry Soloman]

I love seeing other metal detectors. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

 

[doc-d]

Where I go, I don't meet any…...

 

[Neildo85]

In my small town I have never seen anyone else dig except for my best friend I got into the hobby. Previous generations have searched my town (my dad and grandpa plus more) but not too many in my generation.

 

[Jason in Enid]

I always try to stop and say "hi" and chat with new detectorists I find in the wild. So far I haven't found anyone who refused to talk to me.

 

[releventchair]

I wave. If another detectorist wants to chat that,s fine. Comparing notes is fine also. I have seen a cross section. Those who just want to hunt and mind their own business,those who pause to chat ,and those that chat the site we,re on and whatcha findin?

 

[AusTexDude]

This is what I do except replace the guitar with a metal detector.

 

[Pointman]

This is what I do except replace the guitar with a metal detector.

LMBO, I forgot how funny that movie is. Do you smash your detector (or the other person's), or pretend to play it and sing?

 

[Frankn]

Most I run into, mostly on beaches, are friendly but some just want to brag. I was on a beach in DE and a guy and his wife walked up to me showed me a hand full of quarters he said he just found at the entrance. I pulled out the diamond and emerald silver ring I had found an hour before and said, " Yes, you can find coins at the entrance, but the good stuff is at the waterline." Frank...

 

[MuckyBottles]

I walk the other way, hop in my car and leave. Unless it was a pre-planned adventure, I like going alone. I don't want some googans gawking and asking me 1,000,000 questions.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

I love seeing other metal detectors. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The warm fuzzy feeling is from the beer Terry! Lol!

I talk to other MD'ers in the field, just don't want to chat too long unless I'm leaving I have limited MD'ing time. No problems so far.
Chatted with a Little MD'er I met in the field he was 6, his mom's eyes got real wide when I told him if he was finding nickels he could find jewelry! Then thought "what did I just do?"

Muckybottles- I won't gawk or ask you a 1000,000,000 questions if I see you in the field, K.

 

[dirtscratcher]

I always stop and talk and have made a couple of good friends this way. Once in Williston North Dakota I saw a guy detecting a park and stopped, when I started walking his way he ran as fast as he could to his car and sped away. It was pretty funny.

 

[BVI Hunter]

Where I go, I don't meet any…...

that goes for me too!!!!!

 

[BARKER]

Hi Pointman; It is the same in treasure hunting as with all other walks of life. Each person you meet is different. Some friendly and some not. My experience has been that 99.9% of folks I meet while detecting are friendly.
Yes there is an element of competition but that does not beget being rude to others. Live and learn I guess. Stick around here. We don't bite ok. PEACE:RONB

 

[AusTexDude]

LMBO, I forgot how funny that movie is. Do you smash your detector (or the other person's), or pretend to play it and sing?

Well I'm definitely not going to smash MYYYYYYY detector. ;P

 

[MuckyBottles]

The warm fuzzy feeling is from the beer Terry! Lol!

I talk to other MD'ers in the field, just don't want to chat too long unless I'm leaving I have limited MD'ing time. No problems so far.
Chatted with a Little MD'er I met in the field he was 6, his mom's eyes got real wide when I told him if he was finding nickels he could find jewelry! Then thought "what did I just do?"

Muckybottles- I won't gawk or ask you a 1000,000,000 questions if I see you in the field, K.

A 6 yr old is one thing, but I hit a lot of parklands and get the "Did you find anything" and "Can I see what you have". I live in NY so people are shady, I have seen a guy MD'ing when I was, then he started ghosting me. Next time I went the spot, looked like an arty range, holes everywhere. Not that I am unfriendly, I am one of the nicest people you can meet, its just that around here you have a lot of spot burners who don't do there research, they just mooch off of people.

Terry Solomon is excluded..lol j/k

*Same goes with fishing, one person sees me, along comes johnny and the bucket brigade.

 

[Produce Guy]

The first guy I ever met while out detecting told me that I probably wouldn't find anything at the play ground(tot-lot),because he had been there detecting the day before.So I pulled out my Ziploc bag of coins,$4.40 of nickels,dimes and penny's,no quarters.He gave me this look like I must be kidding. Then last Saturday afternoon I met this guy who had only been out a few times with his Garrett Ace 250 and he saw that I have one to.So he starts asking me all kinds of questions and I try and answer what I can.I wound up shutting mine off and helping him with his.After he found about 50 cents and was really surprised .I later turned mine back on and found a quarter. We're gonna try to go out again during spring break.

 

[Nuclear]

I had a lot of people come up to me at the beach and ask if I found anything good....then they ask how much my MD cost and if I make enough money from my findings to pay for it. My personality keeps me from responding harshly...I'm sure they are just curious. Would you ask similar questions to someone fishing, camping, golfing....etc?? It's all good!

 

[YumaMarc]

Most of the people I've met while out searching have been really nice.

I have, however, met my share of strange characters. Usually they're bragging about what they found yesterday, or they have the world's best detector, or they know all the secret spots. In Yuma we get thousands of Snowbirds down for the winter, trying to avoid the cold up north. Many times I've been told I'm hunting in the wrong place, that the "good stuff" is in another location across town, or I'm not doing it right, or my detector isn't up to the task, etc. This may be their first or second time in Yuma, and I've hunted these parks for twenty five years...and I'M in the wrong place! One guy went to great lengths to impress me with the pistol he was packing. He went on and on about how nobody better touch his secret spots or they will "get it" with his "hog-leg". I admit I probably should have been a lot more afraid of him than I was.

Here in Honduras the adults are very reluctant to approach me, but I can't be out for five minutes without a gaggle of kids following me around, all asking questions at the same time. Some of them have never seen a gringo before, and none have ever seen a detector, so it's a sideshow for them, and they ALL want to dig. Five and ten centavo coins are thicker than weeds here, worthless, but the kids think they're rich when they pop one out of the ground.

 

[Pointman]

Most of the people I've met while out searching have been really nice.

I have, however, met my share of strange characters. Usually they're bragging about what they found yesterday, or they have the world's best detector, or they know all the secret spots. In Yuma we get thousands of Snowbirds down for the winter, trying to avoid the cold up north. Many times I've been told I'm hunting in the wrong place, that the "good stuff" is in another location across town, or I'm not doing it right, or my detector isn't up to the task, etc. This may be their first or second time in Yuma, and I've hunted these parks for twenty five years...and I'M in the wrong place! One guy went to great lengths to impress me with the pistol he was packing. He went on and on about how nobody better touch his secret spots or they will "get it" with his "hog-leg". I admit I probably should have been a lot more afraid of him than I was.

Here in Honduras the adults are very reluctant to approach me, but I can't be out for five minutes without a gaggle of kids following me around, all asking questions at the same time. Some of them have never seen a gringo before, and none have ever seen a detector, so it's a sideshow for them, and they ALL want to dig. Five and ten centavo coins are thicker than weeds here, worthless, but the kids think they're rich when they pop one out of the ground.

I had an young employee of mine in the military that had duel citizenship with both the US and Honduras. She impressed the Hades out of me with her maturity and her desire to go back to Honduras and do some good. Her family was kind of connected and it was interesting how she told me how last names mean so much in the wayon how well a family is respected in Honduras.