Where do you like to detect , and any suggestions?

Holly_squirrel · Mar 31, 2013

When I detect , I like privacy... I don't like to be questioned or gawked at. So I choose more remote locations... Which seem to offer less finds. I live around alot of state forests and historical properties... So no detecting there. I detect in a 250 acre woodland preserve behind me.... But so far not much to find. I'm wearing out my welcome digging up my parents and my sisters old homes... Lol.... I have my abandoned grandparents' land... But all I seem to find is my grandpop's beer tabs, my grandmom's cat food cans and alot of coal... Any suggestions?

Peyton Manning · Mar 31, 2013

HollySnow said:
May I suggest using the sunscreen money on a banana hammock at least?

eeewww gross, don't get all personal. unless that was a complement? Why would I need anything on an abandoned island?

BryanM362 · Mar 31, 2013

Good suggestion Holly! Heck, I'll even contribute some clad to the banana hammock fund!

Peyton Manning · Mar 31, 2013

use your minds folks, if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?
Same thing, if a man is naked on a deserted island will anyone see? Unless Mrs. Snow has very good binoculars, or google earth.

CoilyGirl · Mar 31, 2013

Ermahgerd y'all make me laugh Holly and Jeff-Gordon who looks like Clooney! Getting back to the question... Most times I get permission to hunt by just talking to people and getting a feel for what area they live in.If I think a place might be promising then I ask but then again I'll pretty much talk to a tree.

hbgdisp · Mar 31, 2013

Holly I am not sure where you are in PA but there are plenty of places to detect. As others have said ghost towns, gathering places and such. Old homesteads can produce some nice finds but the more people using an area increases the potential targets. If you ever venture to central pa PM me and I will point you in the right direction to some descent places. Research is definitely the key and some creative thinking. Areas that I thought would be great sometimes are not and ones that I have just poked around at learning more about my detector have produced great finds. Sure I have been told no more than yes but its necessary to find new locations. I am sorta a loner myself but networking is your friend in this arena. When I put my headphones on and begin to search crowd or not I am in my own world focusing 95% of my attention to MD. Good luck

GPS53 · Mar 31, 2013

I live in western Pa, always asking people me and my hunting buddy know where is any old places to hunt? Have found several good ones this way. I am like you, don`t like being around a lot of other people.

wainzoid · Mar 31, 2013

Sounds to me like your family has been in the area for awhile. It also sounds like a rural area. Id think you would know everybody around. id think you would have lots of potential places to hunt.
I bring up detecting in all my conversations and then pop the question. Neighbors, relatives, friends, people from work, from the spouses work, from church, from school, everybody is a target.

wainzoid · Mar 31, 2013

jeff-gordon said:
use your minds folks, if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound?
Same thing, if a man is naked on a deserted island will anyone see? Unless Mrs. Snow has very good binoculars, or google earth.

Jeff, I can't see anything from here.... :-) Actually, Im guessing that when you were born, you were within an inch of being a girl...lol

Peyton Manning · Mar 31, 2013

good one wain, what do you mean were?

Holly_squirrel · Mar 31, 2013

civil_war22 said:
Holly. I would say u could probably coax a park ranger to let u detect anywhere u want. U coykd probably run a detector up washingtons nose are rushmore if u wanted

Don't think I'd find anything there I'd want to keep.

Holly_squirrel · Mar 31, 2013

I just can't get up the nerve to ask anyone I'd don't know well. Unless it's a preserve or something and I can ask over a phone. Where are we always allowed to hunt, as far as public places go?

vandaria · Mar 31, 2013

I know just what you mean Holly. I am nervous when asking people. I have permission now for several areas and with my new E-trac coming will be really looking forward to it...except....

One of the best spots I want to go is the old 1880's-1952 county fairground that is now a farm field. I have permission for it, but it is sorta right next to an absolute MAJOR highway and I feel like a right ass standing out there with my detector swinging around going beep beep in front of who knows how many people by myself lol I finally got the nerve to do it the day before our first snow and got excited when I dug up a coin. It was a 1968 nickel...boo lol I didn't do too much tho as it was very cold out. So now am hoping to get my new machine and hit it before they start the plowing. Either way I know I will get the dern butterflies going again as I stand there prodding along..(and I know that probably like 99.999% of the drivers going by don't even notice me..but it still feels like they do)

Oh yes and being in the park and having the police slowly come up and then pull over next to you is fun. Then they yell out how their dad used to take them MD way back etc etc and all is good. But still for that moment I wonder if I am in the wrong? Not like I was out on the band shell naked pretending to be in the Caribbean :laughing7:

vandaria · Mar 31, 2013

I think public schools and parks are generally ok?

phishisgroovin · Mar 31, 2013

nailbender1 said:
parking lot island

park-n-rides on weekends are one of my haunts

scotty544 · Apr 1, 2013

Churches are dynamite, look for the sign who tells the reverends name and use google or some other app to get their number. I have yet to be turned away from a church. good luck.

BigTonyB · Apr 4, 2013

Holly, I think a lot of us detectorists are self conscious about our pursuit, me included.
I avoid dealing with people by going to my sites when the crowds don't want to be there.
Right after a rain is a good time to hit playgrounds and picnic areas. Nobody wants to use a wet slide or picnic table.
If school is in session, your odds are even better for solitude.
One of my favorite places around here are the boat ramps. Parking areas and the beaches near the ramps can yield some good stuff. I would never dream of hunting there on a weekend, but when the weather is really nasty the place is deserted.
Good luck!

Downer · Apr 5, 2013

jeff-gordon said:
my long term detecting plan after I retire is to buy a nice sized sailing boat. Roam the Carribean, stop on uninhabited islands and search the entire island in the nude.
So far, I have enough money for sunscreen.

Well don't buy the "Crocodile Hunter" sunscreen. It was recalled. It turns out that it fails to protect against harmful rays...