You see another person detecting so you go say hi. What was your experience ?

Roger Mn.

Silver Member
Aug 18, 2007
3,819
1,876
Rochester,Minnesota
🥇 Banner finds
3
Detector(s) used
Minelab Etrac
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I have talked to others out detecting and it's like they don't want to talk much so they pack it up and go.

About 4 times now over the years i have met 2 others and i like to say hello and ask if they found anything.
Well these 2 people more than once have told me right away that they have a detecting partner.
So who gives a Sh--. I don't need a detecting partner. I never ever ask any one to be my partner ever.
Not that i haven't detected with a few people before.
I want to find things by myself and not having a partner to beat me to the gold coins or old silver is the way i like it.
I don't have to wait around for anybody.

I have seen others detecting and thought i would walk fast and catch up with them for a small chat and i had to
give up because they were swinging madly and walking very fast.

I would like to hear some of you stories.
 

I run into them every time I go to the beach on vacation. I'm one of those people who will say hi to a fence post and like you said, you walk up and say hi and they look at you like you have an eye patch, a peg leg and a parrot on your shoulder. Geees, just wanted to say hi and good luck.
 

Not good. Im curious about what machine they are using, realistic list of finds etc. But they act borderline hostile or at best aloof and cool. My favourite was last year in a serious drought I decided to track down all the water storage dams. The closest one has a yacht club and camping ground. Found about 300 fishing sinkers and clad some siver rings then struck gold (literally) by detecting around the yacht moorings . No water so most are out in storage or moored very far out. After about 10 visits I see another guy with a minelab explorer going over everything that Id swept time and again. Could barely mumble hello or make eye contact. Said he was finding a lot of coins (possible but unlikely). I asked about his machine (I love talking technical about detectors) he held it up and mumbled then turned away....
Another time I was dry beach hunting saw a guy with a CZ20... could barely be bothered to lift his earphones....acted annoyed that I was interupting him...

Thats why I detect alone. I like to project a more posotive image of the hobby. I met one guy who was very nice.....but I wasnt detecting and didnt have a detector with me.

Nicest people are here on treasure net.

Chub
 

Detectorists are usually solitary creatures, the ones I've run into in the field usually say hello and we go our own ways after brief general chit-chat. I've never had anyone run away though. :laughing7:
 

Don't feel bad. I've had guys walk up to me and say I'm on "their beach." I always smile and say something like, "Does that mean I have to give you back all the gold and diamond rings I found already?" :skullflag:
 

Don't feel bad. I've had guys walk up to me and say I'm on "their beach." I always smile and say something like, "Does that mean I have to give you back all the gold and diamond rings I found already?" :skullflag:

maybe also ask them to pick up 'their' rubbish also...

the word 'territorial' does explain a lot....

Chub
 

I only met one and he was interested only in possible sites. After I mentioned a few he said goodbye and don't bother him. He was a member here, but hasn't been here in a few years.
 

Remember one guy detecting on a west coast beach in FL. about a 10yrs ago. I was working the the dry sand and was getting closer to him and it was like trying to put two magnets with the opposing end together. He split like he had the morning squirts, swing the detector widely back and forth. :laughing7:
I was impressed by the amount of things he did miss before he split.

Only have seen a couple of folks detecting around my area but in the city there was one in this big park I remember. I came along a fresh roughly covered up spot in the walking path, then another, followed by one that was left open and trash beside the hole. I started fast walking down the trail and spotted this guy, he spotted me and started to boot it. The race was on, I can cover a lot of ground fast walking in the forest and I took a ravine short cut and came up on him digging a hole. He jumped literally when he looked up and was ready to split. I just told him to hold on for a bit as I wanted to talk to him. Poured the sugar to the conversation till he seemed pretty calm and was talking about his short lived detecting career. Then I dropped the bomb on his digging technics and explained that it was a privilege to be in the park not our right. Showed him the right way to retrieve and replanting the plug where there's nothing to see. He thanked me for not going postal on him as he thought being on a bush trail it could go bad. Nice guy, just uneducated on retrievals.
 

I have walked up to others at the beach. Most are friendly. Never really had a snotty answer and no one talked about a partner. At the one shipwreck beach it's generally two questions, have you ever found any of the shipwreck coins and how do you like your machine on the salt sand....no problems there.
 

I have met a few detectorists over the years and all have been very nice and talkative. Of course, i was the one being approached.
I have yet to come across anyone with a detector out in the wild. So, if it ever happens, i will post my experience good or bad.
 

I have met a few detectorists over the years and all have been very nice and talkative...

That's been my experience 95% of the time. Hobbyists are naturally inquisitive of liking to see how other's luck is doing, etc.... Oh ... sure .... once in awhile someone with a grumpy attitude, etc.... But for the most part: Nice folk.
 

I've been hunting since '80. I can honestly say that every other detectorist I've walked up on has been nothing but nice...sometimes just spending time talking techniques, finds, sharing spots, whatever. The last two, we exchanged phone numbers and have been out on hunts since. Maybe it's just a rural thing. Dunno. 😐
 

I have pretty much and the good, bad ans ugly. I just like to talk about what they are swinging and the luck they have had. I know most guys are loners and afraid you will find their secret honey hole. I met one really nice guy with a CTX and he showed me the finer points of the CTX and had been hunting 30 yrs and asked me to join him and even pointed out a few good spots.

Most guys mumble a bit and don't want to be bothered.

One guy dam near went postal on me and told me I had no right detecting in his area. I politely said I see no signs and this is a big park. He said it's my park. I said I am sorry I didn't you owned the park and he said well it's a city park and I claim it. He said take that thing you call a detector and get out of here. I looked at his Ace 250 and I had my V3i and thought this guy is intimidated by me. I said sir I am not here to steal your spot and I have never been to a park that has been hunted out. I said maybe we could work together and learn something from each other. He said get the F out of my park now. I said fine happy hunting and left. I returned later and picked up $6 in clad in the same area he hunted because I could see his poorly covered plugs..

I try to be friendly and don't mind if someone wants to talk or even hunt with me. Heck I may learn something or even learn of a new place to detect.
 

I always say hi if I'm close enough and maybe cause I'm so intimidating, no one has been mean

last year in myrtle beach I went up to a guy and he thought I was the man who got on him the day before for not filling in his holes

oh and I always ask if they are online, have never met another tnet member yet ( well except for smokey and all I got was rocks thrown at me!)
 

People are different, and for that matter not every hunt is the same. I don't go out of my way to say hi, but if our paths cross I will have a short chat if its wanted. I try to be sensitive to what other detectorists want and treat them the way I hope they'd treat me. I mean, sometimes my time is limited too.
 

when I'm at the beach detecting , I make it a point to challenge other detectorists to a duel with our detectors.... on guard!!! however, the sore losers always smack me upside the head with their scoops!!! :tongue3:
 

.....or yu could turn it around Mr. Terry and tell the Dead Beats, oh I didn't realize that I was on your beach, and turn your trash pouch over to them full of pull tabs and bottle caps.
 

They always seem to crawl away weeping from me... mumbling how they are gonna sell their detector and gear...

Park rangers quit their jobs after we talk,,,

and policemen turn in their badges,,,

so...

running is weird.

:P
 

I have met a few guys and normally they are cordial,One of the guys I met told me about this site and we exchanged phone #'s and sometimes we will meet up and hunt the same park if I am in the town he lives in.He is a Tnet member also.
 

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