Hunt At The Beach & Bad Behaviour...

[Critterhunter]

Five of us headed to the beach to do some sand hunting. Not in the water since it's too cold now. I kept switching between PP and discriminate playing with those more. This is the really badly mineralized beach I've talked of before, with a lot of microscopic iron, black sand, and other minerals that play havoc with VLF detectors.

Luckily PP did the job once again. I would hit targets just fine in PP that disc was nulling out on completely or choking real bad on like an iron false. My remote PP switch makes it easy to flip back and fourth between the two, so I like seeing how disc is able to do on stuff I found with PP before scooping it. Really shocking when PP gives a nice loud "zing/zing" from any direction and yet disc is having so much trouble. I can only imagine the issues with depth other machines are having that aren't BBS.

Anyway, I got a hefty apron of clads, many of which were quarters, and many of those were so crusty with green patina that they must have been there for a long time. Haven't cleaned up my coins yet to see if any are silver or if any of the pennies are wheats or such, as wet sand or water can often make silver look like clad if you're not careful.

I did dig one "Don't Do Drugs" token about the size of a quarter and with a skull and crossbones, that was also pretty crusty so I expect it was dropped years ago. Planning to head back tomorrow because with all the coins pin point was popping for me I'm sure there are some rings laying around that have been there for years.

Maybe I'll change the name on the face plate of the GT to "PI Mode" for PP. Because even with volume all the way down and not raising sensitivity to all the way up, which I hear you can do in PP mode for mode depth, and I've seen volume do the same for that mode, I was still punching deep. Much deeper than the 5 or so inches were disc had really no hopes beyond that point in this very bad sand.

So no real good keepers to speak of, but wanted to relate some very bad beach behaviour we experienced today. A guy came down and walked right up to within about 3 or 4 feet in front of my one friend and started detecting. It was obvious to anybody that my friend was gridding straight lines and yet with this huge beach this guy decided he wanted to hunt right in front of him from the start.

We let that pass but later I started noticing a few unfilled holes as I moved down the beach. I asked my circle of friends if anybody forgot to fill a few holes by accident and they all said no, of course, since we don't pull those kinds of stunts. So I filled them as I found them and by the time between all 5 of us had maybe filled about 15 or so holes between us that we found, I knew then that it must have been the guy with the bad behaviour of hunting right up in front of my friend like he did. I looked around and saw he was way down the beach, so I turned to my friends and said if that guy comes back this way I'm going to give him a piece of my mind.

Well, I didn't have to watch for him, because about a half hour later I looked up and he once again came back our way and once again walked right up in front of my same friend again that he cut off before and stopped right in front of him, once again by only maybe 3 or 4 feet, and started scooping a huge hole. So I figured, I better just watch and see what this guy does to be sure he's the one leaving holes open. Sure enough, believe it or not, the guy dug an usually wide and deep hole right in front of my friend, and then turned around without filling it and started to walk away!

That was enough for me... I pulled my headphones off and yelled "Hey", and the guy turned around and I said "You don't leave unfilled holes like that for people to trip in." He responded with "Oh, I'm sorry...", and started to walk back to fill it and I just told him "I got it", as I kicked all his sand back into the hole. My point was made, and I kept an eye on him and watched him walk down the beach and leave.

People like this are what gives a black eye to our hobby, and the reason why we continue to hear of new spots being banned to metal detecting. If one person walking on the beach twists an ankle in one of those holes he's leaving then it'd be lights out from everybody maybe. We even noticed that this yokel was leaving trash right on top of the ground next to his open holes with some of them.

Pretty steamed about it. And the worst part was that later after he left I was thinking that he probably left a ton of open holes at the other end of the beach we hadn't been hunting, and sure enough a lady walks by that came from that end of the beach and she gave me a rather dirty look. I'm sure she saw all the holes that guy was probably leaving down at that end of the beach and thought me and my hunting friends were the ones leaving all of them.

I only wish I had my pocket camcorder with me, because I was thinking before I confronted him that I'd first film some of his open holes, and then him from a distance leaving a few, and then I'd walk up with him on film and ask if he'd care to state his name for everybody, because this video is going on the detecting forums so everybody knew he somehow is the only one in our hobby that feels important enough not to fill his holes.

I'm heading back down there tomorrow and this time the camera comes with me. If he is there again I only hope I can catch him on video from a distance in the act. I ain't going to let that kind of unethical behaviour slide, and maybe it'll embarrass him enough not to ever do that kind of thing ever again, not knowing if another detectorist is filming him again. I encourage others to start taking action like this. With the advent of cell phones being able to film video, maybe we can shame a few of these people into shaping up before they blow our spots for us. Just don't take any risks with that unless you've got support, as we all know how crazy society is getting these days. I ain't worth your safety to try to prove a point.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Critter,interesting post,Thanks Ron

 

[Smudge]

Critter,

You're right. I was expecting this guy to mouth off at you when you called him on the carpet for leaving the holes open. Kinda get the feeling we wasn't trying to be a jerk, but we was definitely clueless. Hopefully you put a stop to his behavior.

 

[Reddog777]

I experienced the same thing one day. Several men from a local forum were hunting on the beach in an area where the target were plentiful. At least two of them were leaving holes uncovered. Besides all holes, making the area look unsighhtly, people were walking, jogging, and children were playing. I left the area and covered some of the holes as I was leaving. Recently I was invited buy some of them to join their club. I don't think so.

 

[Buried Crap NJ]

This is becoming common practices here in Central Jersey. No amount of talking to these hunters seems to get through to them. It's the I don't care altitude. I just don't get it either. They will always have there answers Kids dig on the beach and don't fill there holes why should I. In parks they say look at that squirrel he didn't fill his hole. On the sports field the player chew up the grass and don't fix it! I know why we have been banned all over the place for bad behavior. I agree with the bans! I have seen hunters agree to these type post of not filling holes and then watched those same hunters not fill there holes. I guess they think I don't know who they are with the forum names. I just keep filling them in for them so other people don't thing it's me! If you want to,carry a bag of Cheerios's and when you see there car I throw them on there car, Next time when you see them on the beach I ask hows the bird crap and scratches on your car! Will make them wonder! Them sea gulls won't leave a trace of evidence! LOL!
BCNJ

 

[Ron from Michigan]

BCNJ,LOL,got to remember to keep a box of Cherrio's with me.Thanks HH Ron

 

[OldBeechnut]

Critter, I have seen so many holes not filled in at Ocean City this week that I'm almost ashamed to walk down the beach with my detector. And I'm not sure why one can't take a few seconds and fill them in, At first I figured it was new hunters since I've seen so many with bounty hunters but then I seen one of the Locals leaving a few holes near the surf line. Then today I went to coin beach, Same thing, and alot are the same person because I can see the shoe prints. I have decided next year when I see a person doing this, I will video them and post the next chance I get.

And coin beach was a flop for me, I got 35 cents, but did learn alot.

Barry of Delaware, fill your holes my friend, even if they are near the surf line

 

[Critterhunter]

Yes, I say using cell phones to video these guys leaving holes caught in the act is a great way to shame them into submission. After filiming from a distance, then walking up on film and saying "You are about to become a Youtube Sensation, care to state your name and make it famous?" these guys will always be looking over their shoulder and wondering if anybody is watching/filming them in the future. Nobody likes to be embarassed like that. I think this should be a growing movement to fight back at this people before they do more damage and get more spots banned for us.

But, please be careful if anybody does such a thing. People get shot over far less these days. Only film from a distance and don't approach if you don't have massive amounts of other people around to keep them from going postal on you, and if you have any doubt then just do the filming from a distance and don't even approach them. Not worth risking your safety.

Me? I'm a big guy, so there aren't too many people who I'd be afraid to put in their place by walking right up with the camera going. Not that I'd be proud of a conflict or invite one. I don't look for that kind of trouble. I'm just saying I'll stand up and get these yokels on film for now on when I catch them. The trick is to film at a distance while they are leaving holes so you can prove they are doing it. That way they can't turn around and try to sue you or something, as the video shows them digging and walking away.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I was at the beach yesterday working from the dry sand down close to the water. Had a guy come thru where I was working, swinging a detector as the strolled along. He went between where I was working and the water. He stopped twice and dug something with a square point shovel. Of course he left his hugh holes unfilled. I did not notice the holes until he was a considerable distance down the beach. I was busy concentrating on finding a couple of targets. So I filled them in even though the ocean would be covering them within an hour or so.