Night Hunters!?

[Mick in Dubbo]

A number of folks have mentioned their preference to hunt at night.For those that do, if you don't mind could I pick your collective brains for a few moments please?
1. How do you find targets in the dark? Do you use headlamps or something else to see with?It can be hard enough seeing targets in broad daylight!
2. Do you aid your search with a pin pointer?
3. Do you restrict yourself to hunt only at certain locations; i.e. beaches parks or other locations?
4. If at a location other than a beach, do you find that you draw attention to yourself as one who might be considered to be acting "suspiciously"?
If there is any other insight that you could pass along on this aspect of the hobby, it would be most welcome.
Thanks,
Mick Evans.

 

[Andy Sabisch]

n/t

 

[Treasure Nut]

I have given night hunting a try and find it more enjoyable rather than detecting in a busy park during the day. I have been approached by police, being the only car in the parking lot. After seeing what I'm doing and causing no other problems, they wish me luck and leave. I do respect the bylaw in that no person shall be in the park after 11:00pm.

 

[Treasure Nut]

I have tried night hunting and really like it. I use a headlamp with the rest of my detecting gear that I normally use during the day. For safety reasons, I prefer to hunt in large open parks or beaches rather than sneak around in bushes. Hunting during a bright moon illuminating your surrounding let other people see what you are doing AND you can see who is around you. Of couse, having another detectorist with you will give you that added feeling of security. I never stay beyond the parks bylaw of 11:00pm where no one shall be in the park after this time.

Hope it works for you.

 

[John LA]

I agree with you but must admit that in years past have have hunted some at night because it is cooler. South Louisiana get hot during the day in summer.

 

[argyle]

I hunt mostly after dusk Mick, and eary morning before the sun comes up then a couple of hours into daylight and it's my favorite time to be in a park/gardens type setting. I use a very light torch called an Energizer Hardcase LED that has a week light but good enough for detecting and you can't be seen from miles away. Low battery drain also and uses two AA's. You should be able to get them in Dubbo as the major supermarkets all sell them.
I have no illusions about it or get paranoid if people think I'm acting suspiciusly, as most people moving through the parks and gardens at those times are usually family's or singles going on walks or drunks young and old. Most parks are lit up enough to make out what is going on and the people that see you have an idea pretty well straight away what you are doing.
I use an xterra 30 so have no nead for a pinpointer and there is almost nothing like the thrill of the terra's very stable id letting you know a coin is under the coil....then popping it out under the flashlight.
I used to do a bit of detecting near the big bridge along where the caravan park is there in your town, when I used to travel through a fair bit....Best of luck and happy hunting.

 

[argyle]

that I have ever read on a detecting forum Andy.

Who the bloody hell do you think you are by calling your fellow detectorists....and in this case I'm one of them....sneak's, slinker's and potential jail bait.

If you do not hunt at night then all well and good but do not for one minute think that you have the right to spread false assumptions about publc perceptions of detectorist's.

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

Thanks to all that replied.I hope that their aren't too many ruffled feathers.Randy! I hope you got that message I sent you.
Argyle. I was detecting in that park you were talking about last week. Only got about 20Min's in due to family commitments. Ran out of light. They play soccer there and are mostly sitting on the far sideline from the road. Still managed to find $3 and a thick mens chocker chain sitting on the surface. next time you come though,look me up and we can go for a detect together.(02)68829765.There is an old dam sight about 40Min's away that I don't think has ever seen a detector(including mine)!It was built a bit over a 100yrs ago and was levelled a couple of years ago.It was a popular swimming spot for most of that time, but can't be found without local knowledge. Even when I knew where it was it still took me a couple of goes to find it.
Never had the chance to hunt with anybody else yet and would welcome the company. Just ring ahead so I can make some time available.
Anyhow happy hunting to all(night and day hunters!)
Mick Evans.

 

[Gadget]

Not a problem here in Alaska. During our hunting season, you can pretty much see the display until well after midnight. And 2am a few weeks either side of the summer solstice. Good thing our long days come in the summer, not winter.

I think night hunting would be fun, but would choose my location carefully as to not invoke any unnecessary suspicion.

 

[argyle]

Hi Mick. Sounds like a top spot that dam....get stuck into it.

I dont get up around Dubbo from vic half as much as I used to but if I make it again soon I will definently get in touch....thanks.

Goodnight....excuse the pun.

Rob.

 

[Monte]

First, some quick replies to your questions:

"1. How do you find targets in the dark? Do you use headlamps or something else to see with? It can be hard enough seeing targets in broad daylight!... It depends on the type of hunting I am doing, but as a rule I don't hunt for "deep coins" in the dark. In the city I often would search sidewalk/parking strip areas (under repair or not) that are well lit by street light, and in parks or large areas, and especially in ghost towns and other more secluded sites, I use a headlight and well as a small mimi-flashlight.

Usually they are sites where most recoveries will be in the surface-to-4

 

[McNickle]

I LIKE to night hunt in the summer //or in warm-hot weather....It is very peaceful...I do choose my locations carefully tho....
In Parks and other public places I hunt till just before curfew,and usually people hardly give me a second glance...but during sidewalk and street tear-outs,,,,,I am careful to hunt Mainly during the day ---Up to possibly 1 hour after dark even filling my holes in those "torn up parkways ,so not to leave a tripping hazard".....If people see you hunting on the street in front of there house,,,,,They will not pay much atention briefly after dark....But.....If you hunt too late after dark,and when some of the people that are working night shift get ready for work.....and see you out in front of thier house,,,,It can cause hard feelings with them......The way I see it....If I was Not a detectorist,,,,and someone was hunting in front of my mothers house in daylight hours,,,,,,,i might be curious about them,,,but not suspisious.....On the other hand,,,,,,if I were going to my mothers after dark,,,,,and seen someone detecting (If I were not a detectorist)seeing a guy bent over digging around in front of moms,,,
My protective instinct would likely kick in,,,,and I am sure I would be asking that person some questions,,,and I would be suspesious...
Most ALL of us detector hoobyists DO have good ethics....
But I Have known a few that would not fill thier holes in Parks,,,,,and would be disrespectful of others property (would hunt with-out permision).....We have to be our own watchdogs,,,,and help
to give detecting a good name ....I think Night Hunting is FINE,,,,and see a few others doing it....But there are a few that can give our hobby a bad name.....and it just looks that much worse when a guy is hunting private property, or not filling his holes,,,,at night,,,much less in the daylight hours.......I am sure a few readers have seen some guys like I am talking about.........Thankfully the vast majority of us
do have good ethics,,,,,but it just takes a few bad apples,,,(wheather daytime or night hunting) to get detecting in your town banned...
Like I said we have to watch out for those bad apples,,,,to keep detecting safe and legal...JMO

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

Thanks Rob.
After I posted, I had a funny feeling that you might have been from down south. I guess with winter coming on you may join the annual migration north that we see.
I don't know if you hunt for gold; but if you do, you might want to pack your gold detector as well. To be honest, I don't know a thing about gold detecting, but there are some significant gold fields only 75kms away;namingly Stuart Town and the surrounding area around Lake Burrendong.About 2hrs away you can find yourself on the Hill End Gold fields where massive amounts of gold has been found in the rushes between 1851 and the 1930's!See treasure enterprises website for details. Very exhaustive on details.
I will get to that dam eventually,but even when I do, I don't think one detectorist is going to clean it out any time soon. I still need to do more research on it to establish where all it's boundaries were, but I suspect that it is going to be a fair size.
Anyway
Happy trails and I look forward to hearing from you should you get the urge to head north again.
Mick Evans.
P.s. Our email address is bevnmick@optusnet That middle symbol is supposed to be "at".

 

[Mick in Dubbo]

Thanks for your reply Monte and indeed to everyone who has taken the time to write. There has been some very interesting thoughts come to light.
These perceptions that I have put up, are just that;and I posted them so that they could be challenged.It's a good way to learn.We tend to be fragile as members of the human race and can have our feelings hurt quite easily when wisdom is not used when framing opinions or their replies. I value all opinions and encourage them to be expressed so that we all may learn. without 2 sides to idea, then we tend to lose out. I would encourage all to put forward their experiences so that we can all learn from each other and grow in our hobby.The ball is squarely in our court and it's up to us how we play the game!
Happy hunting
Mick Evans.