Hello people its been a while sense i have been on here, but i just wanted to post something about what happened to me. My son and i was at a local park and fairly cold out and nobody around to bother us. I had located a target and i was down digging and not really paying attention to my surroundings, like i said nobody else was there so i thought, My son was about 200 yards from me and noticed a drunk walk through the water in a creek instead of using the bridge coming up on my back side, my son son started walking my way as fast as possible, then about that time the man said are you finding anything in a drunken stupor, which startled the crap out of me. Of course i said no as i usually do, when i am out detecting i never tell any one i don't know if i have found anything, You just never know what other peoples intentions are, but any way when my son got closer the man just started walking away, I am a firm believer to have someone detecting with you or have a backup in your pocket. any way it raised my blood pressure a little bit that morning.
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People sneaking up on you
- Thread starter crutch
- Start date
nwdetectorist
Active member
Hey crutch,
I know this feeling all too well since I detect a lot of inner city and downtown parks here in Portland, Oregon.
What I do is to constantly look around me, and part of my routine is to never work in a straight line and always get up facing a different direction than
I was when I crouched to recover the target.
Does this mean no one has ever crept up on me?
Not at all, but very rarely ever does this occur these days.
Another thing I do is dress a little out of the ordinary, like in para-military garb, the baggy camo-pants are very comfortable.
I use a book bag for my recoveries and trash which has a nice little pouch in front for my cell phone and I usually carry some kind of pepper spray on my person as well as my trusty lockblade knife should things get completely out of control.
Mainly I just try to be as aware as possible of my surroundings.
Nothing in the world is more startling than having someone walk up behind you and try to yell over the volume of your headphones.
Because of my hearing problems I really have learned to be more 360-degree about how I move around in a park.
Have a great holiday weekend.
Doyle
I know this feeling all too well since I detect a lot of inner city and downtown parks here in Portland, Oregon.
What I do is to constantly look around me, and part of my routine is to never work in a straight line and always get up facing a different direction than
I was when I crouched to recover the target.
Does this mean no one has ever crept up on me?
Not at all, but very rarely ever does this occur these days.
Another thing I do is dress a little out of the ordinary, like in para-military garb, the baggy camo-pants are very comfortable.
I use a book bag for my recoveries and trash which has a nice little pouch in front for my cell phone and I usually carry some kind of pepper spray on my person as well as my trusty lockblade knife should things get completely out of control.
Mainly I just try to be as aware as possible of my surroundings.
Nothing in the world is more startling than having someone walk up behind you and try to yell over the volume of your headphones.
Because of my hearing problems I really have learned to be more 360-degree about how I move around in a park.
Have a great holiday weekend.
Doyle
- - but I've met some interesting characters.
There was the gal once who was certain I was an agent of the gov'mint looking for radiation leaks. We live near the Savannah River Nuclear facility and she was sure the feds were conducting secret experiments. She was also certain these were responsible for the voices in her head.
I winked, and assured her I had found nothing - yet. But to be safe, it might be best to go to the other side of the park.
She smiled and said, "I knew it!" With that she took off, and I didn't see her again.
Yesterday, I was detecting an old foundation and a van pulled up. This was a pretty remote place and well off the beaten path. I wondered why anyone would be there and gripped my entrenching tool just a little tighter.
The darkened drivers side window a came down slowly and a voice said -
"Does this road go on through to the other side?"
Turns out it was just a group of birders, who had gotten a little lost while looking for their feathered friends.
But I like the idea of a dog. I wonder if I can get my mutt to stick by my side that long?
There was the gal once who was certain I was an agent of the gov'mint looking for radiation leaks. We live near the Savannah River Nuclear facility and she was sure the feds were conducting secret experiments. She was also certain these were responsible for the voices in her head.
I winked, and assured her I had found nothing - yet. But to be safe, it might be best to go to the other side of the park.
She smiled and said, "I knew it!" With that she took off, and I didn't see her again.
Yesterday, I was detecting an old foundation and a van pulled up. This was a pretty remote place and well off the beaten path. I wondered why anyone would be there and gripped my entrenching tool just a little tighter.
The darkened drivers side window a came down slowly and a voice said -
"Does this road go on through to the other side?"
Turns out it was just a group of birders, who had gotten a little lost while looking for their feathered friends.
But I like the idea of a dog. I wonder if I can get my mutt to stick by my side that long?
I usually hunt with a buddy of mine, and well his digger once snapped so I borrowed him mine.. As time went by he thought it was to cold so he went in the car for some cover of the freezing winds. I kept detecting then all the sudden I heard my buddy scream like bloody hell!! As we where out in a park I thought the worst had happened...
So I turned around quickly and my headphones cable snapped.
Well he just wanted to know if I wanted my digging tool.. LOL I always have at least 2 digging tools with me, one in spare. But no headphones in spare.
Have a good one,
Eu
So I turned around quickly and my headphones cable snapped.
Well he just wanted to know if I wanted my digging tool.. LOL I always have at least 2 digging tools with me, one in spare. But no headphones in spare.
Have a good one,
Eu
nwdetectorist
Active member
Oh, I nearly forgot.
One of my detecting friends was always so into his digging that he never looked around and was generally oblivious to all but the bottle-cap recovery at hand.
So, just for fun I would sneak up behind him and from several feet away pull the pinpoint trigger on my White's XLT.
This would send his Minelab Excalibur into hysterics and make all kinds of sounds.
At first it was kind of funny to see him get up and try re-detecting the hole.
Then he got wise to my way of saying its time for a break for coffee or whatever
Doyle
One of my detecting friends was always so into his digging that he never looked around and was generally oblivious to all but the bottle-cap recovery at hand.
So, just for fun I would sneak up behind him and from several feet away pull the pinpoint trigger on my White's XLT.
This would send his Minelab Excalibur into hysterics and make all kinds of sounds.
At first it was kind of funny to see him get up and try re-detecting the hole.
Then he got wise to my way of saying its time for a break for coffee or whatever
Doyle
detectin4fun
Active member
I was hunting a tot lot and felt something hit me in the back of the head not hard but something I turned around quickly to see a small girl standing there. I figured out later on she pelted me with a hand full of mulch. Her older sister said she was telling Dad, I told them it is not a good idea to talk to strangers. I found a spent small caliber bullet in the lot also.
I was at a local park digging a hole. I was not looking around like I do now. I looked up and saw a pair of shoes not more than 10-12" away from the hole, scared the heck outta me. As I continued to look up it was a little old lady. She just wanted to know what I was finding. Since then I really look around. It could have been a thug for sure, Beale.
G/Day Crutch,
You are right, a person has to keep aware of what's gong on around him when detecting, there seems to be a small group of people who think detector operators are an easy target .
I remember when I was detecting a playground with my daughter when a group of three young hoods rode up on pushbikes and started slinging smart ass remarks, then two rode around to the opposite side of the playground and the third thought he would have a go at me: The clown rode his bike at me through the Tan Bark and tried to swing a punch as he rode past, I reached out and gave his handle bars a bit of a tug which sent him flying over the handle bars, he got up cursing and swearing and they all rode off yelling something about me being a metal man.
One other time I was detecting a park when a bus load of Japanese camera clickers pulled up and they all got out with cameras blazing, One of them spotted me and came down the grass slope to see what I was doing, He approached a bit too close for comfort and then without warning reached towards my goodies bag that was around my waist and at the same time I dropped my detector and digging tool and gave him a two handed smack in each ear which sent him backwards and off balance. Well I had know way of knowing what he was about to do and I do not take chances, He got to his feet jabbering to himself and scrambled back up to where all his idiot mates were. I then packed it in for the day and disappeared quickly.
Cheers.
You are right, a person has to keep aware of what's gong on around him when detecting, there seems to be a small group of people who think detector operators are an easy target .
I remember when I was detecting a playground with my daughter when a group of three young hoods rode up on pushbikes and started slinging smart ass remarks, then two rode around to the opposite side of the playground and the third thought he would have a go at me: The clown rode his bike at me through the Tan Bark and tried to swing a punch as he rode past, I reached out and gave his handle bars a bit of a tug which sent him flying over the handle bars, he got up cursing and swearing and they all rode off yelling something about me being a metal man.
One other time I was detecting a park when a bus load of Japanese camera clickers pulled up and they all got out with cameras blazing, One of them spotted me and came down the grass slope to see what I was doing, He approached a bit too close for comfort and then without warning reached towards my goodies bag that was around my waist and at the same time I dropped my detector and digging tool and gave him a two handed smack in each ear which sent him backwards and off balance. Well I had know way of knowing what he was about to do and I do not take chances, He got to his feet jabbering to himself and scrambled back up to where all his idiot mates were. I then packed it in for the day and disappeared quickly.
Cheers.
You know guys i always watch my surroundings, but sometimes someone just catches you off guard. And this is also one of my pet peeves when detecting. i have found a good strong silver signal and about that time a man walked up and ask what time it was, no biggie i told him but he wouldn't leave and just kept talking and telling about his life story, i am not a rude person but after 10 minutes i told him i needed to get back to what i was doing and he should do the same and have a good day. You should of seen the look on his face. priceless Well any way i finally got a mercury dime out of the ground. Like i said before i don't dig when a stranger is lurking around. Not safe.
Yeah, candycane. I wear the light, cheap and small cup headphones and just place them near but not over my ears. And my screwdriver is a foot and a half long with thick shaft and looks kinda formidable and when someone unusual approaches I hold it down at my side where it can be seen.
I have had people approach me and talk for a half hour or more. Some can be engaging and have something of relevance to converse about but the majority seem to babble on about their lives oblivious of that fact that you're in the middle of something. Now I try to be polite as well, but I often go out and hunt because it gives me time to myself to think and relax so after awhile I can get a bit impatient. It does seem to happen right about the time you get a juicy signal. I often make a mental note of where it was or mark it with a stone or branch with the intention of returning to it. You just know that if you dig a keeper that these guys will hang with you for the rest of the day. I have, however, met very nice people as well, so it's not always a bad thing.