Short Video - Bad holes

[earthmansurfer]

I know who did this and if you remember my thread in the past, it's the same guy. I don't know what to do to convince him to cover his holes up better. He said he would and this is what I find. To boot, I gave him a shovel and pinpointer and he just uses the shovel and cuts the plugs in half, again and again, until he finds the coin. (So now the holes are worse than before he had a shovel!) Then pushes it all back into the hole, rarely right side up. It's a mash and I think all in the sake of not getting his hands dirty. He will be getting the video link, so comments on youtube will be read! But his English is minimal, so keep them simple. LOL

I'm afraid when this location opens up as things warm the owner will see this and look out for who did this in the off season. So, I have been fixing the damage.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1TTL75Atu4[/video]

 

[JimmyCT]

earthmansurfer,

Plain & simple fix: Leave the guy home. He may be a good friend and give you the "shirt off his back" but in the field he is going to get you, me and everyone else banned from hunting. If I was the homeowner you both would be thrown off for life and it doesn't matter if you did it or not. "You are guilty by assocation" You asked if you could detect on this private property, homeowner grants permission and this is how you friend treats the property? No thanks - he would be staying home. If this was me in he field and I obtained permission to hunt a private property and then my friend starting making holes like this, the first hole (that you showed in your video) would of been his last.

It seems as if you have showed him many times the proper techniques in recovery and still doesn't follow through correctly..... the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior...


If he decides to go off on his own and starts digging like this in public parks, there might be police arresting him for destroying public property. Remember MANY towns and cities have laws on the books concerning destroying public property (I will use my locality) and these laws very much exist. However, the parks crew / police dept do not mind IF the person is being respectful in filling in holes and "half mooning" the grass so it looks nice,neat so the grass grows back. I have had police and ground crews sit and watch me to see if I am respectful in this manner. If I brought in a shovel and did what your friend was doing I would be arrested. Good grief this isn't something to laugh about...get your friend off this private property you obtained permission to hunt and save this location for yourself. As far as the massacre that has already taken place, Your friend would be down there fixing the plugs and planting grass seed. Not saying he isn't a nice guy, what I am saying is this hobby is NOT for him. Remember, it only takes one person like this to close down a whole city of public parks to metal detectors. Think about it, this hobby already has many "nails in the coffin" due to this type of behavior. It is up to each and everyone of us to be an ambassador to the hobby of metal detecting. This opens doors to private property and public areas (and keeps them open)

I am not yelling at you earthmansurfer, you posted this video and it angered me and I am sure it angers many others who watch or will watch it. My words written reflect how strongly I feel about respecting other peoples' property to keep this very hobby alive for us and future generations... I hope you feel the same way. It seems as though you do as you are taking corrective action and "fixing" the damage your friend caused before the land owner notices.

- Jim

 

[earthmansurfer]

Thanks for the comment.

My friend showed me this place. There was no permission given. It is state land BUT it is leased to a private group. Things are cool if they don't find it a mess.

I don't take him there, he was there first and I know he hunted the day before I was there. So, I have to use this as an opportunity to turn him from the dark side. (No, he doesn't use a Minelab, I do, but you know what I mean. eheh) I'll use this problem as an opportunity. I'll try what I can. If I do "change him" or help him, then that is better off for others. But if I just cut him loose, so to speak, there is no chance of him doing things right and it will just be a matter of time before he affects others like me and you (metaphorically speaking). So, I'll work a bit like Ghandi here.

I can see how this can anger you or another person. It did frustrate me, but I like the occasional problem and seeing if I can help to solve it, so I'll let you all know what happens. Making the video is step one. Step two is showing it to him and hopefully his family. A part of that step is to tell him that some people told me they would call the police as "I" was making the place a mess, know what I mean? The Chess of life...

Again, thanks for sharing what you did.
EMS

 

[MNCoinhunter]

Wow ... that is negligence on a grand scale. If he does'nt want to get his hands dirty then he is engaged in the wrong hobby. And it is very likely that he will show the same disrespect in public places also. Hope you are able to get through to him very very soon.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Usually a shovel is cleaner than a knife if used right.I don't like to scare park keepers so I use a regular digging knife.One of the guys I use to hunt with used one of those small shovels and you couldn't tell what area he searched.Parks are looking for excuses to ban detecting so if we leave holes its just a matter of time the area is closed.By the way there is always that one spot(no one never mentions this) even if you use a screw driver the ground is going to be a mess.The video is a good reminder to use good tools, pinpointer and extra care for recovery.Thanks Ron

 

[vietvet]

OMG !! What a mess,hope you can straighten this guy out,good luck!.

 

[JimmyCT]

Hi EMS,

I am "picking up what you are laying down" I wish you the best in converting and look forward to your update on the situation. HH - Jim

 

[sqwaby]

Message for your friend: Who ever you are, you are enjoying a great hobby that is constantly under the microscope of people that for what ever reason , don't like people metal detecting. It is of the upmost importance for you and all detectorists to put our best foot forward. Don't you read all the posts of people being banned from parks and other properties because of enviromental damage as shown in the video.. WAKE UP, and leave the place as you found it, it should look as no one was ever there. You are doing irrepairable damage to metal detectorist's reputation every where.

 

[bootyhoundpa]

cant fix careless,find a new friend....

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[Joel-Winnipeg]

Definitely messy.
I've seen worst with the dirt sitting beside the hole with the piece of junk.
At lease he's making the attempt to putting the dirt back in the hole
guidance and persuasion on your part he may learn to do it correctly.

 

[mntnflyr4fun]

Terrible, I try to leave my holes to be undetectable....

 

[DirtAngler]

Do us all a favor, get him out of this hobby for the sake of metal detecting hobbyists everywhere. Yeah, I know it's not a yard or park but it still looks bad and if he's not practicing proper recovery techniques there, he's not going to able to do it correctly if he ever does a manicured site. We do have a "code of ethics", if anyone doing this hobby can't follow them, they shouldn't be in this hobby.

 

[jmaryt]

thanks for caring! it's people like yourself and others who are concerned
that allows all of us to venture away from our own back yards to detect.
just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.

 

[TerraDigger]

Earthman, I told you what to do in other post. Get the authorites on him. The man is just plain wrong in what he is doing. And he knows better, but still chooses to create damage.

 

[jmaryt]

i reluctantly agree! it's a "black eye" for all of us!
some people can be educated,and some cannot!,or
will not! pick one!..just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.

 

[joe dirt_1]

earthmansurfer, Thank you for fixing this mess your friend left behind. All it takes is for the right person to see this mass destruction your friend left to get you banned from the site for good, and I wouldn't blame them if they did.
It only takes a couple of minutes to put the plug back in correctly and leave no trace of your digging there. I f your friend hasn't got time to do it right then he is in the wrong hobby. It reflects back on all detectorist that do a neat job covering their holes.
It only takes one bad apple to spoil the whole barrel as the saying goes, and I hope this bad apple doesn't spoil it for the rest of us. Maybe a visit from your local 5-0 might wake this dude up and get him to follow the code of ethics all detector users follow......good luck !!

Roger

 

[jmaryt]

very well put! amen!
if i may be so bold,why f**k the rest of us?
just sayin'

(h.h.!
j.t.

 

[jmaryt]

yes it's unfortunate in that we HAVE to dig,however that's the way it is!
ya gotta do it right,or you will wish that you did someday,because you won't be able to
get out of your own back yard!..just sayin'

(h.h.!)
j.t.

 

[robo]

Maybe you should make a trip to his house and dig a few holes in his yard. See how he likes it!