Lawrence in Alabama
New member
I am a member of the Warrior Basin Treasure Hunters Association and each October we put on the Deep South Treasure Hunt. This year was the 33rd Annual Hunt and was held last weekend (Friday 10-13 and Saturday 10-14). On Friday night we hold two "fun" hunts; Relay Hunt and Wingo Hunt. Both hunts are conducted in the dark! In the Relay Hunt the entrants are divided into 10 lines 0 - 9 with the number being the last digit of the hunt badge number. For instance, my badge number was 31 so I was in the 1 line. Once the lines are equaled out the hunt begins. When the signal to start is made the first person in each line enters the hunt field and goes until he/she finds a painted penny. Once the target is recovered the first person runs back to the line and puts the penny on a paper plate. As soon as the first person clears the field the second person in line enters the hunt field until a penny is found, etc. This continues until a team finds 25 targets. The hunters in the winning line each received a 1/2 ounce silver round.
The Wingo Hunt is also conducted in the dark (no flashlights or back lighting allowed). The coins are not buried, but are on top of the ground. It is harder to pick them up than you would think especially since you are having to feel for the target. The hunt field has wheat pennies, silver dimes and tokens. When you find a token you take it to the Recorder and your token number is entered by your badge number. The hunt continues until all the tokens are found or 30 minutes whichever comes first. Once the hunt is over everyone returns to the pavilion and the Huntmaster calls out the token numbers in the order they were turned in. Two assistants mark off the token numbers on two "Wingo" boards.
Wingo Hunt board and marking off token numbers:
[attachment 38547 MVC-414F.JPG]
The marking off continues until a "Wingo" is made on one of the boards either vertical, horizontal or diagonal. The first board is then shut down and each person who had one of the token numbers wins a one ounce silver round.
Then the Huntmaster continues until a "Wingo" is completed on the second board. The winners on the second board win a half ounce silver round. My token was "11". It was the last one on the second board and it actually comleted a vertical line as well as a horizontal line! I told the Huntmaster I should get 2 half ounce rounds since it completed 2 lines, but he didn't agree with me!! Oh well, can't blame me for trying!! I had never won in the Wingo Hunt before!! James had predicted I would do well during the weekend and that I would win a metal detector for the first time ever!! Well, winning a half ounce round was getting off to a good start.
Half ounce silver round with Andy Jackson on it:
[attachment 38548 Halfouncesilverround.JPG]
On Saturday the first hunt is called the "Payback Hunt". The hunters find as many tokens as they can and each token they turn in gets them a certain amount of cash money (determined by the number of hunters and the amount of money from the entry fees for this hunt). I don't know the exact amount for each token this year, but it was over $1.00 each. I don't hunt this hunt because I am not fast enough to make my money back!!!
We also have the "Dollar Bill" hunt. Bills from $1.00 up to $50.00 are rolled up with a penny and then wrapped in a plastic baggy. I only recovered 5 targets, but four were $1.00 bills and the last one was a $20.00 bill!!!
Dollar Bill Hunt recoveries:
[attachment 38549 DollarBillHuntFinds.JPG]
We also have a Silver Bonanza Hunt with all the targets being large silver targets, half dollars, dollars or silver rounds and bars. I recovered 5 targets in this hunt, too. I got one dollar and 4 half dollars.
Silver Bonanza Hunt recoveries:
[attachment 38550 SilverBonanzaHunt.JPG]
Another hunt on Saturday morning is the Cache Hunt. The targets in this hunt are silver dimes, silver quarters and tokens. When a token is found it is taken to the Huntmaster and exchanged for a numbered token that you pick without seeing what the number is. When all the tokens have been found the hunt moves into the second stage. Prizes are given out for the tokens. If you do not receive a prize that means your token gets you into stage 2 the hunt for the caches. In the past the caches were buried in the field. This year tokens were buried and when you got one you go exchange it for one of the plastic Copenhagen type containers. Inside are coins. One has a gold coin!! I found one token and the cache I picked up had 11 silver dimes!! This was another first for me...I had never made it to the second stage before!!!
The Main Hunt had silver dimes, quarters, tokens and some Indian Head pennies!! Well this is where James' prediction went South! I didn't find a token. I had a tough time in the Main Hunt. I started in an area I did not bury (everybody that buries coins, start in an area they did not bury coins to avoid being accused of knowing where the good coins are. We have people who do not hunt bury the tokens so there cannot be accusations made about knowing where the tokens are buried and having an advantage). Whoever buried the coins in the area I started in buried them 3 - 4 inches deep (they are supposed to be buried an inch or less) and they were on edge which makes them difficult to pinpoint and causes holes to be dug 4 times as big as they normally are!! I only found 22 targets in the Main Hunt, 21 silver dimes and 1 silver quarter.
I entered one raffle and won a one ounce silver bar that celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the birth of the nation of Israel. I thought that was pretty cool!!
One ounce silver round celebrating the birth of Israel:
[attachment 38552 1ouncesilverbar.JPG]
All in all not a bad couple of days!! I had fun and got some goodies, too!!! Since I found $24.00 in the Dollar Bill hunt I decided to put another $8.00 with it and buy a Lesche digger for an early Christmas present to me!!!!
Here is a pic of my haul for the weekend:
[attachment 38553 TheHaul.JPG]
Thanks for looking and sorry it is so long!!
HH
The Wingo Hunt is also conducted in the dark (no flashlights or back lighting allowed). The coins are not buried, but are on top of the ground. It is harder to pick them up than you would think especially since you are having to feel for the target. The hunt field has wheat pennies, silver dimes and tokens. When you find a token you take it to the Recorder and your token number is entered by your badge number. The hunt continues until all the tokens are found or 30 minutes whichever comes first. Once the hunt is over everyone returns to the pavilion and the Huntmaster calls out the token numbers in the order they were turned in. Two assistants mark off the token numbers on two "Wingo" boards.
Wingo Hunt board and marking off token numbers:
[attachment 38547 MVC-414F.JPG]
The marking off continues until a "Wingo" is made on one of the boards either vertical, horizontal or diagonal. The first board is then shut down and each person who had one of the token numbers wins a one ounce silver round.
Then the Huntmaster continues until a "Wingo" is completed on the second board. The winners on the second board win a half ounce silver round. My token was "11". It was the last one on the second board and it actually comleted a vertical line as well as a horizontal line! I told the Huntmaster I should get 2 half ounce rounds since it completed 2 lines, but he didn't agree with me!! Oh well, can't blame me for trying!! I had never won in the Wingo Hunt before!! James had predicted I would do well during the weekend and that I would win a metal detector for the first time ever!! Well, winning a half ounce round was getting off to a good start.
Half ounce silver round with Andy Jackson on it:
[attachment 38548 Halfouncesilverround.JPG]
On Saturday the first hunt is called the "Payback Hunt". The hunters find as many tokens as they can and each token they turn in gets them a certain amount of cash money (determined by the number of hunters and the amount of money from the entry fees for this hunt). I don't know the exact amount for each token this year, but it was over $1.00 each. I don't hunt this hunt because I am not fast enough to make my money back!!!
We also have the "Dollar Bill" hunt. Bills from $1.00 up to $50.00 are rolled up with a penny and then wrapped in a plastic baggy. I only recovered 5 targets, but four were $1.00 bills and the last one was a $20.00 bill!!!
Dollar Bill Hunt recoveries:
[attachment 38549 DollarBillHuntFinds.JPG]
We also have a Silver Bonanza Hunt with all the targets being large silver targets, half dollars, dollars or silver rounds and bars. I recovered 5 targets in this hunt, too. I got one dollar and 4 half dollars.
Silver Bonanza Hunt recoveries:
[attachment 38550 SilverBonanzaHunt.JPG]
Another hunt on Saturday morning is the Cache Hunt. The targets in this hunt are silver dimes, silver quarters and tokens. When a token is found it is taken to the Huntmaster and exchanged for a numbered token that you pick without seeing what the number is. When all the tokens have been found the hunt moves into the second stage. Prizes are given out for the tokens. If you do not receive a prize that means your token gets you into stage 2 the hunt for the caches. In the past the caches were buried in the field. This year tokens were buried and when you got one you go exchange it for one of the plastic Copenhagen type containers. Inside are coins. One has a gold coin!! I found one token and the cache I picked up had 11 silver dimes!! This was another first for me...I had never made it to the second stage before!!!
The Main Hunt had silver dimes, quarters, tokens and some Indian Head pennies!! Well this is where James' prediction went South! I didn't find a token. I had a tough time in the Main Hunt. I started in an area I did not bury (everybody that buries coins, start in an area they did not bury coins to avoid being accused of knowing where the good coins are. We have people who do not hunt bury the tokens so there cannot be accusations made about knowing where the tokens are buried and having an advantage). Whoever buried the coins in the area I started in buried them 3 - 4 inches deep (they are supposed to be buried an inch or less) and they were on edge which makes them difficult to pinpoint and causes holes to be dug 4 times as big as they normally are!! I only found 22 targets in the Main Hunt, 21 silver dimes and 1 silver quarter.
I entered one raffle and won a one ounce silver bar that celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the birth of the nation of Israel. I thought that was pretty cool!!
One ounce silver round celebrating the birth of Israel:
[attachment 38552 1ouncesilverbar.JPG]
All in all not a bad couple of days!! I had fun and got some goodies, too!!! Since I found $24.00 in the Dollar Bill hunt I decided to put another $8.00 with it and buy a Lesche digger for an early Christmas present to me!!!!
Here is a pic of my haul for the weekend:
[attachment 38553 TheHaul.JPG]
Thanks for looking and sorry it is so long!!
HH
In other words, your frustration did not keep you from posting, right? 
