What about a RETURN to The Hobby?

[dahut]

I "got out" 20 years ago because of a similar thing, I figured I could get my son interested in the hobby if we detected together. I got permission to detect the elementary school that he attended,
We found some good coins and we were having a great time. We filled in the holes and happily went on our way. The next day he was called into the Administrators office and was told we could no
longer detect school property. Some noisy neighbors decided to "CHECK OUT WHAT WE WERE DOING" and dug up the holes after we left. My son lost interest in detecting and after I received a
call from the school, I lost interest also. It took a year or so to get back into it and I still enjoy "the hunt" today. It took only 20 years for my son to start detecting, now he's my hunting buddy!
I live in a small town in Wisconsin and sometimes I think people are just paranoid. I ask permission,share the history and sometimes the goodies! Don't let the Bozo's bring you down again,
remember that "First good find" and the thrill it brought you? Buddy, I still feel it today! Good Hunting. C-Dog

I do remember the first good find - it was my very FIRST find, actually. A 1936 Merc... I can show the exact spot today.
Thanks for your support!

 

[Muddyshoes]

This is a good approach, Shoes. I have never been big on pre-emptive public relations - I reckon, "I know I'm not a weirdo, so mind your own business."
But this is a different time - the GroupMind, and all that stuff the writers of old warned us about.

So I think such as yours is a great notion.

Thanks. It kills me to have to think in such terms that I have to make such an effort to NOT have people concerned about what I "may" be doing. In the past there was little or no fear. They would either ignore me or ask what I was doing. But as you said, times have changed, and as an adult now, it's a societal thing that people have expectations of how adults should act, and today, anything out of the norm for them evokes a 'fear' response. They would rather act out of fear first, and be safe, than 'trust' and have something bad happen. And see? It's happening.. here I am cranky about the present day, longing for the past... this is how we transition from spry young happy-go-lucky folks into hardened, old, cranky people. It's like....

Hold on a sec.. have to chase some kids offa my lawn....

- Muddyshoes

 

[zeekeys]

Thank you guys for this post. I have been experiencing these same things since coming back also. It is like walking on a rocky road in your bare feet. You have to watch every step. It is no longer a care free world of trust and free, open communications.
I do like the new detectors.
My music and metal detecting are my only stability in my life. The music I listen to, most of the artists are dead and no one cares to listen to, so there is no attempt to change them. I have 40's, 50's, 60's music on cd's and never listen to the radio. (Never watch the news or read the paper.) As a matter of fact I have 10 to 12 hours of listening on each cd. It is like I have Mario Lanza right there in the car with me singing. That is great!!!
Metal detecting, I am out there by myself. My world. It makes no difference for how long. Even a few minutes of no propaganda coming in is a pleasure.
Guys we are surrounded by a world of change and chaos. And the youngers have no idea of the stability we had in our worlds as kids and young men and woman. I kind of like what is going on because chaos does reorganize. (I eat a lot of tums) What will it be like when chaos reorganizes?
Thanks for looking and Happy Trails....Z

 

[mudpuppy]

All sorts of outdoor hobbys have taken a real hit in the last 15 years or so...just try to go fishing without being hassled by the "man" or trapping for that matter, anything a guy used to do to maybe make a little money out of doors, heck, you need a license here in Michigan to go hunt for mushrooms! Dont dare get caught with a load of ash firewood, or lead shot on the river, or a fish arrow in your boat when you cross from shooting carp in the estuary to a classified "trout river"...or a treble hook in your tackle box, and by gosh, if you do a little handyman work, you gotta have a license for that too..remember when we were kids, a guy could load up the Schwinn Typhoon and spend the weekend camping out? Nowadays parents would be charged with neglect!,.anyway, I'm new to this hobby, so I dont have "the good old days" to compare it to, just that it satifiys a need in me to get outside and hunt for things and the immediate reward of cashing in clad for a cup of coffee or a hamburger on the way home, giving a cool ring to the wife that I didn't pay for, and having a legitimate excuse to be wandering around outside, with the chance of finding gold.
Mud

 

[codydog50]

The good old days? You can't hold the door open for a lady going in to a store without someone giving you the "evil eye". I just realized I must be one of those old guys we used to talk about!
A little info on me. I am being treated for PTSD, No, I'm not whining,just the facts! Metal Detecting has been the best therapy I've had. Gives a guy a chance to concentrate on things other than life.
Too bad we all can't get together and do some digging, drink a few and share our treasure hunting stories! on the other hand, people would freak to see a crowd of old farts with our Bermuda shorts
and black socks!!! I'll get off the band wagon now and focus on my childhood dream "Treasure hunting" C-Dog

 

[slingshot]

All sorts of outdoor hobbys have taken a real hit in the last 15 years or so...just try to go fishing without being hassled by the "man" or trapping for that matter, anything a guy used to do to maybe make a little money out of doors, heck, you need a license here in Michigan to go hunt for mushrooms! Dont dare get caught with a load of ash firewood, or lead shot on the river, or a fish arrow in your boat when you cross from shooting carp in the estuary to a classified "trout river"...or a treble hook in your tackle box, and by gosh, if you do a little handyman work, you gotta have a license for that too..remember when we were kids, a guy could load up the Schwinn Typhoon and spend the weekend camping out? Nowadays parents would be charged with neglect!,.anyway, I'm new to this hobby, so I dont have "the good old days" to compare it to, just that it satifiys a need in me to get outside and hunt for things and the immediate reward of cashing in clad for a cup of coffee or a hamburger on the way home, giving a cool ring to the wife that I didn't pay for, and having a legitimate excuse to be wandering around outside, with the chance of finding gold.
Mud

Our fishing licenses here in Texas almost doubled in one year.

 

[dahut]

Thank you guys for this post. I have been experiencing these same things since coming back also. It is like walking on a rocky road in your bare feet. You have to watch every step. It is no longer a care free world of trust and free, open communications.
I do like the new detectors.
My music and metal detecting are my only stability in my life. The music I listen to, most of the artists are dead and no one cares to listen to, so there is no attempt to change them. I have 40's, 50's, 60's music on cd's and never listen to the radio. (Never watch the news or read the paper.) As a matter of fact I have 10 to 12 hours of listening on each cd. It is like I have Mario Lanza right there in the car with me singing. That is great!!!
Metal detecting, I am out there by myself. My world. It makes no difference for how long. Even a few minutes of no propaganda coming in is a pleasure.
Guys we are surrounded by a world of change and chaos. And the youngers have no idea of the stability we had in our worlds as kids and young men and woman. I kind of like what is going on because chaos does reorganize. (I eat a lot of tums) What will it be like when chaos reorganizes?
Thanks for looking and Happy Trails....Z

I like to say the Age of the Independent Man died with JFK. It started with Lyndon B. Johnson and his Great Society. Now in the Time of Terror, independence is frowned upon - you are NOT free to go about your business unless someone has scrutinized you first.
That said, it is up to each of us to be both an ambassador and an activist for this pastime. Many people still do not understand us, although they are familiar with the hobby. We must make them see that it is both harmless and helpful, that we are not mere scavengers and parasites.
Personally, I don't think we will ever be fully accepted; detecting is just too solitary and "random', as they say these days. Much as I hate to say it, I think permits are the only way we will get on in the future.

 

[Chuck in KY]

Here in Eastern Ky. the coal barons can take the whole top of a mountain off to get a seam of coal & pollute our streams, but you or I dig a six inch hole in the wrong place & it's all -ell to pay.

 

[dahut]

Permits grate on my nerves like a hole in my sock. But I have to suck it up - thats probably all that will save this hobby in our fearful, litigious age. The fact that I already pay taxes to enjoy the parks only makes it worse....
But I'll find out as the year progresses and begin to meet some of the movers and shakers, if it comes to that.

I didn't like the idea of a permit when I first found out about it. And of course that was from a DNR officer asking me if I had one,,,when I didn't have a clue about it! (years ago)

But I must say,, I think it's a great idea now. It takes away the thoughts while detecting of whether you should be there,,,,or " is someone going to ask me to leave"? That's all gone and after awhile the Officers get to know your vehicle and every now and again will stop in to BS. It's a great thing I say.lol Only County parks though,,,not City parks in the county. But still it covers a large area with at least 20 different parks.

And if you think about it,,,$10 for a detecting permit,,yearly is not bad at all. As far as already paying taxes,,,,well your right ,,but,, so do the people that have to pay to launch their boat at these parks,,a few parks also offer snowmobiling and horseback riding with a small fee.

I think the permit is a great idea.

Well flash its the old idea of losing a battle to win the war. In this Now Age, it may be the answer tor our worries. Im going to push it.

 

[zeekeys]

Independence?
When I was a kid we had a coal/wood furnace. Warm air rose into the house. Had a pot belled stove connected to a water tank to heat water for washing/cooking. Electricity could go off and it didn't really affect us for days. Dad, brother and I hunted rabbits, deer, birds. Mom canned. We had rabbits, chickens. Had a garden in the yard. Repairs were done by us.
Most girls now can not cook. Not very good at keeping house.
Men don't know how to change a tire/oil.
We have become corporate minions.
We must wait for an expert to show us the way.
When things were done years ago. They were done by someone who got his training from his dad and his dad got his training from his dad etc...
Now days we receive our training from schools taught by the hour.
We have become corporate minions.
Who can these young people look up to???
It is good business practice to screw the customer. Give the customer shoddy goods/service. It doesn't matter if he comes back or not. The customer is the enemy.
We have become corporate minions.
People are not important. The company is everything.
We have become corporate minions.
We need wars and destruction to keep corporate America going.
We have become corporate minions.
Teach them, show them, guide them to serve.
We are corporate minions.
There are no more John Wayne's, Gene Autry's, Hopalong Cassidy's, Roy Rogers, Chill Wills.
I know I am on the no fly list...
Thanks for reading.....Happy Trails....Z

 

[dahut]

Independence?
When I was a kid we had a coal/wood furnace. Warm air rose into the house. Had a pot belled stove connected to a water tank to heat water for washing/cooking. Electricity could go off and it didn't really affect us for days. Dad, brother and I hunted rabbits, deer, birds. Mom canned. We had rabbits, chickens. Had a garden in the yard. Repairs were done by us.
Most girls now can not cook. Not very good at keeping house.
Men don't know how to change a tire/oil.
We have become corporate minions.
We must wait for an expert to show us the way.
When things were done years ago. They were done by someone who got his training from his dad and his dad got his training from his dad etc...
Now days we receive our training from schools taught by the hour.
We have become corporate minions.
Who can these young people look up to???
It is good business practice to screw the customer. Give the customer shoddy goods/service. It doesn't matter if he comes back or not. The customer is the enemy.
We have become corporate minions.
People are not important. The company is everything.
We have become corporate minions.
We need wars and destruction to keep corporate America going.
We have become corporate minions.
Teach them, show them, guide them to serve.
We are corporate minions.
There are no more John Wayne's, Gene Autry's, Hopalong Cassidy's, Roy Rogers, Chill Wills.
I know I am on the no fly list...
Thanks for reading.....Happy Trails....Z

Wow! This was not where I had intended to go in this thread. Not that I disagree with you... our world has certainly changed.

 

[TerraDigger]

You said a mouthful. By today's laws...........when I was 19 y/o I would have been doing prison time. But it was all legal back then...or of no legal consequence.