If it beeps…Dig!
I spent this past weekend at a metal detecting event with my family and friends. It was a lot of fun, but I realized how many people have no idea what I am talking about when I mention I am going to a metal detecting event.
Basically the best way to understand is to imagine the people you see at the beach with metal detectors searching for lost treasure only put 80 - 100 of them in a field looking for silver dimes that have been buried ahead of time. There are tons of these events that go on across the country usually lasting from one to ten days.
There are 2 main types of metal detecting that go on at these events, and I will give you a quick run down of each just to be thorough :
1) Competition - this is a paid hunt that “the best” metal detectors enter to compete against each other. Each round (the competition can be one round or multiple) has a set number of targets, usually pennies, buried and the participants have a set amount of time to find as many as they can. The person who has the most targets at the end of all the rounds is the winner and usually gets a cash prize along with bragging rights
2) Coin Shooting - this is also a paid hunt; however, everyone at the hunt enters. Silver dimes or other “high value coins” are buried and the participants go at it. In this event the goal is usually to find enough dimes to make back your entry fee (Silver dimes are worth much more than “clad” dimes). Exceptional metal detectors usually find more than what they paid to enter the hunt and there for make a profit.
All in all it is an interesting hobby I have been involved in since I was a child.
Other interesting facts about metal detecting:
- a metal detector does not sound like a Geiger counter
- when you swing your detector over metal it beeps, this is the sign to dig
- we do fill in our holes
- metal detectors can find objects buried up to a few feet underground
- there are multiple brand of metal detectors: whites, fisher, tesoro, and troy to name a few
- people travel 1,000s of miles to reach hunts
June 29th, 2008 at 12:40 am
Hi There,
Metal detecting is a very addicting hobby, and once you get the bug, you’ll usually have this hobby for life.
I’ve been doing it for many years, but have never been on an organized hunt. I heard that they’re a lot of fun though, so maybe I’ll sign up for one in the future.
I’m going to an old neighborhood tomorrow to hunt a relatives newly purchased property. The house and area is over 100 years old, and am hoping nobody has hunted it before.
If so, I should be in for some old coins and relics.
Mike