Treasure Classifieds Forum

Just wondering if I'm unique, or if others go through the same fits...

Does anyone else ever get burned out from hunting? It's hot or cold with me, absolutely no in-between. Most of the time, I'm hot, and blaring to go, but other times, especially if I've been detecting a lot, I start to get a bit weary. I guess it's the old "the grass is always greener..." effect.

I've thought a lot about this over the years, and have come to the conclusion that if I could indeed get out to hunt everyday, I'm not so sure it would be as much fun. But then again, I've never had that luxury, so I guess I'll never truly know.

Do you ever get burned out? Would you find hunting everyday just as much of a blast, or would it simply become work...old hat?

Joe

That's a really good question Joe. Burned out? From repeated coverage of the same sites? Going to sites that are great in some areas, some of the time, horrible in other times, no results, repetitive, different settings, slower swing, did I cover this, that. Yet, just like today and everyday, mindset is, "There can't possibly be anything left here.", but I will try.

I heard somewhere that "American" ends in "I Can."

I think that the detectorist "Mantra" is one of not giving up. We may falter and get tired and sometimes forget what we see and hear on the screens, but for some reason, those of us who know the territory, who have invested the time and the effort, who have discovered things other people aren't aware of; well, we know it. We know what we are doing. We've seen the results. The flipping place is full of it if you have the gumption and the will to go take a look.

Now, for some guys that get "Permissions" all day, well how do you get burned out on that? Albeit youth has it's advantages, for some of the younger crowd. But have they paved a trail of real discovery? Have they broken the barriers of nowhere land? I consider myself the "Woodsman", the Coyote "Dog Meat", and the "Ohio Dirt Fisher" as all of you, and I, affectionately refer. Burning out in this time of my life of detecting would be the end. Although that may happen because of health reasons or DEATH, it'll never happen as long as I can swing. My "Mantra" is swing. 7 days a week. 2 to 4 hours a day. When you visit me at the old age home, you're going to be doing a lot of walking and talking with an old guy swinging a walker or a cane. I'll get mine while I can!

We should take note, however, of being ever attentive to our health and being able to manage our hobby against family obligations and work. We are only human, and regardless of what we enjoy about the hobby, other things are sometimes more important than new discovery and new territory. (Total Sarcasm)

Ed/ODF

Yep-- been there.

Just like life, detecting has ups and downs and even though it is a great hobby, I have become "bored" with it for small amounts of time. Usually pressures of life get in the way and the hobby just gets "back burnered" a bit.

I found it occurred more often while I was coin hunting. For me the thrill of chasing silver would get old and the variety just was not there. But then I would get back into it and chase the heck out of silver again.

With relics I have been on a three year run without a "bored" period. But the variety is out of this world in our relic areas (stay tuned for a few new videos) but job and family still cause me to take breaks and sometimes only get out once a week or once every two weeks due to business travel or family commitments. Those breaks probably keep me from having those "bored" periods.

Nothing wrong with taking a break for a while. Help you re energize and regain the passion for the hobby!!

(10-26-2015 10:45 PM)Ohio Dirt Fisher Wrote: [ -> ]That's a really good question Joe. Burned out? From repeated coverage of the same sites? Going to sites that are great in some areas, some of the time, horrible in other times, no results, repetitive, different settings, slower swing, did I cover this, that. Yet, just like today and everyday, mindset is, "There can't possibly be anything left here.", but I will try.

I heard somewhere that "American" ends in "I Can."

I think that the detectorist "Mantra" is one of not giving up. We may falter and get tired and sometimes forget what we see and hear on the screens, but for some reason, those of us who know the territory, who have invested the time and the effort, who have discovered things other people aren't aware of; well, we know it. We know what we are doing. We've seen the results. The flipping place is full of it if you have the gumption and the will to go take a look.

Now, for some guys that get "Permissions" all day, well how do you get burned out on that? Albeit youth has it's advantages, for some of the younger crowd. But have they paved a trail of real discovery? Have they broken the barriers of nowhere land? I consider myself the "Woodsman", the Coyote "Dog Meat", and the "Ohio Dirt Fisher" as all of you, and I, affectionately refer. Burning out in this time of my life of detecting would be the end. Although that may happen because of health reasons or DEATH, it'll never happen as long as I can swing. My "Mantra" is swing. 7 days a week. 2 to 4 hours a day. When you visit me at the old age home, you're going to be doing a lot of walking and talking with an old guy swinging a walker or a cane. I'll get mine while I can!

We should take note, however, of being ever attentive to our health and being able to manage our hobby against family obligations and work. We are only human, and regardless of what we enjoy about the hobby, other things are sometimes more important than new discovery and new territory. (Total Sarcasm)

Ed/ODF

Ed, you're HARDCORE!!! 7 days per would be too much for even this stone cold junkie, himself. Yes, the shorter hunts would make it more palatable, but, still, that's a LOT of swinging! The older I get, after doing this for a number of years now, I normally need recuperating time after my hunts, seriously. Then again, when I go out, I go OUT. 5, 6 or 7 hour hunts in the fall are common for me, and the constant up & down, digging, etc. can take a toll. Especially if one isn't the most fine of physical specimens, such as myself, lol.

Then again, what with all the fantastic stuff you've been finding, I'd be pretty hard pressed to get burned out, too

(10-27-2015 04:11 AM)Ron (CA) Wrote: [ -> ]Yep-- been there.

Just like life, detecting has ups and downs and even though it is a great hobby, I have become "bored" with it for small amounts of time. Usually pressures of life get in the way and the hobby just gets "back burnered" a bit.

I found it occurred more often while I was coin hunting. For me the thrill of chasing silver would get old and the variety just was not there. But then I would get back into it and chase the heck out of silver again.

With relics I have been on a three year run without a "bored" period. But the variety is out of this world in our relic areas (stay tuned for a few new videos) but job and family still cause me to take breaks and sometimes only get out once a week or once every two weeks due to business travel or family commitments. Those breaks probably keep me from having those "bored" periods.

Nothing wrong with taking a break for a while. Help you re energize and regain the passion for the hobby!!

Ron, I can be an extremely opinionated s.o.b., which sometimes rubs people the wrong way, but that's me, win, lose, or draw, and I'm not changing to suit anyone's fancy. The flip side however, is when I'm wrong, or someone has has a valid point, I'm usually the first to admit it. Fair is fair. And I have to say...

Your assessment, while not spot on, is pretty damn accurate!

In no way, shape, or form have I lost my passion for the hobby, and never will, but, as you pointed out, the ritual does tend to become a bit routine, sometimes. For me, the reasons tend to vary...

Too much time spent hunting, not finding anything "good" for sizable stretches, and yes, even the finds themselves. Believe you me, I will NEVER tire of seeing a shiny silver in a random hole, but there does seem to be a pattern of predictability which occurs over the long haul, when it comes to coin hunting, specifically. Will it make me quit this hobby? Hell no! Does it drive me mad? Far from it! Again, though, the lack of randomness does sometimes become an issue, and is an extremely valid point.

Fortunately, these fits & starts by me don't last very long. They can change on a whim, on what I just dug, even the temparatures & the seasons, themselves. It is what it is.

As with anything else in life, can having too much of anything, be a good thing? Moderation is key, I suppose, but it surely comes down to the individual.

For me, I think it's a culmination of many factors, which sometimes leads to getting blase. But here's a little secret...

One of the reasons this forum exists, is because like most others here, I am an addict when it comes to this stuff. And I NEVER tire of seeing good finds. When I'm down, they help bring me up, when I'm up they help kick me in the ass to hit it harder.

Mel Fisher once said; "Treasure gets in one's blood. It is in my DNA, therefore, it IS me." PRECISELY!!!!!

Joe

Not as long as there are old and  new machines or mods to try out. Even go back to a particular spot time and time again to see what I have missed or pick up recent treasure drops.

I don't care about silver coins, up here they are very scarce. So I opt for the lost gold and silver jewelry I find now and then. What keeps me going and many other Canadians are the $1 and $2 coins being lost here constantly. They do not have $1 bills here. All the above mentioned items make up for not finding silver coins.
I have only found two silver dimes in the past 6 years in the wild. Kind of sad when you read about all the folks finding silver left and right all over the US.

Once treasure hunting gets in your blood your doomed for life looking for that buried pot of gold, you know its there somewhere.

(10-30-2015 11:11 PM)Sven TreasureLinx Wrote: [ -> ]Not as long as there are old and  new machines or mods to try out. Even go back to a particular spot time and time again to see what I have missed or pick up recent treasure drops.

I don't care about silver coins, up here they are very scarce. So I opt for the lost gold and silver jewelry I find now and then. What keeps me going and many other Canadians are the $1 and $2 coins being lost here constantly. They do not have $1 bills here. All the above mentioned items make up for not finding silver coins.
I have only found two silver dimes in the past 6 years in the wild. Kind of sad when you read about all the folks finding silver left and right all over the US.

Once treasure hunting gets in your blood your doomed for life looking for that buried pot of gold, you know its there somewhere.

Although we have the dollar coins here in the U.S., too, Sven, they aren't used nearly as much as the paper bills. There was actually talk of doing away with the paper one dollar's years ago, as the life cycle is only about 7 years for them, but nothing ever came if it. If that ever happened though, the ramifications for NON-clad hunters like myself would be hugely positive...

By digging clad, if the one dollar coins indeed replaced the bills, we would have the opportunity to walk home with $30 or $40 in coinage, maybe more if hitting the right spot. If someone hunted 3 days per week, that's $90 going on the smaller number...or about $4,300 per year!

Of course, it would take a number of years for the coins to 'become lost' in the ground in large enough numbers, but if and when they do, it would be a present a radically new segment into the current hunting categories of; old coin hunter, prospector, etc.

Would change the hobby, for sure.

Joe

Everyone here has at least  3 $1 and 3 $2 coins in their pocket at any given time.
Not uncommon  to find coin spills in those amounts or in combination.
I always say, by moving up here from the US, the number of quarters the US guys find in  a day, we'll find in $1 and $2 coins.

My friend in Toronto makes his living partially hunting for those two coins every day when possible. Using an old Bounty Hunter Big Bud. The analog meter pegs those coins dead on, he cherry picks them.

Clad hunting up here can be profitable. Any visitors up here trying their hand at clad hunting might not fare well as ID machines don't ID the claddage correctly, it bounces and ID's a lot as trash, some read in the iron range. They will mostly likely walk over lots of coins and pass up the targets as trash. Tesoros are one of the best beep and dig machines to find the claddage here.

They are now thinking about doing away with the 5 dollar coin in 5 years and replace them with $5 coins. They no longer produce pennies up here, places will accept them but, you won't get any back in your change. Change is rounded off to the nearest nickel.

(10-31-2015 09:57 AM)Sven TreasureLinx Wrote: [ -> ]Everyone here has at least  3 $1 and 3 $2 coins in their pocket at any given time.
Not uncommon  to find coin spills in those amounts or in combination.
I always say, by moving up here from the US, the number of quarters the US guys find in  a day, we'll find in $1 and $2 coins.

My friend in Toronto makes his living partially hunting for those two coins every day when possible. Using an old Bounty Hunter Big Bud. The analog meter pegs those coins dead on, he cherry picks them.

Clad hunting up here can be profitable. Any visitors up here trying their hand at clad hunting might not fare well as ID machines don't ID the claddage correctly, it bounces and ID's a lot as trash, some read in the iron range. They will mostly likely walk over lots of coins and pass up the targets as trash. Tesoros are one of the best beep and dig machines to find the claddage here.

They are now thinking about doing away with the 5 dollar coin in 5 years and replace them with $5 coins. They no longer produce pennies up here, places will accept them but, you won't get any back in your change. Change is rounded off to the nearest nickel.

If they actually make a $5 coin up there, Sven, I'm moving! I know this going to sound crazy, but...

If I was living there, and was homeless, or hit rocky times, imagine, with all those $1 & $2 coins, being able to grab a detector and making $40 or $50 bucks per day? Surely, it would be a meager existence, but if someone was down & out, it sure beats collecting cans or begging with a cup in one's hand.

Back to the hobbyists, if that scenario ever presented itself here, it would surely be a game changer.

If it's not being too nosey, Sven, what's the biggest amount of clad you ever found in one day?

Joe

I did lose interest awhile back, as you all know I posted that I was looking into other hobbies. But I am an addict for this sport and once again had to reinvent what I do with my equipment and settings on my detectors. I bought more coils and changed settings and went back to the same old areas and had a great spring because of it.

I also developed a new mantra to enjoy the hobby more - stay off of the internet viewing stuff - when I go out I want to enjoy my time - no pressure so if I find something cool it's a plus and added excitment. The day I found the barber 1912 D and two wheat cents was a real thrill - I was like a little kid in a candy shop with cash left over to spend.
I am also switching things up going forward -
Two weeks ago I purchased a water machine but I didn't use it until yesterday. I only had one hour to detect and had fun doing it. I'll post that later. I will make time to get into more water hunting

So I understand what you are talking about - I even lost interest in traveling to different sites...man that has to change and quick too

(10-31-2015 10:08 AM)NjNyDigger Wrote: [ -> ]If it's not being too nosey, Sven, what's the biggest amount of clad you ever found in one day?

Joe

Depends upin where you live and the population concentration. Canada has only a number of huge cities such as NYC in any given province. Those are the cash cow sites to hunt that get replenished every day. Most other cities are a fraction of the size and have quite a few detectorists in each. So sites do get cleaned out and then replenished over the next few years, since no one detects cleaned out sites. They go for years being unmolested by treasure hunters who have hunted them. So you need to get back in them before those guys decide to grab a detector again. It's a cycle, our club has about 30 members, only a few detect now and then.  In a small city like London, On where I live, depending average take home per day is $5-8.00 for 3-5 hours hunting. A very good day, not too often $10-15.
My best was $30, mostly $1 and $2 coins. My friend can possibly do this every day in the big city, that's cherry picking for those coins only. Note he will pass up silver and gold targets. He is handicapped and bend to  dig as many signals as we can, reason for cherry picking. His BH meter locks dead on for these targets and he knows what other denominations of clad sound like. By the way, he finds a lot of coin spills which contain a number of $1 and $2 coins. I like finding those.
Common to find $2.50 in one hole where I live as well. Those add up fast when you find a few of them.
I used to hit one spot in North bay, On, a swingset with sand near a fast food restaurant fairly often. Always had at least $5-10 in coins lost in the sand.
Clad finding is fun, we joke up here that we found enough to visit a Timmies,
Tim Horton Coffe Shop, which you can find every 2 or three miles, like McDonalds in the US, are everywhere.

About the panhandlers, there are a number of regulars, why work, when folks will drop a $1 or $2 coin in their cup thru out the day they stand in their strategic locations. They know the times to be at what spot to gain max. donations. These pro panhandlers guys are very polite and don't pester for the donation. One guy rides a bike to get around. One day saw he had it stashed in the bushes, it looked like a $1000 mountain bike. Told my wife, I would probably make more an hour on the corner than working a full time job around here. But, don't like the cold anymore, poor circulation in my toes and fingers in the late fall and winter months if outside.