Treasure Classifieds Forum

If there are any metal detecting clubs in your area, have you joined them?

(06-02-2013 02:05 AM)Soliloquy Wrote: [ -> ]If there are any metal detecting clubs in your area, have you joined them?

There are quite a few clubs in my neck of the woods (New Jersey). I've entertained joining a few over the years, but, I prefer to fly solo. Just my personality I guess. I do this for fun, once you're a club member, you gotta go to meetings, play the political game with other hunters, etc., etc., etc. Nothing against it at all as I have a couple of buddies in clubs, but, just not my thing.

I think there's alotta pros and cons to belonging to a club . If your a newbie it's great ! You have other members there to help you through the learning curve of what your doing . They will show you all the ins & outs . But like anything else the competition in a club tends to get a little crazy . And that one guy that wins the best finds of the month every time is probably not going to take you to his spots . So going solo or having a few friends that enjoy the same thing you do is usually in my opinion a better route to go . I don't need to have someone with me when I go detecting or prospecting , but it does make this hobby alot more fun when you or your buddy can share in your finds . Especially if it's a great find !

HH
Mike

(06-06-2013 07:25 PM)ratman Wrote: [ -> ]I think there's alotta pros and cons to belonging to a club . If your a newbie it's great ! You have other members there to help you through the learning curve of what your doing . They will show you all the ins & outs . But like anything else the competition in a club tends to get a little crazy . And that one guy that wins the best finds of the month every time is probably not going to take you to his spots . So going solo or having a few friends that enjoy the same thing you do is usually in my opinion a better route to go . I don't need to have someone with me when I go detecting or prospecting , but it does make this hobby alot more fun when you or your buddy can share in your finds . Especially if it's a great find !

HH
Mike

I'm with you, Mike I have a few buddies I detect with. They are all addicts like me. We have a lot of friendly sparring about finds, bust each others chops, etc. It's all in good fun, of course. I too like going out with one or two others, but, the club thing just doesn't float my boat. I'm on a schedule with my 9 to 5 & then again at home. Last thing I need is another one to worry about; club meetings, club outings, sorting & photographing my finds and all that jazz. Again, nothing against it, just prefer doing my own thing with friends.

Its not a detecting club per say, but I do belong to the motherload goldhounds. I have never been to a meeting, because they are held 2hours away from me. But why I joined it is to go on the adventures with Don Robinson. Anyone who's into prospecting probably knows Don...he's 73or so, and is a beast! Pure mountain goat man, lol. If anyone reads ICMJ's prospecting and mining journal, you'll read about some of the deathhikes and may even see my ugly mug. Ray

(06-07-2013 12:24 AM)deathray Wrote: [ -> ]Its not a detecting club per say, but I do belong to the motherload goldhounds. I have never been to a meeting, because they are held 2hours away from me. But why I joined it is to go on the adventures with Don Robinson. Anyone who's into prospecting probably knows Don...he's 73or so, and is a beast! Pure mountain goat man, lol. If anyone reads ICMJ's prospecting and mining journal, you'll read about some of the deathhikes and may even see my ugly mug. Ray

Not being a gold hunter, I never heard of that organization, Ray. To be honest though, the 'death hikes' angle would sway my decision to join anyways, lol :P

There seems to be quite a lot of gold hunters on here, since many from the West coast on the forum. Question for you guys...

If one WAS going to go hunting for some gold, what form of hunting would bring in the most yellow, with the most consistency, with the most finds; swinging a detector, mining, panning or dredging? I know there are probably MANY variables (just like with coinshooting or beach hunting), but, just looking for a good ballpark, general answer.

P.S. - Do you all think it would be a good idea to create a section for postings on gold hunting equipment & supplies, on the classifieds board? I was going to add that category in the beginning, but, didn't want to confuse the detecting angle of the site. Also, not sure how large the market is. I'd surely consider though, based on your feedback, guys

(06-03-2013 11:28 PM)NjNyDigger Wrote: [ -> ]

(06-02-2013 02:05 AM)Soliloquy Wrote: [ -> ]If there are any metal detecting clubs in your area, have you joined them?

There are quite a few clubs in my neck of the woods (New Jersey). I've entertained joining a few over the years, but, I prefer to fly solo. Just my personality I guess. I do this for fun, once you're a club member, you gotta go to meetings, play the political game with other hunters, etc., etc., etc. Nothing against it at all as I have a couple of buddies in clubs, but, just not my thing.

I think Im fully with you on that one. I could imagine how they encourage and probably make you go to political events, register with associations. Not that that is a bad thing, but if you don't agree with them on all the issues, it would have to be hard.

Hi Joe, yes there are a lot of variables, but In my oponion I would say dredging first (thanx you kalifornia commies for banning it one week after buying a dredge) , detecting, underwater sniping, sluicing, crevicing in that order. But many exceptions..look at the arizona forums, there are guys in Az, Alaska, and Ca that find pounds of gold with a detector. Then I will often find more crevicing than a guy sluicing, because I'm just looking for rich little bedrock cracks, small amount to process, while they often just dig in an embankment and try to process quantity. Ray

Ray is so right ! And many of us Cal treasure hunters got stuck with gear/equipment that is no longer of use to us since the bannings . We have had to change are aproach at recovery methods . I won't give up my pans , sluices , hand tools etc . But there are a few things that are no longer of use to me and wouldn't mind parting with them . If I was a treasure hunter from another state looking for good deals on used treasure / prospecting gear I would try and find a web site likeTreasure Classifieds that covers a wide variety of used treasure hunting equipment .
Just my two zincs worth !
HH
Mike

(06-07-2013 12:52 PM)deathray Wrote: [ -> ]Hi Joe, yes there are a lot of variables, but In my oponion I would say dredging first (thanx you kalifornia commies for banning it one week after buying a dredge) , detecting, underwater sniping, sluicing, crevicing in that order. But many exceptions..look at the arizona forums, there are guys in Az, Alaska, and Ca that find pounds of gold with a detector. Then I will often find more crevicing than a guy sluicing, because I'm just looking for rich little bedrock cracks, small amount to process, while they often just dig in an embankment and try to process quantity. Ray

(06-07-2013 02:24 PM)ratman Wrote: [ -> ]Ray is so right ! And many of us Cal treasure hunters got stuck with gear/equipment that is no longer of use to us since the bannings . We have had to change are aproach at recovery methods . I won't give up my pans , sluices , hand tools etc . But there are a few things that are no longer of use to me and wouldn't mind parting with them . If I was a treasure hunter from another state looking for good deals on used treasure / prospecting gear I would try and find a web site likeTreasure Classifieds that covers a wide variety of used treasure hunting equipment .
Just my two zincs worth !
HH
Mike

(06-07-2013 12:52 PM)deathray Wrote: [ -> ]Hi Joe, yes there are a lot of variables, but In my oponion I would say dredging first (thanx you kalifornia commies for banning it one week after buying a dredge) , detecting, underwater sniping, sluicing, crevicing in that order. But many exceptions..look at the arizona forums, there are guys in Az, Alaska, and Ca that find pounds of gold with a detector. Then I will often find more crevicing than a guy sluicing, because I'm just looking for rich little bedrock cracks, small amount to process, while they often just dig in an embankment and try to process quantity. Ray

Thanks for the info, guys! As far as these asinine laws against dredging, I say screw THEM! If you can make enough $$$ for your dredging efforts, I'd do it anyway (regardless of laws), and, IF one is ever caught, you can always pay the fine with your melt from the yellow. There's more than one way to skin a cat

I do believe in being an upstanding citizen, BUT, there's a fine line between a lawful country & god awful rules and regulations for simply 'living off the land'. How is dredging (which is working the earth for gain) any different than planting a crop to feed one's family. There is NO difference.

Keep the dredging alive, I say! Same way they're trying to take away the firearms, so too it is with one's god given right to reap from the land...of this 'FREE' country!