Metal Detecting the Ozark Mountains

Ever Get Frustrated With Metal Detecting?

Have your last couple of hunts left you wondering if you want to continue with the hobby of metal detecting or not? Maybe you haven’t found anything significant for awhile now, or maybe you’ve hit the same couple of parks a few times and you haven’t found anything old, or new for that matter.

Maybe your idea of treasure hunting has changed after a year or so in the hobby. Maybe you’re just plain sick of seeing all of the great finds posted on the metal detecting forums and you’re wondering why you haven’t found the same things that those guys find.

Anyone who’s been in the hobby for a few years can relate to how you feel right now. We’ve all been right there with you at some point or another!

Since you’ve been in the hobby for awhile now you don’t need me to explain it to you, but I will anyway. The reality is that not every hunt is going to be filled with pockets full of silver coins, or scoops of diamond rings!

That’s a reality that we all understand, but it still doesn’t negate the fact that at some point most metal detectorists reach a point where they question whether to continue with the hobby or not. It’s only natural that with any new hobby, we tend to go all out and jump in with a vigorous excitement at first. Once the “newness” wears off, we’re left with a decision to make: Find another hobby, or keep this one?

I can totally relate to being discouraged. After a couple of years in the hobby I came to the same cross-roads, Continue metal detecting, or find something else to do with my time. I had found myself getting discouraged with my finds. I would see all of the gold rings and old silver coins on detecting forums or youtube, and wonder why I couldn’t find those types of finds? Heck, after a few years in the hobby, I had only found three silver coins. Some detectorists post 3 silver coins a week! There I was a few years in the hobby, and still couldn’t buy a soda with my measly silver coin total.

I thought that I had to be doing something wrong, but what? I detected old homesteads, parks, fields, ghost towns etc, yet old coins still eluded me. I had found 9 rings, from junk to gold, and some other jewelry yet I was still discouraged. I even became a “dig it all” kind of detectorist thinking that was the answer to my problems. I have to admit, my jewelry count did go way up once I started digging the low and mid tones more often.

My jewelry count went up, and so did my trash finds! Many times I would come home from a hunt discouraged and feeling down about not finding anything worthwhile. It got to the point where I even passed up targets because I just didn’t feel like digging more trash.

Metal detecting started to feel like a chore. A chore to find something good, something worth sharing with others on my blog, or finds forums. Like I said, I started asking myself “What am I doing wrong?” or “Maybe I need a different detector that can find better stuff.” I was just trying to figure out what I needed to change to start finding better items.

What I needed to change was my mindset! Somehow along the way I had forgotten WHY I started metal detecting to being with. I allowed myself to get discouraged by looking at other peoples finds and then I started second guessing myself and my abilities or my detector because I wasn’t consistently finding gold and silver every hunt.

I had gotten side-tracked and forgot the real reasons that I metal detect. First, I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t get into metal detecting to find goodies. Of course I did! Who doesn’t metal detect in hopes of finding something good? We all do, but I lost track of the other reasons that I metal detect. You see, I had to reel myself back in and realize that there is more to this hobby than just gold or silver!

One of my favorite parts of metal detecting is the outdoors. I get out of the house, go exploring, and see places and things that I’d never see otherwise. One of my favorite places to detect is old homesteads. Exploring those long forgotten places excites me. The relics that I find there all tell a story of the people that lived there. Researching an old relic and learning it’s history is one of the most exciting parts of this hobby! Occasionally you find a relic that can be directly tied to a time, place or person. Those finds are worth more to me than any gold ring! Last year I found and returned a World War II Dog Tag to the daughter of a U.S. Army veteran.

I learned a lot about that Soldier and his tours in WWII and his life after the war. Returning his dog tag to his daughter made me feel a sense of pride. I felt like the dog tag is now where it belongs, with his family.

To me, that’s what this hobby is all about, getting exercise, learning history of the areas that I detect, learning the history of the artifacts that I find, and sometimes being able to return a persons lost item to them.

I had forgotten all of the reasons that I got into metal detecting and allowed myself to become discouraged because I wasn’t finding the same things that “they” were finding.

What I have learned after 12 years in the hobby is that metal detecting is like fishing. Some days the fish are biting on worms, other days they are biting on lures. Some days the fish are deep, and some days the fish are biting top water jigs. Some days the fishing is good on sunny days, other days the fishing is better when it’s over cast with clouds. Some days your favorite fishing spot is killer, and other days you have to move on down the bank to find the fish.

Metal detecting is the same way. Some hunts are going to be good while other hunts are mostly discouraging. What I found was that I needed to change my approach to the hobby.

 

Once I’ve detected a place a few times, the excitement and possibility of a good find tends to fizzle out. So, finding new places to detect can be beneficial in a couple of ways. One, detecting at a new spot gives you a rejuvenated sense of excitement. Each new spot is a new opportunity at new discovery.

Two, detecting at a new spot keeps things fresh with a nice change of scenery. A change of scenery is always good for the mind and soul!

Ultimately I determined that I could do more to put myself on new, and better detecting spots. Using websites like Historic Aerials which has a ‘Slider’ option that allows you to compare old topographic maps with current aerial maps which allows you to find old house sites that are long gone.

Using sites like Google Maps, Historic Map works, and old topographic maps, I have mapped out around 30 old homesteads around my immediate area. Likewise, I use the County Assessors website to gain property owner information for permission seeking purposes.

If you’re on the fence about quitting the hobby, take some time to really think about what it is that you get from metal detecting and why you got into the hobby to begin with. If you are frustrated with your recent finds, take a step back and ask yourself, “What more can I do to better my chances at finding good finds?” Have you done all of the research that you could have done up to this point? Have you researched old maps and put yourself on some old spots? Have you really learned your metal detector or have you had 3 metal detectors in 4 months?

After a few years using the Fisher f2 metal detector I felt like an upgrade was needed. I really felt like I had mastered the F2, and that it was time to upgrade, so I did. BUT, I also stuck with that machine for three seasons and really learned it’s “language” to the point that there wasn’t anything else to learn about that particular machine. The point is, before quitting the hobby ask yourself “Do I REALLY know my metal detector or have I even read the manual that came with it?” In other words, have you really given your current machine a fair chance?

Ready to Upgrade to a Water-Proof Metal Detector? The Garrett AT Pro Metal Detector is what I chose and still use today because it is a very capable and versatile for both land and water detecting.

After a dozen years in the hobby I can honestly say that knowing your metal detector, whatever brand it is, is more important than what brand of detector you are using.

Read that line again!, I said “Knowing your metal detector, whatever brand it is, is more important than what brand of detector you are using.” By that, I mean that becoming at one with your detector is more important than the name on the side of the detector. Learning your machine is imperative to your success in this hobby.

No matter how much your metal detector costs, or what type it is, you still have to learn that metal detector and what the tones are telling you. Learning how to identify target to tone with your current metal detector will help you more than an upgrade to an expensive detector that you don’t even understand how to use.

Likewise, putting yourself in position to find the older coins by doing research is going to do a lot more for your old coin count than just randomly hitting the local parks. The same parks that guys have been detecting since 1967!

If you want the old stuff, you have to go to the old places!

Doing research is like studying for a test, if you do your homework you will pass the test on Friday!

Notice I said home WORK, sure ‘some’ work is involved, but if metal detecting was easy everyone would do it!

There are a few things that you can do to rejuvenate your interest in the hobby:

First don’t get discouraged by a lack of finds. Successful metal detecting is all about the location and continued research.

Second, Always evolving your research techniques will keep you on your toes and put you in position to make some amazing finds in the future. You will definitely find good things but it will take time, effort, and good research. Some great sites for metal detecting research are Historic Map Works and TopoZone.Com. Both provide historic maps that can be used to overlay or compare with current maps.

Third, obtaining permission to detect new spots is one of the most important aspects of successful metal detecting. Put yourself on properties that have never been detected, or very little, and your good finds ratio is bound to go up!

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Hot Tip! Read Metal Detecting Permission – Soften the Cold Knock Metal Detecting Permission – Soften the Cold Knock

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Metal Detecting is like anything else in life, If you put forth the effort to be successful then the fruits of your labor will be that much sweeter in the end when you accomplish your goal. I wish you all the best of luck on your next hunt. Listen, don’t get discouraged and give up, Anything worth having in life is worth working for. Keep plugging away and the Metal Detecting Gods will shine down on you when you least expect it!

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Editors Note:

• This article includes affiliate links where as an amazon influencer I receive a commission for qualified purchases through the amazon affiliate and influencer programs.

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