"Help me learn to hunt" requests. How to handle?

pocketspill

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Dec 2, 2011
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Something I've been thinking about. I get emails or PMs regularly from people wanting me to help them learn to use their new detector or learn how to find places to hunt.

I always decline, and feel mildly guilty about it, because I'm generous by nature. But that does not mean I don't wish for someone to hunt with at all. I just don't do the one-sided thing.

I'm sure others won't agree with me on this ...but when someone wants to have me help them "learn," I exit the conversation. I know for a fact that other experienced MD'ers do too. I know I cannot teach them anything in less than 5-10 hours. And I'll end up going back to work Monday without any time relaxing in my hobby!

We have so little time to enjoy our hobby with busy lives. Detecting takes time and patience to enjoy. Permission takes courage and time. Research takes energy and sacrifice. The reward is in overcoming these challenges and then joining someone who has also invested in the effort.

If the newbie brings something to the table (e.g. some permissions or locations, or perhaps other skills, transportation, etc. etc) ... or if it's a friend who's expressed interest in your hobby and wants to check it out...that's a different story. They bring social capital to the arrangement. We find equilibrium.

Am I alone in this way of thinking?


postscript: This post was not a complaint about new detectorists!!! Some responders have interpreted it that way. I'm talking about freeloading. I altered the topic of the post to make it less negative.
 
I'd be willing to help what I've learned so far. However, getting together and teaming up for a hunt is a PITA. Oftentimes, i get done with what I've done grab my gear and head on out. No planning, just doing.
I've extended invites before but for one reason or another I've been a rebel. It's easier to hunt solo. And if i go into a shady area, I'll just strap up is all.
 
I would never help someone to learn how to detect. Only if it was another friend.
Sorry to sound selfish, but it creates competition. It would be like a star quarterback teaching someone on the vs team how to be a better player.
 
Hmmm... I get what you're saying. Sounds like you're asking for others opinions on the issue, so I'll contribute mine for what it's worth.

I LOVE hunting with other people. For me it's much more rewarding than hunting alone. So I always relish the opportunity to hunt with someone new and see how we "mesh" so to speak. If they're brand new, that's fine by me. I'll answer whatever questions they have, check their signals for opinions, let them check some of mine. If they're interested I'll chime in with some simple advice (overlap, swing speed, etc). But unless they're asking for help or the problem is obvious, I'll let them learn by doing, so it doesn't detract from my detecting experience one bit.

I do keep a pretty full detecting calendar though. So if you want to hunt with me or become a regular partner, you'll have to put in the effort to schedule something. I've got too many folks around who detect to keep up with who I have and haven't gone out with recently. That goes doubly for the newbies, like you say, unless they bring something particularly unique to the table. But that may be as simple as "I really get along well with you and respect your dedication to the hobby and the history".

So I don't mind helping out the newbies. Don't expect to come to my honey hole straight away, though I'm not going to take you to a total dud if I can help it (wouldn't be fun for me either). As far as research help, I'll give you some of the general resources, and get into specifics once you've done some yourself.

I totally understand about it detracting from *your* detecting experience, and you shouldn't feel bad for declining. Some people don't hunt with others at all, some only with a select few, and others like myself rarely go out alone. Different strokes for different folks. :)
 
There's a difference between a hunter with a new machine and total newbie. I don't mind explaining a few finer points to someone who just bought the same machine as me.

Learning how to metal detect in general can be done with some light reading and a lot of plain old practice digging it all.
 
I would never help someone to learn how to detect. Only if it was another friend.
Sorry to sound selfish, but it creates competition. It would be like a star quarterback teaching someone on the vs team how to be a better player.

LOL :laughing: You'd have to own a detector to do that anyway! :laughing:
 
I still have so much to learn, doubt I'd be of much help. Really don't plan my hunts, just grab it and go, when I have some spare time. Usually, just walking down the street, or alley ways.

Think everyone should do their own yard, or find a place near home to tear up. Explore their machine a little on their own, before asking for an experience person to help out. That way it's not so much trying to operate two detectors at one time. Then hit a place, let them swing, find something, recover it. Correct anything you notice, then let them go it alone, while you show them what you got. You still have time to hunt, and can stop any time to check on them. Maybe follow a little, and see what the missed.

I had weak, and one-way signals, that I couldn't pinpoint with the Bounty hunter, and could guess at. Dug a few anyway, either trash or found nothing. The new machine clears these up quite a bit, all the the ID is still a mystery, and most of the stuff is deep, I'll get to them eventually. I had been focused on coins, wanting that first silver out of my yard, sort of what prompted the upgrade. If it's there, I'll have to work for it, all the easy targets have been dug.

Don't think it's entirely a bad thing to show new people the ropes. We don't want them turning our favorite places in to minefields, or leaving the trash on the surface, next to where they dug it up. I would have the patience to hold somebodies hand the whole time, unless she looked good in a bikini, but enough to get them started off in the right direction.
 
I should have added a bit more.....

Someone who's interested (seriously) will spend every spare minute reading (this IS the internet you know :p) and gaining knowledge. People like this who have a genuine interest, I have no problem helping, but I'm not going to take them to a site of mine, not knowing if they'll show back up uninvited and cause me to lose my permission. If I don't know you, I don't trust you :laughing:

On the other hand are those who want to be told/shown everything, from where to set their detector, to a place to hunt. Lazy doesn't set well with me.

This isn't rocket-surgery :D, all that's required is a little common sense and the desire to learn.
 
I don't mind meeting up with experienced MDers. I learned my lesson in the past taking a newbie to one of my best parks and then next week finding him there with 2 of his pals. I have a couple buddies I hunt with and we find new places TOGETHER to hunt. We never ask to go to the other guy's honey hole (that sounds a bit weird but you know what I mean :lol:)
 
Pretty much agree with all you said.. Make an effort and I'll be glad to help..
Sonny

I should have added a bit more.....

Someone who's interested (seriously) will spend every spare minute reading (this IS the internet you know :p) and gaining knowledge. People like this who have a genuine interest, I have no problem helping, but I'm not going to take them to a site of mine, not knowing if they'll show back up uninvited and cause me to lose my permission. If I don't know you, I don't trust you :laughing:

On the other hand are those who want to be told/shown everything, from where to set their detector, to a place to hunt. Lazy doesn't set well with me.

This isn't rocket-surgery :D, all that's required is a little common sense and the desire to learn.
 
As a newcomer to the hobby and doing plenty of my own research, I can't see where anybody can really be "taught" to detect anyway. From my perspective, I'm learning from experience and don't see where anyone could have taught me what I've already learned. A lot can be learned from tidbits of advice but as far as teaching goes, I don't see where it is possible.
 
As expected, the forum comes back with some very thoughtful responses to this that challenge my thinking, and confirm some of it too.

The idea of teaching new detectorists how to cut a neat plug is a very good point, as they have the power to kill the hobby for us all (e.g. Louisville parks closed to detecting.)

@Daddydigger - I'm with you. I have had very little group hunting experience, but when I did, it was with experienced hunters and we all had a great time. We joked with each other, made fun of things and generally hammed it up. But we had the *baseline* of experience that made this possible.

I like the "desire to learn" comment too. The "desire to learn" and "desire to be taught" are not the same thing. The emails/PMs I get are about "picking my brain" and it all feels very one-way.

One guy in the area has a 25-acre farm with 7 1800s house sites on it. He wanted me to come over and hunt *one* of them with him so he could learn how to use the detector. It felt bloody selfish. I didn't even get to the question of keeping finds. Another wanted me to share my research because he "wanted to hunt some really good spots, not just the same old parks." I declined again. I'm probably getting quite the grumpy reputation. " and while y'all are at it, stay off my lawn. LOL."

Lastly... I love making videos (and am getting decent at it) where I share a lot of ideas in a way that doesn't impact my hunting time that much. Just turning on the camera and adding a bit of commentary. I like putting those together.
 
I gotta say I'm saddened by this post. I started last year hunting and was very frustrated that I had not found anything of significance after 2 months of hard hunting. 2 forum members were willing to take a little time with me and give hints on what to look for when I arrive at a location. We also checked each others targets off and on to sharpen our skills (mostly mine) on what I was hearing. Both live a little distance from me, but without them taking the time to share research tips and tricks in the field, I would not be able to find what I find today. Big thanks to both "Milco" and "Jack and Jill" for taking time for me. I would be honored to do the same for others. Even a newbie can teach a veteran some tricks too, and I hope I have been able to contribute to both jack and milco in maybe a small way. Nobody thinks you should spend hours by the side of someone coaching them on every move they make, but pointing out old trees, or recently cleared shrubs are things newbies simply do not think about. checking someones target to confirm what they think they have and giving advice on whether to dig or not is invaluable to a newbie. My first Indian came from a tip from Milco. 31 Indians later, I owe it all to his tips. I would be proud to feel I helped someone find their first. Helping others is something we should all be thrilled to do.
 
As a newcomer to the hobby and doing plenty of my own research, I can't see where anybody can really be "taught" to detect anyway. From my perspective, I'm learning from experience and don't see where anyone could have taught me what I've already learned. A lot can be learned from tidbits of advice but as far as teaching goes, I don't see where it is possible.

Exactly. I showed my mom how to use my ace and let her swing away in here yard, the downside was I had to dig for her lol

I showed my son how to use it and the couple times I've taken him to the beach with me, his arm is tired after 10 minutes and according to him he's only getting false signals.

I go to the beach by myself now. Maybe I'll show my daughter how to use it and she might actually get interested in the hobby.

If my daughter doesn't show any interest then she will be the last person I "teach".

I don't mind hunting alone but I sometimes think it might be fun to have a partner and I was hoping my boy would be interested but he's not.
 
As a new member and still somewhat new to the hobby I am very grateful to the few people I have met up with through this forum to detect. They didn't have to meet up with "the new guy" but they did. And I appreciate that.

One member in particular really helped me out when I first started. With general advice and tips to make my detecting more pleasurable that only someone with experience could share.. It worked out good because we are from the same area and know of all the same spots. Most of the places I want to hunt he has or would like to as well. He has helped me and I have discussed new spots with him. I didn't approach him to teach me just to give me pointers on some accessories and we ended up meeting at a local retail store for some new goodies. Ended up hunting together that day and a few times since. Now that I look back I hope I wasn't a nuisance lol.

As a newbie I have already hosted a few people at some of my locations. Just about all have found silver and seamed like they enjoyed themselves.

I know I still have years of hunting and learning ahead of me. I know I haven't earned the respect that others have and I know I am still a novice. But I am on a good start down that long road.

Sorry for the rant...
 
I love hunting with new people. Doesnt bother me to take someone to a site. If they show up when im not there that is another thing. I have many sites. they are easy to get permission so i dont worry.
 
, but pointing out old trees, or recently cleared shrubs are things newbies simply do not think about. checking someones target to confirm what they think they have and giving advice on whether to dig or not is invaluable to a newbie.


The info/advice you mentioned above can be found in this forum. I've posted it before, and have no doubt I wasn't the 1st.

On the 2nd half of your post, digging is the best experience. How else do you learn when someone isn't there to give a 2nd opinion on your target? We've all done it, called a hunting buddy over and ask "what are you reading here"?, but that's more for informational use as opposed to just deciding to dig or not.

It's kind of that give a man a fish/teach a man to fish. "Giving" in this instance is leading them by the hand, whereas "teaching" is more valuable when learned, not shown.

Info learned is generally remembered than info given.
 
I think anyone would agree with what you're saying..
You made an effort and was willing to do your part..
But there are some as described that merely want you to take them out to spots that you have done the research on and that is their main objective.. I have no problem sharing with anyone but it goes both ways.. I personally enjoy helping people learn to detect that are willing to make an effort to learn some on their own as well..As Gauntlet stated, there is the internet.. There is a ton of material and videos on every detector made.. I've gotten plenty of tips on here pertaining to my new AT Pro but I have also read and watched every video I could find about it.. I've been detecting since 72 but every time you get a new machine there is a large learning curve that you have to invest some time to learn it..
Sonny


I gotta say I'm saddened by this post. I started last year hunting and was very frustrated that I had not found anything of significance after 2 months of hard hunting. 2 forum members were willing to take a little time with me and give hints on what to look for when I arrive at a location. We also checked each others targets off and on to sharpen our skills (mostly mine) on what I was hearing. Both live a little distance from me, but without them taking the time to share research tips and tricks in the field, I would not be able to find what I find today. Big thanks to both "Milco" and "Jack and Jill" for taking time for me. I would be honored to do the same for others. Even a newbie can teach a veteran some tricks too, and I hope I have been able to contribute to both jack and milco in maybe a small way. Nobody thinks you should spend hours by the side of someone coaching them on every move they make, but pointing out old trees, or recently cleared shrubs are things newbies simply do not think about. checking someones target to confirm what they think they have and giving advice on whether to dig or not is invaluable to a newbie. My first Indian came from a tip from Milco. I would be proud to feel I helped someone find their first. Helping others is something we should all be thrilled to do.
 
detecting

Gameoftag, I agree with you completely. After all, this is the friendly metal detecting forum. I do agree that it should be a 2 way street and no one should take advantage of someone else by going to their site, but it is better for all of us to learn proper techniques from an experienced person if possible. JMHO.
 
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