Who is a MD club member?

[MarcS]

Hello everybody!
I finally decided to join a local MD club in order to learn, meet people that share the same hobby, and hopefully to get an opportunity to hunt some interesting properties.
What are are your experiences with MD clubs? Do you enjoy being a member? How did it help you with your hobby?

Thanks !

MS

 

[DirtAngler]

My experience. I joined a fairly large club when I first became addicted to this hobby to learn from the more experienced. Being a formal club, there was a time in the beginning and at the end of meetings to check finds and meet members. Majority of the members were tight lipped about anything you asked them, from detector advice and settings, depth of finds, basically everything. Only found one person who I could discuss things with and he flat out told me that these guys don't share much if any info.. Wasn't asking where they hunt, just what detectors and setting they used. Anyway, decided to try to start my own club. We did get a small, informal club going. No meetings, no dues, no officers, more a meetup group of individuals who are in the hobby. It's kind of a BS session where any and all things can be discussed. We do have quite an array of different metal detectors used by the members that can be checked out and tested in my test garden. The only problem we have is raising money to support the club and lack of effort by members to try to organize club hunts. So far only 2 of us have tried arranging club hunts. It still is a lot better than the large club setting because we do share our settings and other discussions and since there is no formal meeting, the time is there for any member to ask questions.

 

[MarcS]

Thanks for your reply. I hope that I will get something out of it. The fees are really minimal (12$ per year), but I really hope to find some new spots to hunt. I've been doing quite some door knocking last year, but I have to say that it's not my favorite thig to do. Meeting up with fellow detectorists to hit a new (public) spot that pays would be nice. And, since I just started about a year ago, it would be nice to get out with somebody more experienced than me. Other than that, I hope it'll be a pleasant experience..
It's worth a try

 

[MarcS]

If it's like you said, with people being pretty iffy about talking settings, location, etc, I probably won last long in it

 

[Metal DT]

Went to two.Same experience with tight lipped guys who don't share much.I didn't expect guys to tell me were they hunt but just looking for advice and tips which I get on here so why go.They got my $40.00 but not this year.

 

[tater]

I am VP of east central indiana treasure hunters. We do things a little differently. We show everyone how to locate old houses, how to get permission, and how to preserve the find. We all talk about the best settings and how to get the most out of your detector. If your local club DOESNT do this why in the world would you be a member?????
If you dont beleive me ask our members. Were on facebook

 

[Irons]

I tend to just get out detecting when ever I have the time.

If I can't be out there doing it, well, this place is the best club there is!

 

[yardhunter]

I used to be in a club till I moved 70 miles away. They were tight lipped also on just about everything.

Best way to find locations is....start talking with you relatives, coworkers, friends & anyone else that will listen about your hobby. Even offer to take them with you if you have a spare detector. Ask them about others that may own farms or older properties where you may hunt. The more you talk about the hobby = the more places you can detect.

Good luck............see ya yardhunter

 

[ronfin]

My experience. Joined a club, and met a few really cool guys. Met a few a-holes too. A few acted like it was a competition and had to always trump the next guy with "my find is better", or they would devalue what you found. One was going as far as burying coins he bought to record himself "finding" them. Way too much unnecessary drama, so I disenfranchised myself with them. Still friends with a few guys from the group, but a lot of jerkoffs that I never even met from [there] have talked a lot of smack about me, and have even accused me of planting finds too. Like really? My advice is to avoid clubs. More hassle than enjoyment. This isn't a competition, and you don't need a new friend detecting the very areas you're trying to find stuff, so think about it BEFORE you do. HH

 

[tater]

Most of our members hunt together from time to time. I take a lot of different people with me detecting. To me if a friend makes a good find its the same as if i found it. The way i see it is if no one found it I wouldnt get to see it anyway.

 

[MarcS]

From what I've seen on their webpage, it looks like a fun club. We'll see, I'll have a positive attitude and hope for the best. If it doesn't work out, no biggie.
And yes, this forum is amazing, it helped me a ton, and I learned even more!

MS

 

[U.P. Detecting]

I am the secretary of our club, "Yooper Coinshooters" and it's great. We have a meeting once a month and a cookout in the summer that we all pitch in for. We love getting to know new members and I will always invite someone new along on our ventures. There is only one guy in the club who rubs me the wrong way. He's and older guy 73 I think and basically thinks he's the authority on detecting. Also, he'll bring in his finds but if you ask him where he found them he will say "In the ground". Yet one time I invited the guys along to one of my spots and he was the first one there. Oh well, the good guys in the club definitely outweigh the bad ones. I look forward to getting together with the guys. Funny, the two club members I hunt with the most are 71 and 65...I'm 33, shows how you can make the most unlikely friendships via detecting. -Jay

 

[Grumpysrb]

I joined a club. It took 6 weeks to find them. We have one meeting a month, enough for me. They last until everyone is gone. The longer they are the more that is shared. I found often the ones that don't share have nothing to share. Each meeting there is a competition in which we place the items we found the previous 4 weeks on the table into groups. Most of the people don't participate, even with prizes to be won.
I have invited others to hunt with me and had few takers. The ones that have have become hunting buddies.

 

[DIGGER27]

Even though I have read a bunch of posts about people attending meetings with stand-offish members or not very friendly ones, I consider myself very lucky because after joining my first club I can say I have had nothing but positive experiences since I joined a year ago, have made some new friendships and found new places to hunt because of those friendships, and have nothing less than great times at every one of our monthly meetings.
The one I joined has been around since 1976 so I think it is one of the oldest out there, and maybe it is the midwest sensibility that the people possess out in this part of the country that makes most of the people in this group some of the friendliest I have ever met.
Very forthcoming with information if I asked about sites right from the start, and the whole experience has made this hobby that I love so much even better...and I did not even think that was possible.
Our indoor meetings are fun throughout the winter months, but our outdoor meetings are even more so in the spring summer and fall because we meet at different sites all over the area for those, have pot-luck bar-b-ques at every one and sometimes get a chance to hunt areas that are usually off limits because of the connections some of the members have with the communities in 2 different states.

Not only do they give away 1st, 2nd and 3rd place coin prizes in 7 different different contests each month, (which I have won many), but our annual seeded hunt was one of the most fun 2 day events I have ever attended in my life.
Not only did I get back every cent of my entry fee in silver but I found tokens that got me some very high quality prizes that totaled over $300.
Also the food at this annual hunt was extra specially good...can't believe I could even get out and swing after eating so much.
Joining my local club like joining this forum was one of the better ideas I have had since starting this hobby.


http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=100113

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=104198

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=127475

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=12747

http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=121523




For those that join these clubs with a little more unfriendly members, I do know that Ryanchappell joined the Birmingham Ala. club awhile ago and most of those members were like that at first, (not only would they not talk about any sites they wouldn't even tell you what kind of detector they used), but after he continued to go to the meetings and they realized he was not there just to wring some site info out of them and then quit, lots of them warmed up and he now has had much more positive experiences since.

 

[ks coyote]

Been a member of the same club for over 20 yrs and have to say it's been a rewarding experience. Made many friends and learned along the way. Had a few members come and go but it's that way in any club.

 

[Greek2Me]

My wife and I are members of a really cool club. The majority if not all of the members seem to be very open and friendly. Have learned alot from the group.

G2M

 

[Txdirtfisher]

a member of a club here in My Town and for the most part most of the members are very friendly and helpful . their are those who will always be standoffish and Tightlipped about their spots and their settings , I never let that discourage me at all Because if need be I have a Camera and GPS and know how to play Private Detective , Not really just kidding but Like I said some are that way but very few so dont let that discourage You cause you can meet a lot of great people and usually gain some search areas as well HH and keep swingin

 

[Dark Chameleon]

I have been a member of my local club for 8 months now..i rarely get people offering tips but they are not tight lipped when I ask..our finds of the month state what machine, what depths and land, sand or water.

One guy let me hold 4 coins in my hand out of their protective cases which were worth estimated at $20k for four coins...when he found them and had hunted it to the best of his ability he brought them in and took other members to the place he found them to hunt it.

He is a rarer member, your more likely to get to date their daughters then have them give up their spots....I can see it..the experienced can hunt your place out in a day and drive you from them as they take all the goodies out while your still learning.

There was some trouble in the group hunt because the seeded sand was quickly sorted by the most experienced an they took all the silver..the same goes for finds of the month..the points towards the yearly ends are flooded by the most experienced so new members don't stand much of a chance to get something in there that wins points and silver.

But

Some go on tours of England hunting like once or twice a year, they are going to Colchester in a couple of weeks and their finds will inherit the finds of the month im sure. it all depends..i have won more money in silver in raffles then finds..i have won ine silver merc and yet in raffles have 3 ounces of silver....but I did get confirmation of the quality of the at pro, have got recommendations of what machines for certain places and didn't know about cut down corn mazes offering good places to find rings n things from the sweat that they create in people who then lose their rings (one member has found 5 gold rings in the same field).

I'd say they have their place and you can start talking to people and maybe set up hunts but you can do that here too...its just another string to the bow of hunting....if you wont go or set up a group hunt on here your unlikely to do it in a md club.

If we could only hold raffles on here for siler then id say an md club was not worth its annual cost ($40 a year at present).

WE ARNT ALLOWED TO HOLD RAFFLES ON HERE ARE WE?

 

[Awendaw]

WE ARNT ALLOWED TO HOLD RAFFLES ON HERE ARE WE?

Good Question