Got Lucky with the groundskeeper!:rofl:

[mudpuppy]

I did not think I was going detecting yesterday, but while running an errand at around 9am, I swung past the local school to maybe swing coil for 15mins or so...
They have a locked and fenced soccer area, and the guy was in there mowing the grass, I was hunting outside the fence, as he finished and came to the gate, I met him there.

I was wearing shorts, flip flops, had just the screwdriver/F70 in hand. I asked "Can I go in there and give it a quick sweep?" He sort of looked at me sideways but before he could reply, I showed him my screwdriver, said I dont dig any holes, i just fish around in the grass, out here to get a little fresh air is all...so he said go ahead, just lock the gate when you leave!
I left at 12:15 with 15.30 and 111 coins![attachment 294077 thurs.jpg]
also got a little 925 ring, and two really tarnished dimes? must be from the fertilizer, or something..anyway, I doubt he would have let me in if I was wearing work clothes, kneepads, toolbelt, and had any shovel looking thing along...I looked like a harmless, well off, old responsible guy...so my ruse was a complete success on all counts!
Mud

 

[JimmyCT]

Nice score mud! Yep you read him well and beat em' to the punch by showing him your screw driver. You removed all his fear about harming mother earth.

 

[Wandering Yoda]

Nice clad haul Mud!! As a bit of a clad pirate, I like the shorts and flops as well, they're light and cool and make a fellow seem a respectable Buffett Parrothead.

 

[togg77]

"Harmless, well off,old harmless guy" yep who could say NO to such a guy?? LOL nice story and good chuckle.

 

[jim tn]

You did good, selling yourself and popping a nice pile of loot.

One of my hunting buddies and I had much the same thing happen to us last summer. We had been hunting an old inner city park that also had a fenced and locked gate to a baseball diamond. We caught the grounds keeper in a good mood one morning and he allowed us to hunt the outfield. We pulled 5 silvers and several wheats from it.

Good hunting. HH jim tn

 

[dahut]

Harmless, kooky, old geezer, you mean.

It used to be that work clothes and even a work uniform meant you were "official," and few would bother you or contest your activities.
Now, maybe the new look should be casual, kooky old geezer?

Whaddaya think?

 

[mudpuppy]

Oh yes! As in Life in general, when it comes to detecting, you gotta dress for success! For instance, hunting school or college campus property, its wise to look like somebodies rich dad with heart trouble and NOT dressed like a full blown poor hole digging fit as a freakin' fiddle hobbiest!

Also, have a story ready, not necessarily a long story, just more of a half way believable 'reason' to be there..."My Daughter dropped her ring that was a family heirloom someplace"...something like that...you might not even have a daughter, or a ring that was a family heirloom, but you got a VALID story!

If things get dicey, a fellow can go crazy and start drooling and babbling, crying, even wet your pants if needed! No renta cop will want to cuff n' stuff you in the back seat if you just wet yourself, if he choses to escalate such a minor situation, who knows what may come next? And whatever that is, he knows there will be a ton of paper work to fill out, and a potential hazardous waste clean-up of his rig, all of which HE will have to perform!..Also, just because some stranger asks you a question, doesn't require you to give them an honest answer! Break that old habit if you can! For instance, the usual question we all get asked by strangers,..."Find anything?"....old timey truthful answer: "Yes! A massive gold ring, gold chain, a wad of bills, a S&W .38 snub, and a jar of gold coins!"....proper answer: "Naw, just a few pennies"
Mud

 

[dahut]

My standard answer is, "... A lot of trash."

I Put everything into my pouch - all trash, coins, you name it.
The coins go to the bottom and I shake the pouch now and them to
make sure. The really prize finds are quickly secreted away in an inner safe pocket.

If anyone asks what Ive found, I spring forth with a wad of foil, tabs, can slaw, dirty whatses and so on.
Few curious types stick around after that.

 

[Trailduster]

"Just a few pennies, and a couple dimes." every time, all the time. I'm the worst detectorist going.

 

[mudpuppy]

The only people on this Planet I never lie to about anything is my Momma and my Wife, (and with you fine fellows of course, I would NEVER lie to you about any of my finds, its not worth wasting a perfectly good opportunity when its needed elsewhere, the truth is a lot easier to remember, and besides that, for what I find, whats the point?)

...but even telling my Momma and Wife the truth ALL THE TIME, the strangest thing is I get accused of lying anyway! So evidently I'm a better lier than a truth teller! everybody else is fair game for me to hone the craft, plus, I like to brag, especially about things I've never done yet, so a guy can get a bit colorful and take liberties with strangers seeings how they asked for it, they had it coming!

Who knows? I might just run for public office someday, and this skill will come in very handy indeed! "I did not have settual relations with that woman, misslewinski, I never told anybody to lie, not ever, now I gotta get back to running this damned outfit into the crapper", or something to that effect...one things for certain, If I was in charge, we would all be detecting Gettysburg and Yellowstone, and ALL private yards without asking permission under the Imminent Domain act etc...

By nature I'm not a habitual, accomplished or prolific lier, unless i've been drinking, whcih is often...Whats the biggest whopper I've ever told? Lemme think...Hard to remember, had to be the one I told the tosspots down at the bait shop about the bluegills I caught that were as big as a garbage can lid, or the bass that had a mouth as big as a#10 coffee can...but that just sort of goes with the territory, and didnt hurt nobody!
Mud

 

[tabman]

Mud it sounds like you BS better than me and I'm really good at it when I need to.

It looks like you hit pay dirt.

tabman

 

[dahut]

Mud it sounds like you BS better than me and I'm really good at it when I need to.

It looks like you hit pay dirt.

tabman

The older I get, the less BS I want to either take or give.
I'm a corporate engineering trainer, and have a background in sales.
Both occupations are rife with BS.

But out in the field, the last thing I want is some jerkwad giving me grief over my little hobby.
Next is my distaste for having to schmooze my way into (or out of) situations.

Will I do it? Yes, because we have to adapt and bring (apparent) transparency to this hobby. But, I have to make myself slip into the snake oil mode.
I'm going to take you chaps as my inspiration

 

[mudpuppy]

And that, Tab and Dahut is the rub...all we want to do is get through this Life doing what we like to do on any given day without dealing with any bullcrappery from anybody...I know Tab can fight if Dahut can't talk his way out of it.. and I know I can probably run faster than the both of you if the situation merits! ...Everybody has to determine if their personal amygdala prefers a 'fight, flight or freeze' survival mechanism...

I try to avoid jerkwads if possible and have the capability to quickly kick their bleep if not..either verbally or physically...At my age, I prefer to evade and avoid, its much easier...But when it comes to corporate, I tell my guys never be seen as being the smallest toad in the pail...you gotta swell up and croak as loud as the biggest one, or you will be eaten by the rest!....Be ready to lose your job daily, and try to see what kind of game is being played on you before you ante up...lotsa other stupid euphemisms! Nothing wrong with 'Snake oil mode' as long as a fellers Anaconda mouth can back up his garter snake @ss! and if it comes down to it, a good old fashion Alabama dirt road rogering does a fellow wonders...nothing like the feel of a fist on face every so often, as long as its Your fist, and somebody elses face that is..

By gosh it would be good to talk trade someday face-to-face outside of this forum! But, alas, I'm sure we are all old and relatively worn out, probably most of you old geezers have to take a pill or something, and cant drink anymore...still, it would be a great evening around a fire of some sort..
Mud

 

[dahut]

And that, Tab and Dahut is the rub...all we want to do is get through this Life doing what we like to do on any given day without dealing with any bullcrappery from anybody...I know Tab can fight if Dahut can't talk his way out of it.. and I know I can probably run faster than the both of you if the situation merits! ...Everybody has to determine if their personal amygdala prefers a 'fight, flight or freeze' survival mechanism...

I try to avoid jerkwads if possible and have the capability to quickly kick their bleep if not..either verbally or physically...At my age, I prefer to evade and avoid, its much easier...But when it comes to corporate, I tell my guys never be seen as being the smallest toad in the pail...you gotta swell up and croak as loud as the biggest one, or you will be eaten by the rest!....Be ready to lose your job daily, and try to see what kind of game is being played on you before you ante up...lotsa other stupid euphemisms! Nothing wrong with 'Snake oil mode' as long as a fellers Anaconda mouth can back up his garter snake @ss! and if it comes down to it, a good old fashion Alabama dirt road rogering does a fellow wonders...nothing like the feel of a fist on face every so often, as long as its Your fist, and somebody elses face that is..

By gosh it would be good to talk trade someday face-to-face outside of this forum! But, alas, I'm sure we are all old and relatively worn out, probably most of you old geezers have to take a pill or something, and cant drink anymore...still, it would be a great evening around a fire of some sort..
Mud

I like the toad analogy - gonna use that one.
I used to win a few karate tourneys, back in the day, but that was then.
Today, I prefer to ask questions and draw pissants out. Often, enough questioning gets them to relent.
Sometimes it doesn't.
Like I said, you guys inspire me.

 

[mudpuppy]

Ha! You know Tab used to box? Probably still does...Never met anyone from the forum yet, but I am pretty sure we would all get along in real life....I'm a lefty so I have a slight advantage over you righties in pugnatious exploits, plus, I grew up in Detroit, where we fought daily... I have a big old bone mass growth on the front of my forehead that is my primary lead...I sort of look like the elephant man crossed with Bruce Willis..anyway, I can really bring ol' lefty up off the floor and take somebody right out of their shoes, driving the power out of my legs and all, its the only thing I got, I'm the dentist delight in that respect...I just bide my time until the window of opportunity opens, then BAM! Opponents teeth hitting the floor like fleet of Chicklets! Or in some cases like a table of dominoes or backgammon board..depending on how scared I am of them, how big they are, and how much they pounded on my poor noggin' up at that juncture...

Until then, I let them hammer on my forehead all they want..ask my Wife...she swings a Vaughn 24oz framer with a hickory handle that cant put a dent in my forehead!! And yet, I'm still too scared of her to defend myself and deploy the Chicklet routine....and of course I'd wind up paying the dental bills, so I let it ride...Now after 35yrs, she is smart enough to hit me right on top of the head, 'Ping!'... right in that soft baby spot you know?...by gosh thats caved in so much it fills up with a little puddle when I'm outside in the rain, and birds come down and start playing in it!.
Mud

 

[jim tn]

n/t