Personal safety while detecting scruffy areas

[upnorth]

How can I word this without sounding too paranoid ?......... The longer I detect the more patterns seem to turn up. And one of these patterns in different towns is that quite often the oldest areas are the seediest. Not always, but often enough. I have been pondering precautions such as only having one headphone cup on an ear. I have had frightening incidents while detecting alone. One was out in the country checking out an old one room school house. A group of drunken aboriginals stopped near me to relieve themselves beside their van. They became belligerent when I didn't come over to them. I then slowly walked to my car and after some more huff n' puff from them, they left. I have been stared at by groups of rough youngsters in an open high school yard on a Sunday afternoon etc. I felt like I was being sized up. And many more borderline creepy incidents. Usually my Lesche digger seems to change their outlook when I casually (actually it's planned) hold it out from my side. I have zero interest in any confrontation, but I also refuse to be a mindless victim. I have one of those collapsible steel batons because I have been circled by dogs on the edge of town, or simply had a dog or two aggressively bark\bluff me. I actually held one back with my ATP while the woman ran up screaming at the mutt. I do not have a criminal record and definitely DO NOT want to be charged with swinging that collapsible baton if I am in danger. What are my options ? How do you keep yourself safe in dangerous parts of town ?

 

[jim tn]

This past year in particular, I and a couple of buddies hunted three old parks in neighborhoods where quite frankly, we should not have ventured. Fortunately, we never had a problem and a few of the locals were always around. I frequently woods hunt alone. Only one time did I feel the need to raise my jacket and long tailed shirt to expose my small 9mm holstered on my belt. Of which, I don't always carry. Firearms are not allowed in any of our parks. But, rather safe then sorry.

Having said all this, there are places I would not go alone. Pure and simple. Although I feel I have the right to hunt on any city property, to do so on some is stupid thinking. The last thing I want to do is have to shoot 2 or 3 gang bangers and maybe get shot myself. I promised my wife this year I would be more careful where I hunted alone, and that is my intentions. Sorry circumstances we find ourselves in when all we want to do is enjoy our hobby. But, I am not going to quite hunting, either. HH jim tn

 

[Grubstake]

Get you a vest made, that has the word trash in very small letters, and POLICE in great big letters, below it, No one will mess with you. Grubstake

 

[ajaj]

Yup, carry the big Lesche digger/"weapon" when swinging in urban areas.

aj

 

[mudpuppy]

Yeah...This year I stayed out...there was never a good opportunity weather wise to go into the war zone...Its the stretch of town between what the locals call the MurderMart, and the Stop-N-Rob...
Got some good stuff out of there in the past though, nobody else hunts it as you can imagine...I do a drive by, early am, sun-up, in the windy cold rainy days, if nobodys out, I stop and sweep the schoolyards, parks, playgrounds very quickly...head on a swivel and I never stay in one spot longer than maybe 10 minutes, and its probably more like 5.. I got a pretty good spidey sense that I have learned to trust, so if something just dont feel right, I dont stop...My wife prefers I dont go to these areas anymore and if they continue to go as downhill as they have been this summer, I probably wont...This summer seemed to be more dangerous than before, a lot more wanderers out wandering around, and fewer cops to keep them in line.

Mentally prepared if it came to it.. I would defend myself with my screwdriver, as well as my hand held pinpointer, which when turned on, buzzes like a yellowjacket and if brandished like a weapon, would probably be confused as a stun gun type of thing...perhaps giving a fellow enough time to get to the ride and roll! Or at least get a chance to clear my big machete and axe handle! I like Grubstakes Idea, but still, its hard to hunt when you cannot concentrate, and really its just a matter of time before one of us gets robbed or worse on a hunt, and probably where we least expect it! Early mornings are a lot safer than evenings or night, When I hunt the beach at night, I do not carry any light at all, so as to not attract attention. Probably a good idea to have some bright little flashlight to shine in somebodies eyes though...If I ever did have to hurt somebody that was asking for it, I would not stick around to fill out any paperwork!

I dress like a bum, and drive a wreck, and tend to be invisible mostly...Mud

 

[tyrooney]

I sometimes carry as it is legal where I live. Never had a problem but I am also much larger than most people I meet and am usually wearing tactical type clothes lol.
Ran into a couple of fellers last weekend that were on something and were trying to catch imaginary things out of the pine trees with sticks. I told them I was looking for land mines. If I see someone that looks suspect to me I usually initiate contact to let them know I am not intimidated.

 

[Canine]

I like to carry a gun with me. Lots of people carry here. As long as one isn't in the city limits, he/she can carry concealed without a permit. In the city a permit is required. We can carry openly anywhere with few restrictions (Post Office, bank, hospital, courthouse, etc.). The stray dogs are more common of a threat in certain areas.

Pepper spray works very well. I sprayed a Rotty mix several years ago and that took the fight out if it right away.

I take my dog everywhere with me. She alerts me to any sort of danger and will not let anything near me without notice. I'm not saying she's an attack dog, just an alert one.

There are a couple headphones that have one 'ear' for the reasons you state. The Killer B Stinger is one and the Rattler is another.

Being a dude generally helps. Females tend to be pushed around more often. Not a lot can be done about that without a lot of cash. It would take a lot of metal detecting to pay for that!

I also like to keep my situational awareness well-practiced. Out of all my options, my brain is my weapon of choice.

Keeping away from the rough crowds will keep you safe, but staying in your house huddled in a blanket with the lights out will be even safer. That is a gross exaggeration, but something to keep in mind. How much are we willing to let others stop us from enjoying public places? There is a limit to that, but that limit is sometimes overly cautious.

There will be people who 'what if' the subject of personal safety to death. Anything you can do to keep yourself safe will keep you that much safer.

 

[mudpuppy]

Most of us I would wager are considered old men, In various degrees of spryness...still, we grew up fighting, and like riding a bicycle, it comes back quickly when you need it to... Not to say I would want to scuffle with somebody or a group of somebodies half my age, they may beat me, but they would sure know they were in a hell of a fight while it lasted! Getting shot is a different matter, and some of these drugged up rouges will shoot a person if they think they got 5 bucks on them...and yet, it would be a doozy of a post!, especially with pictures! If one of us old guys ever gets jumped and lays down a good old fashioned dirt road rogering on a bunch of disrespectful reprobates!

I like that "my brain is my weapon of choice" that Canine said...I USED to carry, a nice little .357 in a shoulder rig, handloads, not too hot, manageable...but I found It took me into places I would never go unarmed,...and with all the rules and such, it would do me no good zipped up in its blanket, unloaded, and probably get me arrested eventually..so I got rid of it....No, we will not cower in the house, we CANT!...we are not built that way...we didn't live this long by being dumb either, we avoid trouble when we can, and deal with it when we cant...I can think of worse ways to die, if a fellow is gonna go out doing what he loves, everydays a risk of somesort..no need to tempt fate for a few quarters though, still, it would not be a bad way to die considering the alternatives...Way better than laying in a hospital bed hooked up to a machine, and worse would be having a death panel pull your plug on account of you only had the "bronze" plan, or no plan at all ....Anyway, if I ever get jumped again, I'll get pictures!, and perhaps take what ever valuables the perp is carrying as a trophy! at the very least, I'll take their pants!, and also fling their shoes up over the nearest powerline,
Mud

Note: had to self edit...I went way too far!

 

[Silver Fox]

I carry a mace pepper gun.

 

[M_d_in_guy]

Really good post UN. Good to hear the ideas of everyone to help keep us safe if the need arises.

I experienced that same thing of getting sized up by a couple of dudes, and the only option I had was go toward them or go in deep water. Well shore was the way to go. they had been around a few other times and I decided it's time to put a tactic on them. I really don't like confrontation but sometimes ya gotta do things ya don't like. I set my detector at the waters edge and with my digger in hand walked towards them with no break in eye contact at all. They actually got off the table and walked away, whew I was sure happy to see that. I never saw them hangin and checkin anymore. So often I'll use the eyes the ears and the nose to scout a place real fast to see whats going on, cars, bikes, clothes, sounds, movement, and watch the critter movement as well. Once I've done this then carry on detecting and keep the peripheral sight working and do lots of turn arounds on a signal. Ya just never know what goes in some of the others minds. I'm definitely not staying indoors and definitely not stopping detecting. Common sense can help keep a man safe for sure.

I've had a couple of other occasions where the good ole fall back of laughter with a joke to test the mood. I don't carry but I do have a real nice Smith an Wesson blade on the hip, I pray that I'll never have to open it up.

Cheers everyone and continue being safe.

Jon

 

[Daugela]

I'm a detective in Phoenix, AZ and have been detecting for awhile. I've hit shady areas which I shouldn't have and don't carry my gun.

HOWEVER, I soon learned to detect in bad areas with a bright neon traffic vest. Everyone seems to think you work for the city or utility department and leave you alone!!!!!

Try it!

 

[NamVetLesTreasureSeeker]

UpNorth, I've seen ALOT of GREAT Advice here today!! I'm a 62 Yr. OLD City BOY, who still LIVES in a MIXED Neighborhood of MY CITY, a RETIRED STREET Cop with OVER
20Yrs. Street Experience, and a VIETNAM VETERAN who has SOME COMBAT Experience, and by NO MEANS am I an EXPERT!! BEST WEAPON is COMMON SENSE!!
If YOU are going into HOSTILE TERRITORY, DO NOT Hunt ALONE!! RECON All Areas BEFORE YOU Plan to Detect, and Try to Recognize ALL Potential HAZARDS!! If
YOU Decide to DETECT a Potentially Dangerous AREA, W-E-I-G-H the R-I-S-K-S!! Is there anything in that GROUND, or in that BODY of WATER, WORTH D-Y-I-N-G
for, or GETTING M-A-M-E-D or CRIPPLED FOR? Like suggested, those STEEL Diggin TOOLS can INFLICT Some SERIOUS DAMAGE, if ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!!
So, if YOU feel a SITUATION is STARTING to GET RISKY!! PULL that STEEL DIGGIN Tool OUT of the SHEATH, HOLD IT at YOUR SIDE, But Make Sure YOU LET
THEM S-E-E IT, and Try to STARE THEM DOWN, until that DOES NOT WORK!! Then USE YOUR CELL Ph., If YOU Got One!! But, be PREPARED to EVACUATE the
AREA as QUICKLY & SAFELY as YOU POSSIBLY can!! WALK FAST or RUN to YOUR Vehicle, and BE PREPARED to use ANYTHING YOU have AVAILABLE to
D-E-F-E-N-D YOURSELF!! There's an OLD POLICE Proverb, "BETTER TRIED BY 12, THEN CARRIED BY 6"!! Hope this HELPS,and BE SAFE!! Les Robinson.

 

[Waterdog]

I carry pepper spray but have not had the chance to use it yet.
I hunt with a friend and we always hunt watching each other while hunting the bad areas. We have now become so used to facing each other it has become a habit even in the better places we hunt. I like the idea of the work vest going to try that one out tomorrow thursday.

 

[MrPopTop]

sounds wierd but if u cant safely take ur wife and kids with you ... then dont go.. 1 time tho i got walked up on by 2 guys and i was gonna give em hell .. then they seen my wife reaching cell phone.
they walked off.. but heh.. it was a bad part town but not too bad.. mid day mid week.

 

[Sailorman]

Keep my eyes and ears open no matter where I am. Often hunt with a partner. I use one sided had phones only. I want to hear what's around me no matter where I am. You can have dogs, critters and crazy people anywhere!

If someone looks a little dicey I make eye contact so they know I see them and then look unconcerned. I'm not looking for trouble so avoid the really bad spots, others I only hit in the early AM. There's one park I'd love to hit a few miles away but it's such a bad place I won't even risk it then. The local police I know have told be no but hell no when I asked them if it could be done really early. They run regular murder responses there so yeah, best avoided I guess.

I have my digger, a folding knife and a legal concealed weapon on me always. Hope I never need it but it's there if I do.

 

[Southwind]

I've been stalked twice. Once I had 4 young adults trying their best to get behind me for what I'm sure was going to be a snatch and grab. I quickly tried to make my way to my truck while turning to find them getting closer behind me. When ever I would turn around their direction they would all try and act casual staying behind the trees. I beat them to my truck but not by much.

Now I carry 2 guns. I carry my big Stallard JS-9mm on my side in the open, but not loaded, as a deterrent. I also carry a loaded .380 out of sight. I figure someone might be bold enough to try and sneak up and grab the 9mm to use on me. They will be real surprised when find the 9mm not loaded and I pull out my loaded .380.

 

[upnorth]

Thanks all for the replies. There are many tips\ideas here that are of practical use to me. Here is a pic about 3-4 years ago. As you can see at 6' 2'' and 240 pounds that I am not exactly a shrinking violet. However, as I've said, I have zero interest in walking into a bad situation if I can use a bit of common sense. We are contemplating a move to a larger center and it is also #1 in homicide\ major crimes in Canada, per capita. I work in human service and consider myself to be socially enlightened. But crime is crime and danger is danger. Yes group A or B may be socialized to violence due to factors of poverty\alternate cultural values etc. But this does not mean that it is acceptable, and that I have to automatically roll over if threatened. I will go with my gut on some of these areas and use a ''heads up',' situationaly alert mentality. If walking into a 3-4-5 to one situation you're darn right I will back down and bug out if given a choice. When I drove taxi to get through university, my night shift partner was attacked\chopped up with a machete wielded by a youngster. And I know that the frontal lobes of an adolescent brain aren't fully developed giving them poor judgement at times. Gangs of these kids are my main concern, and the city I am considering has a serious gang issue. Heads up and be safe out there in 2014.





This was my night driver\shift change while driving hack. Word on the street was that the incident was a gang initiation for the kid.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/cab-driver-attacked-with-machete-1.926872

 

[fongu]

If your radar goes off, listen to it. A few years ago they took up the sidewalks in my old home town and I wasn't able to detect there and now they are doing it on another part of town that isn't too friendly and I'm not able to fight or even run from a group of thugs, whether they are teenagers or adults. I intend to hunt these sidewalks and hope when they do these projects I will be able to detect there if my health allows. I just intend to go early in the morning when a lot of the thugs are sleeping off their drinking and drugs from the night before. However, if I feel any threat, I intend to leave right away and come back later when it's safer. It's a matter of being alert, listening to your radar and timing. I also tell anybody who starts trouble, my elderly Mama will whip their arse....Lol. She don't tolerate anybody messing with her baby.

 

[John-Edmonton]

I will only hunt the high crime area with a buddy. Life is too short, and in the eyes of someone who figures your detector can fetch a quick 20 bucks at a pawn shop, you life has no value. I was nearly swarmed at a school yard by a bunch of teens drinking who kept asking just to try it. I just quickly headed to my car with my lesche in full view and left. I also only hunt in the woods in the spring and fall before the crackheads and homeless people move in. I love hunting in the winter, as the threatening folks are all in jail or shelters.

 

[BJ in Okla.]

Lots of good advice here...
I would ad,, don't wear gang colors.....
I hunt with a friend and we watch out for each other,
and he has a CCL and a Glock 40 cal..
we have never had any trouble.