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Who here hunts alone?
- Thread starter matthias
- Start date
salmonriverhotrock
New member
Well, beings I live in illegally introduced Canadian Grey Wolf country, I carry a side arm.
I guess it would be something like driving. Swing my machine while kind of quickly watching back and forth between the coil and around me. It would not be exact, precise intervals or equal durations but kind of like moving your eyes a lot watching around you and then looking in your mirrors when driving. I also pay attention to smells. Bears usually wreak but don't count on a Skunk as always. Just as I was getting ready to step in my pickup one day, a skunk walked out from under it and by my legs and never sprayed. I also had no clue it was there for the was no smell. Freshly broken branches, freshly disturbed dirt. I also do not run my headphones so loud as to make me go deaf.
So far, the rattlesnakes have hit the coil and not me. I do pay attention to tree branches I come near or rock faces. Watch for the poison ivy, don't get the oils on your coil or shaft. Even the EMT's here will throw away safety and climbing ropes if they know any were dragged through poison ivy. Have even known of old saws and axes people have touched many years later to discover they had been in poison ivy.
Before I forget, I have now and then entertained the idea of hunting with another person but for all my years detecting, I have yet to.
BarberBill
New member
When in the local parks and playgrounds, I figure my Lesche digger is protection enough. When I go to the hills looking for old logging camps, homesteads etc. I'm with salmonriverhotrock, I carry a sidearm. Some of those wolves he mentions live in N Idaho as well, although renegade humans are a bigger worry.
BB
BB
Probably the best answer but not always possible..Have a mace spray handy as it does wonders for animals and animals with two legs in local park situations. in isolated areas carrying a sidearm sounds good but better be ready to use as it can cause many problems if you shoot one of those 2 legged critters. They do sell a headphone with only one side for rattlesnale country but keeps you aware of other critters also. All goes back to safety in numbers so join a club and hunt with a buddy or two especially in those isolated areas for health reasons alone as one could break a leg have a heart attack...in addendum a cell phone is a must for almost any situation so do be careful...
GRAY GHOST
New member
i sometimes hunt alone in the woods or fields when frank or pete can't join me. awareness and respect of your surroundings is an important and acquired skill. of course, being 6'2", 230 lbs. with a practiced permanent scowl and attitude that would make a marine drill instructor proud, carrying a trench shovel, terminator shades, and making lots of noise has taken me pretty far. all jokes aside, when you enter the woods and fields [obviously i'm not a park, clad or beach hunter] you go straight to the bottom of the food chain, and your're on THEIR turf. i have absolutely no fears, only rarely encountering problem animals and people.
i sometimes even night hunt alone. man, talk about honing your skills. that'll do it for sure.
i use loose fitting headphones - that way, i can hear what's going on around me. tight fitting headphones, a ton of equipment and very dark shades are definetly out! thanks for reading, and good luck.
i sometimes even night hunt alone. man, talk about honing your skills. that'll do it for sure.
i use loose fitting headphones - that way, i can hear what's going on around me. tight fitting headphones, a ton of equipment and very dark shades are definetly out! thanks for reading, and good luck.
Bradley137
New member
I never hunt alone. I always take Smith and Wesson. Always be alert since eyes is all you have. Sometimes I pull one ear phone back so I can hear. And you always have your digging tool. The only problem I've ever had was from 3 pit bulls.
silversmith
New member
"If you go into the woods today, you better not go alone!" I never do, my buddies Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson", ALWAYS tag along. Never, never, never, wear "cup" headphones. You have amost all your visual attention on the ground, why would you handycap your hearing? Personally, I buy headphones from "the five and dime store". The kind that just "sit" on you ears. You can hear other folks talking, rattlesnakes rattling, Johnny B. Good sneaking up behind you with a tire iron as he steps on twigs. Hey, I hear folks "spouting" buy the best! Why, you're not going be listening to "Beenie-Weenie's Prelude in A flat minor", you just want hear 2 or 3 tones coming out of a metal detector. You can buy plenty good enough 'phones and have enough left over to buy a Garrett Propointer. And, thats a hell of a deal. Pepper spray is good, you can get a bears attention really fast with that stuff while you're "jackin" a round into your Beretta! Yea, one round outta a 9mm probably won't stop a big bear, but, by the time I'm empty, I might have a good chance of out running a bear thats limping on all four. I always wear "snake gators" in the woods. True, that moving coil pretty well protects you from a snake attack, but you still have the trips walking from one little area to the next. That covers most seneneroes (?) except for Mountain Lions. I've been reading about Big cats almost NEVER attack from the front, always from the back. Your own little kitty cat will show you that. They're finding many lives in India are being spared just by wearing a "Hollowing mask" on the BACK of their heads. Weird? But it's 'sposed to work. Should be just as good for Pumas! That leaves you with African-ised bees. Those things are spreading all over and will flat "ruin" your trip to the field. I don't know what to do about that..... I got a ticket, yea darn it, and took a class to keep my insurance from going up. One of the questions was like "How to not get car-jacked." the best answer was "be aware of you surroundings," I guess thats the best we can do for now, accept when you go to un-populated areas, it might be a good idea to "pop a few caps" in the direction you're going, and watch for little black clouds rising. 
Nice question, hope you get lots of uploads on this one.
Nice question, hope you get lots of uploads on this one.
I hunt alone, but not opposed to hunting with a partner. Situational awareness is key, but not just while MDing, but in every day life. I also wear a sidearm, but not just MDing......it's my American Express card, I never leave home without it.
Ever hear the saying "I'd rather be Judged by 12, that carried by 6"?
Hey Beale! How ya doin'!
Smitty
Dan-Pa. said:
Ever hear the saying "I'd rather be Judged by 12, that carried by 6"?
Hey Beale! How ya doin'!
Smitty
silversmith
New member
Wow, this place's name should be changed to "The Smitties Metal Detector Forum. " Must be a dozen of us on here! 
I hunt by myself all the time, on dry land I use the DETECTORPRO Rattler Headphones and keep them turned down low, when I beach hunt it is mostly in the early mornings at the beach, with full head phones on my whites BHID I take a couple steps and turn around. Some times if there are people lurking about I wear the head phones on my neck and turn the volume up to where I can just hear it. I always carry a S&W 357 and at the beach I have my scoop which is a good weapon. I have never been bothered, a few nuts at the beach have tried to walk up on me but sofar I have seen them and spoke to them and once they have been seen they move off.
BusDigger said:silversmith said:Wow, this place's name should be changed to "The Smitties Metal Detector Forum. " Must be a dozen of us on here!
1st the phone books, then the forums.....TOMORROW THE WORLD....BWAHAHA
Beale said:
Thanks! http://www.findmall.com/read.php?52,1272737
Smitty
Thanks Smitty! It looks great! Beale.
paranoia runs deep!..into your life it will creep!..starts when you're always afraid!
step outta line,,man come,and take you away!..better stop..children!..what's that sound!..everybody look!..what's goin' down!
yes!..this CAN be a problem!..,when ya hunt alone!
(h.h!)
j.t.
step outta line,,man come,and take you away!..better stop..children!..what's that sound!..everybody look!..what's goin' down!
yes!..this CAN be a problem!..,when ya hunt alone!
(h.h!)
j.t.
I do most of my hunting alone.Most places I get to know the park rangers and even notice some of the regulars at the park.The bad neighborhoods I usually hunt with others to cover one another backs.A couple years ago an area dealer convinced about seven of us who metal detect to take a concealed weapons class.I do carry a concealed weapon in some areas where I'm alone on a hunt.I'm always on my best behavior when carrying no arguments and avoid any confrontations.More responsibility to carry a concealed weapon but better than the alternative.I usually watch the surrounding area for people out of place or acting strange.I'm always trying to be aware of a possible problem and maintain a safe distance and never turn my back or leave a blindside to someone too close.I'm searching for coins and jewelry and always looking for that possibility with trouble to avoid or react.Sure glad they got that Flint slasher,but with the eight second rule I would had been his last victim.Good Luck
salmonriverhotrock
New member
In my case, I'd say about 99% of my detecting is out in the sticks or outside of towns and cities so I don't have so much the issues of fire arms and Schools/Tot Lots to be concerned with and the Park in town is heavily hunted so have not bothered with it. I also detect for natural gold as well as for coins and such so there are some pretty big differances in operating the two different kinds of machines and what your listening for. I also have only one machine that uses Tones, everything else is by sound (my prefered choice).
As BarberBill from up north of me mentions, there are the Canadian Grey Wolves ("Kill a wolf, save 100 Elk" is our State bumper sticker
) but this part of and north Idaho seem to attract many undesirables and I'm pretty much surrounded here by vast very rugged federal lands incorrectly called Wilderness and Primitive Areas. Not too many years ago not far from here as the crow flies over the mountains, a couple was mudered in their camp by a couple of freaks passing through on the South Fork of the Clearwater. I live near the only north south highway to connect north and south Idaho and so in the bottle neck, the odds of running into one of these rodents from hell are increased. I do open carry and it's not uncommon to find people walking into the stores or gas stations with a side arm around here. I have even ate dinner in a Cafe with a side arm on though I was seated so it remained visible. Here in Idaho, we have not been totally castrated yet concerning our fire arms Rights like elsewhere. One thing I like most about my area is that so many people do own and carry fire arms. Years ago, I knew a woman who walked into Wal-Mart with two visible side arms on and was shopping. They tried to tell her to leave and she could not wear her guns but she told them to pack sand and finished her shopping. By Law, her Iron was visible and they could not do a thing about it. You can with practice, chew gum, watch around you, and detect at the same time with practice. So far, I have not had any problems beyond rattlesnakes taking a shot at my coil and that has only happend down nearer the Salmon River. Back home in south east Idaho, I never once encountered a rattle snake while detecting and we have them there along with Canadian Grey Wolves.
These wolves unlike the native we had in smaller numbers, are known to kill just to kill if not for food. The federals were warned by Canada we do not have an ecosystem that would support this and it was illegal to introduce genetics not native to our area and they did it anyway, even when Idaho and the people objected strongly. Anyhow, it could be I have had no problems yet by people because others may have seen the side arm. It however has not stopped some people from approaching me to learn they also detect and ended up having a pretty good discussion about such with them.
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