Droning and Metal Detecting: Two Great Hobbies to Get Out of The House Safely

Recycle Precious MetalsRecycling and Refining
Written By Barry Lenson

Beautiful warm spring weather is here! If you’ve been cooped up and developing a case of cabin fever over the last few months, chances are you are eager to get out of your house and enjoy the great outdoors.

And we have two suggestions about ways you can do just that – and possibly find gold and silver scrap and collectibles too.

Get a Metal Detector

Suggestion one is to buy and start using a metal detector. Metal detecting is a great hobby. According to “Getting Started with Metal Detecting – Everything You Need to Know,” an excellent post that Marc McDermott recently wrote for the SmarterHobby blog, using a metal detector isn’t just for people who want to become rich. He writes that many of the people who find the hobby most rewarding are history buffs and people who simply enjoy being outdoors. His post offers lots of great advice on getting started in the hobby.

Get a Drone

Suggestion two is to buy a camera-equipped drone and use it to identify promising prospecting sites to explore later on foot. A drone offers a great tool for exploring large outdoor areas of public lands and elsewhere. Note that using a drone to explore land that is owned by a private party can be a violation of the law. Also, digging on public land or in parks could be prohibited. So always ask permission before proceeding – and definitely before you dig.

Why Droning and Metal Detecting Offer Great Escapes from Being Quarantined

You could just go outside and take a walk instead. And of course, there is nothing wrong with doing that. But there are advantages to flying drones or using metal detectors. One is that they provide a purpose to spending a morning, an afternoon, or even an entire day outdoors. You will be out there, and you will be doing something interesting with a goal.

There are other reasons why droning and detecting offer great options for getting outdoors right now. Because both are hobbies you can happily enjoy by yourself, they offer something interesting to do that doesn’t require you to be in close proximity to other people. In other words, they are both good hobbies if you are practicing social distancing.

Top Places to Explore

One good strategy? Use a drone to identify and study promising locales, then visit them with your metal detector.

As we noted above, be sure to obtain appropriate permission before hunting for precious metals. But once you do have permission, here are some promising prospecting locales.

  • Old buildings and building foundations. Drones offer a faster and easier way to find them than hiking does.

  • Old walls. Experienced metal detector-users know that the areas next to old walls in graveyards and churchyards are great places to find coins, items of jewelry, eyeglass frames, and other items that were either dropped or fell out of visitors’ pockets in years past.

  • Ocean and lakeside beaches and bathing areas. These are among the most popular sites for using metal detectors. Evenings and early mornings, when these areas are not crowded, are among the best times. And if you find something valuable that you suspect was recently lost, consider posting a sign to let people know. That’s only considerate, and it lets people know that users of metal detectors are good citizens.

  • Unusual mounds. When people piled up earth and stones – well, who knows what they may contain? Finding old graves – sometimes even of Native American origin – is not unheard of. Note that old graves and graveyards are often located either in wooded areas or in fields adjacent to them.  And if you do find what you suspect might be an old graveyard or gravesite, be sure to contact local historical societies before digging or exploring.

  • Wells. Wells are promising sites for finding coins, jewelry, and other personal items that either fell on the ground nearby, or which fell into the well. Also over the years, a number of people have hidden valuables in wells. You can sometimes recognize a well by sight – perhaps its opening is still surrounded by stones. At other times, an old well can appear to be nothing more than an area of ground that is either higher or lower (or softer underfoot) than the ground that surrounds it. In all cases, proceed with caution! Never attempt to lower yourself into old wells, since their walls can collapse. If you believe you have found the location of an old well, leave the area; that soft earth we mentioned just above could collapse, causing injury . . . or worse.

Yet with Those Warnings Aside . . .

Despite the various cautions we write about in today’s post, this is a great time to consider buying a new drone or metal detector and hitting the great outdoors.

When you find something promising in your hunting, give us a call at 800-426-2344 and tell us your good news. We are here to help you turn your gold, silver, and other discoveries into cash.

Barry Lenson
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