The worst part about being a detectorist for many of us is when winter hits. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere like Florida where you can detect year-round, the rest of us are jealous.
When the thermometer drops and the snow starts covering the ground, most of us are scrambling for ways to pass the time until the weather gets nice enough for us to detect again. If you find yourself in this situation, here are some ways to survive the winter without going crazy.
Watch Some Great Detecting on TV
If you can’t be detecting, as least you can watch it in action. If you’re in the mood for some real detecting, try to find repeats of the show Diggers on television. KG and Ringy, the stars of Diggers, go to every place imaginable to find great treasures.
This isn’t a dry show about metal detecting – they have fun on their hunts and the audience loves to watch their antics.
Another option is The Curse of Oak Island. On this show, brothers Rick and Marty Lagina search for the famed treasure on Oak Island in Canada. This treasure hunt has been going on for more than 150 years. Hearing the different theories about who left the supposed treasure on the island is interesting for history buffs.
If you want to view a fictional accounting of the metal detecting world, you should check out The Detectorists, a British show about metal detecting. This show does a great job of depicting the unusual characters you’ll find in metal detecting clubs. Plus, you’ll find yourself rooting for the two endearing lead characters.
Do Some Research
Researching new metal detecting sites can be incredibly time consuming. There’s no better time to do that than in the winter when you can’t be out there actually searching for anything.
Head to the library, ask the senior citizens in town about old gathering spots and start asking property owners in your town if they’d be willing to let you hunt their properties once the weather warms up.
If you get all this legwork out of the way now, you’ll be ready to go come spring and you won’t have to waste valuable hunting time making connections, finding spots and getting permission to hunt.
Take a Vacation
If you get the serious winter blues because you can’t go metal detecting, it might be a good idea to plan your annual vacation during the winter. Go somewhere sunny, where you’ll be able to metal detect to your heart’s content.
You’ll also have to head somewhere you know you’ll be able to find property to detect on – large parks and beaches will be your best bet.
This vacation will be enough to keep you happy until the weather warms in your own region.
Try It Anyway
During the winter, I try to find the mildest days I can to sneak in a little metal detecting. It isn’t always easy and I can’t often dig too deep, but I’ve managed to find some good stuff.
If you’re going to try metal detecting in the winter, you’ll want to pick a day with as little snow as possible. You don’t want to have to dig 6 inches of snow before you even get to the ground.
You’ll want to make sure you dress as warmly as possible – with a heavy coat, gloves and earmuffs.
You should pick days that aren’t too windy because that will make you feel a little more comfortable in the cold.
The most valuable tip for metal detecting in the winter is to find a shovel with serrated teeth so you’ll be able to cut your way through the frozen ground.
