I will respect private property and do no treasure hunting without the owners permission.
I will appreciate and protect our heritage of natural resources, wildlife, and private property.
I will use thoughtfulness, consideration, and courtesy at all times.
I will build fires in designated or safe places only.
I will fill all excavations.
I will leave gates as found.
I will remove and properly dispose of any trash that i find.
I will not litter.
I will not destroy property, buildings, or what is left of deserted structures.
I will not tamper with signs, structural facilities, or equipment.
One of My Most Satisfying Hunts
I know what your thinking - what all goodies did I bring home. No, this time I found a lot but brought home nothing. This hunt was not about being rewarded by a great site and lots of relics. It was about compassion, satisfaction of helping someone in need; about the doing the right thing.
I got a call the other day from an old friend whom I have known a long time and has helped me in many ways over the years. He told me about some dear friends of his who had just experienced a fire that burned their two story plantation home to the ground. The woman of the house made it out the front door, but her husband was not so lucky. They found him near the door in the kitchen. This couple was just about to celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary.
The Husband, I am told, the night before showed his wife the anniversary ring he had purchased for their upcoming anniversary. With the dawn of a new day, just hours later, the wife was left with nothing. No husband; no ring. Nothing from their lifelong journey together.
My friend knowing that I metal detect asked for my help in going through the rubble that was left behind from the fire. I told him that I would be glad to do whatever I could to locate any surviving keepsakes. The next day I met my friend at the charred location. My friend took a look around and said, "Looks as if you'll be looking for a needle in a haystack." He wished me luck and went on his way.
The whole house had burned to the ground, except the floor in the bedroom. Even it had many burn holes. I started going through inch by inch of this pile of ash, burnt wood, and burned items. The first thing I came across were a few coins from his Coin Collection. Some of these I have never seen before; no telling what they are worth. Other items I uncovered were a solid gold heart, her husbands "US" Military Pin from WWII, a clump of gold which melted in the fire, an ornate bottle and, believe it or not, an envelope full of pictures of which three-fourths were in fine condition.
When I took a break for lunch, I sat there looking around and realized just how quickly life can change and can be lost. The cold, cloudy day added to the sadness of this tragedy. I smelled smoke for a day, ruined a pair of boots and a jacket, and could hardly move the ext day, but the ends results were well worth it. This was one of my most rewarding and satisfying hunts I have had in all my years of digging.
