Reading the competition

I recently went to one of my my favorite treasure hunting sites only to find two people already searching the area, I am an early bird so it was a double surprise seeing the site being searched and other people knowing about this hot spot. 

The first thing I did was acknowledge the other people searching the site with a friendly wave, the second thing I did was go about my business haphazardly like I did not know what I was doing. 

My sloppy search techniques probably helped the other searchers feel at ease while I sneakily determined if they really knew what they were doing and if they were at the site for the same reason I was.

It turned out they were looking for the same thing I was searching for but they were going about it in a completely different way, which I give them credit for and I will for sure give it a try myself.

When you search a wide variety of sites you can be sure other treasure hunters know about the sites you search and you will run across other people searching for the same things you hope to recover.

I am a like a sponge when it comes to treasure hunting, I really like studying or trying to "Read" other people I see searching the sites I have success at or hope to be successful at. 

Every year I find something I can adapt into my search techniques even if it is only a small wrinkle that helps me to recover more or better finds.

As strange as it sounds I would rather see people who really know what they are doing at many of my favorite treasure hunting sites, it helps to keep me on my toes and sometimes I try doing what I see other people doing and it works.

I would say 2020 has been a very successful treasure hunting year so far because of new things Ive tried and adapted instead of just doing the things I consider to be corner stones of my metal detecting foundation.

Closely watching other treasure hunters searching your sites will help you decide if they know what they are doing or if they are just hoping to get lucky skimming over a search site.

Tell tale signs of "Skimmers" include meandering around using sloppy search techniques, using unsuitable equipment and covering the ground too quickly. 

The real competition for finds at a site tend to avoid eye contact and small talk as they search a specific area methodically, they are exactly the type of searchers you should learn to read if you see them at sites you know hold what you are searching for.

Over the years I have learned that the only real competition you have is yourself when searching a site, but it can be really helpful to study the way other people searching the same sites as you go about their business, especially if you can add something that helps you at those sites.

Another thing I have unfortunately learned is 90% of the people you see out there searching for treasures are skimmers, so when you do see someone who obviously knows what they are doing they stand out. 

Perhaps things that do not at first stand out, such as sticking to one small area of a site or carrying and using unusual recovery tools, like they know where to find and how to recover it.

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and I say if one person can do something another person can so keep your eyes on the competition and never think you know it all, learn and evolve to be successful. 

For more tips to searching heavily hunted sites check out my treasure hunting guides at www.garydrayton.com