2017 MTHA Open Hunt (Massachusetts)

jimther

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The Massachusetts Treasure Hunting Association is hosting its annual John Govoni Memorial OPEN HUNT at Houghton's Pond in the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, Massachusetts, near Boston [840 Hillside Road, Milton, Mass, Exit 3 off Route 128] See http://www.masstreasure.com/ for details, map and registration form.

Date: October 7th, 2017. This is a Saturday event. You may sign up for the morning hunt, afternoon hunt or for both hunts.

RAIN or SHINE ! (had a little rain last year, so what are the odds for 2017 ?)

It is a "seeded" hunt on a fresh water beach and we have had participants from most New England states for several years.

Cost: $60 for both hunts or $30 for the Morning OR Afternoon hunt (This is the EARLY registration price if your check and registration received by September 29, 2017). Price after September 29th is $70, or $35/hunt.

Prizes include: Metal Detectors, cash, silver and coins, gift certificates and more. Last year's total prize value was over $3,000.

Some equipment reminders:
~No sand scoops* or belt-worn sieve baskets allowed; only digging trowel or knife and two-part "nail" apron
~All entrants are required to use HEADPHONES.
*sand scoop with handle allowed if you are disabled

SPECIAL NOTE, RE: Feedback from a couple of Forum members after last year's hunt about those who help "seed" the beach also being allowed to hunt. I passed along this concern to our HuntMaster, Sandi. She assured me that tokens for all the major prizes are only buried by her and she does not participate in the hunting.

We'll be raking the beach before AND after the hunt (help appreciated). It is normally off limits to detecting, being DCR parkland, so we have a SPECIAL USE PERMIT for that day only.

So charge up those batteries or bring extra Duracells and your lunch. NO Alcohol permitted on DCR Parklands.

Bring your Hunt Flyer for Schedule and directions: LOST on the DAY OF HUNT? CALL 781-424-7472 (This is Sandi, our HuntMaster)

Good luck everyone !

Jim M. (jimther)
MTHA Librarian
 
October is right around the corner

Thanks for the info Jim, We had a great time at last years event and are looking forward to seeing everyone again this year.

Hi Ron - Thanks for tuning in and your comments about last year's MTHA Hunt. I enjoyed meeting and talking with you and your daughter. I know that other Forum members were in attendance last year, but I didn't get to meet them as identified FMDF members. Jeff (CELLRDWELLR) was there, and also DLAX, but I would not have know them as Forum members unless they wrote it on their forehead with a Sharpie 🙄
Will have to come up with a way to identify fellow Forum members to each other at the hunt. Any ideas folks?

Jim
 
Will get an answer for you

Can we hunt the water between hunts?

Hi King of Bottle Caps. Thanks for your question and for checking out the Hunt announcement.
I have just emailed Sandi, our Hunt Master with your question. Will post her response here as soon as I get her reply.

Did you attend this hunt last year ?

Jim
 
Ill be there again this year, last year was a blast! Was really hoping for that at pro! I got some really good stuff last year and my buddy Danny got the ball handled lesche. Count me in again! Ill be mailing in the early registration in the next couple weeks, appreciate the heads up Jim, ill try to find you this time and introduce myself.
 
Hi King of Bottle Caps. Thanks for your question and for checking out the Hunt announcement.
I have just emailed Sandi, our Hunt Master with your question. Will post her response here as soon as I get her reply.

Did you attend this hunt last year ?

Jim

Not last year, but I did the year before. I didn't go last year due to weather concerns. My V3i and rain don't mix well. I do now have an MX Sport which will deal with the rain rather nicely should it become an issue.
 
Detecting the water between hunts

Can we hunt the water between hunts?

Hi again BCK. I spoke with Sandi (MTHA Hunt Master) today. Here's the deal.

The Houghton Pond Reservation which is run by DCR (Dept of Conservation and Recreation, formerly the MDC) insists that our club purchase a one-day insurance policy for our event on the beach. It does not cover any activity IN the water. Also, DCR properties are normally off limits to metal detecting (though I've heard of some detectorists receiving local permission from on-duty DCR staff).

So, the "OFFICIAL" answer is (as stated in our Hunt Registration Flyer)

*** IMPORTANT NOTICE to all attendees ***

DCR rules PROHIBIT detecting other than in the sandy beach areas ... we're very lucky to be able to hold our hunt here.
DO NOT DETECT ANYWHERE but in the DESIGNATED areas.


Sorry about that. Hope you'll join us anyway.

Jim
 
Hunting the water wasn't make or break for me. Was just curious. I will be there anyhow. I can't let Jeff find stuff on my this year.
 
Hotels/Motels near Hunt

Sounds like a good time. I might have to think about a road trip. Any hotels/motels in the area?

To answer your question LIBear, yes, there are lots.

I just Googled "Hotels near Dedham Mass" and got several hits.

The Holiday Inn and the Fairfield Inn in Dedham are just a couple suggestions near the main highway to the hunt site. The hunt is 5 miles down I-95/ I-93/RT 128 from the both of these hotels, then it's another mile from the exit to the hunt site at Houghton Pond (Hillside Street).

Just remember, if you are driving south down I-95/Rt 128, I-95 veers off southwest toward Rhode Island, while RT 128 keeps on going south. DO NOT follow the I-95 South to Providence RI sign. Stay left and follow the sign that says I-93 / U.S. Route 1 North. It's very strange that you are actually travelling south in this stretch and RT 128 is not even mentioned on the sign.

To be safe, I would plug in the hunt address into your GPS or Google Maps App. That address is 840 Hillside St, Milton, Mass. The Registration form has detailed directions, a map and GPS Coordinates.

NOTE: I just noticed that our Hunt Flyer mentions Hillside Road in one place and then Hillside Street. I will inform Sandi, in case she has time to make a correction.

Hope that helps.

Jim
 
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Awesome, I am looking forward to going again this year! I had fun last year, even though I didn't win any prizes. Maybe I'll have better luck with a year of experience now. I don't think I officially met any forum members, we will have to do a better job this year haha.
 
I did too

Did anyone register? I did!
l

dlax... I registered last month at the MTHA meeting. We're getting registrations already from New Hampshire, Connecticut and of course, Massachusetts.
Once we get your registration at our PO Box, I'll email an acknowledgement to each registrant.
Jim
 
l

dlax... I registered last month at the MTHA meeting. We're getting registrations already from New Hampshire, Connecticut and of course, Massachusetts.
Once we get your registration at our PO Box, I'll email an acknowledgement to each registrant.
Jim

Congrats on getting great turn out! I did receive your email confirmation about a week ago. Thanks!
 
Prize list is growing

Ill be there again this year, last year was a blast! Was really hoping for that at pro! I got some really good stuff last year and my buddy Danny got the ball handled lesche. Count me in again! Ill be mailing in the early registration in the next couple weeks, appreciate the heads up Jim, ill try to find you this time and introduce myself.

I just checked our MTHA web site tonight and saw that our hunt's prize list is growing. See www.masstreasure.com. On the right side of the main page is a 5-page auto-scroll. Page 1 shows the growing prize list as of this week, and it is expected to continue growing as manufacturers and dealers respond to our huntmaster's request for support of our hunt, as well as prizes we are purchasing. Each page of the auto-scroll displays for about a minute, so to quickly get to the [partial] prize list, click on "1" at the bottom of the auto-scroll section.

Windows snip below of prizes from our web site added to this post on 9/16/2017

2017 Hunt Prizes.jpg

The hunt is now just a few short weeks away. Don't miss out on the early registration price (Early registration= hunt fees paid by or postmarked by September 29th, 2017). Forms are on the web site. :detector:

Jim
 
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MTHA Hunt update !!!

Update on the October 7th MTHA OPEN HUNT

At our club meeting last night, Scott, our president, asked me to mention that in addition to the several raffles we will be holding during the day, there will be one final SPECIAL raffle after the close of the 2nd hunt. He could not tell me what it was, only that it was a "SECRET". So, don't leave too early !

Other raffles will be for:

- 1 OZ Silver Rounds,

- An NEL 13" x 14" Storm Coil for Garrett AT PRO over $200 value

- A quality Two-Barrel Tumbler

Please see previous posts by me in this thread for hunt details.

Jim (jimther)
 
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