Those sweet curbstrips...

You guys run into any resistance from homeowners or are these places with no homes involved?

Love that you came into the hunt targeting an IHP, and found 1! Big congrats Kev, let's get some more!

IDXMonster said:

You guys run into any resistance from homeowners or are these places with no homes involved?

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We get a "negative" reaction maybe once every 20 or so homes we hunt the curbstrips in front of them. The least "resistance" is when we hunt curbstrips on the sides of a home.

For this month encompassing 15 curbstrip hunts (40-50 homes) I have had 3 owners ask me not to hunt "their" curbstrip. But got multiple permissions to hunt other homeowners yards as well.

Congrats on the Washington, IHP, and other digs CK!!!

Buellride said:

We get a "negative" reaction maybe once every 20 or so homes we hunt the curbstrips in front of them. The least "resistance" is when we hunt curbstrips on the sides of a home.

For this month encompassing 15 curbstrip hunts (40-50 homes) I have had 3 owners ask me not to hunt "their" curbstrip. But got multiple permissions to hunt other homeowners yards as well.

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That’s solid intel there,thanks Buell! I’ll be looking to do some of that this season and expand horizons a bit. They seem like great sources that might have been overlooked back in the heyday of detecting. I’ve avoided it in the past but it might enter my “book-o-tricks” as long as I’m not running into heavy fire over it.

Like the Lone Ranger horseshoe thing, thats OLD.

Whats that S? Someone like the SF 49ers in Washington?

That’s a good hunt, congrats on digging your goal! I’ve yet to dig an ihp. Maybe I should try the curb strips too.


Bounty hunter - treasure hunter - cabelas
Best find to date - 15g platinum ring and 1876 love token

kingman mikey said:

Like the Lone Ranger horseshoe thing, thats OLD.

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1930s. That would make my entire hunt.

Congrats on a good haul!

Well damn, that's a decent haul in my book, and I wrote the damn thing!

Seems like the neighborhood you were in is RIPE

Buellride said:

Love that you came into the hunt targeting an IHP, and found 1! Big congrats Kev, let's get some more!

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Holy !!!!, I've been dark on the forum so long I read your name on his post and thought about it, but forgot your a 206'r too!

Fun tip, Georgetown.... I know its seedy, but man Ive made some SPECTACULAR finds! 107th Seattle dog tag pops to mind...

IDXMonster said:

That’s solid intel there,thanks Buell! I’ll be looking to do some of that this season and expand horizons a bit. They seem like great sources that might have been overlooked back in the heyday of detecting. I’ve avoided it in the past but it might enter my “book-o-tricks” as long as I’m not running into heavy fire over it.

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IDX, look at my recent posts, theres one dedicated to curbstrip hunting with hubdreds of replies, that's where you should start my friend. Also, start growing some THICK skin.

Cliffnotes story.

Digging a find, CTX next to me and the homeowner came out picked my machine up and walked in his house... He didn't lock the door behind him, so when the cops showed up and I explained he stole $3,000 from me it went my way. I almost killed a man that day. Genuinely one of the lowest points of my life. Only Seattle PD and my hunting partner Jed know that story as he was with me and I have never shared it here.

Swing360 said:

IDX, look at my recent posts, theres one dedicated to curbstrip hunting with hubdreds of replies, that's where you should start my friend. Also, start growing some THICK skin.

Cliffnotes story.

Digging a find, CTX next to me and the homeowner came out picked my machine up and walked in his house... He didn't lock the door behind him, so when the cops showed up and I explained he stole $3,000 from me it went my way. I almost killed a man that day. Genuinely one of the lowest points of my life. Only Seattle PD and my hunting partner Jed know that story as he was with me and I have never shared it here.

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Yes,I’ve seen some Swing...hunting coins isn’t important enough for ME to get into any altercations,whether it’s technically OK to do so or not. I’m planning on asking homeowners first,so there really can’t be any trouble. I would think some would appreciate me checking first,and I’d find out who was against it. Again...just not worth going in not knowing how they feel about it. It’ll be a very “feel it out” type thing as I’m already kinda known around a few of these towns and I think it’ll work out fine.
IF someone came along in any other place(park school etc) and started grabbing my machine because they were unhappy about something?...I only have a very select few material items that I’d defend with violence,my CTX is one of them. I can’t envision that ever happening where I hunt though,people just aren’t like that around here. That sucks you have anyone that would even try that....very very BAD move here.

Amen to that, Swing. Thick skin and large gonads!

With 5% having a problem with it, Buell and cruiser, you are on borrowed time. Most don't care, but there are some folks who really have an issue with someone detecting in front of their house on property they maintain. A tribal "he (or they) doesn't belong here" mentality. Regardless of legality, there are homeowners who can and will make a stink about you hunting those ROWS (right-of-way strips). And getting the local governing body to enact an ordinance is typically very easy for a resident to do.

If there are two of you detecting you are less likely to be aggressively challenged but more likely to have the police called on you. I speak from experience, I hit ROWS hard for multiple years.

Hopefully you don't mind a bit of unsolicited advice:
#1 - Answer the what are you doing question with the phrase "city owned". As in "metal detecting this city owned right of way strip". Many don't realize that this is city owned property...of course, that's assuming it is city owned property where you are detecting. City owned is the most common, but by no means universal.
#2 - If someone has an issue with you, smile and leave. Get off the block and out of eyesight. Don't argue about having a right to be there. Being smart trumps being right every time.

Funny thing is, I never had a man give me any bleep. It was always women. The only man who gave me pause was the guy who came out of his house with gun in hand. He didn't point it at me just asked what I was doing. I told him and he just said "Oh OK, I saw you duck down and thought you were messing with my car," then turned around and walked back inside. I got away from detecting ROWS in front of occupied houses in fairly short order and just went to vacant homes, businesses on the weekend, churches on Saturday, apartments without onsite managers, etc. The problem with doing them like this is you really aren't detecting much ground. Even though ROW strips have a decent percentage of keepers per square foot, there's usually very little ground in each one.

What I have since realized is that those little ROW strips work best for me as great little welcome mats. It's the easiest permission to get from a homeowner, and often leads to permission for the rest of the yard.

Dang that Lone Ranger dealing is sweet! I need to find and try more curbies. Try out the 6” coil...

Nice hunting!

Thanks for all the replies. Curbstrips are not for everyone, there is potential for confrontation but it is rare around here. Going at dawn and being polite have worked out well for us as has digging perfect plugs with very little mess. Most people are just curious about what you're doing and are not troublemakers. Honestly I probably only get 1 grumpy homeowner per 100 houses so we must be doing something right. Happy Hunting!

Nice little group of finds...…….