Ever since the golfing for the year has been over, I've been looking for a new hobby and activity to keep myself entertained and off the couch. I think I've finally found it. Treasure hunting has been a hobby and career for thousands of years and using a metal detector makes it easier and offers some much needed exercise. Before I just started going out, I wanted to learn more about the hobby. What I found? It's a serious business and now I have high interest in doing it.

I can remember as a kid my uncles would go out metal detecting, so the hobby isn't new, just new to me. I started doing research to find out information, rules and opportunities around the area to get out and start this adventure and found that I'm way behind on the activity.

There are TV shows, movies, books, websites, clubs and tutorial videos all dedicated to treasure hunting. There is an entire website dedicated to metal detectors and information about them. The hobby has become so popular that even Jase Robertson from the beloved Duck Dynasty family has been on the hunt for lost treasures.

Jase Robertson Metal Detecting
GarrettDetectors via YouTube
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Since the popular show starring the first family of duck hunting ended, Jase has been putting his outdoor skills to use by getting out and using a metal detector to find relics, coins and history. Earlier this year he shared one of his rare finds, a 1920 Walking Liberty half-dollar silver coin that could be worth from $11 up to $2,600.

I started looking in to if using a metal detector was legal in the state of Wyoming and  found a website Metaldetectingtips.com that says that in many places in the state it is, but permits may need to be obtained. According to the site:

Wyoming has a rich history and a beauty that is hard to match. And the laws for metal detecting are as strict as the land is wild. Well, that might be a stretch, but it sounded good at the time. Wyoming has three basics you need to be aware of to keep your metal detecting on the legal side of things.

  1. Archeological or historic sites are not allowed.
  2. National forests and BLM land require special permits (not always easy to get).
  3. State parks and recreational areas require the written permission of the park superintendent.

In my search I also found that Casper has a chapter of Gold Prospector Association of America, which is a metal detecting and gold prospecting clubs.

In this video, Jase Robertson shares some basic skills for metal detecting.

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