For many of us the only time we can metal detect is on the weekends. For me it is whenever I can get a chance, and that usually means hunting alone and on the weekends. Yes, I am a lone treasure hunter.

Some of my friends are retired and hunt on weekdays. On occasion when I am off from work I hunt with them, but for the most part I hunt alone. Now, don't get me wrong, I do love hunting with other TH'ers; it is just that it never seems to work out that way and is the same when I fish. Whenever I want to go fishing, no one else wants to go. Any other time my friends are asking me to go. I have since traded my boat for a smaller one. I am a loner but fishing more economically now. The difference with metal detecting is you cannot trade for a smaller metal detector to save money.

Hunting alone all the time has its advantages. I mean, there is more concentration when hunting alone. I have observed my finds are always better than when hunting with my friends.

I had to laugh because one of my good friends, a single guy, once told me: He said, "Tom, I wish I had a good looking woman to metal detect with me."

I giggled and asked him, "What would you do the first time she leaned over in front of you in skimpy shorts to dig a target?" "Yup," he said. "I see what you mean. That sure would interrupt my concentration."

You would not think right off hand that when hunting with other people it would produce less finds. On the contrary, you are usually at a place someone else picked to hunt and is usually different than what you are used to. There should be more opportunities and targets. In reality, though, seldom do other people take you to sites that they have not already hunted. In most cases it is a place that has been hunted to death. That's why you do so well at the places you've researched and hunted yourself. Would you take a group to one of your really good sites? Hardly. At least you wouldn't until you were convinced all the silver and other goodies were recovered.

No, you really are better off doing your own research and hunting your own sites by yourself. They have always been the best for me. They will probably be the best for you.