Questions

What is a metal detecting hunt?

A group event organized by a detecting club where participants pay a registration fee and detect on a permitted field for a set period. Hunts run on private property arranged by the club — campgrounds, farms, old picnic grounds, historic sites — and finds belong to whoever recovers them. Most US hunts run one to three days.

What's the difference between a seeded and a natural hunt?

Seeded hunts use a prepared field that the host club has salted with coins, tokens, silver, and prize items. Structured like a tournament — everyone hunts the same field at the same time, prizes go to whoever recovers the most tokens or marked items.

Natural hunts are real detecting on a historic site, where finds are whatever happens to be in the ground — old coins, buttons, relics, jewelry.

Many clubs run both formats. Multi-day "mixed" events combine them — some alternate format by day, others run seeded and natural fields concurrently. The exact schedule varies by club, so check the host's announcement.

How much does it cost to enter?

Entry fees for US group hunts indexed on DigRallies range from $20 to $300, with a median of $100. Fees usually include the silver guarantee on seeded fields, lunch, and access to specialty sub-hunts (silver hunt, mystery hunt, dig-for-cash). Multi-day mixed events sit at the higher end; single-day open hunts at the lower end.

How do I find hunts near me?

Use the state filter or map view on the DigRallies homepage to see upcoming hunts by region. The directory covers club-run hunts across the United States. You can also follow regional clubs on Facebook — most post hunts there first, then it lands here.

Are hunts beginner-friendly?

Yes. Most clubs welcome new detectorists, and a one-day seeded hunt is a good first event — predictable format, friendly crowd, cheap finds guaranteed. A few clubs run beginner-targeted small hunts. Save the multi-day natural events for after you have some experience reading targets and managing your time in the field.