Detecting hidden treasures
Newly formed county club explores hobby of metal detectors
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CORTLAND -- Local residents are helping each other learn the best ways to find hidden treasures.
The newly formed Trumbull Treasure Hunters brings together those who like searching with metal detectors as a hobby in the Cortland and surrounding areas.
Cortland resident Bob Woofter, group chairman, said it was established this year and meets once per week at the Johnston Senior Center, where it is offered as an official program.
"There is a great deal of interest in the hobby. People get metal detectors as gifts. …We outgrew that location for our evening gathering and now meet the third Thursday of the month at the Trumbull County Agriculture Center. We have some here who have been using metal detectors for years and years and know more about it than I will ever know, and others who have just started. This is a good place to learn from the experts," Woofter said.
He said many of the current members are retired and enjoy the activity,
"If someone would have told me a year ago that I would be this enthusiastic and doing this now, I would have laughed at them. Once you start, it is very addicting. I can now grab my metal detector any time I want and go out to a friend's property or a farm property and do a search onsite," Woofter said.
He said while he sometimes goes by himself, he often calls a friend to go out or takes part in a group hunt.
The group has been at Pymatuning State Park, the Trumbull County Fairgrounds and by Mosquito Lake State Park beach, which he said are all good places to search.
Woofter said he came up with the group's name.
He said he has friends who have used metal detectors for years and thought it would be a good program to start.
At the meetings, people show what they have found, including coins, jewelry, rings, other odds and ends, and relics. Woofter said when the members do find a ring they "bend over backwards to find the owner."
"We had guy who found a ring and the owner was found in North Carolina. You don't get rich doing this. When we get together and search, it's like an adventure. I look for anything that sets off the machine. I have found a lot of pop can tabs," Woofter said.
Walter Sescourka of Cortland said he found a New York World's Fair 1939 token in a park in Warren. He also found a class ring in Youngstown with graduating year and initials on it and was able to locate the owner, who lost it taking off gloves in the winter.
"I like helping people learn how to use the metal detectors. You meet different people and go to different places to use our metal detectors," said Sescourka, who has been metal detecting for more than 10 years.
He said the person who brings the most unusual or interesting item found as voted upon by the group receives a silver coin.
Tom Becker of Kent said he doesn't mind driving some distance for the group meetings. He said there is no bad location to look for items, including at old houses.
Tom Cornelius of Brookfield, who has been metal detecting for 12 years, said he enjoys showing what he has found and seeing what others have found.
"I like to encourage the new people to have fun with this hobby. I was where they are at one point," he said.
Cornelius said he found a round of ammunition of 50-caliber shells deep in the sand at Myrtle Beach.
Mike Marsh of Cortland, who has been using a metal detector for 20 years, said he agrees beaches are good places to search because many items that have fallen in the water wash up on the shore.
"The ocean continually brings in items. I remember someone found a gun and a samurai sword," he said.
Woofter said the constant movement of the water releases things from the bottom of the ocean.
Members of the group say many people aspire to find gold and silver items and others look for Civil War relics.
Sheri Rocca of Mecca, who is new to metal detecting after receiving a detector as a gift, said she's a very curious person who wanted to learn metal detecting and also wants to try panning for gold.
"About a year ago my husband got me a metal detector for my birthday. I did not really know how to use it. I would go out in the yard. I heard about this group and decided to join. I am very curious about finding treasures and the stories that go with what people find. There are stories behind each item," Rocca said.
She said since attending her first meeting, she wants to continue the hobby.
"Anything I am able to find, I will be ecstatic. I don't care if I find a nail. I want to be able to find things. I find this to be a very relaxing activity," Rocca said.