August 1st, Wild Oaks Campground. It started out like any other detecting adventure. I had my wetsuit on, headphones over my ears, detector in one hand, scoop in the other. I waded chest-deep into the lake, thinking everything was fine. The water was calm. The sun was out. I was in my zone.                                                                             Me in the stupid suit! But then I took one more step—and the world dropped out from under me. I had hit a massive drop-off near the dock, and there was no warning. One moment I was standing on solid sand, the next I was in deep water, my feet scrambling for bottom that just wasn’t there. I tried using my scoop to push myself back up, but I couldn’t find anything to stand on. The wetsuit that should’ve helped me fl...

 Alright, so if you’ve ever been metal detecting in Manitoba, you know one thing for sure— this place is WILD . And I don’t just mean the finds. I mean actual wild, as in you might be hunting for a 1930s quarter one minute and suddenly locking eyes with a deer who looks just as confused as you are. Or worse—something bigger that makes you reconsider if that signal is really worth digging. But that’s what makes detecting in Manitoba so great . You never know what you’re going to find. Could be an old Hudson’s Bay token. Could be a smashed beer can from someone’s fishing trip in 1998. It’s basically treasure hunting with a side of mystery and occasional mild terror . Treasure, Trash, and Tales from the Dirt I’ll never forget the time I was out near an old homestead, getting a strong 82-84 signal on my Garrett. My heart was racing—silver? Maybe even a big ol’ silver dollar? Nope. It was a perfectly intact, vintage spoon . Exciting? Debatable. But hey, at least I could technically...