Epi-Hunter, I could not agree with you more! Bad news goes' round the world, while good news is still getting it's pants on in the morning. Don't think for one minute that the anti's won't use this as a tool to bring are hobby to an end. I don't care if the guy's were digging holes in their back yards on THEIR own property, it is the perception that veiwers are left with.
Rick, I have seen you dig, and your holes are immaculate. Just because you do the right thing, don't think that someone else can't spoil it for you. Even, if I am at the beach, and know the tide will wash away any signs of digging, I still pamper the ground to erase my holes. It is just the right thing to do. Every one of us is an ambassador to the hobby, and all others will be judged by the lowest common denominator.
Are we making a big deal out of nothing, I don't think so. I am also a hunter and I see the way anti hunters use things like this to try stop hunting. Goebbels used to say if you repeat a lie often enough it will become truth and The more outrageous the lie the quicker. All we need is for it to become believed that metal detecterists are bad. It does't matter how they come to that conclusion, it is hard to undo an opinion once made.
I don't know anything about these guys, and would hope to think they are good to the hobby. If one person comes away with a negative impression, they are now doing an injustice to the hobby. You would think that they would know this, and go over the top to try and explain how and why we dig the proper way.
Epi-hunter, just like you, I have come across poorly dug holes. some of which in highly visible public areas. It makes me cringe. I want to leave then and there, as to not get blamed for it. Last year I had a woman come up to me and ask what I was doing. She told me I was wrong and bad for doing it. I asked her why...she couldn't tell me. She just thought it was bad. Can you imagine her reaction if I had left poorly dug holes?
HH, Dan