UK Tekkies Blame Illegal Artefact Hunting on the CV-Lockdown

Artefact hunting on pasture

Over on a metal detecting forum just near you  that currently has 12264 members, just under half what is thought to have been the number of metal detectorists in England and Wales they are discussing a sudden increase in numbers. Just look at this:

Am I imaging it or has there been an upsurge in the hobby? by coinhunter2018 (Sun Oct 18, 2020 2:52 pm)

I'm on several other groups besides this forum, social media etc. In the past six months since the virus got loose, there seems to be an upsurge in the number of people new to the hobby. Is it because the virus has limited other hobbies and other activities such as travel abroad? Just seems to be the case from my perspective, some guys at work are interested too, in fact one of them bought a machine two weeks since and he can hardly walk! Baffled me that one.

It seems he's not alone: Phil2401 (Sun Oct 18, 2020 3:02 pm)

Interesting question that - I've also noticed a significant recent upsurge in 'Hi I'm a newbie' posts on this forum alone and also 'thanks for adding me' on various club / pay-to-dig sites... possible COVID effect, possible increase in publicity of hoard finds and wide-eyed potential treasure hunters thinking they'll be the next, a general growth in the industry of manufacturing / advertising metal detectors.... will be interesting to see others' views.

Or 'pay-to-dig' looting. So, who has been doing all this publicity of hoard finds, if not the PAS? Mikeb (Sun Oct 18, 2020 3:08 pm)

I think the hobby has been growing significantly since well before lockdown, over the last two years or so. I never use to see others detecting in fields, or very rarely, and you do now. Just look at the number of newbies saying hello on here. And this is no bad thing apart from over demand for limited permissions.

Too bad though that the number of finds being recorded was not increasing in the same two year period before lockdown, and now in lockdown, it is a trickle - just as these forum members are reporting a rise of new people going out, and needing outreach. MDF Forum member Dave The Slave (Sun Oct 18, 2020 3:10 pm) also think it is PAS publicity that's leading to this:

Think some of it is down to publicity of the Big finds. People thinking it is the norm and a get rich quick scheme [...] The pandemic has highlighted the above, more time on hands due to furlough perhaps or job loss, something to do with a possibility of a few pounds

So, it's just crude Treasure Hunting, or maybe we can call it subsistence looting like some do in the Third World? The UK now has third world economic looters egged on by false folk tales of hidden wealth? Muddyknee (Sun Oct 18, 2020 3:19 pm) is sceptical about their get-rich-quick hopes:

I wonder how many will be around once they realise they need land.

Phil2401 (Sun Oct 18, 2020 3:24 pm) is pragmatic, his observations lead him to suggest that if artefact hunters eager to get their hands on the loot cant get land legally: 

They turn into hawks.....

coinhunter2018 (Sun Oct 18, 2020 3:30 pm) reiterates

I think the last six months has seen a definite increase. Not just on here but on the social media groups too, however I've also seen a few offloading their detectors on those groups after three months. Whether they are buying another detector or selling up is anyone's guess [...]

 So if in 2017, Sam Hardy calculate 27000 site trashing artefact pocketers and 3 full years later observers on the ground are suggesting the numbers are still going up, how many are there now?