The thrill of the hunt
An assortment of Doug Lakin’s metal detecting “finds.” Courtesy photo
By Barb Mosher, Contributing Writer
Most people stroll through parks, saunter along beaches, and walk across their own yards and never think about what treasures may lie only inches beneath their feet. But there are a few for whom the thought is irresistible and rarely leaves their minds; Elk Rapids resident Doug Lakin is one of them.
“It’s the thrill of the hunt,” said Lakin, who has been scouring the Lake Michigan shoreline for ten years, metal detector in one hand, digging tool in the other, listening for the tell-tale beeps that alert him to the possibility of a unique object hidden under the sand and rocks. He might unearth a coin, a piece of jewelry, an historical artifact, or, more often than not, trash: bottle caps, fishing hooks, scrap metal, nails.
“But you never know,” said Lakin, who moved to the village in 2021 with his wife, Mary, after a career in manufacturing and laser engraving. “That’s part of the thrill. Ninety percent of what I find is junk. But every now and then, something’s peeking out that brings pure happiness.”
It was a nearly-fatal car accident in August 2014 that eventually led Lakin to metal detecting as a therapeutic hobby. He suffered multiple broken bones and was incapacitated for a year. Once he was mobile again, he focused on rebuilding strength and stamina. Physical therapists encouraged him to find something to do to keep his mind and body engaged, motivated, and moving forward.
“I got into metal detecting because the detectors weigh about 2.2 pounds, and I could handle that,” Lakin explained. “I started finding things, and it just grew from there.”
While he has visited beaches throughout northern Michigan, Lakin says nothing beats Elk Rapids. He credits the clarity of the water and the seasonal influx of tourists who “leave the most interesting things behind” for consistently successful metal detecting.
So when the snow and ice recede in the spring, Lakin heads to the Day Park on South Bayshore Drive, Veterans Memorial Park downtown, and the Dam Beach next to the hydroelectric powerhouse off Ames Street. He waves his Bounty Hunter metal detector over dry land until the bay warms up sufficiently, usually in July. Then, with the aid of snorkeling gear and an 18-inch handheld underwater detector, he floats along the surface of the water searching the lake bottom with his eyes while listening with his ears.
High-end detectors can be programmed to bypass junk and zero in on desired metals, but Lakin chooses to not filter out anything. “If I get a signal, I dig it,” he said. Whatever he uncovers — good, bad, or ugly — goes in the “finds bag” strapped around his waist. When that fills up, he sorts through it and tosses the junk into trash cans.
“People don’t realize that most of us detectors haul out a lot of garbage,” Lakin said. “It’s very much about taking care of the environment, the water and the beaches, and making them enjoyable and safe for everyone.”
But when the quest reveals extraordinary objects, Lakin takes them home for closer examination to determine their identity, age, and value. Buildups of rust, corrosion, and concretion often hamper the process, and Lakin relies on his observations and experience, consultation with historians, and image recognition technology to identify and date items that have been submerged under water, dirt, and sand for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years.
“It’s part history, part mystery,” he said. “Who made this and what’s it doing here? I ask myself that every time I find something.”
Most of the jewelry he discovers is sold to a jewelry store in Traverse City; Lakin says it’s just enough to fund his hobby. But even more fascinating and valuable in his eyes are the bits and pieces of history that surface: old coins, keys, buttons, knife blades, spear heads, axe heads and other tools, belt buckles, and household utensils. Nails are the most common item Lakin finds; most are relatively modern, but many are hundreds of years old.
Some of his most unique discoveries include an 1887 Indian head penny; an ancient axe head; spoons and butter knives from the early 1800s; spear heads including one dating back to 3000 to 5000 B.C. and another to about A.D. 1100; a mid-1800s wine keg spigot; an iron belt buckle from the late 1700s; a 19th century button from the Boston Button Factory; and an 1800s carriage step. And a special perk of metal detecting in this area: spying an especially nice Petoskey stone or piece of Leland Blue slag.
Lakin enjoys sharing his passion with people he encounters along the beach who are genuinely curious about the pursuit. But he has advice for those who might approach and deceitfully ask if he’s found their “lost” jewelry: Don’t bother trying. While he’s happy to return something if they describe it accurately without seeing it, he won’t fall for the scam of “trying to finagle something out of me by trying to figure out what I have in my pouch.”
Lakin displays many of his favorite finds in shadow boxes throughout his home. He’s donated some relics to the Elk Rapids Area Historical Society and is currently in contact with Michigan State University museum curators regarding the identification and potential donation of some exceptionally unusual finds to their archeology collection.
“There’s so much pleasure in finding things under your feet that most people haven’t seen for hundreds of years,” Lakin said. “I go out with an open mind and enjoy the peace and quiet. Some days it’s nothing but nails, and some days it’s an artifact from long ago. Every storm brings more things up from the bay and replenishes the shore. I’ll be doing this until I die.
Most people stroll through parks, saunter along beaches, and walk across their own yards and never think about what treasures may lie only inches beneath their feet. But there are a few for whom the thought is irresistible and rarely leaves their minds; Elk Rapids resident Doug Lakin is one of them.
“It’s the thrill of the hunt,” said Lakin, who has been scouring the Lake Michigan shoreline for ten years, metal detector in one hand, digging tool in the other, listening for the tell-tale beeps that alert him to the possibility of a unique object hidden under the sand and rocks. He might unearth a coin, a piece of jewelry, an historical artifact, or, more often than not, trash: bottle caps, fishing hooks, scrap metal, nails.
“But you never know,” said Lakin, who moved to the village in 2021 with his wife, Mary, after a career in manufacturing and laser engraving. “That’s part of the thrill. Ninety percent of what I find is junk. But every now and then, something’s peeking out that brings pure happiness.”
It was a nearly-fatal car accident in August 2014 that eventually led Lakin to metal detecting as a therapeutic hobby. He suffered multiple broken bones and was incapacitated for a year. Once he was mobile again, he focused on rebuilding strength and stamina. Physical therapists encouraged him to find something to do to keep his mind and body engaged, motivated, and moving forward.
“I got into metal detecting because the detectors weigh about 2.2 pounds, and I could handle that,” Lakin explained. “I started finding things, and it just grew from there.”
While he has visited beaches throughout northern Michigan, Lakin says nothing beats Elk Rapids. He credits the clarity of the water and the seasonal influx of tourists who “leave the most interesting things behind” for consistently successful metal detecting.
So when the snow and ice recede in the spring, Lakin heads to the Day Park on South Bayshore Drive, Veterans Memorial Park downtown, and the Dam Beach next to the hydroelectric powerhouse off Ames Street. He waves his Bounty Hunter metal detector over dry land until the bay warms up sufficiently, usually in July. Then, with the aid of snorkeling gear and an 18-inch handheld underwater detector, he floats along the surface of the water searching the lake bottom with his eyes while listening with his ears.
High-end detectors can be programmed to bypass junk and zero in on desired metals, but Lakin chooses to not filter out anything. “If I get a signal, I dig it,” he said. Whatever he uncovers — good, bad, or ugly — goes in the “finds bag” strapped around his waist. When that fills up, he sorts through it and tosses the junk into trash cans.
“People don’t realize that most of us detectors haul out a lot of garbage,” Lakin said. “It’s very much about taking care of the environment, the water and the beaches, and making them enjoyable and safe for everyone.”
But when the quest reveals extraordinary objects, Lakin takes them home for closer examination to determine their identity, age, and value. Buildups of rust, corrosion, and concretion often hamper the process, and Lakin relies on his observations and experience, consultation with historians, and image recognition technology to identify and date items that have been submerged under water, dirt, and sand for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years.
“It’s part history, part mystery,” he said. “Who made this and what’s it doing here? I ask myself that every time I find something.”
Most of the jewelry he discovers is sold to a jewelry store in Traverse City; Lakin says it’s just enough to fund his hobby. But even more fascinating and valuable in his eyes are the bits and pieces of history that surface: old coins, keys, buttons, knife blades, spear heads, axe heads and other tools, belt buckles, and household utensils. Nails are the most common item Lakin finds; most are relatively modern, but many are hundreds of years old.
Some of his most unique discoveries include an 1887 Indian head penny; an ancient axe head; spoons and butter knives from the early 1800s; spear heads including one dating back to 3000 to 5000 B.C. and another to about A.D. 1100; a mid-1800s wine keg spigot; an iron belt buckle from the late 1700s; a 19th century button from the Boston Button Factory; and an 1800s carriage step. And a special perk of metal detecting in this area: spying an especially nice Petoskey stone or piece of Leland Blue slag.
Lakin enjoys sharing his passion with people he encounters along the beach who are genuinely curious about the pursuit. But he has advice for those who might approach and deceitfully ask if he’s found their “lost” jewelry: Don’t bother trying. While he’s happy to return something if they describe it accurately without seeing it, he won’t fall for the scam of “trying to finagle something out of me by trying to figure out what I have in my pouch.”
Lakin displays many of his favorite finds in shadow boxes throughout his home. He’s donated some relics to the Elk Rapids Area Historical Society and is currently in contact with Michigan State University museum curators regarding the identification and potential donation of some exceptionally unusual finds to their archeology collection.
“There’s so much pleasure in finding things under your feet that most people haven’t seen for hundreds of years,” Lakin said. “I go out with an open mind and enjoy the peace and quiet. Some days it’s nothing but nails, and some days it’s an artifact from long ago. Every storm brings more things up from the bay and replenishes the shore. I’ll be doing this until I die.
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