[meteorite-list] WHO IS THE BEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL METEORITE HUNTER OUT...

[MeteorHntr at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/16/2009 12:11:43 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
joshuatreemuseum at embarqmail.com writes:
Steve Arnold is a contender, I  think he beat 
the pants off Mike at West, but didn't he have a 5 year long  drought? 

*******
Phil,

I am honored by your mention, but we have to be serious  here.  I have only 
hunted at 7 sites in the last 4 years, spending 90% of  my time at two 
sites.  West was a fun 28 day detour in it  all.

Before 2005 I was an amateur meteorite hunter only hitting one or  two 
places a year with metal detector in hand.  In 2003 I picked up 113  meteorites 
from Park Forest, one being 11 km from the main mass, I found the  most 
there, but I don't think anyone else was even trying to find a lot.   

For the most part, over the years I invested most of my time and made  most 
of my money from being a dealer not a hunter.

If we are judging this  by total weight recovered, I am beat by quite a few 
people on lifetime  numbers.  If we are judged by total number recoveries 
from different  locations, there are many people who beat me.  If we judge by 
profit from  meteorite sales of found meteorites, there are many more 
higher on that list  than I am.

Maybe, if you judged success by most media coverage (TV,  newspaper, Radio, 
Magazines,internet, etc.) I would be at the top of that  list.  But I 
hardly think that is a good barometer for determining the  "Most Successful 
Meteorite Hunter."  

Success is our world is often  judged by the amount of money you make.  So 
who has made the most  money?  But what about people that are not in this 
for the bottom line  only?  Cottingham mentioned not willing to sacrifice 
family time to be gone  from home too much.  If his kids grow up emotionally 
well balanced because  he was in their lives more, but someone else finds more 
meteorites but has a  lousy home life, some people might argue who really 
was more of a  "success?"

It is easier to measure who did the best at one  location.   Let's all go 
to Holbrook for the weekend, and whomever  finds the most in number wins the 
title for the day.  Or drop us off at  Munonionalusta for a week, and we can 
put the bounty on the scales 7 days  later.  Who found the biggest West?  
Or the most Wests?  Or the  most total weight of Wests?  Who will find the 
most at this new Arizona  Strewnfield? 

I think it might be possible to single out who might have  had the best 
year financially, in total weight, in total numbers etc in a given  year, but 
to stretch it out for more than a decade long period of time, that  gets a 
bit tough, and very subjective.

Someone might be better or worse  than their numbers indicate because of 
other factors in their life.  Others  might just get a little lucky.   

It is all so  subjective.

And to top it off, I don't know if anyone out there is hell  bent on 
finding the most new meteorites, or the most total recovered weight, or  the 
biggest single meteorite of all time.   Most of us do this because  we love it.  
We love the challenge that each day brings, that each new fall  brings, that 
each old strewnfield with new clues brings.  

I would  guess there are people that want to find as many as they can.  Or 
to find  the biggest they can.  And I am sure there are people that want to 
make as  much money as possible.  But as with so many things in life, it 
isn't so  much beating everyone else, but beating mediocrity and being the best 
one can  be.  

If being a husband, a father, a grandfather, a teacher, a  dealer, a 
scientists, etc. gets in the way of being a better "hunter" then we  all make 
those quality decisions at different times in our lives. 

And  since this isn't like boxing, where one unquestionable champion holds 
the title  until someone takes it away from him, and since this isn't like 
pro football  with a Super Bowl game at the end of the playoffs, how do you 
measure the  current Champion?

Maybe it would be better to look at this more like a  "Hall of Fame" 
question where a lifetime of contribution is recognized on a  persons individual 
accomplishments and contributions.

Steve Arnold
of  "Meteorite Men"
 
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