I've watched a 'well man' walk around property with a y shaped stick to determine where a well should be drilled
I had doubts as did others - but it appeared to work
fun factoid - except for a short stint - I've had well water my entire life ...
I should probably be sick or dead from radon (high radon levels are apparently fairly common in houses with well water ?)
There are folks who are reliable with the forked stick. I was taught by an old man and am able to do it, with practice. Not wells, but water lines and other stuff. It's a difficult concept for the Western mind. But if you take the conscious mind out of the equation, anybody can do it. You just have to put yourself in that space. Like meditation.
When the stick passes over the object of the search, you can't grip it tight enough to prevent it's bending down