I was working on concealing some TV wires, and when I cut through the drywall I noticed this wood behind. I did not have this problem in the bedroom. 
Drywall – How to avoid hitting wood when cutting through drywall
cable-managementdrywall
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Best Answer
People typically use low-cost metal detectors and stud detectors to avoid drilling into or opening holes onto electrical wiring, metal structural members or wooden studs etc.
If a previous owner has somehow attached drywall to what was a completely wood-panelled wall of which you have no knowledge, the only way I'd expect to discover this is by accident when making a hole in the wall.
If the panel is localised, a stud-finder might give you some indications that an area is different from the rest of the wall.
You could buy or rent a DeWalt superman x-ray vision scanner (I may have the model name slightly wrong)