I'm just interested in hearing some thoughts and personal experiences about using these big shovels in parks. I've personally hunted with several folks who use full size shovels in parks, so I'm expecting more than just a round of "Oh no, never in a park". I don't use one, cause I dont have a good one to use yet, but I've never seen anyone have any problems with being harrassed about it. Has anyone that does use those in parks ever had a problem? Please, speak up!
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Big shovel in parks? (like a predator raven, or relic hunter)
- Thread starter Smooth23
- Start date
Well my take on it is , a bigger shovel can dig a nice big plug and keep the roots intact
But it can look bad to the public eye.
Two of the same cars, going the same speed down the road.
One car with modified exhaust.
Which one will get the call for speeding down the street.
But it can look bad to the public eye.
Two of the same cars, going the same speed down the road.
One car with modified exhaust.
Which one will get the call for speeding down the street.
Depends on the park. There are big parks with woods, lakes, hay fields and thousands of acres where one can detect without people around, I use a sharp 6"x8" spade. If the digging is tough, I use the Raven. The smaller parks that are only a few acres with tot lots, ball fields and a couple picnic areas, a sheathed hand digger is appropriate.
Some will say a hand digger in all parks big or small... and will be adamant about it.
Some will say a hand digger in all parks big or small... and will be adamant about it.
Critterhunter
New member
I'll NEVER use a shovel or even a long handled digger (such as a military shovel) in parks. The more you increase the size of the digger, the more the odds are that somebody will get "set off" and decide to complain to the authorities. Think of it as somebody playing music. It reaches a certain point in volume when even the most mild among us will say "I've had enough!" and call the cops. People don't care or think about how good of a job you may do with repairing a hole. They see that shovel, even a small shovel, and it will set some of them off and then it's game over.
The cops, when called, don't care about your rights. 9 times out of 10 they just want to pacify whoever is complaining, and so the easiest way to do that is to ask the "offender" to leave. They don't want their supervisor to find out they've been called back to the same location 30 minutes later because the cop didn't poor water on the situation. Easiest way to erase a problem is to ask the person "offending" to leave. That's why on these cop shows they'll ask somebody to leave in a dispute, even if they haven't got violent, because they just want to shut up the person who is making the effort to call the police station in the first place.
Way I look at it, you've got to bend down to retrieve the target anyway, or probably to repair the hole as best as possible (which means using your hands), so why not just get down on the ground to begin with and get it over with from start to finish. Also, I have read stories of people metal detecting getting charged with brandishing a weapon (yes, shocking, but never the less true...). For that reason alone, I want a small digger held in a harness, and only pull it out and hold it in my hand when I'm on the ground digging a hole. I also stay well clear of people and with my back to them (or the road if nobody is around in case the "fuzz" drives by) just so nobody gets a good view of "the act". You can't reason with people or explain things to them. That would take all day anyway, so the best strategy for me is to avoid conflict whenever possible. Flying under the radar IMHO is the best way to keep the hobby legal in my local parks, but that's just me...
I remember seeing pictures on here a few years back of a guy using a shovel in a local park. The person who posted those pictures said that that was the reason that park was now off limits to any form of metal detecting. It's like pushing your luck with your neighbors. Sure, you'll beg or borrow a tool here or there, but if you get too pushy then they'll cut you off to any more good will in those respects. Got to hedge your bets, is the way I look at it. We may live in the country the some say is still the free-est nation on earth, but in reality we've got no right to dig in parks according to most laws. Never are we going to win that argument. Just aren't enough of us in numbers to sway politicians, so I say "fly by night", so to speak...
The cops, when called, don't care about your rights. 9 times out of 10 they just want to pacify whoever is complaining, and so the easiest way to do that is to ask the "offender" to leave. They don't want their supervisor to find out they've been called back to the same location 30 minutes later because the cop didn't poor water on the situation. Easiest way to erase a problem is to ask the person "offending" to leave. That's why on these cop shows they'll ask somebody to leave in a dispute, even if they haven't got violent, because they just want to shut up the person who is making the effort to call the police station in the first place.
Way I look at it, you've got to bend down to retrieve the target anyway, or probably to repair the hole as best as possible (which means using your hands), so why not just get down on the ground to begin with and get it over with from start to finish. Also, I have read stories of people metal detecting getting charged with brandishing a weapon (yes, shocking, but never the less true...). For that reason alone, I want a small digger held in a harness, and only pull it out and hold it in my hand when I'm on the ground digging a hole. I also stay well clear of people and with my back to them (or the road if nobody is around in case the "fuzz" drives by) just so nobody gets a good view of "the act". You can't reason with people or explain things to them. That would take all day anyway, so the best strategy for me is to avoid conflict whenever possible. Flying under the radar IMHO is the best way to keep the hobby legal in my local parks, but that's just me...
I remember seeing pictures on here a few years back of a guy using a shovel in a local park. The person who posted those pictures said that that was the reason that park was now off limits to any form of metal detecting. It's like pushing your luck with your neighbors. Sure, you'll beg or borrow a tool here or there, but if you get too pushy then they'll cut you off to any more good will in those respects. Got to hedge your bets, is the way I look at it. We may live in the country the some say is still the free-est nation on earth, but in reality we've got no right to dig in parks according to most laws. Never are we going to win that argument. Just aren't enough of us in numbers to sway politicians, so I say "fly by night", so to speak...
coin hunter
New member
I use a garden spade and knee pads. I try not to be out right obvious that I'm digging a hole if I can help it. Most old coins are 6 to 8 inches at the most. I rehunted many parks without a problem. To take a full blow shovel into a public park to dig coins is an AAAAAS. Stay out of my area ,please.
MarkCZ
Well-known member
These topics (this topic) always ends the same!
Large digging tools in public places just draws to much attention to the hobby.
To many places getting shut down to metal detecting to walk in with large digging equipment!
Sloppy digging!
Leaving trash everywhere!
By design those large digging tools are mostly thought of as relic tools.
In public place its best to keep a low profile,
Be neat,
If its a WELL groomed place then it may be best to try not to use a digger at all on shallower stuff (less than 4") learn how to retrieve coins by popping them with a probe.
Must coin digging in parks will be less than 5" so tools for digging treasure chest 3' deep are just a bad idea!
I have a really nice plugger but it don't make park hunts, its neater, faster, but its just a bad idea in public places. So it don't get used! but it works GREAT!
HH
Mark
Large digging tools in public places just draws to much attention to the hobby.
To many places getting shut down to metal detecting to walk in with large digging equipment!
Sloppy digging!
Leaving trash everywhere!
By design those large digging tools are mostly thought of as relic tools.
In public place its best to keep a low profile,
Be neat,
If its a WELL groomed place then it may be best to try not to use a digger at all on shallower stuff (less than 4") learn how to retrieve coins by popping them with a probe.
Must coin digging in parks will be less than 5" so tools for digging treasure chest 3' deep are just a bad idea!
I have a really nice plugger but it don't make park hunts, its neater, faster, but its just a bad idea in public places. So it don't get used! but it works GREAT!
HH
Mark
I use a Predator Dixie shovel for lawns and parks. The overall blade on it is very small and cuts a nice small plug. I can dig a plug with it better than 95% of people with trowels.
http://predatortools.com/item_details.asp?ID=17
The perception thing is a double edged sword. If you want to get right down and dirty about it, a Lesche or Predator trowel or hand digger looks just like a big Rambo survivial knife from an onlooker's perspective. Especially if you wear the sheath on your belt, and despite them having a big red handle. I know this because I had the city police called on me while I was coin hunting a few years ago. I was in my own little world not bothering anybody that I knew of...there were other people doing things they do in parks. The next thing I know I see a city police car pull up by the sidewalk and the officer comes over to me very cautiously. He said they had received a call about a man in the park with a large knife. Once he talked with me for a bit and I showed him what I was using to dig with, he personally was okay with it but he said I might want to look into getting something that didn't look so much like a knife. So I started using the Dixie and have never had another issue.
http://predatortools.com/item_details.asp?ID=17
The perception thing is a double edged sword. If you want to get right down and dirty about it, a Lesche or Predator trowel or hand digger looks just like a big Rambo survivial knife from an onlooker's perspective. Especially if you wear the sheath on your belt, and despite them having a big red handle. I know this because I had the city police called on me while I was coin hunting a few years ago. I was in my own little world not bothering anybody that I knew of...there were other people doing things they do in parks. The next thing I know I see a city police car pull up by the sidewalk and the officer comes over to me very cautiously. He said they had received a call about a man in the park with a large knife. Once he talked with me for a bit and I showed him what I was using to dig with, he personally was okay with it but he said I might want to look into getting something that didn't look so much like a knife. So I started using the Dixie and have never had another issue.
Lipservice
New member
I use a Predator Little Eagle when I can. Same small blade as the Dixie but a shorter T handle.
http://predatortools.com/item_details.asp?ID=16
Last week (Friday) 3 park guys mowing came over to talk to me. They were interested in what I was finding
and I gave them a demo with the detector and recovery of a 9.5" mercury dime using the Little Eagle and
a ProPointer. They all agreed when I was done there was no trace of my digging. Unfortunately someone has
been using a trowel there cutting shallow plugs where the grass dies or the ducks and geese from the lagoon
pull their shallow plugs all the way out and scatter them... leaving open holes. I try to repair them as best I can.
My Lesche and Predator Raptor 31 have their place. But the Little Eagle is a better digging tool here.
http://predatortools.com/item_details.asp?ID=16
Last week (Friday) 3 park guys mowing came over to talk to me. They were interested in what I was finding
and I gave them a demo with the detector and recovery of a 9.5" mercury dime using the Little Eagle and
a ProPointer. They all agreed when I was done there was no trace of my digging. Unfortunately someone has
been using a trowel there cutting shallow plugs where the grass dies or the ducks and geese from the lagoon
pull their shallow plugs all the way out and scatter them... leaving open holes. I try to repair them as best I can.
My Lesche and Predator Raptor 31 have their place. But the Little Eagle is a better digging tool here.