Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
El Paso, Tx
- Thread starter garrybk
- Start date
Assuming that you know how to do neat & clean retrievals and comport yourselves in a civilized manner, you probably won't run into any problems in city parks. Especially if you're bringing the kids along. Schoolgrounds are chancy, as an out-of-towner I'd say don't risk it. Franklin Mountain Park or Hueco Tanks, don't even think "beep". If you're interested in gold prospecting, there's a local GPAA chapter that goes up to the club claims in Orogrande or sometimes farther afield, the third or fourth Saturday each month. If you're there along with the club, you won't need personal GPAA membership.
If you swing a Fisher, Bounty Hunter, or Teknetics, if anyone strikes up a conversation tell 'em that the machine was made locally right here in El Paso by the city's largest electronics manufacturing employer.
--Dave J.
If you swing a Fisher, Bounty Hunter, or Teknetics, if anyone strikes up a conversation tell 'em that the machine was made locally right here in El Paso by the city's largest electronics manufacturing employer.
--Dave J.
I can appreciate your point of view. But not really very helpful. I spent 20 years in the Air Force myself. But rules are rules. The provost marshal Wouldn't like me detecting on post. We do have a big problem with our southern border. Sorry I don't have an answer to the problem.
Garry
Garry
Sorry Garry...I meant to provide you with a bit of humor on a slow Sunday afternoon!..I should have put one of those laughing icons at the end....I sincerely apologize! 
Mud
By the way: that "rules are rules" line?...'rules are rules' until they aint enforced or changed midstream...so whats that got to do with you or me?
Fire up that detector and swing for old glory brother!
Mud
By the way: that "rules are rules" line?...'rules are rules' until they aint enforced or changed midstream...so whats that got to do with you or me?
Fire up that detector and swing for old glory brother!Rick, Theres little opportunity to toss some creative humor on the Views Forum..pretty cut and dried...you are either super serious, or goodmore...neither of which is a defendable position on a Sunday afternoon...a guys gotta laugh every so often, better here than at a funeral....hope somebody got one out of this besides me!
Mud
Mud
I'm not sure which you worked on. But mine is an m6. In my short metal detecting career I've tried several detectors. All quality machines, but I really click with the m6. I've often thought of an F75, but you got to stop somewhere and learn the machine you have. I keep getting better with the M6. If you came to Idaho I could give general guidlines about whats off limits detecting. But in Texas? Its going to be hot so I'm not planning to fry for clad all day. But for those us who are addicted to the hobby, I just thought knowing where not to go would be nice.
Garry
Garry
Hey Mud,
No, I'm not Goodmore. I'm also not all that serious, but I grew up in San Antonio (a long time ago) and I guess I take a little bit of a lonng view of things.
Our fate is to be at the junction of Latin American and the multicultural country which was once (like in 1848 when my ancestors came to Texas) Anglo America.
My dad,s big buddy was a Mexican-American who won every medal they had to give as a combat infantryman in WW II ( except the Medal of Honor), yet my dad went bats**t jwhen my sister married a Chicano.
Things will continue to evolve and the dynamics of it are deeper and less foreseeable than we think.
Anyway, I just finished a plate of nachos and a good German beer. I'm cool.
Have a mellow evening Mud.
No, I'm not Goodmore. I'm also not all that serious, but I grew up in San Antonio (a long time ago) and I guess I take a little bit of a lonng view of things.
Our fate is to be at the junction of Latin American and the multicultural country which was once (like in 1848 when my ancestors came to Texas) Anglo America.
My dad,s big buddy was a Mexican-American who won every medal they had to give as a combat infantryman in WW II ( except the Medal of Honor), yet my dad went bats**t jwhen my sister married a Chicano.
Things will continue to evolve and the dynamics of it are deeper and less foreseeable than we think.
Anyway, I just finished a plate of nachos and a good German beer. I'm cool.
Have a mellow evening Mud.
GeorgeinSC
Well-known member
Since you are AF-Ret I am puzzled as to why you say that you can not detect on a military instillation. I am USN-Ret and I have detected on Charleston AFB with no problems. Security drove by and ignored me. I was working around ball fields, a picnic area and a tot lot. . That picnic area was one of the junkiest places I have ever swung a coil.
My question is the same as george's: Why not ? You say the "rules are the rules", eh? Ok, I'll bite: where do the rules of Ft. Bliss say "no metal detecting" ? I've hunted active military bases before (assuming the public is not dis-allowed from being on base). They're akin to a city within a city. And .... sure ... like ANY park or school, we ALL need to use due discretion (don't be a nuisance, don't tromp on obvious sacred historic monuments, etc...). But aside from that, I haven't had any issues at hunting on military bases. And I don't even have the qualifications you have (retired military, rank, etc...).
Now in the day and age since 9/11, sure: some bases got closed down, and the public isn't allowed to come and go (you have to go through check-point charlie now, etc...). But in your case, you have qualifications to be on base.
So is there a specific rule that really said "no metal detecting" on Ft. Bliss ? If so, fine. But if not, what "rules" are you referring to ?
Now in the day and age since 9/11, sure: some bases got closed down, and the public isn't allowed to come and go (you have to go through check-point charlie now, etc...). But in your case, you have qualifications to be on base.
So is there a specific rule that really said "no metal detecting" on Ft. Bliss ? If so, fine. But if not, what "rules" are you referring to ?
I spent a few months in El Paso, in the 1980s. I hunted several parks there, and never had any issues or problems. Naturally, like in ANY city or park, use due discretion. I mean, don't be an eye-sore begging for attention (detecting has connotations, and anyone can gripe about anything, at any time). Don't tromp on historic sensitive monument type places, etc.... But for run-of-the-mill parks, I didn't have any issues. I recall finding some silver and wheaties, but not particularly old.
I understand the rules are rules thing. I've done a lot of work for the DOD for yrs. Secret Security clearance even and if I bs'd them a little if asked, if I was detecting around a military site, Id prob get away with it because I can be confirmed. But given an over zealous young officer stopped me Id prob have a little trouble push come to shove.
Dog
Dog
sprchng
Well-known member
It's really simple garry , have your son ask the base commander where he will permit detecting , not if. My understanding is that the discretion of the commander is the final word. Many detectorists will tell you that there is no detecting allowed on federal property but they can't produce anything to back that up besides a loose interpretation of ARPA which applies to federal lands with archeological sites. For your son it may be a daunting task to speak to the "CEO" but , nothing ventured........
Detectorists seem to largely fall in the category of being willing to be bullied out of their chosen activity rather than fight for it--don't know why that is but I've always felt if it was worth doing it was worth fighting for. Ironically , many of the clubs and organizations involved with detecting are the first to relent to restrictions when they could be the vanguard for preservation of the hobby. Just as asking permission is often just a request for refusal because it requires someone to make a decision , it's much easier for clubs/organizations to relent rather than employ the force of numbers they have on their side.
Detectorists seem to largely fall in the category of being willing to be bullied out of their chosen activity rather than fight for it--don't know why that is but I've always felt if it was worth doing it was worth fighting for. Ironically , many of the clubs and organizations involved with detecting are the first to relent to restrictions when they could be the vanguard for preservation of the hobby. Just as asking permission is often just a request for refusal because it requires someone to make a decision , it's much easier for clubs/organizations to relent rather than employ the force of numbers they have on their side.
good post sprchng. It can be wrapped up in this following statement:
"some times no one cares .... UNTIL you ask".
I too don't understand where someone gets that there's "rules" that forbid us, UNLESS there's true rules (ie.: that really said "no metal detecting"). But for some reason some people think that unless they get an express "yes" (as if someone else's princely sanction was needed to blow your nose), that somehow, you can't walk down the street ?
And as for your observation of how-to-phrase the question, that's great insight into human pyschology as well! Rather than phrase it: "can I metal detect" (which just opens you up to the "safe-answer" psychology), you just turn it around and say "where is it prohibited?" This type question puts the burden of proof on them to cite any real rule or law, if one existed. And you can even go further and put in "bait" like: "... as long as I stay away from the historic such & such part of the base, I can look for my friend's lost wedding ring, right?". Or "as long as I'm outside the target practice ordinance zones at the east end of the base, just checking to make sure it's still ok to look for lost change beside the parking meters", blah blah.
"some times no one cares .... UNTIL you ask".
I too don't understand where someone gets that there's "rules" that forbid us, UNLESS there's true rules (ie.: that really said "no metal detecting"). But for some reason some people think that unless they get an express "yes" (as if someone else's princely sanction was needed to blow your nose), that somehow, you can't walk down the street ?
And as for your observation of how-to-phrase the question, that's great insight into human pyschology as well! Rather than phrase it: "can I metal detect" (which just opens you up to the "safe-answer" psychology), you just turn it around and say "where is it prohibited?" This type question puts the burden of proof on them to cite any real rule or law, if one existed. And you can even go further and put in "bait" like: "... as long as I stay away from the historic such & such part of the base, I can look for my friend's lost wedding ring, right?". Or "as long as I'm outside the target practice ordinance zones at the east end of the base, just checking to make sure it's still ok to look for lost change beside the parking meters", blah blah.