hi, noobsauce. i've always knocked on doors. i rarely get turned down, all the landowner can say is no, right? down here in central va., there are many large tracts of land, so if i spend a day or two just going out and getting permission, i usually end up with hundreds of acres at a time. and it takes months to search it all. the people down here are a bit more apt to let you hunt their land. as long as you come across to the landowner that you are for real, not an irresponsible person, fill your holes, and that it's just your hobby, and that you enjoy doing it, you shouldn't have much trouble. maintain eye contact. never say you are a treasure hunter. bad move. you can offer to share the finds too. that really gets their attention then. the curiosity level goes off the charts and you can see the wheels turning in their eyes! you can always go to the courthouse and do a land title search. the historical society in your state is a good place to go online. usually lots of maps, and you'd be surprised what happened in your front yard in the past. and you walk all over it everyday. the most powerful permission tool in my arsenal is word of mouth. everybody i know or meet will know, if our conversation lasts more than two minutes, that i like to detect and would be willing to check out their land. very effective. liability is a big issue nowadays, with so many frivolous lawsuits. and that's the reason for so many of the turndowns. the woods in the older states[your're in ct, right?] are a great source of colonial finds. you have to figure people have been living, drinkin', workin' and fighting all over ct. for the past 400 years. neighbors to the site your're looking at can be helpful too. there's been some bad press lately about metal detecting, it only takes one goofball to ruin it for everybody. good luck, noobsauce, and don't let a rejection or two stifle your spirit. rejections happen to everybody. quite often, if you do a good job, word gets around about that too, and opens up other possibilities. people talk. be persistent and patient, and it will come. it's a long post i know, but some things need to be said. thanx, and hh,
