Got Booted Out Today

[reddirtfisher]

It was a beautiful day here in Oklahoma so I took my Golden out to a State Park lake that I have hunted since 1989. An employee stopped me and said , " Did you know it's illegal to use metal detectors here?" I said, " Since when ? " He said, " Since two years ago". So I went by the Ranger station and sure enough, medal detectors are banned. They said that guys with detectors were carrying shovels around and digging big holes and not covering them up. So this poses a question. How long do you guys think we have before they are banned everywhere? Does anyone know the name of that organization that goes to bat to defend our metal detecting freedoms? I think I want to join up !

 

[slingshot]

I believe it's the FMDAC. I know they sponsor a bunch of hunts.

 

[Sven]

http://www.wwats.org/
Contact Keith Wills, contact info at the very bottom of the page.

 

[The Bat]

Or we could take responsibility and tell all the idiots to show some respect, and don't dig to China and cover up your holes before they ruin it for all of us. What a novel idea, take responsibility for our actions. If we all would do that, we wouldn't need someone or some group to go to bat for us and our own stupidity. I'm just saying........

 

[Clad2Hunt]

Sorry that happen to you. It happen to me Sunday on old school field. Police showed up and stated the Principal called and we needed to go. Not posted. Officer was nice and didn't understand concern as we were not leave holes. He checked as asked by principal to see if we had damaged field. Just a worn out field. Still we pulled 2 silver and one gold ring, 2 Mercs and 1937 dog tag. Werent digging for clad. Really getting to be a pain. On the plus side went to closed school but gym still used and ran into Park and Rec Mgr. Gave us permission to hunt all of his parks and gave us card to show if hassled. Can go both ways.

 

[Woodchuck]

When to are largest county park to detect the other day, somebody was digging huge holes with a regular shovel and leaving the rocks and dirt etc lying on top ground .won't be long before they start enforcing the no metal detecting rule. They have been looking the other way,as long as you have been neat and carefull

 

[CladDog]

Scary. Same story coming in from everywhere and the fact pattern is always the same.

 

[foxhunter]

I think we have to educate these digging newbies on what kind of damage they are doing and how it effects the rest of us.We all have seen these folks around.I for one will say something and try to educate them on a proper dig..

 

[Topdecker]

You know, we've got organizations to help people find lost rings and stuff.

Why not a group that responds to damaged public property. I'd volunteer to go fill some holes if it were needed. Sucks that it might be needed, but just saying, "Golly gosh, that is too bad" isn't getting us anywhere either.

Top

 

[cju7250]

I've seen this same type of activity of people being inconsiderate and making it tough for the rest of us to feel "comfortable" when we're out in a public place enjoying our hobby responsibly. I just hope that with all the tax refund money being spent on new detectors because of the "treasure" hunting shows, there are actually some places left to hunt after folks realize this hobby is nothing like the TV shows. If so, we should be able to get some smoking deals when the detector flood hits Ebay!

 

[jarrow]

If these TV Shows would show how to dig a proper plug and the proper way to refill every hole it might help. I have not seen this done on any of those shows.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

You say you've detected this park since 1989. And now you've "been appraised" that there's been a "no detecting" rule for the past 2 years, eh? Then just curious: In these last two years, how many times would you say you've gone (and apparently had no problems whatsover, till now)?

 

[Tee1up]

Parks are getting harer to scan every where. The good news is that most parks are located, based on the suggestions of Historians.
I have a relative that works for a University in this capacity and that person can just barely find their keys in the morning, never mind anything really important.

Kidding aside, find the periphery of these parks and scan the circumference.
Read old maps and check each area...often in tight areas. the beach is green lighted for MD while all other areas are closed.

 

[Critterhunter]

One way to shame guys using shovels (even shorter military shovel types), not filling holes, or leaving trash on top of the ground...Is to use your cell phone to video them from a distance, then once done let them know at a safe distance (one never knows these days what people will do) that you plan to make them a youtube sensation for other detectorists. Nobody likes to be shamed on film for others to see, so you can bet they'll think twice next time as to who might be hidden away filming them.

I caught a guy on the beach last summer leaving huge holes everywhere that me and my friends were filling in. Then he had the nerve to walk right up in front of one friend gridding a row and dug a huge hole about 5 feet in front of his grid pattern, and then turn around without filling it to walk away. That was enough for me. I pulled off my headphones and told him you don't leave unfilled holes like that for people to trip into. He said "Oh, I'm sorry!" and proceeded to walk back to fill it, but since I was standing by the hole I said I'd do it and kicked the sand in. I then watched him move down the beach and head for his car. Now I'm trying to remember to carry my pocket camcorder on every hunt, because I would have loved to film this yokel and then let him know I was afterwards to shame him good on doing it again.

Worst part is earlier I noted he was way down at the other end of the beach and thought to myself I wonder how many gaping holes he left down that way. Sure enough, about an hour later a woman walks by from that end of the beach and gives me a rather nasty look. I'm sure she saw all those holes and thought me and my friends had left them. I ain't putting up with this stuff. I WILL be filming anybody without them knowing it, and then based on if I feel safe (I'm a big guy but people get shot for far less) I'll either approach them on film and say "smile and state your name if you like", or if I feel safety might be a factor I'll not approach them and just let them see from a distance I'm filming and then I'll walk away.

Don't take unnecessary risks. Nothing is worth getting into a physical (or worse) confrontation. I also carry my hand digger on land in my harness until needed, as carrying even that in your hand can look intimidating. Heard of one guy charged with carrying a weapon at a park for that. I always try to fly under the radar- I only hit parks during low traffic times and leave if too many people show up. I keep my back turned to the nearest person when digging, or the nearest road when people aren't around just in case somebody cruises by. If a conflict arises with Joe Public complaining to me I'll just say "Sorry I upset you" and leave to come back another day, as chances are I'll never see them again. Any calls to authorities due to arguing with people might end up with a official ban just to satisfy the complainer. Never been banned from public land with this "fly under the radar" type of mindset. Got to be like the mist in the wind as much as possible...

Somebody needs to start a youtube wall of shame channel, where anybody caught on film doing dumb stuff detecting is stuck up there for others to see, and maybe that will stop a few of these guys. It's like nose picking. Nobody is going to feel too good getting caught doing that.

 

[reddirtfisher]

-- moved topic --

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Critter-hunter, you say:

"Never been banned from public land with this "fly under the radar" type of mindset. Got to be like the mist in the wind as much as possible."

I know some people would look at that statement of "flying under the radar" as being some sort of advocating of lawlessness. But if I understand what you are saying, it's about places with no *specific* prohibitions (in other words, you're not raiding obvious sensitive historic monuments, etc...). But to avoid someone morphing something to apply to you (digging, collecting, harvesting, etc...), it's sometimes the best policy to simply avoid such lookie-lous, to begin with. Sort of like nose-picking: there may be no law that says "no nose-picking", yet we ALL use a little ... uh .... "discretion" on our timing, right? Our hobby has admitted connotations that you simply can not change. Eg.: you might be getting rich off the public's expense, or that you might leave marks/holes, etc... You simply can not change those connotatations, and expect archies and gardeners to come roll out red carpets for you and I. I wish they would, but it's simply not going to happen. If it bothers someone that not everyone might love them and their chosen hobby, perhaps they have chosen the wrong hobby? Thus, yes, sometimes a little discretion in your timing, just like nose-picking, is the best policy. Ie.: LESS SCRUTINY, not MORE SCRUTINY, is the answer.

 

[Critterhunter]

Yes, of course. My remarks are in reference to hunting a public site not restricted to bans on detecting. Didn't mean to imply otherwise. And even on private land, best to stay out of the face of neighbors or family members who might take offense to you being there. I always try to hunt the most "public" areas on both private and public land last, after I've worked the more "hidden away" areas hard first. Same deal with hunting private land where future permission might be questionable as to access again. I'll cherry pick out all signals I think might be silver and come back later for the other stuff. Got to hedge your bets. One never runs into trouble, or at least is far less likely to avoid it, by playing things safe(r).

I look at it like somebody playing rap music in a public park. The louder they crank it up, there comes a certain point where people feel the line has been crossed and they might call the authorities to complain. By that perspective, I try to keep the "volume" of my metal detecting as low as possible, so as not to give others around me reason to call for action of some sort. People who feel it's their right as a tax payer American to carry a shovel into a park, or to hunt right up against others on land or at the beach, or to not carry out their trash or fill their holes....While I might agree about our rights as tax payers to hunt public land, with freedom comes responsibility, and that means both ethical behaviour and also not putting things in people's faces, as we are just far too in numbers (and more to the point money) to sway politicians otherwise...

 

[foiler]

It's getting tougher to hunt so folks, ya getting get a little bit smarter. Ya got to be a bit stealthier. If you want to hunt public lands such as parks and schools and, they are not posted then do so when there is the least possble chance of confontation with authority. Example, dont ever, ever EVER go on school property when the building is occupied. I dont think its prudent to be in public parks when they are busy with activity. I didnt do that in the 60's when 99% of the people that saw me hunting didn't know what the hell that contraption I was using was for. It only takes one busibody or a teacher or principle to call the police and your gone. The police have to respond and the easiest thing for them to resolve the situation is - - you leave, even if your in the right. Tomorrow is another day. And, when it comes to schools, in this day and age, what would anyone think of a 'man' wandering around a school yard with school in session. Can you blame anyone from calling the cops.

 

[olemudface]

Already happend where i live,all county parks banned from metal detecting,So you people will tell me to do private property,i dont live near any farms and why would a home owner with a back and front lawn will let me detect there for a few silver coins,plus who wants to do private land so small that the land owner is over your shoulder thinking your both are going to be rich at the end of the day.I bought myself a bike so when the parks close at 9 pm ,i ride my bike right into the park ,hide it in the woods and do my metal detecting with no flash light and when the cops make there rounds i lay on the ground ,and i hate feeling like a bank robber every time i metal detect but thats the way it is,if i didnt do that i will have to stop metal detecting and when i do metal detect in the day i make sure im by myself because every time i brung somone the cops were there in less then 2 minutes and ,when i make a dig,i only can be on the ground and retrieve my target in less then thirty second before atarctng any attetion to my self,. i wear a tool belt under my jacket that holds my digger and anything else so it looks like i just have a metal detector and retreiving targets from the top of the ground or i will tell the cop that im just looking for a recently lost ring,and it usualy works unless some old bag a bones call them up! i probably be banned from this forum for saying this but its the truth,people before me ruined it,but im not stopping.people still call the cops for even asking to metal detect and you can get into trouble just for that if the cops a jerk! When a cops do get me i just say i been detecting for years and this is the first i ever heard about it it! now lets here the rants about this post from the do gooders!

 

[foiler]

The reason your parks where put off limits to mding didnt have anything to do with you. Unfortunately, you and other right minded mder's have to suffer for the few idiots that created problems that warranted the 'posting' or your parks. Knee jerk reactions by bureaucrates and elected officials create problems where none exist or are draconian. You are doing what most are thinking but may not admit. You do what you gotta do.