I would just like to thank...

[BigCatDaddy]

all of our politicians in Washington for getting all of the local Corps of Engineers parks shut down and locked up tight. Even the private parks on the COE lakes had to shut down. This has been a blessing in disguise to me. I didn't realize how exhausted I was from going out and digging rings and coins and picking up trash from the recreation areas. Now I can sit at home and rest just like all of the folks that depend on government jobs for their livelyhood. And just think of all the folks saving money now by cancelling those pesky vacations to our country's National Parks. I'm sure there are also lots of folks that have businesses around those parks that can now get a reprieve from those same vacationers and their nasty money. So, to our politicians on both sides of the aisle in Washington, I raise my hand and salute you with the one good finger I have left.

 

[upnorth]

 

[mudpuppy]

I was thinking now would be a good time to detect Gettysburg, or maybe go gold panning in Yellowstone?
Mud

 

[William-NM]

Hey, I hadn't thought of that! I think I'll fuel up the old D-6 and do some serious earth-moving!

 

[John-Edmonton]

The ones who didn't bother filling in deep holes in the sand on the beach or water, where little toddlers had to be rescued plus the many complaints made to beach administration. There were also some who found junk, and left it beside an open hole. Rusted cans come to mind....pretty obvious where they came from and who left them there. More complaints to the administrative staff. The thoughtless diggers could have actually given us a great reputation by proudly walking up to a garbage with a pouch full of rusted cans, fish hooks, glass, bottle caps just to name a few and proudly flaunted their trash in front of onlooker with a comment like..."look, like I saved a few cuts on the feet from happening"....they probably might have been forgiven for some of those deep holes left behind. But no......thoughtless hunters don't dig junk. They only get gold rings and gold doubloons. Picking up trash and filling holes is beyond them.

The same basic scenario repeats it on land. Huge diameter holes cut, sometimes round or square, it really doesn't matter, to dig up a penny at 1" depth. Add insult to injury....thoughtless diggers leave junk beside a hole, centered on the plug, also lying beside the hole, as if showing off some kind of trophy. Also, insult people in their houses, digging their grass boulevard. Remind them that it is on city property, not theirs, even though they cut the grass and fertilize it. Again....more calls to administration, the police, bylaw officers. The easiest solution for dealing with thoughtless diggers and wasting precious taxpayers resources to help manage them is to outright ban metal detecting anywhere on city property. This has happened, will continues to happen and you don't have to look very far to witness the damage today...... guess what will soon happen.

Perhaps it's just sort of some natural cycle which can not be stopped, but I hope not.

Thanks BCD....I feel your pain.

 

[fongu]

Last Saturday week, I detected briefly at an old church that only I have written permission to detect. Imagine my anger when it was obvious that someone else had detected this place and left quite a few holes. Most of them were filled in, but that's not the issue. Don't trespass on private property and always carry your trash out. This lady also has a problem with artifact hunters going on her property and taking Indian artifacts without her permission. She said the only reason she gave me permission was because I was courteous enought to ask and it only takes one or two people doing this to turn the whole community against our hobby. John, I was guilty of not covering up my holes like I should in the deeper water, but after someone posted about this, I do my little Fongu shuffle and cover up each and every one of them. If we don't take care of our trash and holes and hunt on private property only with permission, we are destroying our own hobby.
BCD, I know how you feel. The late comic, Red Skeleton was telling a joke about going to the beach in another town. You know how when you are out of town you drive slower looking for the signs to get to your destination and usually people lose their temper and say terrible things to you. Red said, I was driving slow and this man came up behind me and blowed his horn very loud to get my attention and then he pointed to the beaches with his middle finger and yelled: Sunny-beaches, Sunny-beaches and he was glad this man went out of his way to point the way to the beach. What a great way for a local to help an out of towner......Maybe when the politicians come to our little towns during their re-election campaign we can be this nice.