Last night my partner and I went to a local PUBLIC for a couple of hours of detecting. We had been there less than twenty minutes when security showed up and told us we were on private property and had to leave. People were walking dogs, playing tennis and doing the things people do during none school hours. We were told only metal detecting was prohibited. We were on a field (not soccer or ball) just a vacant field but were told all school grounds were off limits to metal detectors. We have been detecting schools for years, but now There is a new asst superintendent. Last year the county put all county parks off limits to metal detectors. We are not slob detectors we know how to retrieve our targets and never go to a school when there are children present. What I'm getting at, it is time for all of us to unite. Small clubs and individuals do not have the resources to fight these closings and at the rate we are going everything will be off limits to us soon. If you don't think it will happen where you live-we didn't either. We also have to police our own, like we saw a young man in a city park with a shovel digging his target and not covering the hole up, this hurts us all, and it is our responsibility to correct these people and show them the correct way. We need a national org to collect dues and keep the money in escrow to pay lawyers to find out why we lost the public in our school and parks. Thanks for listening.
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National Organization
- Thread starter shorty2
- Start date
I really think you can partly thank some of the sensational detecting shows as well. I guess showing responsible detecting is too boring for a telivision show? Gold prices feed this too --- Selling cheap detectors to the masses at Walmart and such to people thinking there going to get rich hurts too.
I have spoke up several times on Youtube videos showing long handled shovels on parks. I even have called some out on the forums in the past using shovels. Shovels have their place for sure but not in public parks especially where someone could see you.
I have spoke up several times on Youtube videos showing long handled shovels on parks. I even have called some out on the forums in the past using shovels. Shovels have their place for sure but not in public parks especially where someone could see you.
We have been seeing more and more of that in our area too. Used to be that schools were never a problem, but not so much any more. I have been asked to leave several places that I have detected for years with out much of an explanation. I tend to agree with above poster about the larger shovels and diggers. I use one also, but think I may switch back to a hand digger, which I hate to do because the getting up and down is getting harder these days. Hope we are not being pushed to private property only!
The Federation of Metal Detector and Archaeological Clubs Inc. (FMDAC) was organized in 1984 as a legislative and educational organization and incorporated, as a non-profit, non-commercial, non-partisan organization.
[size=large]The FMDAC's Mission: The FMDAC is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and protection for the hobby of recreational metal detecting and prospecting[/size].
The FMDAC's Purpose: To unite, promote and encourage the establishment of metal detecting clubs. To preserve the sport / hobby of recreational metal detecting and prospecting. To make available to FMDAC clubs and Independent members information pertaining to the hobby and to keep members informed as to active legislation.
The FMDAC's Goal is to Educate and inform the public as to the merits of recreational metal detecting.
[size=large]The FMDAC's Mission: The FMDAC is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and protection for the hobby of recreational metal detecting and prospecting[/size].
The FMDAC's Purpose: To unite, promote and encourage the establishment of metal detecting clubs. To preserve the sport / hobby of recreational metal detecting and prospecting. To make available to FMDAC clubs and Independent members information pertaining to the hobby and to keep members informed as to active legislation.
The FMDAC's Goal is to Educate and inform the public as to the merits of recreational metal detecting.
Mason Jarr
New member
Unfortunately, in today's situation, it's probably going to take a lawsuit to get a ruling. As taxpayer's we fund the same "public" areas that other users get to use and enjoy. In essence, when we're told that we can't metal detect there, it's a form of discrimination. I had the same thing happen to me on a school property in the town I live....and pay taxes...in. I politely told the grounds supervisor that I wouldn't leave. He was shocked (I could tell by the way his face changed). He left and came back with another guy that had a "form" for me to fill out. I looked at the form and it said that any user of school grounds was required to have a $1,000,000 liability insurance policy. I handed it back to the second guy and politely told him that it was just a way for them to pick and choose what users could use the school property and that I would perform a Freedom of Information request to ensure they had a form on file for every person/group that used the school property for recreational activities. The two men left. After a short while, two policemen showed up (one of whom I know well). He comes over and asks if I'll leave. I told him that I would, but I wanted him to write me a citation so I could take it to court. He wouldn't write one because there was no ordinance preventing me from doing what I was doing other than the school said I was trespassing. I really do think I could win a case in court or at least the school administration would have to deny everyone the right to use school ground, which in my community, would not go over well and some school administrators would be looking for work. It didn't work out that way though. I don't go back there because I'm looking for older targets and most of the stuff I found there is clad or junk jewelry. I've moved on to greener pastures.
I would love to use a long handled shovel as well. My knees are getting worse by the year. We know that 99% of us can use a shovel with little or no trace of digging. But the public "perception" of a shovel at a park or school is one of huge holes and broken ankles. I choose to use the Predator Raptor 31. It's a pretty good sized hand trowel. (14 inches long) http://www.predatortools.com/item_details.asp?ID=2 I still like to cover it with my drop cloth from others. I also will put my back to prying eyes when recovering a target. But most of the time when people start gathering I leave.
