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Public parks
- Thread starter MilesofTx
- Start date
WisconsinMD
New member
Hi Miles I live in central WI and I ended up calling the city parks # and I also called the county parks department and both told me that metal detecting was ok as long as I filled back in my holes. So just call ur city and county parks department to make sure. I think I read somewhere the rules of metal detecting was if the public is welcomed you could go detecting as long as it wasn't posted otherwise. When in doubt just call the parks department.
WisconsinMD
New member
Well the head is waterproof but the control box isn't so I personally wouldn't take it out in the rain but if u really feel the need take a gallon zip lock bag and some electrical tape and cover the control box to keep it dry while detecting. Better safe than being sorry and be out $$$ and u should be able to still see through the bag to see ur read out. Good luck if u head out. Let me know know if u find anything.
Most parks around me is A-Okay. But in one city near me that I hunt, a permit is required. It's only a few bucks and good for a year. They have one park though that's protected - historic park. It's stated on the permit I obtained from the Parks & Recreation Department.
Then there are those National parks but I have enough public open parks around me.
When in doubt - find out.
Then there are those National parks but I have enough public open parks around me.
When in doubt - find out.
I carry a copy of the park rules for my county from web site as I have got different answers from different people with dept. It doesn't state no MDing but signs with rules at parks talks about destruction of park property. I believe a hot shot ranger could be a pain with that loose interpretation of rule. So far they speak then leave when they see I've checked. Over 240 parks in my county and their talking of cut backs to park personnel.
For starters, do NOT go waltzing in to city hall, wherever you're at, asking "can I metal detect?" or any other such permission-type-phrasing. Because to do so, merely implies that something is SO inherently wrong or evil, with you or your hobby, that you had to ask ..... to begin with! Like, would you have asked permission to fly a frisbee? etc.... And with this implication in mind, you can get someone to tell you "no", when perhaps no real rule exists (they merely have images of geeks with shovels).
If there are no rules specifically prohibiting metal detecting, why would you ask? Just look it up yourself (rules usually available on city websites, or the wooden sign at the park entrance). If it is silent on the issue, THEN SO BE IT! Naturally go at low-traffic off-times, to avoid busy-bodies (because anyone can gripe about anything)
And your whole premise is wrong MilesofTX! If you characterize yourself as "digging up their park" (your own words) you've lost already. If you are leaving marks or indications of your being there, then you need to return to recovery 101 class all over. The phrase "digging up" conjures something like leaving holes all over, being some sort of nuisance, etc.... If I leave no trace of my presence, then I do not consider that "digging up". To think otherwise is to have already lost the battle.
If there are no rules specifically prohibiting metal detecting, why would you ask? Just look it up yourself (rules usually available on city websites, or the wooden sign at the park entrance). If it is silent on the issue, THEN SO BE IT! Naturally go at low-traffic off-times, to avoid busy-bodies (because anyone can gripe about anything)
And your whole premise is wrong MilesofTX! If you characterize yourself as "digging up their park" (your own words) you've lost already. If you are leaving marks or indications of your being there, then you need to return to recovery 101 class all over. The phrase "digging up" conjures something like leaving holes all over, being some sort of nuisance, etc.... If I leave no trace of my presence, then I do not consider that "digging up". To think otherwise is to have already lost the battle.
The parks in my town have been closed to detecting and when I asked the parks chief ranger why. I was told that four people came into the park with shovels and now all of the parks are closed to detecting. I had been hunting these parks since 1967
My rules on hunting in parks have always been to use small digging equipment. Never hunt when the park is crowded and never hunt when the ground is dry for you will leave brown spots where the grass dies.
More and more I hear of parks being closed to detecting.
Roy In IL
My rules on hunting in parks have always been to use small digging equipment. Never hunt when the park is crowded and never hunt when the ground is dry for you will leave brown spots where the grass dies.
More and more I hear of parks being closed to detecting.
Roy In IL
Roy, I wouldn't be surprised if you went to try to track down the truth of that "holes" story, and came up empty handed. It goes like this: all too often some city employee cites "holes" as the reason, and really all it is (I bet, most of the time), is that it's merely their impression and image of the issue, the instant you ask them, or the instant they see you, etc.... So they come up with holes (complete with a supposed incident, which is maybe simply morphed from just seeing someone in the past swinging a detector, and just making that assumption) and so on, and so forth.
I don't doubt that there's probably some holes stories that are true as a reason for rules, but I'm betting that a lot more of them are just a convenient answer to someone asking permission (as if asking permission was necessary, to begin with).
I don't doubt that there's probably some holes stories that are true as a reason for rules, but I'm betting that a lot more of them are just a convenient answer to someone asking permission (as if asking permission was necessary, to begin with).
Shambler, I have actually heard of that happening before!! A guy tries to object to a "no" by saying "but where is that written??" (as if to put the burden on them, to produce such an actual rule). And then guess what? You get a rule written "to address your pressing issue" !!
The state of Utah, for instance, apparently never had anything specific on the subject of metal detecting. But one day, several years back, they issue a department memo, passed down to their rank and file rangers, which severely curtailed (or outright banned?) detecting in state parks there. The very interesting part of this "clarification" was the introduction to it. It said something to the effect: "The park's dept. receives numerous inquiries each year, as to the department's stance on the use of metal detectors in state parks. This will serve to clarify their use in the state of Utah parks....." And it went on to morph OTHER stuff to apply (like cultural heritage bologna, etc....). So you see? Apparently beforehand, it wasn't an issue (unless you were tromping on obvious historically sensitive sites). But get enough people grovelling and asking, and see what happens?? You get a rule! Man I just don't understand it. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy
The state of Utah, for instance, apparently never had anything specific on the subject of metal detecting. But one day, several years back, they issue a department memo, passed down to their rank and file rangers, which severely curtailed (or outright banned?) detecting in state parks there. The very interesting part of this "clarification" was the introduction to it. It said something to the effect: "The park's dept. receives numerous inquiries each year, as to the department's stance on the use of metal detectors in state parks. This will serve to clarify their use in the state of Utah parks....." And it went on to morph OTHER stuff to apply (like cultural heritage bologna, etc....). So you see? Apparently beforehand, it wasn't an issue (unless you were tromping on obvious historically sensitive sites). But get enough people grovelling and asking, and see what happens?? You get a rule! Man I just don't understand it. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy
I know what you are saying except I found out who the guys were and they were from out of town. So went to the park board to try to work something out with them like a permit but the head of the park police didn't want his people to have to get out of their cars to check and see if you had a permit so I suggested that maybe with the permit they give hats or something that the park patrol wouldn't have to get out of their cars to see but they still turned us down. Now you can hunt but no digging.
Roy
Roy
i am NOT a physcologist..,however i CAN tell you that in MY view,there appears to be more indifference,and apathy
in the world today,then there was even 10 years ago!..this has had an adverse affect on our hobby,as i am finding poorly dug holes and many brown spots from careless hunters!
if this continues unabated,then tesoro will have to add a third shift making "compadres" as this detector will be the ONLY one you will need to hunt your back yard,because all other
sites will be "off limits",unless,of course you are well connected politically.
(h.h!)
j.t.
in the world today,then there was even 10 years ago!..this has had an adverse affect on our hobby,as i am finding poorly dug holes and many brown spots from careless hunters!
if this continues unabated,then tesoro will have to add a third shift making "compadres" as this detector will be the ONLY one you will need to hunt your back yard,because all other
sites will be "off limits",unless,of course you are well connected politically.
(h.h!)
j.t.