Question about Parks

[TRIPLE-SSS]

Hi Everyone,
Did some research on some old parks and am thinking of doing some detecting. Has anyone ever been kicked out of a public park. I figure these are public parks and not private property. Need some advice in case someone tells me TO GET OUT OF DODGE.
Thanks
TRIPLE-SSS

 

[khouse]

Do some more research on the park. Usually you can find the rules on line. If there is no mention of detectors then it should be OK. Make absolutely sure your target recovery is top notch before going to the park. Do not take a shovel. If you use a digger or Lesche keep it hid or in the pouch. Go very early in the mornings. Sunday mornings are good to hunt.

 

[dahut]

Hi Everyone,
Has anyone ever been kicked out of a public park? I figure these are public parks and not private property. Need some advice in case someone tells me TO GET OUT OF DODGE.
Thanks
TRIPLE-SSS

Don't bet on it. That old belief that public property is for everyone doesn't hold up in the real world. Just because it is not mentioned on a website specifically doesn't mean you have the green light, either.

"Public" does not necessarily mean open to all activities. To be frank, the Age of Independent Men, Acting Independently is passing. This is not a 'free country' and we delude only ourselves if we believe that. "Public" today means there is someone with credentials to administer and control the property - someone that has to agree your activity is acceptable. These controllers generally do not share our delusions of independence. Metal detecting is on their list of suspect activities, I can assure you.

TO answer your question, yes, I have been kicked out of a public park. The same park which I clean up each time I visit. The same park that my taxes pay to clean up after the weekend hordes wreak their havoc. And yes, the same park that I protested about being banned from. Guess what? I lost. Still banned.

SO what to do if you are told to "get out of Dodge?" Protest loudly, clearly and with forethought. Let them know that it is your park, too, and that you respect it at least as much as the trashy "citizens" that join you there. If that succeeds, then good for you.
If it doesn't, then leave with head high, having fought the good fight. Be prepared to fight another day.

In the meantime do what Kenny says - be neat and leave no trace of your activities. Then go detecting and don't bother asking.

 

[ohio fred]

Need permit for parks here need to go to or write the main park ranger headquarters.For each county park.

 

[khouse]

Dave's right about the public thing not being public. If you give a parks employee that probably never read the rules a chance to say yes or no - the answer will be no. So if I don't see "no metal detectors" posted or in writing I'll go early in the morning. If I ever get asked I can honestly say that there is nothing in the rules that say I can't hunt. I haven't been asked because I go early and leave when the crowd shows up.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Unless they are posted detect away.

Bill

 

[Majorgeek]

It's been my experience to ask. Ive never seen a "no metal detecting" sign in my life, its just not all that common. In NY, I had no troubles with a large park, but I ahve been asked to leave 2 parks in Florida. One was because they take such "great care of the grounds" as he said after driving at top speeds in his 4x4 on the grass to tell me so and the other from a guy who said there were electrical and water lines underground even though I was just checking the volleball court. The third park I went to had no problem. Oddly enough, the 2 parks I was kicked out of were on the "island" between the ocean and river and the one I had no problem with was on the mainland.

Seems like a good idea to ask a park employee if you see one.

 

[Uncle Willy]

Are they posted, and if not how does one know they need a permit to detect? I don't understand that part of the world. No permits are needed here for any public property. The ocean beaches here are owned by the public and we can do whatever we wish on them and no building is allowed on them. We have a ton of rights in this state that don't seem to exist elsewhere. Glad I left that part of the country years ago.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

You should move to Oregon bud where folks are still free and not bound by a gaggle of bureaucratic BS. Never been kicked out of anyplace in the 40 years I have been here and I've been all over this state and across the river in Washington.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

Good thinking.

Bill

 

[oldranger]

There has been only ONE park i was refused use of by the boro manger.
He said " SOMEONE" had once detetcted there and made a mess ...I offered
to show him my tools and how i dig but he said No.. SO... its only one park
but its also only ONE detetctorost ( if the mgr is to be belived ) that kept
me from trying my luck..
in al the other places ive gone the Police have on occasion stopped to
see if i had any luck. They have never been a problem
If i were better with my GTI Id offer them my services when needed..
The only restriction Ive met with is that some parks requre the use of a
screw driver or similiar tool not even a small trowel likethe plastic Garret
Snce im not good with a screwdriver for digging i just say tks and go elsewhere

Ron

 

[cwilk]

There are caretakers who sometimes feel that they own the park. I have been told to leave a park more than once by one of these zealots. Once I stopped detecting, put my detector away, and stayed in the park to eat my lunch and the guy actually called the cops on me. I told the cop that I had stopped detecting when asked, even though I was pretty sure the guy had no authority to ask me to stop, and that I was merely eating and that I wouldn't detect there again. I have one park two miles from home and every time I go there the caretaker comes out and yells at me. I have the express permission of the parks dept to be there. I try to go there when he isn't around. This guy gives the same treatment to everybody who enters the park so I don't feel bad. He thinks its his land because he lives on property that adjoins the park.

My point is expect an encounter. Eventually it will happen. They are usual non events or positive experiences. Sometimes they turn ugly as another did for me last fall. That time it was an over-zealous cop again at a park where I had permission to detect. I still detect there today, BTW, with written permission. My best advice is pack up and leave when asked to leave unless you have written permission to be at a site. After the encounter you can find the right person to give you express permission to detect. Offer to demonstrate how you retrieve coins. You must be good enough at recovering coins to leave no trace that you've been there. There are detectorists out there who damage parks and fields and you might find yourself answering for their transgressions.

This year I have detected 127 times. The only encounter that led to me not returning to a particular site was the lunch encounter above. The site stunk anyway and is too far away from home.

If you get to a park and see guys cutting grass or working go over and introduce yourself before you start. Ask about the park. Ask if they've seen other guys detecting before. This strategy has helped me in the past. I had befriended the guy who cut the grass and when his boss came out to give me the axe, my new friend came over and told his boss that I was harmless and could be trusted to treat the sod with respect.

Good luck. Don't expect major problems but should something come up be smart about it.

Chris

 

[DJR]

Call the Parks Dept. and ask what is allowed and what isn't. They usually will give you the rules and what parks you can or can't detect in. Some have special times you are allowed to detect.

Go to any park of your choosing and ask the park manager (the main man NOT THE SUBORDINATES) sometimes they will let you sometimes they won't. I have had very good luck with two of my local parks (but I think that is because I used to work in the dept!:clsoedeyes

Check information boards most will have info posted on detecting.

If nothing is posted and no one is available and you have called and gotten the info from someone and follow that info to a "T"go for it. Just don't leave a mess.

The best advice I can give you is to get to know the parks people and show you are a good guy or gal and usually they will cut you some slack. Just don't screw up and make any messes!!!!!!

Don

 

[fongu]

when I wanted to detect an abandoned ball field about 15 miles from home, I called the parks and recreation department. They referred me to the county manager and he said it was okay as long as I covered my holes. When I asked him if I needed to get permission in writing, he said to have anybody concerned to call his office. I haven't been back for some time and at the time was new to metal detecting and did not find much. I do plan to return this winter and hope I don't run into a hassle.

 

[dahut]

I was recently told that people had asked about detecting in my 'honey hole', the one I was recently tossed out of.

The Director of Parks was okay with me doing it, actually, since I seemed legit and certainly conscientious. But, once the rest of the detecting hoarde got wind of it, he would have to make it 'carte blanche' for everyone... and he wasnt willing to do that. So the answer is no for that spot.

It turns out there have been problems with detectorists being "less than conscientious" in parks, shall we say. His comments mean that for now, such crap will be tolerated - except in high visibility areas like my sweet spot.
How long the MuniNazis will tolerate the detecting turds around here from stinking it up for everyone is anybodys guess. Im on the brink of suggesting a permit, as loathe as I am to do so. Dear God, it pains me to say that

The saddest part of all is that we pay for the parks with our taxes and other tariffs imposed by our municipal controllers. Then, a few shit birds come along and ruin it for everyone. Aint that the way it always goes?

 

[shawnrmartin]

I just e-mailed the Parks and Rec Director. When permission was given (with the usual caveats) I keep a copy of the e-mail in the truck.

 

[TRIPLE-SSS]

Thanks Everyone,
I really appreciate all the advice on your personal experiences with parks. Been detecting only on beaches and I am ready to hit dry dirt areas. I'll just be careful not to leave any evidence of my presence and cover up all my holes. I like the idea of going early in the morning and will go for it. I will post my finds and let you all know what I find.
Thanks Again Everyone'
HAPPY HUNTING
TRIPLE-SSS

 

[binky]

ha hah!

 

[oldranger]

Sure is Dave i saw a guy using a shovle in a kids lot with wood chips and NOT filling holes
He got mad and left when i mentioned it I filled his holes.. it only takes i fool
to screw things up

ron

RLTW

 

[khouse]

I showed my 30 year old nephew how to recover targets using the flap method. Then I sent him on his own. I went over to him after about 20 minutes. I saw that he was removing the whole plug. But when he put the plug back he put the grass side down! I said the grass goes up. He said he really didn't think of that! I know he's family but ...................