Got permission to dig a historical local site

[Helix]

I have not seen that mindset in places I've hunted. If anything, it's the opposite, where they assume you're doing some job, or know-what-you're-doing.

But then again, this also depends on how one conducts themselves. If you have a skittish "oh no does he see me" evasive demeanor, THEN SURE ! Someone's gonna think "gee, what is that person doing". But if you "act like you own the place", people will assume you know what you're doing.

So those places where you feel like md'rs are a big target "destined to be asked what are you doing?", it might be strictly via the way you lock eyes with passerbys, or have that looming thought (that is subconsciously picked up by the persons passing you by).

In any case, I have not seen/experienced this level of "md'rs destined to get scrutiny" thing.

Yes it it might not be as bad in my area as it sounded in my last post. i think it's more or less they just want something to do. Few times I have been stopped and they say to me, " no one called me, but what are you doing". Freind gave me permission, ok I can't tell you to leave but next time I want written permission. Mentioned to my friend and guy got kinda angry and called police direct and told them don't bother anyone mding in my fields or property.. Just did'nt seen right. Almost like I might need written permission to stop by my friends house in case police question me why my car is parked in his drive way? No really I am confused here.? Probably they just wish they were out detecting instead of working. Or there being a lot of well to do areas in my neck of the woods.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

DR.ÖTEK Metal Detector, Waterproof Gold Detector, Pinpoint & Terrain Modes, Professional Metal Detector - Grab it through Amazon!

[Tom_in_CA]

Just don't get blamed when someone sees you mding and they take it upon themselves that they can too, but they are sloppy and you get blamed. My worst nightmare.

Which is why most of my detecting is done at nights

 

[Davers]

I say just be sure to hunt , when the soil conditions are right, Good & moist for great Plugs.
Def, not in a period when the ground is like cement, & it has not rained in a long time.
If it's a wooded area that's Different .
GL
Davers

 

[JunkLover]

Went on my hunt today, and surprisingly, nobody bothered me. Though I did notice someone in a car near the building who was there the whole time I was and left when I left. The heat started getting to me, so I wound up leaving after only about two hours. I didn't find anything - some scrap metal and a 1977 penny. But wow, was the property junky. I don't mean visually, I mean underground; most of the area where I walked beeped and almost every single signal I got was jumping all over the place and flashing "IRON." I only dug the clearer readings, but unfortunately, a lot of metal scraps there seem to share a similar reading with nickels.

I'd really like to go back, preferably later in the day or just on a cooler day. There's gotta be something there that I missed. I know that older items will most likely be buried pretty deep, but I had a really tough time trying to figure out which spots I should actually dig. Like I said, I got a lot of wild signals, and that's with my detector's sensitivity turned down to around 3 or 4. At the very least, I dug some nice clean plugs and it doesn't even look like I was there.

If there's, say, a quarter buried eight inches in the ground, will it still give off a strong signal with stable readings? Or will the readings be a little more jumpy compared to if it were only three inches down? I had a lot of moments where I thought I had a solid reading and then it switched to a jumpy reading, like leaping from a solid 83-84 down to 56 over the same spot. I also got solid readings and found nothing when I dug the hole. I assume it's because there's well over a hundred years of iron junk buried on that property and it's messing with my ability to find stuff. It also doesn't help I don't have a pinpointer, so I have to bend my search coil around and try to stuff it into the hole to see if my target is still there.

 

[jeff of pa]

unfortunately that's the norm at most places with allot of foot traffic.
it is hard to say if the coins will be clear or not.
there are too many Iffs & exceptions.
I would give it a few more tries & Maybe with a smaller coil if you can.

Odd on the Spy. Maybe he thought you were with diggers &
he was watching for you to climb a tree or Fence

Hopefully he wasn't one of those
"If he can detect there so can I people.
Keep an eye on the spot, if you see someone jump in , Perhaps warn them
you went through the Channels .

Tuff call though if he cleans out some trash

 

[BigWaveDave]

you don't have a pinpointer of anykind? Umm... get one, despite how pretty your plugs look.

Were it me, I wouldn't return w/out one... just sayin.

 

[rvhauler401]

Technically, you ALREADY have it in writing. They sent you a letter with a vote of yes right?

 

[Opie]

I'm curious how you received the "response" ? in writing? email? verbal? by phone? and then from who did you receive the response?
Anyway, I do a fair share of these kinds of places. Record every good dig, and questionable ones as well. Video the removal, pictures are great too. None of what I'm writing is a must. But, you may find pictures of your dig or even the video of a good find at the locations information center or even museum if one is present. Giving the police information is a good idea as most "Historic" sites are plugged into the no one allowed without permission category. Just saves everyone a headache. (makes you look good) in some cases depending on what the location is a GPS is good for some finds. I used one recently when I was checking out old tent holes. Had anything good been found I had some information as to who might have been in some tents.
Good luck!

 

[JunkLover]

Unfortunately, I don't have the $100+ for a pinpointer right now. I do really want one and I know it'll make detecting much easier, but alas, can't spare the hundred bucks. And also, I sent a written letter to the historical society, but received an email back. I included my address, phone number and email address in the letter so they could decide how to contact me, if at all. The response I got was from the society's vice president and it was the former president who showed me around the property. I had the email granting permission printed out and in my pocket in the event anybody asked what I was doing, but nobody bothered me.

But if I can go back, I definitely will. I didn't detect the whole yard - probably not even a fifth of it. I felt awkward detecting in front of the spy lurking in the shadows, so that whole side was untouched (which is also where the WWI-era canteen used to be).

 

[Higgy]

IMO your over thinking things.
If you can print the Email you have your Permission Slip.

If you don't have a printer Can you forward it to someone who can print it out for you ? Really you don't need it on Paper.But seriously the Historical people who gave you permission Know they gave you permission.

Stopping by the Police station Can't hurt if you feel you don't
want to be bothered by them while your detecting.
if some Busy body reports you . I personally only
alerted the police when I would be in the woods behind houses & didn't want to be seeing
Snipers & Choppers



Hunt only daylight hours simply to prevent Busy Bodies & the Paranoid from complaining. length of day depends on your energy imo.

As I said above take your finds in as often as Possible for them to see,
Tell them you'll bring more as you find them. don't worry about limits unless they bring it up.

That would be my suggestion & what I would do.

Well put, Jeff. I would also like to add a couple of my thoughts to your parameters.

I make sure that I get a NAME of the person who has granted me permission. If/when challenged about my presence, I give the NAME, and tell them I have their express permission. I shrug my shoulders and smile, and go back to detecting. This will take care of the situation 99% of the time, because the busybody isn't interested in validating your claim, they are only interested in intimidating you. For the remaining 1% who will call... well, you've given them the NAME of who gave you permission, right? There are very few people whom I encounter that will stand their ground once I offer to give the name and number of the person who granted me permission.

 

[Btoots]

If you've got a name, then you're good. I'd get up at O dark 30 and dig the crap out of it, or get an idea of when there is the least amount of traffic in the prop or surrounding area and be sure to clean up after yourself. I wouldn't concern myself with written permission if I have a name. If you get to keep all the finds that's great, and if not, well,...that's why your bag has two pockets Good hunting

 

[pepperj]

If you get to keep all the finds that's great, and if not, well,...that's why your bag has two pockets Good hunting

I'm going to assume that your statement implies that the OP should separate the trash and the keepers in the pockets, and not the assumption that he just shows the trash and not show the keepers to the folks that granted the permission in the first place if requested.

 

[JunkLover]

I've already told the folks at the museum that I'd show them anything I find and if it happened to be something of actual value (historical or monetary), we'd discuss what to do with it further. I also told them if I find something that is significant to the town's history, I'd donate it back to the museum. Is it bad that I'm almost tempted to do crowdsourcing just to get a pinpointer? I've been eyeing that Garrett pinpointer for months, but just don't have the funds for it. And like a cruel tease, what shows up in the ads on my Facebook feed today? The pinpointer I have on my Amazon wishlist.

But the upside is the board seems to be alright with me coming back to detect again, so I intend to dig some of those iffy loud signals and see what I find. I realize it could be garbage or it could be something like a nail and a coin in the same spot. If that '77 penny was about 4 inches down, I'm going to have to do some major digging to find something older. And it doesn't help me at all that my detector's depth perception is kind of crappy at times (like telling me something is right on the surface when it was three inches or so in the ground).

 

[DaytonaRacer]

I've already told the folks at the museum that I'd show them anything I find and if it happened to be something of actual value (historical or monetary), we'd discuss what to do with it further. I also told them if I find something that is significant to the town's history, I'd donate it back to the museum.

That's the best thing to tell them. Makes them very receptive to the hunt while minimizing some of their concerns.

 

[Btoots]

Yes, I was not clear, separate the trash but show everything to the landowner, good karma as Cambria09 says. Most of the time they'll let you keep most everything but I have given away IH's, lead toys, a WWII bomb, and silver Roosies. But, they let me have the run of the place in return. All those items, as you know, weren't much in dollars but the feeling you get when handing it over to someone who couldn't believe you found it in the first place... Priceless

 

[Davers]

GL
In the future on that (& other sites) Hopefully you will pull at-least 1 silver from that spot.

IMO Some places are so trashy that you need the smallest coil possible.
&
Like I said go back when the ground is good & soggy and dig most Solid Consistent Signals.
Sounds like a good place to hunt in the Fall.

I also hate people staring at me while I'm hunting, then again I don't stare back soo, they could be sleeping (Co, City Worker), Or just want to be alone as well.
Davers

 

[FreeBirdTim]

I'd wait for a rainy day to go and detect the place. I've never been harassed by anyone while I was detecting in the rain. If you do it on a nice sunny day, they'll be lots of nosy people out for a stroll. I would also detect there during the week and not on the weekend.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Hello JunkLover,

Congratulations on the permission from the historical society. Many of the members have given you sound advice. When digging historical sites I always return everything to the society, even trash. Currently, I am working two historical sites and this is what I do after each hunt; clean and photograph all period items, including coins, house ware, jewelry, farm tools…etc. in one or more photos and send them to the commission or designee. This has multiple benefits, all in my favor. By doing it this way, I show progress, that I’m a stand up person, respect the property and serious about working the site. It goes without saying your digging must be of the highest quality. By skilling yourself in the various methods on how coins are extracted and other small items from the ground using probing tools, gasket scraping devices and pin pointer techniques; you will demonstrate your talent. This will gain the confidence of the board and lead to other possibly older cherished sites.

Good Luck in your endeavor, take your time and enjoy.

Best Regards,

Professor

 

[Keppy]

Since when does the need to "notify the police" enter into this ? That's odd. I mean, if your neighbor invites you over for a BBQ, should one "notify the police" that you'll "be at your neighbors house" ? I don't get it.

If a police questions you and says "what are you doing here?" (which I highly doubt they care less, but .... let's just say), then you just tell them "I have permission" . What's with all this "the world hates us mdr's mindset" ?

Tom_in_CA.....Is right.....You have permission what is the problem just go hunt ... Why "notify the police " .. Every one makes this like we have to have the police and city's permission to hunt what we already have permission to hunt .......... Just go hunt you have all the permission you need ... And pay no attention to all the crazy information you are getting from most here ... I am beginning to think that one's that metal detect now are crazy with all there permission and police and the city office they want to contact just to detect .... And to top that off permission to hunt a place they already have permission to hunt ..