For all you woods hunters in the burbs. . .

[watercolor]

Fair warning to everyone. . . and all you lurkers too!

Was out yesterday in a NW sector for about 2-hours yesterday and while
packing away my gear in the trunk, a young officer pulls up and informs me
that if he had seen me "digging" (and I was using my Lesche), he would have
written me a $600 ticket. These were his words.

So, put on your invisible cloak.

[Gimmie The Loot]

Was this city police or forest preserve police? Hard to beleive a city cop would care about digging in the woods. $600 is crazy too. You can get a quarter ounce of gold for that!

[p2c]

Not good...
I have heard of people getting $75 citations in the past. $600, that's pretty bad. I wonder if this is a reflection on a new county board president, poor digging etiquette, or just a mean LEO. The story I always hear are that a lot of FPC's are cool with it and a few have an axe to grind, but this is a much bigger ax... My only run-ins are: "you can't be digging here -- leave", but I was never seen digging, just swinging and it was the same LEO on both occasions.

I guess its stay out of site, cover holes well, conceal digging gear, don't let them see dirt on your fingers...

[p2c]

Was this city police or forest preserve police? Hard to beleive a city cop would care about digging in the woods. $600 is crazy too. You can get a quarter ounce of gold for that!

Mark can answer, but what I read from Prekwinkle's reforms is that the cook county forest preserve police force is being abolished and absorbed into the cook county sheriffs office, and so eventually it will be cook county sheriff's police that patrol. I've seen both at Forest Preserves. I've also seen "conservation police," which is either the state or "green police"

[rob.s]

Is this in cook county forest preserves?I always thought it was legal for metal detecting in them?

[p2c]

Is this in cook county forest preserves?I always thought it was legal for metal detecting in them?

There is no law forbidding metal detecting (unlike other counties). There are however old laws on the book forbidding digging. This was because back in the day, people would dig latrines, pits, etc. i.e. actual digging not target recovery. So digging is against the law. It just depends on what 'digging' is interpreted as which usually rests on the judgment of the specific officer. This is why I don't really hang around long in open areas in ccfps. I go straight to the woods. I only stay on the grass (1) in L4S's back yard because they don't seem ever to care there or (2) its concealed from view of drive/parking lot. I also personally get to/from my car as quickly as possible and load my gear as quickly as possible for this reason and also to avoid mushroom hunters.
Down where I am the leo's cycle patrol areas, so there is no telling when you would have one that does not care or one who makes an issue of it.
If Watercolor had been in, say, dupage county and they saw him loading his gear, that he had a metal detector, they would confiscate it b/c there is a law (to my knowledge) that forbids metal detecting.

[Lowbatts]

Yeah, this was at the NW division, my neck of the woods. I've had many encounters with FP LEO, all friendly. This was an FP LEO that will hopefully be reassigned along the Des Plaines or somewhere else I don't go.

I've had run-ins with Nature Nazis, the Green Police. But I've always managed to enlighten them to my perspective.

But a CCFP LEO, well, it's HIS/HER town you're playing in. That's why I almost always initiate contact when they are present. It always creates a better atmosphere when you give them the option of making a call on your activity after talking to you, instead of before.

[rob.s]

Thanks guys for the heads up on digging at the woods!I guess bringing a shovel is a no no in the woods ..I was was shed hunting up north at a popular woods last year and never had any problems with the ccfp..People were feeding the deer in the open for all to see..The forest preserves by me have change for the worst in the last few years and got stop by 4 ccfp because my buddy had duck stickers on his truck and thought we where poaching in the woods and ran our drivers licenses on our way out..I talk to one cool cop this year and he said they run all plates by the forest preserve..so if you have any warnings for shed hunting,mushroom hunting etc.Try will know and wait for you to come out of the woods.I guess I can't dig a few pits I know

[p2c]

so if you have any warnings for shed hunting,mushroom hunting etc.Try will know and wait for you to come out of the woods.I guess I can't dig a few pits I know

I sincerely hope no one on this board has warnings for mushroom hunting, I think you go straight to jail for that, and by straight, I mean not-straight. But perhaps we have different definitions for 'mushroom hunters.' I am working off the Tman lexicon.

[rob.s]

I also personally get to/from my car as quickly as possible and load my gear as quickly as possible for this reason and also to avoid mushroom hunters.

I sincerely hope no one on this board has warnings for mushroom hunting, I think you go straight to jail for that, and by straight, I mean not-straight. But perhaps we have different definitions for 'mushroom hunters.' I am working off the Tman lexicon.

ROTFLMAO!!Ok I had too reread what you wrote..I stay away from all parking lots when I'm at the woods by me and park on the sides of the road..That's the first time I heard of them being called that

[Lowbatts]

Thanks guys for the heads up on digging at the woods!I guess bringing a shovel is a no no in the woods ..I was was shed hunting up north at a popular woods last year and never had any problems with the ccfp..People were feeding the deer in the open for all to see..The forest preserves by me have change for the worst in the last few years and got stop by 4 ccfp because my buddy had duck stickers on his truck and thought we where poaching in the woods and ran our drivers licenses on our way out..I talk to one cool cop this year and he said they run all plates by the forest preserve..so if you have any warnings for shed hunting,mushroom hunting etc.Try will know and wait for you to come out of the woods.I guess I can't dig a few pits I know

Jon (P2C), Mayo and I were at one grove a couple years ago and a FP LEO pulled in. I talked to him rigt away and he also informed me they run all plates in a parking lot when they pull in. They're looking for mushroom munchers (salesboys) of course, but he also noted that he could pretty much tell me how many MD'ers were in any particular grove as well.

At that time he told me there was a group of 6 or so at Schiller, and also noted a group at Thatcher(which we had just come from) and it seemed he had a good handle on who was doing what and where.

He was also very MD friendly as he knew of two gun finds by MD'ers that came in to the department.

Bringing their attention to the little stuff when you can find it is always a winner with some.

[p2c]

ive put in 15 hours of mushroom hunting and have never found squat!Forget that hobby for me!

I think that all of us could suggest places where the mushrooms are always probably in season, but I would suspect they might be rather diseased.

[tmanfromtexas]

Just remember if you are really hunting mushrooms, I mean you are REALLY hunting mushrooms in the FP's make sure you park your car forward and not backwards. If you dont you will have the "other" mushroom hunters following you around like you are a dog in heat. TMAN...

[rob.s]

Just remember if you are really hunting mushrooms, I mean you are REALLY hunting mushrooms in the FP's make sure you park your car forward and not backwards. If you dont you will have the "other" mushroom hunters following you around like you are a dog in heat. TMAN...

That's very true..My buddy's gave me hell when I back up my truck to drop of my sled for ice fishing a few years back

[p2c]