Permission to metal detect in Parks

Jason in Enid

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

kgunn said:
hey TH,
form a committee, n take ur concerns to their board of elect. asking for a reversal of their findings. hunting is a hobby...

kgunn
kgunn said:
under the pretence of discrimination

Once again I am forced to ask, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
 

kgunn

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

T.H. said:
Only state parks I ask at are state parks that are on the ocean, all inland parks are off limits, national parks I know are off limits and I have already asked about the National Forests here in Florida and they are off limits... I can kill wild life there, I just cant metal detect.


kgunn
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

kgunn said:
hey TH,
form a committee, n take ur concerns to their board of elect. asking for a reversal of their findings. hunting is a hobby...

kgunn

To do what? The state parks are off limits here due to historical remains on them, only ones allowed are those that border the oceans and some can be hunted there if asked. I took the national forest to the director and was told it is up to the localpark ranger which has already refused....

I do not have the time to fight to hunt the National Forest, not worth my time or headaches..

I already hunt all county and city parks and I don't ask for permission for those so nothing to ask there... I have been hunting them for over 6.5 years with out a single issue....
 

kgunn

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

my apologies i thought u was wondering y u could bird hunt n not detect that area...

kgunn
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

Yes i do find it strange i can kill birds, deer an hogs but can't metal detect the federal forest, but i have already written the forest director and was told no, i have hundreds of county and city pa rks i can hunt so it isnt worth the time and hassle
 

Twisted One

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

Sadly in my area, there are some great locations that I would love to hunt that are in National park areas. Historical, and not historical.
 

Tom_in_CA

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

treasure-hunter, I like your stance. One comment though: you say:

".... Only state parks I ask at are state parks that are on the ocean ..."

I'll just use CA, as an example, to comment on this. But it is applicable to other states too, I'm sure: Here in CA, I suppose if you asked enough state park rangers, at the inland parks, then sure, you'd probably fetch some "no's", and sure, they'd cite cultural heritage stuff, blah blah blah. (not that some state parks aren't detected anyhow, and no one cares, but that's another issue).

And the *SAME* state park's dept that oversees the inland parks, is the exact same park's dept that also oversees their state beaches. So you would *THINK* that ....... thus ...... the rules would be the same. Ie.: if you aren't supposed to hunt in-land parks, then why, pray-tell, would their state beaches be any different? huh? But get this: you can hunt state of CA beaches here till you're blue in the face! Yup, right in front of rangers, etc... and no one cares. They've just been detected since the dawn of detectors (as long as anyone remembers) and ....... you're just ignored.

However, it would NOT be a wise idea for someone to go asking. Because they could just open a can of worms, and find themselves a "no". And ........ sheesk, then what do you thinks going to happen when that same ranger sees other md'rs down on the beach later on? He'll remember the earlier inquiry, and start booting others.

So just to put your quote in perspective, consider the above example. Sometimes even state beaches are ........ well .... put it this way: "leave good enough alone". ::)
 

richbat

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

Looks like the consenses say that we should just go ahead and detect without obtaining any permission as to not open up a can of worms,am i correct? But wouldn't this be like trying to find a place to go, let's say deer hunting or whatever and coming across a nice looking area that has no posted signs and going onto the land without obtaining permission first? Myself i think i would get the ok first from whoever runs the place.Think of it this way,Joe Blow finds a nice place to detect and has no clue who owns or operates the area to gain permission,so he goes ahead and starts detecting anyhow,he's a responsible person,fills his holes back in nicely,takes all trash with him and cleans up the area really well once he's done.Now here comes John Doe,he 's digging holes,leaving the holes unfilled,sod laying everywhere,dirt piles left and right,trash he's found spread out a mile wide and just a plain slob.So now the owner/operator of the area see's this and of course is pretty PO'D and throws everyone off he see's thus ruining it for others to gain permission.Now do i feel we should just go to any spot we like without at least trying to find out the rules of the owner/operator,NO. You may be like Joe Blow who decides to come back again only to find out that John Doe has already ruined it for you and others and the owner/operator thinks you were the one who made all the mess.I feel that why gaining permission is so difficult for some is because of the way we conduct our hobby while afield,be it parks or private property.
 

Born2Dtect

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

I agree with Sandman. No restrictions it is OK. My only addition would be an on line search for rules and regulations of a specific park, town , county or state. By law it is our responsibility to know. So if it is posted on line I know what the law is. It should also be posted at the site/park. I first saw this topic answered, as Sandman did, on line by a lawyer/detectorist. His answer in the article was a purely legal and correct answer. I go a little further and research the net, since the internet makes it easy to do. The only time I go directly/in person to ask permission to detect a public area (any where I have a right to be) is when I cannot understand a posted law, at the park or on line.

I have been told by park personnel that I could not detect when asked, only to find they were wrong. I don't, push the point, I just leave get the correct information and go detecting.

Sandman also eluded to recovery/digging. I detect a couple of park where I only use a brass probe to recover due to immaculate landscaping / lawns. One is by rule one is my choice, kind of a no-brainer.

Ed D.
 

Sandman

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

Richbat we are talking about public parks and not private property. For being on private property without permission is trespassing. You aren't trespassing on a public park and permission isn't necessary.
 

Treasure_Hunter

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

In florida metal detecting is prohibited in all state parks except those that border the oceans, on those detecting is only allowed from the water line to the toe of the first sand dune. You have to ask when you enter, but on state parks that border on the ocean i have had no issues so far.

http://www.fmdac.org/parks/parks.htm
 

richbat

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

Sandman,Your right kinda got carried away there with the last post.
 

George (MN)

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

If city website is unclear about detecting, don't call city hall. They have desk-bound bureaucrats that will read you 200 year old laws saying no digging or no disturbing the soil. The laws were written long before detectors were invented. They just don't want people vandalizing parks.
Essentially, most places make exceptions to law for neat detecting.

St Paul MN no detecting parks says bureaucrat. I call the city police & ask if I could be fined if I detected city parks. They said maybe if you left a big hole that could injure someone, so I have permission to dig neatly.

Sometimes at historic places, what's legal should be investigated. If a place is in the National Register of Historic Places, what's protected varies. Like Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis, what's protected is two houses in the park, from being torn down or altered. Detecting OK.

Same with county parks. If unsure, call county sheriffs dept & ask if you could be fined for detecting county parks.

My dad & I used to detect a high school where we usually found silver coins. Then they put up signs "non-school use of property prohibited". So I called school & spoke to liaison officer. He said detecting was OK, it was something else they were trying to stop.

I repeated see on here detect when nobody is likely to be watching. But if a police officer, other official, or a Mr. or Mrs. Nobody is having a bad day & needs to take it out on someone, would you rather be only person in park or be there with 100+ others? When only using a screwdriver, I've never been asked to leave. Perhaps if using knife better to be alone so no intent to murder charge? Or still better to "hide" in the crowd?

People shouldn't be afraid to detect neatly in parks that have nothing on website & nothing posted at park. Even if it's posted no digging or disturbing, every time I asked they said no problem! Only ask if it says no, then you have nothing to lose. Best wishes, George (MN)
 

dogpound

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Re: Permission to metal detect in Parks

i find it best ta check out the "rules" myself either by checking the township website for just checkin the rules sign at whatever park. you could ask 3 different people at the township building what the rules are and get different answers from everyone.
 

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