I dont know where to go anymore

[miamilatin]

So I ve been detecting for about a year now mostly tot lots and the beach. I terrified to dig in any grass in a park in the chance I might get arrested, fined or have my detector taken away.

I live in Broward county florida. Anyone have any ideas where to go? Tried looking for secluded areas but the grass is so tall you`ll probably hear on the news metal detectorist eaten alive by alligator.

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

So I ve been detecting for about a year now mostly tot lots and the beach. I terrified to dig in any grass in a park in the chance I might get arrested, fined or have my detector taken away.

I live in Broward county florida. Anyone have any ideas where to go? Tried looking for secluded areas but the grass is so tall you`ll probably hear on the news metal detectorist eaten alive by alligator.

Just curious, assuming there is no law against metal detecting, in the parks (grass) that you speak of, then ... have you ever heard of anyone getting "arrested, fined, and detector taken away", for detecting in the grass (where there is no law/rule that said "no detecting")? If you know of such an incident, please let us know.

Sure, there is usually always something in every city (parks) about "defacement" and "alterations" and so forth. Fine, then leave the area exactly as you found it, by packing, stomping, and fluffing/ruffling back up your spot, so you've left no trace of your having been there. Then presto, you haven't defaced or altered anything. And are thus in compliance. How can you be "arrested" ?

Is this to say that you'll never get any busy-bodies to get their panties in a wad? No, of course not. But can't you go at lower traffic times, and avoid such busy-body lookie lous? Detecting routinely goes on, across the entire USA, at turfed parks, and those evils you speak of do not seem to be occuring. Unless, as I say, you have an example to cite?

 

[treasurehound]

I don't know what the laws are in your area but parks and schools in most places are public and good to hunt in. Personally I like to research places that are older than 1940 to get the best results for older coins. I hate digging clad so I stay out of the newer places. Google can be your best friend. Search for the history of the schools or parks. Don't worry about digging in the grass in a park. Dig a flap and place it back when done. Try to put as much of the loose dirt back in the hole. Once you get good at this there should be no evidence a hole was dug. I take extra time filling my holes in when I am in a park or school. I once had a park superintendent approach me and thanked me for doing a good job on my holes. Also you can ask your friends and family about some places to go. As a last resort you can check on any clubs in the area. Some clubs can be very helpful for beginners.

 

[Alan Applegate]

Funny thing about laws, regulations, statutes, and ordinances—there is no consistency!

In California, you can get a permit from the BLM to hunt on their property. It has been a few years, but as I recall the permit was good for three years, and cost $10. However, here in New Mexico, you can't detect on any BLM land. The fine is confiscation, and up to $10,000 fine. We can hunt on some US Forest lands, but not on US Park Service lands, yet it is legal to do so in Colorado. Not all, but most cities in New Mexico allow detecting in their parks. Albuquerque, has a provision that say nothing more than please replace your divots. Consistency, not!

Here's a tip I learned when I lived in the KC areas years ago. I have a white hard hard that I used occasionally when I was on a job site. If I had to dig a really big hole, I wore the hard hat. If someone asked what I was doing, I always said fixing the sprinkler system. Worked every time!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Alan , where did you hear of any "permit" for blm land in CA? I hunt blm land here routinely and have never heard of that. Nor have i ever had any problems. Perhaps you're referring to some sort of prospecting (nuggets/slicing, etc ..) thing?

And can you cite the source of the NM blm thing? Because since blm is federal , i ever can'timagine why it wouldn't be uniform through the states.

thanx.

 

[Alan Applegate]

You know Tom, I thought the same thing. The "local" BLM manager lives in Artesia, about 45 miles south of Roswell. I don't remember her name, Barbara something, but she told me that each BLM region sets their own rules. To me, that is really odd! I think here, part of the issue is Clovis points left by the early indians who lived here several thousand of years ago. Literally hundreds of people pick them up, but technically it is illegal even on private property.

I think it was 2007 when I was at the Fresno, office of BLM. As I said above, I paid $10. I might even have the permit laying around.

I always ask to hunt, and maybe I shouldn't. I once paid a farmer $50 to hunt a 60 acre plot near Glorieta, NM. There was a big civil war battle at Glorieta Pass. Considering what I found there, the $50 was a bargain!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... she told me that each BLM region sets their own rules. To me, that is really odd! .........

"Odd" is an under-statement! If what she is saying is true, then .... why the h*ck does any of us know what is prohibited, if it's just nilly-willy regional?

When you were told you "can't detect on any BLM land in NM", did they/she have a place where you ACTUALLY SAW that in writing? I mean, did she cite her source for that? Otherwise I have a feeling they can just say that if they want, yet ..... if you ask me ... if I had something in my hand that said recreational detecting WAS allowed, that I would just go off that. Unless I saw something else that superceded and over-rode what I already know to be true.

 

[firefighter281]

Actually you can hunt on BLM land if you're prospecting for gold or hunting for coins or bullets. Coins are exempt from the ARPA. I inquired at the BLM office here in Roswell and spoke to an archaeologist and a BLM law enforcement officer. As long as the coin is not physically in an archaeological site.

Section 12, Subsection b
http://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/fhpl_archrsrcsprot.pdf

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Miamilatin, there are several people on T Net that live in SE Fla. hopefully they can chime in and let you know. I usually ask local police I spot patrolling if I can detect, haven't been told no yet but I'm in MA. Practice in your grass or friends to make sure your hole are filled correctly and don't look any different that the rest of the grass. Take a 1 ft. square plastic or paper to put the dirt you dig out of the hole on so you can just dump it back in the hole, much neater. Contact a local detecting club they may know the rules in your area. HH!

 

[George (MN)]

Someone was detecting on BLM land in NV, dug up a 1952 dime & was fined something like $700-$800 plus given a good scolding. Told they should leave pulltabs in ground as they might be of interest to future generations of archaeologists. Best wishes, George (MN)

Actually you can hunt on BLM land if you're prospecting for gold or hunting for coins or bullets. Coins are exempt from the ARPA. I inquired at the BLM office here in Roswell and spoke to an archaeologist and a BLM law enforcement officer. As long as the coin is not physically in an archaeological site.

Section 12, Subsection b
http://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/fhpl_archrsrcsprot.pdf

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

Someone was detecting on BLM land in NV, dug up a 1952 dime & was fined something like $700-$800 plus given a good scolding. Told they should leave pulltabs in ground as they might be of interest to future generations of archaeologists. Best wishes, George (MN)

George, if this is true, then a few comments:

a) it just goes to show that the "exemption" of coins and bullets text can be disallowed by a busy-body enforcer, by simply saying that "all" land is an "archaeological site". Because when/if you read closely, they only exempt coins that aren't in an archaeological site. But the catch is, they can turn right around and claim all the land is exactly that: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE, doh! However, this seems easily defeatable legally though: Because archaeoligical sites receive designations, to become such a site, all the time. It's called the trinomial system: Smithsonian trinomial - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia So... THINK OF IT: if there is a system to declare a site "archaeological", then ..... by logical definition, it was NOT an "archaeological site" before GETTING such a designation, BEFORE THAT. Hence they can't say all BLM is an archaeological site, IMHO. Perhaps that person should have fought it on those grounds?

b) or perhaps he found the coin in a truly archaeological site?

c) The song & dance in your same supposed instance about the pulltabs is VERY TELLING George! That "leave that clad or pulltab for future generations" is right out of the play-book of the ultra purist archaeological mindset. So that tells me that ...... whomever this supposed person busted for a 1952 dime was NOT dealing with a normal person. Ie.: not the typical rank and file ranger or cop or whatever. Anyone saying such a thing about the pulltabs, has gone to the purist-level of archie mindset. And heavens knows those types hate md'rs from the git-go. So ... sure, what did you expect? But those same type purist archies would say the same thing (and try to say you're in violation of some law) for even the most innocuous of sandboxes on planet earth! You will never please them. But fortunately, that caliber of extremist is few and far between.

So if option (c) is the case, then I would put little stock in the story (as if to conclude that it means that all BLM land is therefore off-limits). And here's the reason why: Because even if all that played out like you say, in a non-archaeological site, for a coin, then my hunch is that the odds of running into someone who would do such a book-throwing for this, is too rare to worry about. For example: It's also true that you will occasionally read about a motorist pulled over and roughed up for nothing but a tail-light out. Fined, ticketed, berated, or worse. Sure, all for a tail-light out. Why? Because over-zealous cops can over-react to any # of things. Does that mean none of us should driver ever again? No. Of course not. We all KNOW those are exceptions, and not rules/norms.

And I also wonder about the hunter who ran into such a type archie. I mean, for pete's sake, was he parading himself around during an indian pow-wow? an archie convention? Right in front of the archie's ranger station digging holes? It's always possible to find someone to gripe about our hobby. You can never get everyone to love you or your hobby. So .... sometimes you need to learn a little discretion in timing, I hate to say. But so too does this go for anywhere. Not just one particular form of govt. land.

 

[cudamark]

Someone was detecting on BLM land in NV, dug up a 1952 dime & was fined something like $700-$800 plus given a good scolding. Told they should leave pulltabs in ground as they might be of interest to future generations of archaeologists. Best wishes, George (MN)

Someone? Who? Where did you get this story? On what site was this person digging? Until I see something more concrete, I'll reserve judgement on the story's importance. I, and others I know have hunted NV BLM land without an incident, so, I find it a bit far fetched.....not impossible mind you, especially with today's administration, but like Tom mentioned, maybe just one frustrated rogue ranger that washed out of archie school.