Question About Scouting Locations

[Coinhawk]

I'm planning some trips this summer to go around Texas metal detecting. I'm scanning through Google Earth and Maps to see if I can identify places that I might be able to get permission to hunt.

I've found a couple of what might be good spots in an old town where a large complex once stood but now it is grass and a little cement.

My question is this: Do you ever take where you are into consideration? Meaning do you avoid trying to hunt on lots that are within city limits/close to a lot of people? Or bad areas or town?

As I'm scanning through my options, it seems like the perfect place I would want to hunt would have the following attributes:
Private Property
A lot of acreage
Away from main roads or traffic
a historically significant location (even if that means that just a house stood on the land until 1920 or something.)
Next to a river.

Any thoughts? Has anyone ever had trouble with people interrupting you in a populated area, or worse, trying to rob you? I'm not too worried about this last one, but some of the areas I'm looking at might not be in the best part of town.

 

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[Skippy SH13]

I suspect Daylight helps a lot. Hunting in areas with a buddy also SIGNIFICANTLY decreases risk.

 

[Coinhawk]

Hunting with a buddy will be an options at one of the hunts, but not one of the others. I'm thinking early morning as well... say between sun up and noon.

 

[Carolina Tom]

We hunt the hood a lot! Most of the crime is drug related and the people know each other, so if you don't buy dope, you have eliminated 90% of the threat. We try not to go alone, and we try to go early. Most of the trouble happens after 3:00 in the afternoon, and nobody gets shot at 8:00AM. We have never had any real problems, just be aware of your environment. GL&HH!

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Problems with people will depend on local conditions . . . and locals. There's always someone who can't abide watching someone else enjoy themselves. Interruptions - all the time. Mostly curious kids. Have had a group of high-school aged kids start to turn from nuisance to threatening so I locked eyes with the mouthiest and backed him up while speaking in my "you're-yelling-without-raising-your-voice" voice that my wife says I sometimes use; comes with a special glare. Mostly a poker face but I did study Tae Kwon Do for a time.

Robbery - not while detecting. And never successfully. But then I'm 6'3" and have a good snarl. Most punks know an old guy will just kill you rather than put up with crap. Carry a Lesche. I just filed the edges of mine fresh for the new season. An intimidating tool.

If you find something - good or bad - just put it in your pouch and move on. Hopping up and down and "Yee-Hahing" is kind of like splashing around in shark filled waters.

For an idea of where to detect go to your County's website and check for things like a list of parks, or (better) a GIS ("Geographical Information System") to look for properties that may be public access. GIS is a program to have municipal/county/state information available for public access. Locally I can look at satellite maps and drill down to properties, then get things like owner and age of dwelling off the Tax Accessor's database website (thank's Freedom of Information Act). VERY handy looking for greenspace near old neighborhoods. It even has streetview images that show anything overly scary. I have found dozen of relatively unknown little park lots in and among nice, old Victorian homes in my nearby towns and cities.

 

[relicmeister]

I agree that early mmorning is best when in public areas. never be without a phone,either.