legal

[token]

New to metal detecting and curious as to our state laws. Are public areas in our state open to detecting. Say old vacant town lots.
thanks

 

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[PBK]

Try searching on terms such as "treasure" at the following webpage

http://www.michie.com/mississippi/lpext.dll?f=templates&fn=main-h.htm&cp=

 

[token]

Thanks PBK,
Interesting website.

 

[redbronco]

Some state areas are ok, some are definitely no-nos. Paul B. Johnson state park is off limits. The beaches on the coast are county maintained and OK, accept in some bird nesting areas. Different departments and managers have different views, so it might be best to contact someone over the place you want to MD.

 

[token]

Thanks Redbronco,
There is a few vacant lots in my hometown where i grew up. Old fair grounds and tent revival were at a couple of them. Guess I need to ask the mayor.

 

[redbronco]

I would just check with the county or city clerk to see if there were any local ordinances on metal detecting. If not, just get permission on private property, use common sense on where not to dig - aka the front lawn of the court house and always use the metal detector's code of ethics - fill up your holes.

 

[Shortstack]

I would just check with the county or city clerk to see if there were any local ordinances on metal detecting. If not, just get permission on private property, use common sense on where not to dig - aka the front lawn of the court house and always use the metal detector's code of ethics - fill up your holes.

I checked with the County Manager in my county and he told me that county lands were not posted and that I shouldn't have any problems MDing on them. He specifically said the lawns of our county courthouse is off limits to detecting and we had a good laugh because I told him that THAT was my next question. It was all good natured joking and I told him I could understand his position because of the manicured lawns there. My original request about county owned property came a few minutes after I checked tax maps and found out that the location of a stagecoach stop is on county property. Oooooh Yeeeeah. Now it's just the question of chancing chiggers and snakes during the warmer months or frigging wet cold in the cooler months. In addition, the area where the house sat is growing with sapling trees thicker than hair on a cat's back. That site is on my "one-of-these-days" list.
So, my suggestion is to talk to the County Manager and not the County Clerk. The Manager is more in touch with our needs than the Clerk. The County Clerk, in Mississippi, is an elected position which means tap dancing with a politician. Point of info: County Clerks in the State of Mississippi usually have bigger paychecks than the Governor because they get a percentage of all fees paid into the county by us great-unwashed.