OMG, a must read for all permission seekers!!! For real, no BS

[doninbrewster]

Thanks for posting. I go door knocking, or more accurately drive around looking for someone outside their house in the yard. People seem less threatened if you drive up and they are outside their house. Some think of it as an annoyance if you bother them by knocking on the door.

 

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[OutdoorAdv]

Thanks for posting this. This is a good post as its always a good reminder to be aware of your surroundings and not go someplace you feel uncomfortable. It turns out it wasn't actually the caretaker who did this, but another person on the property that was hunting that shot and killed this man from 300 yards away. The guy convicted (10-25 year sentence) was actually a former lawyer who was hunting with a rifle (illegal in that county - shotgun only). It turns out, this was a hunting accident that turned even more criminal when the lawyer who shot him tried to cover it up. The lawyer who shot this man wasn't even allowed to own\possess a firearm due to a conviction in the 1980's... not sure I would have ever wanted to hire this lawyer to defend me. haha The caretakers rifle was a different caliber than the one that killed this man and he never had charges pressed against him.

Even though in this case it was a "hunting accident", it could have easily been a property owner/caretaker who shot him. Hunters wearing blaze orange and sharing the same property while hunting are fairly visible to other hunters. I shoot a lot for sport, own many guns and am very comfortable around firearms. However, this certainly reaffirms my thoughts on metal detecting on property with active hunters during hunting season. Its an unnecessary risk even if you detect wearing blaze orange during hunting season and share property with other hunters.

It's good to remember to ask about people hunting when we ask for permission this time of year. Also a good reminder that we could knock on the wrong door and come across a property owner that has ill intentions.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

You need to be aware where ever you detect. It is not a perfect world. That doesn't mean you should be paranoid, just be cautious, and pay attention to your instincts. Stuff happens in the city & in the middle if no where.
Thanks cjon for the info & reminder.

 

[bearbqd]

Ive gotten one agressive response from a mean old man. Granted his farm driveway was pretty long to get to the house and he was elsewhere on the property when we first knocked. We were headed back to the car when I see a pickup truck racing across the field toward us. An old man and his wife pulled up. I was as polite as could be about asking permission but he was mean and agressive the whole time. His last words to me were " You found your way on to my property, now you can find your way out!"

 

[Nortonics]

Hey, this place looks abandoned - let's detect it!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_David_Smith_killings



This happened in my State. Careful out there - plenty of freaks, with more being born every day. May Byron rest in Hell, once a fellow inmate snuffs him...

 

[cjon455]

Ok I've for some reason got some negative feedback from some, my response to that is "whatever", look, I doorknock like no one's business, often in remote areas, my point of putting this up was to inform, to inform people to be heads up when seeking permission, take it for what it is, I actually find it amusing that people take the time to be idiotic with their replies, so with that I say thanks, and the article will be here for anyone who wants to read it.....

 

[treblehunter]

I've knocked on hundred's of doors in the last 2 years and have have had one "moderate" confrontation. Usually it's the husband that says yes, then the wife doesn't like you on the property and kicks you out or makes hubby give you the boot. This year, a very nice, polite lady gave me a yes. Then when the man got home. He walks up to me and says "what are you doing" And before I could barely start syaing "looking for old coins". He proceeded to tell me to get off his property, after a second I realized it wasn't a joke. So I said politely "No problem, I'll leave right away" Then he said "And don't come back another time asking again" And then I did proceed to kindly mentioned that I asked permission, just to try and calm him down (I wasn't trying to use that as a means to stay, as I was already walking toward my car and turned around for a moment) He said "That's not even an appropriate question to ask" in a very mean manner. So I said. "Don't worry, I won't come back" And he hollered "No you won't!" So I literally threw my gear in my car and sped off before he did anything nasty. As I was pulling out he started to come back toward me. I really think this guy would have done something.

I usually only like knocking safe (or fairly safe) urban neighborhoods by myself. I scout a lot before I knock to get an idea of the people around, and the area. Usually I only like to knock out in the boonies when with a friend. I find that many people in remote areas think the worst when someone knocks on the door and don't take kindly to it. And I don't like the fact that if something happened, no one would be around to know what went down. In urban areas, people are generally used to people walking by, knocking, etc...And even if they are mean they just tell you no and slam the door.

I've met so many awesome people I never want to stop knocking. I had a guy cook me breakfast early this year! I've been invited inside and talked for an hour or more sharing stories on multiple occasions. Etc.....

Most awkward time was when a guy/lady were going to let us detect. But the lady was drunk, and only wanted to let my buddy and I hunt if she could hunt too, and was very adamant that we couldn't hunt unless she got to hunt too. At the time my only spare machine in the car was my CTX. Why I let her use it, I'll never know.

I was nervous the whole time. LOL!

I had a guy cook me breakfast, coffee and break out the maps, he then showed me his mancave with all the cool finds fro the barn. Indian artifacts and a open invitation to detect

 

[relic lover]

I think some of the off the wall responses to this thread were backlash from how hard it is to read the heavily edited version with all the blanks. You bring up a valid point though. I doubt that the guy would have been shot out of the window if he had knocked on the door and ask permission to hunt first. I think that is the real lesson here. Thanks for posting this story I live in PA and never heard it surprisingly.

 

[Honest Samuel]

Chill out everybody.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Then you are blessed!