Trying to get brave!

[wannadanc]

My Bounty Hunter is practically NIB - and so I am not very aggressive about moving away from home turf. Today, I scouted a playground - too many kids - not ready to answer all the questions, and not sure it is allowed there. (Tomorrow I will call and find out)........

BUT - I took the BH to my son and DILs and actually FOUND something! It was a broken sprinkler head!!!!!!!!!!! Before you think I am sad, understand that this is the first "sounding" that resulted in FINDING something!!!!

Tomorrow will be better, if the good Lord is willing and the creek don't rise!

 

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[romeo-1]

Gotta start somewhere...keep going.

 

[goldencoin]

it's legal to MD any public land, unless there is a special laws (for like battlefields). Parks are very good places and are worth the effort.

HH
-GC

 

[Postalrevnant]

Agreed coins and finds are waiting for you. Other than GAS (definately ouch), you don't really have much else to loose. I haven't found much but about 30 cents average in clad the last 3 weeks. Have went for about 2 hours or so every other day, but I sure have enjoyed myself. Guess that is all that really matters in the end.

By the way, since this is the first post of yours I have seen, welcome to the Forum and to the Hobby. I hope you have a great many finds to share with us.

Postalrevnant

 

[wannadanc]

it's legal to MD any public land, unless there is a special laws (for like battlefields). Parks are very good places and are worth the effort.

HH
-GC

I am not sure about what is OK here - as I have already discovered that WA State Parks allow MDing only in SOME parks. At least they do have a brochure and a registration form.

So - I just know I will feel better once I know I am not going to get into trouble ..... and once I learn a bit more about how the BH works.

Thanks for welcome and encouragement. I have a lot of spots to check before I get far enough from home town to worry about gas expenses. Given that I am retired, I definitely have more time than sense or money!!!!

I didn't have my digital w/ me, so I couldn't memorialize that sprinklerhead. In the future, the camera WILL be with me! Katy, bar the door!!!!

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Welcome to the forum! Just be brave...Someone will be sure to let you know if you are hunting in a wrong spot! Most people are really nice about it! I would just hunt the school. You pay the taxes...you hunt it. I have never had any problem hunting a schoolyard

 

[Green1]

yupp, i agree with gypsy.........

 

[Blind.In.Texas]

hey wannadanc, congrats on the new sprinkler head.....and the BH of course.... Thats exactly why I don't go to many public places in broad daylight with mine. Hey hey hey watchaaa doooooiiinnn?!?!? huh huh whatisthatthinginyourhandwhatareyoudoingdijafindatreasurehuhuhdidjadidja? If prefer thermal imaging devices, NVGs, infrared and complete darkness with a snake light wrapped around my detector shaft. And if I see one car coming, the camouflage i am wearing helps me blend in with the trees. Im sort of an introvert myself sometimes.

JUST GET OUT THERE AND MAKE SOME GOPHER HOOOOLES!! oh yeah, and be sure to fill em in. let the gophers find their own holes have fun and good luck!

And thanks goldencoin for the knowledge for myself. Now i can leave my cammies in the car....just in case.

 

[Gribnitz]

it's legal to MD any public land, unless there is a special laws (for like battlefields). Parks are very good places and are worth the effort.
HH
-GC

Your in a good state then. This is not the norm for a LOT of states in the US. It may be public land, but detectorist get the shaft in a lot of states. You can drag a dead deer out, but you can't take a coin or arrowhead out. Never thought to look into National Park laws, but I suspect the same. Municipal parks vary from town to town. There are a few around me that don't allow it, but most are ok and some have special rules...like you can detect, you just can't dig (extremely upsetting and stupid).

 

[Gribnitz]

I have often wondered if it was okay to hunt the school yards legally. Is that true locally or just about anywhere? If it's okay anywhere then OMG is it ever ON! I can think a few places I am going to shred. When I get finished backfilling it'll look like a doggone golf course with all those dirty little divets...HEHE!

Man, that sounds like what we all try to discourage. If you go on public land, leave it the way you found it. Divots and unfilled holes will get the few places left to detect off limits quick.

 

[jopher]

Welcome WD...Ok..first...the proper terminology for your find is "AN INTERESTING RELIC".
Next...when detecting in public wear a safety vest and hard hat and have a few pin flags in your hand.People will think your looking for utilities! LOL Good luck....Joe

 

[wannadanc]

Welcome WD...Ok..first...the proper terminology for your find is "AN INTERESTING RELIC".
Next...when detecting in public wear a safety vest and hard hat and have a few pin flags in your hand.People will think your looking for utilities! LOL Good luck....Joe

If I wasn't a gray haired granny type that would probably WORK! It gives me lots of grins to contemplate doing it!

Practicing: AN INTERESTING RELIC AN INTERESTING RELIC AN INTERESTING RELIC

 

[jopher]

Welcome WD...Ok..first...the proper terminology for your find is "AN INTERESTING RELIC".
Next...when detecting in public wear a safety vest and hard hat and have a few pin flags in your hand.People will think your looking for utilities! LOL Good luck....Joe

If I wasn't a gray haired granny type that would probably WORK! It gives me lots of grins to contemplate doing it!

Practicing: AN INTERESTING RELIC AN INTERESTING RELIC AN INTERESTING RELIC

Jus tell em your name is "Miss Dig"!

 

[johnowill]

"Today, I scouted a playground - too many kids - not ready to answer all the questions"

Buy a set of headphones, it keeps everyone else from hearing the beeps and you can just act like you don't hear them if they start asking questions. I was shy about going out in front of the public with my detector at first, but with my headphones on, it's like I'm in my own little world and hardly anyone ever approaches me anymore.

 

[TreasureTales]

Definitely agree about the headphones being an asset for several reasons. Also, usually a phone call to the BUSINESS NUMBER of the local law enforcement office (don't call 911 about metal detecting!!!) will determine if it is legal to detect parks, schools and other local sites. Be sure to ask the name or badge number of whomever you speak with. Then if someone asks, you can refer them to that law enforcement person. The federal lands are a little mroe complicated. There is the Antiquities Law, of course, then there are various ways the laws are interpreted depending on which Forest Service or BLM office you speak with. AND National Parks are usually offlimits to detecting. Here in California the state parks vary in their restrictions. One park will say it's OK, another one not far away will disallow it. So let your fingers to the walking before hunting on public lands, after a few calls you'll feel more comfortable and confident about where you metal detect.

As far as the sprinkler head, that's much better than my first find!!!! I found a bent round nail! Now THAT was disappointing. Happy hunting wannadanc, and welcome to the hobby. It's a lot of fun and you never know what you'll dig up. Stick with it and keep posting.

 

[-MURPH-]

wtg

 

[Michigan Badger]

Hang in there wannadanc and ye shall find!

Badger

 

[Nana40]

I know how you feel...when I first got my md I didn't wander very far off my property...for the first six months! I was invited by different family members to come over and detect their yard and then I found myself going to friends places, then after I thought I could do OK, I asked and got permission to other sites....it gets easier. Keep going! Lots of excitement when you find your first awesome find! You'll never want to quit!

Nana

 

[shootist]

I was pretty shy about using my detector at first too, Ive never really hunted my own yard yet(house built in 50's) I went straight out to a park(hunted some trails in the woods), if it doesnt say anything on a sign about it I figure it is ok to hunt it. I live in a large city so Im pretty bold about most things and the detector is no different now. If I see some construction going on downtown I park and get right on it though there is always a pile of trash to contend with Ive never hunted anywhere and not found something ,almost always at least a couple pennys. Schools are by far the best place to start out detecting I think. The woodchips make for some easy digging so you dont get all wore out digging up pulltabs and you will learn what different coins sound like when they sound off. Ive had a lot of luck around high schools too,as a rule wherever there is a bunch of kids there is a bunch of money and other things under their feet.A really good spot to look is at the entrance to the football stadium if there is any grassy area near the gate its a cant miss for coins. If you still arent ready to leave the yard dig a few holes of varying depths and put different coins in them,see what each sounds like and har far down your machine will go,its also a good time to mess with the discriminate and sensitivity,see what seetings you can pick things up at and when you can no longer hear them.
Once you get some headphones you will really feel like you know what you are doing,even if you dont you will at least look like it and you will be saving tons on battery life,you cant imagine how much that little speaker eats up the batteries. Ive got some Koss headphones,they were 10 bucks at Meijer,the real lightweight ones with the foam against the ears(though Ive lost one of my foam caps) they have worked great for the 4 or 5 months Ive been doing it. Once you find something good you will be hooked, two of my boys were hunting with me like the second or third time they were out using one of my extra detectors and they dug up a sterling ring with a nice little stone that the wife said she thought was amethyst,now they are hooked have to go with me all the time their interest wanes when we are in a slow area but they are always ready to go the next time.
As far as being a little old lady I wouldnt worry about that a bit. I was in Myrtle Beach in June and there was this little old lady who worked the dry sand as far as I could see in either direction every day that I was there(6 nights),she was a really good detector and I learned a lot just watching her from my balcony. I would try and hunt safe areas where you arent likely to get your detector or anything else you may have stolen by some thugs. Unless you pack some heat :}

 

[rvbvetter]

Trust us. When you find that first gold ring or old coin. You'll go from wannadanc to Dancing in the grass !!! Welcome to the forum and enjoy your detector. HH