Fort Lee Bans Metal Detectors

Diggit

Hero Member
Mar 25, 2012
811
132
Michigan
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NOLA_Ken

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Jan 4, 2011
5,214
4,178
Formerly New Orleans.. Now Pueblo Co
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several, mostly Garrett
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"The ban not only preserves our past it also shields the relic hunter from severe injury or death."

Is there live ordinance in the ground or something? That statement seems a bit much to me.
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
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Salinas, CA
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This was already a federal location (a military base) and already an obvious historic site. So who is surprised on this? I mean, isn't this an ARPA thing for federal historic sites already? Don't we md'rs already sort of know to avoid obvious historic monuments? And as for all the "dire" things those archies in the link said, well duh, what did you expect to come from an archie? Of course the first things that will roll off their lips is anti-relic hunting blather, no matter WHAT location. Did you notice from the video that they even appear to have a full-time office there at that fort/base? Well gee, I guess we have to justify our jobs, so let's paint a picture of how important a thing is that we're going.

So this is nothing new, and has no bearing on cities and counties elsewhere. Ie.: not something like a "coming to a city near you" fear.
 

Dave44

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Apr 3, 2006
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Chesterfield, Va.
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Whites XLT, Minelab Etrac, Minelab Excal II, At pro
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I guess I have been making a huge mistake. I thought detecting was a no go on all military bases. Think they are just trying to stir the water?
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
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Salinas, CA
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"I thought detecting was a no go on all military bases....."

Ft. Ord near Monterey, CA (WWII origination, for all practical purposes) has been routinely detected since the 1970s, and no one has cared less (unless you were being a nuisance in some other way, or being st*pid and making holes right in front of a bored MP or something). But for the most part, no one has ever cared. Now is that to say that if ..... in all those years .... that if we'd asked enough high brass, or gone high enough up the chain of federal archies, that we might not have found ourselves a "no"? OF COURSE. You can always find a "no", at even the most innocuous places, if you ask long enough and hard enough.

All I know is that the only federal military bases I've ever seen, where anyone cared enough to really enforce anything, was when it was an obvious historic monument type place. There is one in SF, for instance, that dates to the mid 1800s, where I heard of some guys who got grief. But I mean, c'mon, a little common sense would have told them that.
 

renegade_7

Hero Member
Jun 10, 2004
968
75
Missouri
"I guess I have been making a huge mistake. I thought detecting was a no go on all military bases. Think they are just trying to stir the water?"
I have been MDing on a military base in Mo. for over 30 years, never had a problem. Yes, every once in awhile, I have been asked if this was okay, by persons other than the MPs. The only thing an MP ever asked me was " Finding anything?" What I do though, is use a bit of discretion. I stay out of training areas and off ranges. I think as long as one is not a training distractor, there would not be a problem. Just my way; been working for 30 plus years....
 

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Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
reply

I have been MDing on a military base in Mo. for over 30 years, never had a problem....

renegade, you know what this means don't you? It only means you haven't ask long enough, and hard enough, of enough high-brass there. So now go do the right thing (despite your never having had a problem there), and start asking. Be sure to use key buzz words and phrases like "dig" and "ammunition", "unexploded ordinance", "treasure", "holes" and "arpa", etc... (lest they not get the full mental implications). Before long, I bet you can fetch a "no" there.
 

renegade_7

Hero Member
Jun 10, 2004
968
75
Missouri
Oh no, Tom, I know better. Your right, and I learned what you are preaching long ago. I am in your corner on this one....
 

HutSiteDigger

Silver Member
Nov 26, 2012
2,849
1,283
Stafford,Virginia
Detector(s) used
Fisher 1266x and a shovel
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
You can tell these archaeologist in the video hate metal detectors, they think all because they went to a university to study archaeology that they should be the ONLY people on the face of the earth to dig relics and artifacts, Okay tell us we are banned from some stupid military base where you don't even find that much compared to places like Stafford,Virginia,etc. but don't sit there and make Metal Detectors look bad, for christ shakes kids and fathers enjoy this hobby together. I watched the video and no AMY you make MY blood boil, sure just leave all the relics in the soil and let them rot and never tell there true story.. Just because a couple MDers did something stupid they take it out on all of us.

So go take your 5 pipe stems, a couple civil war bullets and a few bottles you all find in a year but yet each make $30k from the government to sit around Ft. Lee with a shovel and laugh all day long and act like you're working. I know how you guys work, oh then go let the artifacts go sit in some back room for 50 years.
 

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nsdq

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Oct 16, 2011
4,031
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Tarpon springs FL
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AT-Pro,Ace 150, flea market digger
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i thought it was a no/go ,,,, i would not do it at FT Campbell, all kinds uxos from 30 cal shells to 500 lbs bombs on the golf courses
 

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