Anyone ever detect at highway rest areas?

[EpsilonMinus]

I am just curious, does/has anyone ever tried to hunt rest areas on the highway? Maybe one near town, or while on a trip somewhere you pulled out the coil while the misses was walking the dog or something, heh. I am thinking there are probably things to find, but the trash would be far above average, perhaps overwhelming... plus you'd have to deal with all the previous misses's dog walk, er.. gifts. I am sure someone has asked this before, but I couldn't find it, so I'm going to toss this one out there. Anyone tried this, and if so, any luck?
-EpsilonMinus

 

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[Coin Digger]

I haven't - but I sure have thought about it.

 

[enamel7]

I doubt you can do it. Usually an attendant is there and most of them are state property.

 

[tertiaryjim]

I once tried one of those thats just off the highway on a circular drive . Found some clad and picked up lots of trash. Didn't turn the detector off while crossing the freshly paved drive through the small park. This pavement was so fresh ,there were only a few sets of tire tracks on it. About 4 ft from the pavements edge I got a clear silver quarter signal. !!!! Jim

 

[EpsilonMinus]

I doubt you can do it. Usually an attendant is there and most of them are state property.

Well, ok, I can see that, but what about in places like in the mid-west that are just little loops or drives off the main way, or the ones for truckers to park in. Also, being state property would be a good thing, right? Doesn't that, in a way, mean public?

 

[EpsilonMinus]

I once tried one of those thats just off the highway on a circular drive . Found some clad and picked up lots of trash. Didn't turn the detector off while crossing the freshly paved drive through the small park. This pavement was so fresh ,there were only a few sets of tire tracks on it. About 4 ft from the pavements edge I got a clear silver quarter signal. !!!! Jim

Man, you found silver in a rest stop? That's pretty amazing, I bet you are now part of a TH minority for that.

 

[ddbowdoin]

I am just curious, does/has anyone ever tried to hunt rest areas on the highway? Maybe one near town, or while on a trip somewhere you pulled out the coil while the misses was walking the dog or something, heh. I am thinking there are probably things to find, but the trash would be far above average, perhaps overwhelming... plus you'd have to deal with all the previous misses's dog walk, er.. gifts. I am sure someone has asked this before, but I couldn't find it, so I'm going to toss this one out there. Anyone tried this, and if so, any luck?
-EpsilonMinus

not sure about TX, but here in liberal MA when you see a reststop the last place you want to go is 10 yards into the woods... let me put it this way, gay marriage in MA and you can imagine what happens in those woods... I still can't get that image out of my memory so I will never go back to the rest areas.

 

[bigscoop]

Use to hunt them quite a bit when traveling, makes for a nice stop and some good finds can be discoverd every once in a while. Never had any problems. Personally know of a $20 gold piece that was found in a rest area in Penn.

 

[miller433]

I hunted one once just to get off the road for awhile. Found a travel token that I believe was from WWII.

 

[Dave P]

I am just curious, does/has anyone ever tried to hunt rest areas on the highway? Maybe one near town, or while on a trip somewhere you pulled out the coil while the misses was walking the dog or something, heh. I am thinking there are probably things to find, but the trash would be far above average, perhaps overwhelming... plus you'd have to deal with all the previous misses's dog walk, er.. gifts. I am sure someone has asked this before, but I couldn't find it, so I'm going to toss this one out there. Anyone tried this, and if so, any luck?
-EpsilonMinus

Funny, I was just thinking about this thought the other day. I am going to try it myself. I am first going to check with the State DOT and see if they have any authority or say in the matter. Dave P.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Dave, you say: "I am going to try it myself. I am first going to check with the State DOT".

Try this instead, instead of asking live persons "may I?" type permission questions, turn it around the other way, and see if there are any written prohibitions on it, instead. I mean, isn't there usually a sign at the entrance with rules written on it? Ie: no dogs allowed, no alcahol, no over-night sleeping, etc.... ?

Because if you ask some deskbound bureaucrat, you might get a "no", simply because someone (who probably never gave the matter thought before you asked) envisions geeks with shovels, or simply gives the easy answer, etc.....

 

[gregd573]

I asked the powers the be in the state of Missouri a few years back.....they said "No" and then went off about how it is public property and that the found items would belong to the public and could not be divided up amoung the public......anyway they danced around for awhile but the overall picture still remained "No". I have left it at that even watching some big changes in a couple of rest stops not far from me on major interstate with lots of dirt being moved......I figure there are more places that I can go with out the hassle. Take care all and good luck in your search for treasure.

gregd

 

[Tom_in_CA]

greg, how much you wanna make a bet, that those same "powers that be", had seen you, or anyone else out there, detecting at a highway rest stop, that they probably would never have noticed, or even given it a second thought. In other words, it's often a case of "no one cares or notices, UNTIL you ask". Because once you ask, they must "address your pressing issue", when odds are, they probably never really gave the matter thought before, or would even have given you a second glance. Moral of the story?

 

[EpsilonMinus]

If you are in a public place, even if the authorities don't notice, someone else will and will tell them. This happens to me, even when I think I have gone hunting early enough to beat the stalkers, even on public grounds... Then, I get the worse outcome of some grumpy 'town of wherever' guy having to wake up early and say whatever he has to say to get back in bed as soon as possible. I agree with the posing of the question as specifically as possible, though, "Is there a law that I cant to this?". It does sound a bit rude, but when you're dealing with people who don't understand what you're doing, it seems better to be as direct to the point as possible so that arbitrary opinions don't cost you hunting time. The 'public land' thing is a joke. It seems to be taken as assumed that 'public land' means 'protected -from- the public', ie. not public.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

" ........even when I think I have gone hunting early enough to beat the stalkers, even on public grounds ........

In CA, the drinking age is 21. I remember, in my early 20's, I had a friend who, at that time, was only 20. He bragged that he could "get into any bar, anywhere, and never had a problem." I assumed he must have a fake ID (very popular amongst high-schoolers at the time) or something. But no, he told me he didn't have a fake ID. Mystified, I asked him "how do you do it then?" He told me "I just walk right in like I own the place"

He had figured out, that it's only the people that stop at the entrance, and ask dumb questions, that get carded. Or people who nervously glance out of one eye while trying to skirt the bouncer, who get questioned.

I think the same thing applies to our hobby: If you nervously avoid stairs, and "stick out like a sore thumb", then yeah, someone's gonna ask "just what is that guy doing?" Not saying this is 100% fullproof, just saying, that I think too many people don't know how to keep a low profile and "look like they know what they're doing".

 

[Cool Hand Fluke]

A couple of years ago I pulled over off of Highway 1 on the Pacific Coast Highway to a spot overlooking the pacific ocean. It looked like a spot where countless tourist had parked over a long period of time. It was only about 20' x 50' in area. I found only about 8 coins, two were good ones. A 1943 silver nickel and a 1933-S Walker Liberty half dollar! Highway 1 has hundreds of pullovers that have yet to be hunted....

 

[batcap]

I am just curious, does/has anyone ever tried to hunt rest areas on the highway? Maybe one near town, or while on a trip somewhere you pulled out the coil while the misses was walking the dog or something, heh. I am thinking there are probably things to find, but the trash would be far above average, perhaps overwhelming... plus you'd have to deal with all the previous misses's dog walk, er.. gifts. I am sure someone has asked this before, but I couldn't find it, so I'm going to toss this one out there. Anyone tried this, and if so, any luck?
-EpsilonMinus

not sure about TX, but here in liberal MA when you see a reststop the last place you want to go is 10 yards into the woods... let me put it this way, gay marriage in MA and you can imagine what happens in those woods... I still can't get that image out of my memory so I will never go back to the rest areas.

Just imagine what people lose out of their pockets with their "Pants on the Ground!"

 

[2bits]

Hunting rest stops? I'm usually to tuckered out to think about it!
HH, Doc

 

[DigginThePast]

I am just curious, does/has anyone ever tried to hunt rest areas on the highway? Maybe one near town, or while on a trip somewhere you pulled out the coil while the misses was walking the dog or something, heh. I am thinking there are probably things to find, but the trash would be far above average, perhaps overwhelming... plus you'd have to deal with all the previous misses's dog walk, er.. gifts. I am sure someone has asked this before, but I couldn't find it, so I'm going to toss this one out there. Anyone tried this, and if so, any luck?
-EpsilonMinus

not sure about TX, but here in liberal MA when you see a reststop the last place you want to go is 10 yards into the woods... let me put it this way, gay marriage in MA and you can imagine what happens in those woods... I still can't get that image out of my memory so I will never go back to the rest areas.

Was going to say that I wouldn't want to be there, bent over digging a target. Or on my knees digging one for that matter.

 

[Dave P]

I am just curious, does/has anyone ever tried to hunt rest areas on the highway? Maybe one near town, or while on a trip somewhere you pulled out the coil while the misses was walking the dog or something, heh. I am thinking there are probably things to find, but the trash would be far above average, perhaps overwhelming... plus you'd have to deal with all the previous misses's dog walk, er.. gifts. I am sure someone has asked this before, but I couldn't find it, so I'm going to toss this one out there. Anyone tried this, and if so, any luck?
-EpsilonMinus

I saw this post and decided to try a rest area here in NC. I would have, should have, gotten permission to metal detect it but I do not know who to go to. So I went and I was finding tons of money, I was only there about 20 minutes and two workers came up to me and asked me what I was doing there because their supervisor was across the street with binoculars watching me and he wanted to know. I was looking for a ring for someone earlier in another location so without telling a real bad lie I told him I was still looking for a ring that someone had lost. Well that seemed to satisfy them but I left shortly after with a nice handful of change. I always figure if you want to find things, Money, jewelry and anything else, you have to hunt where people have been and these places are very well traveled 24- 7 and 365 a year. I am going to get in touch with the Department of Transportation to see if I can get permission to hunt these places. I am going to try to get it in writing so as to prevent some over zealous worker from giving me a hassle. I also have learned to not ask the secretary at these places for permission because they will more than likely just tell you no you are not allowed to hunt there. I plan on going to the top boss and get permission. I will let you know how that all works out.