Covering All Bases - Did I miss anything?

[kc7rad]

OK, so I am stepping up to a real detector (Tejon) and am lining up potential sites. The local city park is OK per city folks (Surface only, where surface typically means about 4 inches deep) and they told me, any city land without Do Not Trespass signs is OK. Those two types of places gives me several good spots to check out. Actually, these sites are where I used to detect with my super-cheapo detector.

However, I want to get out and see what my new detector will do, and practice for some planned hunting back home in Illinois. So, I started poking around the county's assessor's map website. Several spots nearby were indicated as being owned by the 'USA'. I checked for possible inclusion in parks, reservation or recreation land... nothing. Checked for mining or mineral claims... none.

Most of these places will likely have little or nothing to find. Two spots that may be productive, surprised me. One is an old gift shop foundation and the other is an old highway rest-stop, both from the mid 1900''s and closed sometime in the late 1970's.

Am I missing something that I should be checking? These last two sites sound 100% ok to MD.

I am noob hunting outside the confines of parks and local city land.

-Ken

 

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[sniffer]

if you think it may be private land, don't trespass. if it's public, except federal land, it should be okay.
when you start asking if you can, most times they'll tell you, you can't

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Sniffer is right: If it's public land (even federal), and there's nothing saying no trespassing, then what's stopping you? Because as was said, often times, "no one cares ...... UNTIL you ask". The exception would be obviousl historic protected monuments, posted sites, or whatever.

I am reminded of the time my father assisted with a funeral, of a friend who had passed away. The memorial service was held at a park, next to a beach on the pacific ocean. After the service was over, and the attendees started to disperse, the plan was to scatter his ashes in the ocean (which had been the man's last wishes). As my dad and the other pallbearers took the little box, and were getting ready to walk to a promitory over-look to do this, the man's widow tearfully told them she was trying to figure out how to do this "scattering thing". Turns out, she had gone to the "coastal commission" to ask if it was ok to scatter his ashes there on the ocean promitory, into the surf. They had told her "no", because I guess it's considered introduction of foreign material, or there's prohibitions of disturbing the wildlife, or whatever.

Now, bear in mind, that in a cremation, the entire resulting material fits into a little box the size of a jewelry box!! It resembles dirt with pebbles. Now this poor lady was thinking she was going to have to take her husbands ashes into one of those expensive plane rides where some private pilot drops them out over the sea. And the lady was in tears thinking of how her husband had specifically asked to be scattered here, at his favorite ocean bluff, not elsewhere. When my dad learned of how she had received her "no" answer, he asked her "do you still want him scattered here? She nodded yes. So he took the box, walked to the edge of the over-look, and scattered the ashes!

I am convinced, that if you walked into any city hall anywhere, and asked if you could "have permission" to stand at the corner of Main and 4th St., at high noon next Friday, wearing a suit made of tree bark, and to spread peanut butter over your head, they would tell you that you need a parade permit, a variance application, and that it would have to go before the next council meeting, etc..... Now seriouisly though: If you just stood there at Main and 4th, and spread peanut butter on your head, do you think anyone really gives a durn? Do you think there's really any rule that specifically disallows that? (barring something silly they can morph, to "address your pressing question")

 

[kc7rad]

Thanks Tom and Sniffer. Private property without permission is definitely OFF limits for me. Just don't believe in that sort of thing.

Never had to check for property ownership and/or rights. I knew where I stood when walking city property or parks.

On the down side, one place I really wanted to spend some time on, right near old mine sights, is private property, owned by a development/mining company. Ah well. The places I know are fairly clear will keep me busy for a while.

-Ken

P.S. ...peanut butter on the head...

 

[sniffer]

as far as the old mine, I would check and see where their property rights end, and then find out who owns the adjacent property. remember too, if it is a public road that leads to it, it has an easement that is also public
Good Luck