Got booted out of park this morn....

[lostcauses]

Great post. Agreed.

If it were me I would go to the mayors office and get to the truth of the matter. Just because the mayor has a dislike for our hobby doesn't make his opinion gospel. That is if it is even the mayor at all, and not just a disgruntled park employee. Any new ordinance against metal detecting will take time to implement. In most case it would also have to be brought before a committee of some sort. This means the mayors office will have to show proof that there was damage done to park grounds or property. This would be your chance along with and any fellow hunters to show the benefits of our hobby. Both environmentally, and historically. One persons opinion can and will make a difference if added tactfully, and at the proper time. Bring evidence of the trash that is removed during a hunt and pics of a proper plug. Most of the time ignorance is our greatest enemy when it comes to keeping our privilege. If the public is more educated and enlightened as to the pros of our hobby we would have a lot less problems. In cases like this if no one speaks up on our behalf the politicians win. This is only my opinion but I believe it will be the same with a lot of the folks here at T-Net. Everyday we lose huntable grounds due to folks remaining silent. Most of the time the problem could be avoided. Keep your head up.

JuJu

 

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[IAsoldier]

Dont feel bad I had the mayor of one town stopped by and talked. He first interduced himself as. Im the mayor, the d&*k of this town. I replied back Im the a-hole that digs the holes why whats up. So after talking with him and which was a nice guy and did live in my town many moons ago. From what he said that some guys stopped by and did some mding there and left some big holes which I didnt see around just smooth grass. Over all just go back after a couple of months or stop by and talk to him. Good luck. and HH

 

[ivan salis]

first and foremost ---find out the real "problem" / issue --- why is it a "problem" to metal detect in the mayors view ?--( if indeed it is the park grounds keeper fellow might be "blowing smoke") -- if theres a real issue say pvc water spinkler systems that could get "broke" ---ask which parks don't have them * and say the parks that do not have em shouldn't be "off limits" then since that reasoning doesn't logically apply to them -- if he / she is just anti detectorist --you dig holes in the lovely sod type --theres always the next election -- and make sure all your detecting buddys "vote" in it.

 

[gollum]

Come on folks,

Don't y'all know the real reason for this? Look where he lives: Mena, Arkansas!

Bill Clinton and his buddy Tyson probably have a bunch of bodies already buried there, and don't want them dug up! HAHAHA

Best-Mike

 

[fmerg]

it is in my humble opinion that you should stay out of the park for a bit
keep an eye on your local laws and rules meetings
if you see any signs of a law be considered go to the meeting
take a small box filled with dirt and topped with grass
demo how we dig just to show them that there is no damage

then pray

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I agree with newt, cheese, and rogues. I have had this happen now and then, and just avoided that one park, or just that one barney-fife in the future. After 6 months or a year, I bet you never run into them again. Of course, this is all assuming, as you say, that there is no real rule (just one busy-body who happened to drive by).

For example: I had a lady cop stop my friend & I, in a certain park in a town about an hour from me. She said we can't do this, blah blah. As it turns out, we were just finishing up anyhow, so we just left & didn't debate her. I then talked to a fellow md'r who lives in that town, and he was shocked. He had personally hunted that park for years and never had a problem. So he checked in city hall, through all the park's dept's books and rules, and sure enough: nothing saying no md'ing. Sure, there might be something about vegetation or whatever that someone could try to apply if a person were a nuisance, but nothing specific. That was 10 yrs. ago. I only pass through that town once a year or so. I have been back and detected, with no problem, many times since then. I can only imagine that if I had tried to go above this lady, to the mayor (as some of you are suggesting here), that the plan could have back-fired, and it might only have resulted in a law being written "to address this pressing issue" Because let's face it: no matter how much you try to sidestep the issue, if you so much as even BREATH the word "probing" or "holes" (even if in the context of leaving none), you can easily get someone who will say "no". Ie.: sometimes no one cares UNTIL YOU ASK.

So I tend to go at low traffic times and avoid busy bodies to begin with.

 

[lastleg]

Pudsbrat, how's it going? I remember when you guys started the club
in Mena. Was it club members or another group detecting the park? If
it was members I suggest you arrange an informal meeting w/his honor
and bring clubbers along to show him that you guys are residents and
mean no harm.
Maybe going there in a group is what he's upset about. If you and your
members ask him politely what can you do to smooth things out and
to be able to hunt old pennies in a responsible way you will give him an
opportunity to solve the problem. These guys thrive on compliments.
Hope you got your house put back together after that tornado.

lastleg

 

[Tom_in_CA]

SWR: you're perfectly right. If you go to ANY park in ANY city, ANYWHERE and ask "can I destroy the vegetation in the park, dig, etc....?" They will tell you "no". So I interpret these vegetations things to be the OUTCOME. Ie.: I will leave no trace, and when I'm done, you will not be able to tell I was there. Will that work in a technical sense? Probably not. The mere fact that you intend to even temporarily probe or cut or dig (even if only for a moment and you will re-pack with no trace), will probably get you a "no", if you asked enough people in any city, far enough up the bureaucratic ladder.

So all I can say is, if a person really believes this definition of detecting and digging, they probably should stick to private property with permission, or their own yard, etc... Because no city, anywhere, will ever give you permission, if you really believe this definition (and tell them this truth of yours while asking).

 

[Pudsbrat]

Went yesterday morning to talk to the park supt......he told me he didnt have a problem with people digging in the park at all....very nice to talk to and sympathetic to our problem..... the guy that told me no digging was standing there with a smirk on his face so we went outside and talked away from him......the supt called the mayor and talked to him for a while and really went to bat for the detectorists but he said he would have to think about it...well he did for about 10 minutes and called the supt back and said no digging of any shape form or fashion in the park....but the supt told me not to be discouraged...he was going to keep at the mayor for awhile.....told me to call him back in a week or two and see what was going on.....mayor said one reason was liability......he was afraid that someone would step into a hole and twist an ankle and sue the city....and he said he saw someone in the park with a trenching shovel digging...so some knucklehead was probably up there screwing around and messed it up for all of the rest of us...

 

[Newt]

So the Mayor makes the laws now?
Newt

 

[txkickergirl]

Went yesterday morning to talk to the park supt......he told me he didn't have a problem with people digging in the park at all....very nice to talk to and sympathetic to our problem..... the guy that told me no digging was standing there with a smirk on his face so we went outside and talked away from him......the supt called the mayor and talked to him for a while and really went to bat for the detectorists but he said he would have to think about it...well he did for about 10 minutes and called the supt back and said no digging of any shape form or fashion in the park....but the supt told me not to be discouraged...he was going to keep at the mayor for awhile.....told me to call him back in a week or two and see what was going on.....mayor said one reason was liability......he was afraid that someone would step into a hole and twist an ankle and sue the city....and he said he saw someone in the park with a trenching shovel digging...so some knucklehead was probably up there screwing around and messed it up for all of the rest of us...

Are they sure it was a detector person and not an animal problem like armadillos? groundhogs etc? Maybe a whole batch of those pests should be relocated to the park if the mayor insists on no metal detecting. I have a few hundred groundhogs at the ranch I can send you.

 

[lastleg]

Pudz, take her up on the offer. You can put some in the park and feed
the rest to your razorbacks.

 

[RGINN]

Hope you're doin good Pudzbrat. I didn't care for the Bill Clinton remark, as he's from over at Hot Springs and Mena (Mener, as we said) is located, well we won't tell them. You have a lot of history worth researching around there. Some of my family came from Posey Holler, which is close to there. My aunt and uncle lived in Board Camp for a while and I spent some time in the summer down there. You can do these things, and believe me I know how things work in Little Dixie. Go someplace else. Make a stand and say show me the law. (Be very polite on this one, as they will send the police if you raise your voice) If you got some money, either contribute to the mayor or get him voted out. Finally, and people not from there will not understand this, but you just might, find out who the mayor's real dad is and let him know you know that. If you find out who the mayor's 'other kids' are, that's a plus. I'm sorry y'all but that's too often the case, and if y'all are from small towns in the south, you might just agree. Good luck Pudzbrat, thanks for letting me post this completely false response.

 

[lastleg]

AWW, RGINN, that's brilliant, son. Do a genie ology on el mayor to see
what's in the closet.