Newbie

[Chelle]

Hi everyone. I am new at this. I havn't used my metal detector yet. Where can I go in Bucks County that is legal? I'm reading online all these Parks rules and regulations and how you can get caught up in the Law by accident. Can I search along the Delaware River at low tide?

 

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[River Rat]

 

[cudamark]

Usually reading the laws yourself is the best method for any particular site. You also might check into joining a local detector club. Veteran hunters will know about problem areas.

 

[vpnavy]

Welcome aboard! Take a look at Sub-Forums: Pennsylvania for information (i.e., clubs, etc.) directly related to your state.

 

[OverKill]

Hello from Tennessee,and Welcome to the site.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

chelle, the question you need to be asking (if you are skittish), is not "where is it legal?", but rather "where is it illegal?". By that I mean that ....... you're not going to find places where there is some sort of specific ALLOWANCE (eg.: "metal detecting welcome here", etc...). So what you want to look for, is places where there might be some sort of rule or law saying you can't (if there were such a thing). And if it's silent on the subject, and doesn't say anything either way, well then presto, it must not be prohibited I mean, sure, use common sense and don't tromp around obvious sacred historic monuments, or waltz over beach blankets at an archie convention, etc....

As for the seemingly ominous "rules and regulations" you read on-line, I think 99% of that is "projection". Especially if you're new to this. You know, like if you read a "scary story" (a thread about how "someone got booted from somewhere" or "such & such city or state parks are off-limits", etc....), so you are made to think "oh my gosh, there's laws everywhere" and "oh no, everyone dislikes this", etc... But that's just the "projection" of the incident(s), that in the mind of the cautious person, they assume these things, therefore, must go on all over the place. What those "scary stories" aren't showing, is the 99.9% of places people go to hunt, and no one cares less.

Another example of "projection" is people who think that motorcycles are dangerous, and that certain doom and injury awaits anyone who dares ride one. Why? Because they read of calamities, injuries, statistics of them versus car or plane travel, etc.... Yet truth-be-told, for any single injury (that might drive that person to make this assumption), there were 10,000 event-less injury-free routine-motorcycle riders daily. Yet, still, there are people who are utterly convinced they're just doom machines waiting to happen any moment. They "project" from the stories of injuries, or others who tell of this impending risk, etc.... And the caution-level kicks in, and presto, there must be accidents "all the time" right? No.

Rarely ever is there any specific prohibiton on detecting at city and county levels (and no, I don't take the "alterations" or "defacement" type clauses to apply, since you know you'll leave no trace of your presence, you are therefore in compliance with them). If you are skittish, you are welcome to check the city or county websites, where often there is a section of municipal codes, charters, laws, etc.... Or if not on their website, they have to be available SOMEWHERE for public viewing (behind the counter at city hall in binder form, or ... etc...). If you see nothing there that says "no metal detecting", then presto, it's not prohibited. Heck, most people won't even go to that level of scrutiny. And if they don't see something saying that on the wooden sign at the park entrance ("no dogs allowed", "no overnight camping", etc...), then that's good enough for most of us.

 

[smalltowngirl13]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

 

[NoBootyYet]

Welcome from Alabama and happy hunting to you. Be sure to share your cool finds as well as the things that you learn.

 

[Rookster]

Welcome from N. Mississippi. After you find a few detector buddies things about locations will solve itself. I guess we people in the south are lucky on most locations. Most parks except some federal are legal and most school yards. Ask about old Drive-in movie locations, you can hunt a while in those places. Good luck.

 

[markp]

Welcome to the site and happy hunting