THIS IS MY SPOT!!!!

[b3y0nd3r]

So I got a grand story to tell(I will post it in another thread). However, I would like everyone's take on who's spots is who's.

Short of it: I did research and found a spot. There was someone there. He left and I went where he was searching.

The next time I was there and he was there, he was mad at me for searching in his spot(both before and at that time). Was I wrong or right?

In a public area, what demarcates someones spot? Do you go where ever or, do you respect someone's spot as there because they got there first?

 

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[Carolina Tom]

I assume neither of you own the property, and both have permission. If the guy took you to the spot, it's his spot. If, as you say, you did research and ID'd a spot, well that's fair game if you ask me. Schools, parks etc, all public domain, nobody "owns" it. If you really want to get to the guy, take a couple of friends with you next time, and make sure that you show him what he missed.

I live a small NC hicktown, there is an older MDer in this town... oh, we will call him "Cheesy John". This corn toothed rascal believes that he owns two thirds of the town, and that I am not allowed to hunt his "spots". He is wrong! I take everyone to his spots now! The other people enjoy hunting his spots, and I enjoy seeing them do it.

Best of luck to you sir, and don't let bully blowhards get the best of you.

 

[Injunbro]

It seems to me courtesy dictates if someone else is working an area give them some room. It's also not a good plan to watch where others hunt & swipe their hotspots. On the other hand on public property it would be almost impossible to find an area someone else hasn't already worked & checking it out when they're not around is fine. My wife & I used to own some ranchland that had an Apache campsite & also an old outlaw camp. We let anyone who asked search as long as they showed us their finds. I found some artifacts in the Apache site & some broken gun parts & a stage coach lock in the outlaw site but as far as I know no one ever found anything of value. One time an older gent wanted to know if he could file a gold claim in a canyon behind my office... Nope, you're not tearing up everything accessing a rough canyon. When I found he just wanted to pack out a few 5 gallon buckets of sand @ a time & pan I said sure as long as he showed me what he found. Over 3-4 years he showed me 3-4 ounces he'd recovered before he died.

 

[b3y0nd3r]

to be clear, i was not searching right next to him nor with-in a 50 foot diameter. I did observe where he was and AFTER he left investigated his "spot". The area IS public. I was not there with him, but I did hunt with him one time, years ago.

 

[Deft Tones]

No right or wrong unless there is interference in another's legal activity.

Public area is everyone's "spot" - bottom line.

At a minimum it would be respectful to maintain a minimum 25 yrds. distance to others... imo.

If they leave the "spot" it's open season for anyone else.... research or not.

Don't be bullied.

 

[Jason in Enid]

to be clear, i was not searching right next to him nor with-in a 50 foot diameter. I did observe where he was and AFTER he left investigated his "spot". The area IS public. I was not there with him, but I did hunt with him one time, years ago.

You're not doing anything wrong. Public is public. Hunt it hard and good luck!

 

[Terry Soloman]

LOL! I have had morons tell me I was on "their beach!" I just smile and tell them to have a nice day.

 

[BigWaveDave]

So, the fact that you hunted with him once before, that intrigues me....
Were you friends?, did you have a falling out?, Did you guys not "click"?.... Interesting.

That could somehow change the dynamic of this predicament. Depending on your relationship, you could back off, and hunt other areas...or if you are a Richard like me, live on this spot, until every last target is dug and gone, even the nails.

 

[b3y0nd3r]

Well, I used to hunt with another guy, who brought him along one time. When I first saw him again at "his spot" I didnt know who he was until I spoke with him for a little bit.

 

[kcm]

Public land is "first come, first serve". The ONLY time this isn't true is 1) when someone else is already there, or 2) as in prospecting, when you can get a claim on a specific area. Since there are no claims in MDing, then it's all fair game.

Enjoy!

 

[against the wind]

I always try to be friendly towards another person who is swinging a metal detector. At a NYC Park, I approached another hobbyist to say hello and ask how he was doing. I noticed he was wearing a NYC Parks Department ballcap. Needless to say, this fellow was not a happy camper. I guess he didn't like seeing someone else finding something that he would have found if I didn't get my coil over it first. He asked me if I had a permit. I really didn't like his tone and asked him if he worked for the Parks Department. He said no and then showed me his permit. Then he asked to see my permit again. I pretty much told him to take a hike. I went back to detecting.
I see him about 15 minutes later, talking to the park supervisor. Then the Supervisor approaches me and almost apologizes for having to ask to see my permit. The Supervisor checks my permit and hands it back. He tells me that he never does this but there was a complaint. He walked away shaking his head.
About 2 weeks later I see "MR. SHOW ME YOUR PERMIT" being questioned by Parks Enforcement Police. They were responding to a complaint about someone digging on the baseball field. He was clearly recovering a target when the Police walked up on him. We are not allowed to dig on baseball fields.
The administration is afraid that someone may not properly backfill a hole and cause an injury to a player. After the police let him go, I guess he needed to talk to someone. He came over to me and told me what happened. Now he wants to be my buddy??

 

[kcm]

 

[ARC]

I always try to be friendly towards another person who is swinging a metal detector. At a NYC Park, I approached another hobbyist to say hello and ask how he was doing. I noticed he was wearing a NYC Parks Department ballcap. Needless to say, this fellow was not a happy camper. I guess he didn't like seeing someone else finding something that he would have found if I didn't get my coil over it first. He asked me if I had a permit. I really didn't like his tone and asked him if he worked for the Parks Department. He said no and then showed me his permit. Then he asked to see my permit again. I pretty much told him to take a hike. I went back to detecting.
I see him about 15 minutes later, talking to the park supervisor. Then the Supervisor approaches me and almost apologizes for having to ask to see my permit. The Supervisor checks my permit and hands it back. He tells me that he never does this but there was a complaint. He walked away shaking his head.
About 2 weeks later I see "MR. SHOW ME YOUR PERMIT" being questioned Parks Enforcement Police. They were responding to a complaint about someone digging on the baseball field. He was clearly recovering a target when the Police walked up on him. We are not allowed to dig on baseball fields.
The administration is afraid that someone may not properly backfill a hole and cause an injury to a player. After the police let him go, I guess he needed to talk to someone. He came over to me and told me what happened. Now he wants to be my buddy??

I would have seen him across the way getting questioned by the police and I would have yelled out to him... " SHOW HIM YOUR PERMIT ! ! !"

:P

 

[kcm]

AARC, it won't let me "like" a post more than once. Darn it!!

 

[Honest Samuel]

When I used to search beaches, I give them at least 20 feet apart. If you see a person searching a spot, after they leave, then you have the right to search that spot. Good hunting and Good luck. Connecticut does not have search permits.

 

[b3y0nd3r]

Thanks for the replies. In the big post i have planned, you are going to see the whole story, I will bet my ctx 3030, that it will change some pre-conceptions.

 

[Loco-Digger]

That's like someone being offended if you run on a public track after they started to jog their laps. Common courtesy is all that's needed. I have gone to schools while another MDer was already there, I simply put about 100 yards between us and began my grid on one edge of the property while he cherry picked a few areas near the baseball diamond. A month or so later I introduced myself to him on the local county MD facebook page, no harm no foul. I agree with what Tom said though, if someone take you to a private site or a permission, it is his site and vise versa. Public lands are for public use.

 

[Deft Tones]

I took a guy to an undetected area of a local park that after rectifying the maps I discovered used to hold a farmstead. We found IHP's, V's, Merc's, and wheats at 3" to surface. Before wecalled it quits I explicitly told him to hunt here whenever he can. I researched it, confirmed it on a scout, and offer it to him on condition that he find himself that IHP he's still waiting to find.

Life is too short.

 

[G.I.B.]

"I'm sorry sir, but I've been coming to this spot for 11 years. I was being polite by letting you hunt it, but it's time for you to leave now."

 

[SusanMN]

I have run into some very territorial hunters while water detecting. One way they try to intimidate you is to get right in front of or along side of you while you are trying to hunt so they can push you out of water they want to hunt. I will generally move once to give a new Hunter space and the benefit of the doubt that they really didn't know they were crowding me but I had one gent who moved right along side of me a second time. So I straightened my spine to my full five foot height and decided I would hunt at his elbow if need be for the rest of the morning before I'd let him decide which part of the lake I could hunt. He blinked before I did. Otherwise I treat aggressive people like strange dogs and small children - avoid eye contact and ignore them til they go away.