Thanks for the input on this question. I guess to put the question in a different light would help. I drive to point x on my map it is a dry stream bed. I look on the claims map that I printed from a site that listed claims up yonder. I walk past the known and listed claims and maybe wander far away from the claims and look at the rock formations and take a metal detector to scout it out. Does everybody really go through all the research just to walk around the desert?
Goldwasher answered this, but let me put THIS answer into a different light:
As Tnet is primarily a MDing site, the majority of people and their discussions have to do with private property as well as public land that has been restricted to MDing and sometimes any other public use. Like, why call it "Public Land" then!!??!! But back to what I want to say here, if a MDer goes out and is detecting and digging on land they're not supposed to be on, they get in trouble, as well as making thing harder for the rest of MDers by the ever increasing amount of restrictions that are imposed.
Now let's look at it from a private landowner's point of view:
Someone owns some land and, even if they don't own the mineral rights to that land, they still own anything that is buried right in the surface that is not natural minerals. Thos could include coins, jewelry, tokens, pull tabs, aluminum cans, or even a cache of buried treasure! Some people don't care if others go on their land to hike, detect, just taking a shortcut, whatever - but lots of people DO care. What's the point of owning land if you have no say as to who gains access or who can do what?
Now let's look at it from a claims side:
Suppose you have a legal minerals claim on a piece of ground. Maybe you've taken the time and effort to properly mark your claim; maybe not. In either case, as claim owner, you OWN the minerals that are in that ground. So to go on someone else's land OR claim and MD or prospect is just outright theft. You can twist and turn it around and sugar-coat it till it resembles fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies, but it still doesn't change the fact that you're trespassing on someone else's land/claim and/or stealing from them.
If you're out in the wilderness, the land you're on belongs to SOMEONE, even if it's the Federal Government. And as such, the rightful owner of that land should have say in who has access to said land and to what activities happen on the land. Can you trespass or MD or prospect without getting in trouble? Oftentimes yes. Still don't make it right. If you plan on going out somewhere and MDing or prospecting or even hiking, it's YOUR responsibility to know beforehand that you're in the clear to be there and doing whatever it is you're doing. It's "Personal Responsibility".
Shirking your responsibility can make things harder on everyone else.
