Attention all detectorist in Central New York (Greater Syracuse)

[gtfm2345]

Listen I went to Pulaski elementary today and around a hour in the janitor asked me to leave. I was dumbfounded when he told me the school board had passed a no metal detecting on school grounds vote. I asked him what prompted such a vote and he explained that some guys had left holes all over softball field and got nasty with him when he asked them to leave. I have been detecting there for 5 yes with no problem. And I'll tell you what if I come across you your gonna have a real bad day. I'm willing to risk jail to defend the hobby that I love. Also ran into some holes in Onondaga lake park as well. For ****s sake its restricted enough stop making it a "evil hobby"

 

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[cti4sw]

Well, I certainly have learned a few things. First, I was going to suggest that maybe an animal or golfer created the holes and the district was simply blaming the stereotype, but that's been covered. Second, I didn't know animals will "re-dig" my holes looking for food, but it explains a lot. If scent is a deterrent when I walk through the woods, I don't see why an animal that smells me around a field will venture into the field even if I'm not there. Third, thanks to the guy who posted the screwdriver technique. I've been wondering about how that works for a long time; gonna have to practice that one. Fourth, didn't realize lawnmowers could pull up plugs. That also explains a lot; I usually tell people that the area will be fine after a good rain, anyway.

By the way, if I see anyone in SE PA MDing and not filling in holes, I will break your MD. You don't deserve to have one if you can't fill in a hole.

 

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[FreeBirdTim]

While schools and parks are "public property" they are still private. They are owned by the jurisdiction (i.e. school district or parks dept). The property owner can control hours of operation and can issue trespass orders.

Wrong! The school land was bought with taxpayer dollars. The school was built with taxpayer dollars. The school is maintained with taxpayer dollars. It is NOT private property and never will be private property.

The ONLY thing they can do is call the cops if they think you are up to no good. Janitors, teachers, groundskeepers and so on have ZERO authority to remove you from PUBLIC property. As long as you are there after school hours, you have a RIGHT to be there.

This is a common problem in small towns. School boards and town council members get power hungry and try to usurp the VERY limited authority they have in the town. We live in a democracy. If the school board or town council wants to ban metal detecting anywhere, they have to put it on the ballot or have a vote at a town meeting. That's the LAW, period.

 

[kyleeskastles]

It just amazing me that this is called "land of the free, home of the brave", i mean between this and everything else that saying just makes me laugh its comical anymore.

But then i get sad, generations of my family all the way back to king george fought for freedom. I bow my head in shame, because i am not half the men they were. I just say yes sir i wont be back and walk away, as my choices of places to hunt dwindle down. Something as simple as metal detecting, dictated by the oppressions we fought to escape is just a terribly sad reality.

It is neither land of the free nor home of the brave.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Well I tell you some very good points have been made.
There is definitely a problem out there with a few people either not knowing or not caring about refilling their holes, I'm pretty sure it no one on this or other forms, we pretty much are "informed" and would catch hell from others if we didn't fill our holes.
If I run across someone not filling their holes I will politely inform them it is a no no, and show them how to refill them, then if they still insist on digging holes and not refilling them their next hole had better be their head size because I will plant them head first in the hole then call the cops....I probable have enough clad saved up for bail.
I will also try telling the pd that they stumbled into one of their own holes and fell head first into another and I was just trying to help them out. Bar any witnesses it's my word against theirs.
I'm not advocating any violence but that's how mad I get.

I use my screwdriver to retrieve coins, once in a while I have to dig a small plug but not often. I have left targets in the ground because they were deep and the soil too dry. I can look back over where I have dug targets and not be able to tell where I dug and replaced the soil & grass.
It makes me extremely angry that I'm doing it right and could get kicked out of somewhere because someone else didn't.

Unfortunately I don't have a good fix for our problem, other than planting the offender, and maybe being invisible while detecting.
This is another reason why I don't find the TV commercials demeaning we MD'ers as funny, they're just more ammunition to be hurled at us and for no reason.

Ok I'm passing the soap box on to the next person.

 

[shawninNY]

Wrong! The school land was bought with taxpayer dollars. The school was built with taxpayer dollars. The school is maintained with taxpayer dollars. It is NOT private property and never will be private property. The ONLY thing they can do is call the cops if they think you are up to no good. Janitors, teachers, groundskeepers and so on have ZERO authority to remove you from PUBLIC property. As long as you are there after school hours, you have a RIGHT to be there. This is a common problem in small towns. School boards and town council members get power hungry and try to usurp the VERY limited authority they have in the town. We live in a democracy. If the school board or town council wants to ban metal detecting anywhere, they have to put it on the ballot or have a vote at a town meeting. That's the LAW, .

Follow this Not so Wise and totaly Misinformed Opinion and end up being like JailbirdTim! Public funds does not equate to public use property ,

 

[Clay Slayer]

Wrong! The school land was bought with taxpayer dollars. The school was built with taxpayer dollars. The school is maintained with taxpayer dollars. It is NOT private property and never will be private property. The ONLY thing they can do is call the cops if they think you are up to no good. Janitors, teachers, groundskeepers and so on have ZERO authority to remove you from PUBLIC property. As long as you are there after school hours, you have a RIGHT to be there. This is a common problem in small towns. School boards and town council members get power hungry and try to usurp the VERY limited authority they have in the town. We live in a democracy. If the school board or town council wants to ban metal detecting anywhere, they have to put it on the ballot or have a vote at a town meeting. That's the LAW, .

Follow this Not so Wise and totaly Misinformed Opinion and end up being like JailbirdTim! Public funds does not equate to public use property ,

Exactly right shawn...Tim, as much as you might not like to hear it and believe you are right by the letter of the law, you will be removed from school property if law enforcement determines to do so. An example, according to you this would mean that squatters and homeless people would be able to waltz right on in to the school property "after hours" and spend the night without being bothered or removed...no one is there, it is "public property" after all. Yeah right...

 

[tiburciovasquez]

I once thought someone was leaving holes open like the bad detectorists, but I found out that there turned out to be moles sticking there heads out of the holes and the squirrels only helped to make more trouble. I think we're often to blame for these holes other animals make.

 

[valleyglen]

not filling in a hole is not only ruining it for others and the future of the hobby but in public areas such as schools or parks
is very reckless, maybe if the negligent rolled their ankle in a unfilled hole they would think twice. I know of people that are so extreme in their hunting pursuits they planned trips to known sensitive historical areas to hunt. And if someone has the means
to pursue this practice and then ultimately get banned from Crown Point,NY. forever... It just shows how some will be willing
to break the law to make significant finds and in the end it is not nessarry to this, the more others abuse what we have in
this hobby I love so much, the less options will be availble to us in the future.

 

[Qball]

This is one reason I hate to see people using shovels to dig in parks on utube etc. In Northern California I would be burned at the stake if I entered a park with a lesche shovel. I never have any trouble with grounds keepers or the homeless but middle aged ladies are another story.

 

[Pointman]

What does help to prevent animals from uncovering your holes is to wear plastic gloves. One of the things that attracts the animals is your scent, left behind in and around the hole. I learned that a few years ago when a friend of mine and I detected a rural school. He wore plastic gloves and I didn't. He went back a few days later and noticed that some of my holes had been uncovered (I always fill them in and stand on them to push them in), but none of his were. We determined that the plastic gloves made the difference. If the animal doesn't smell something in and around the hole, it's not likely to dig looking for food.

Scott

I've had squirrels come back behind me and re-dig my plugs before.

Well if this was the case, I would hit each hole with bug spray or something. Come to think of it, it may keep animals from digging the hole in general because they would be repulsed by it.

 

[dutchtoga]

Parks, Schools, public lawns of all kinds i leave them just as i found them. When I'm in the woods i leave hole's and hunks of iron. I try to discourage the next guy as much as I can but when your ruining it for other people and being and inconsiderate jerk hole to other's. Confront them is right!! Sorry for your situation. Were you coming up with many good finds at Pulaski elementary any ways? The guy might of done you a favor.

 

[shawninNY]

h

when I'm in the woods i leave hole's and hunks of iron. I try to discourage the next guy as much as I can!

That statement must sound much smarter than it reads!

 

[dutchtoga]

Your right shawnin was feeling a bit toasty here.

h

when I'm in the woods i leave hole's and hunks of iron. I try to discourage the next guy as much as I can!

That statement must sound much smarter than it reads!

 

[shawninNY]

Yea , don't do that! HH

 

[WHADIFIND]

I'm afraid that it boils down something much more base.

Namely, power.

It's ALL about some people who wish to have their will more important than those around them.
Sure, there are those who leave holes, who are belligerent in the field when dealing with people, sneak onto spots without permission, hunt by the dark of night so they won't be seen, on and on.

If everyone who took up this hobby acted like this, then there might be some justification for them to treat us like vermin. But, the truth is, the MAJORITY of us are not like that and are good citizens. The concept that is being used by the "powers that be" are to take the easiest route. Easiest, for them. Just throw the baby out with the bath water.

This same concept could be used for a LOT of other things. Golfer's and their divots, tennis players and their empty ball cans and/or used tennis balls left everywhere, any cleated shoe sport and the way they tear up the grass and dont put it back, picnickers who just ball up their foil and toss it on the ground, beach goers who bury the used beer cans in the sand, kids walking to school tossing their wrappers everywhere, etc, etc, etc.

What would happen if we started calling the "powers that be" every single time we see one of those things? Would they close beaches, parks, Maybe even eliminate walking to school, etc?

I'd say, if they want to start eliminating things, let's start our own campaign and see just how far they're willing to go!

Heck, with that attitude, if one single person runs a stop sign, then the ONLY thing to do is to eliminate driving cars! Problem solved!


On the other side of the coin, this new school where I've been going recently, had a groundskeeper come over to me and said I was watching to see if you were refilling your holes. Since I was treating his grounds with respect, he had no problem. He even commented that he checked the next day or two and couldn't find but one or two spots where he could even tell I dug. (even the best of us wind up with an ugly hole now and then ).

We ARE being watched, so, act like it and show some respect!

 

[dutchtoga]

exactly what not to do Shawn?

Yea , don't do that! HH

 

[shawninNY]

Your right shawnin was feeling a bit toasty here.

type while toasty! Or leave obviously dug holes esp with an iron cherry on top, in the woods! Unless they are your woods ,

 

[dutchtoga]

type while toasty! Or leave obviously dug holes esp with an iron cherry on top, in the woods! Unless they are your woods ,

LMBO

 

[swolfe]

May not be detectorist's fault

I've had curious kids remove my replaced plugs after I leave a park before. I've also come back to areas that I detected to find that my plugs were disturbed by a dog or something. Sometimes this sort of thing might be happening.

 

[CRUSADER]

we have a lot of areas with drought - guys still hunt and even though they replace their plugs - they a re bone dry - and when they mow the lawn - it pulls them right up
have seen no detecting signs on schools also - detectorists were blamed for holes/divots left by golfers

That is bad detecting in my eyes. Dad & I only do sensitive grass areas after a good rain. It not only makes the plug go back better but it gives you better depth as well, so a win/win.