Can I metal detect in desert by Las Vegas?

cschaeff · Dec 28, 2014

We are planning a trip to Las Vegas and was wondering if anyone can tell us if we can go out into the desert (near Vegas) and just start metal detecting?

wainzoid · Dec 28, 2014

That would be a good question to ask the landowner. Or you could go and just tell them Wainzoid gave you permission. They will understand.

Limitool · Dec 28, 2014

I think the Federal Govt. owns most of Nevada or at least a very large portion of it...?

Tom_in_CA · Dec 28, 2014

Can a person typically just walk or hike there, where you have in mind ? Ie.: "just open desert", right ? If it's not fenced, and has no signs saying "no metal detecting", then ....... turn your question around the other way: Why WOULDN'T you think you can metal detect ? :icon_scratch:

I'm not sure where this mentality got started. That our hobby is somehow intrinsically bad or dangerous, such that it needs other's princely say-so's. Or is somehow forbidden, unless told otherwise, etc....

When I travel the deserts of the southwest, and see something interesting out in the middle of the desert (old foundation, etc...), I do not hesitate to hunt it. I mean, sure, use common sense, of course. Eg.: if it's an obvious sensitive historic federal monument, or if there's an archaeologist's convention campout going on there at that time, etc.... then pick another spot.

bigfoot1 · Dec 28, 2014

I hunt in the desert alot...I just go and never had a second thot about it.

hvacker · Dec 28, 2014

I never used to think much about it either. When I bought my first BLM status map and National Forrest maps I discovered there is are private holdings a person wouldn't know. If you really want to know who's land your on what I do is buy a map from the BLM or National Forrest Service. . They are very detailed and indicate townships and land status locations with some lat/long start points. To help with location they have power lines or water tanks and other landmarks to assist.
While it must cause some to puzzle over Gov agencies the National Forrest is a part of one dept and the Blm is another. They are the Dept of the Interior and the Dept of Agriculture. I just keep mixing up who's who. I think the Nat Forrest is Agriculture but don't hold me to it.

Don't understatement the temperature extremes in the desert. A person can cook and freeze on the same day. Pack as if your going to get lost.

galenrog · Dec 28, 2014

While the Feds control most of the land in Clark County, there are considerable private holdings. The only way to determine ownership status is to pay a visit to the Clark County Clerk. If ownership information is not available there, the nice people in that office can direct you to the correct office.

While BLM and Forest Service have nice looking maps, few people there know much about land status or ownership, or how to determine such status. They seem to know a lot about Federal regulations, however.

BosnMate · Dec 29, 2014

On Federal land in the west, what was once open to all sorts of hobbies, is now very controlled and restricted. You can hike out there, and shoot targets or hunt without a problem, but metal detecting is another story. As far as I know, there is no Federal law against metal detecting for coins or gold nuggets. Any artifact over 50 years old it is illegal to remove, so that rules out any of the WWII training areas, picking up purple bottles etc. Nevada also has laws governing artifacts and ghost towns, perhaps stricter than the Feds. In Oregon a few years ago, a couple of guys got in real trouble rooting through a WWII logging camp dump. They had some bottles and a log cabin syrup tin, over 50 years old, and ended up in court over it. And of course you are never to touch an arrowhead or other Indian relic.

pong12211 · Dec 29, 2014

Sure why not. Ones of those situations easier to ask for forgivness than permission :laughing7:

. Just stay away from govt. property and historical sites and you should be fine. Just my opinion.

Tom_in_CA · Dec 29, 2014

BosnMate said:
On Federal land in the west, what was once open to all sorts of hobbies, is now very controlled and restricted. You can hike out there, and shoot targets or hunt without a problem, but metal detecting is another story. As far as I know, there is no Federal law against metal detecting for coins or gold nuggets. Any artifact over 50 years old it is illegal to remove, so that rules out any of the WWII training areas, picking up purple bottles etc. Nevada also has laws governing artifacts and ghost towns, perhaps stricter than the Feds. In Oregon a few years ago, a couple of guys got in real trouble rooting through a WWII logging camp dump. They had some bottles and a log cabin syrup tin, over 50 years old, and ended up in court over it. And of course you are never to touch an arrowhead or other Indian relic.

Bosn-mate, it's easy for us md'rs to get "riled up" over some fluke story, like your Oregon example. I mean, sure: every once in awhile, you'll read about a motorist pulled over and "roughed up" for nothing but a tail-light out. But seriously now, do you really think anyone is out there in the desert, checking the dates on coins that someone finds, with a calculator-in-hand doing the math on the ages of coins that we find ?

Jim in Idaho · Dec 29, 2014

BosnMate said:
On Federal land in the west, what was once open to all sorts of hobbies, is now very controlled and restricted. You can hike out there, and shoot targets or hunt without a problem, but metal detecting is another story. As far as I know, there is no Federal law against metal detecting for coins or gold nuggets. Any artifact over 50 years old it is illegal to remove, so that rules out any of the WWII training areas, picking up purple bottles etc. Nevada also has laws governing artifacts and ghost towns, perhaps stricter than the Feds. In Oregon a few years ago, a couple of guys got in real trouble rooting through a WWII logging camp dump. They had some bottles and a log cabin syrup tin, over 50 years old, and ended up in court over it. And of course you are never to touch an arrowhead or other Indian relic.

Yup....and, if you looked long enough, you might actually find somebody who pays attention to all those nit-picky regs. I sure don't. Nobody I know does, either. Live a full life...don't let the Bureaucrats grind you down.
Jim

bigfoot1 · Dec 30, 2014

I had a young forest ranger walk up to me bout a month ago while detecting the forest.Cant remember any rangers talking to me in the past.He asked(kind of aggressivly),"do you know the regulations for using that machine here?"I answered,"yup,what would you like to know about them?"he just smiled and asked how much they cost etc.What brand is good.
My hunting buddy offered him a cold beer and he just chuckled wished us luck and left.

JUST GO...HUNT...ENJOY
:occasion14:

Tom_in_CA · Dec 30, 2014

bigfoot1 said:
....My hunting buddy offered him a cold beer and he just chuckled wished us luck and left....

Hahaha. Well you know what that means don't you Big-foot ? To some people it might mean that ...... therefore, wherever that place was, was "ok". Right? But no. It simply means you didn't ask him, or his superiors, with the right combination of buzzwords. What you need to do, is go back to that fellow or his superiors, and ask again. Be sure to use words like "artifact", "dig", "remove", "treasure", "cultural heritage", and "indian bone". And THEN see what their reaction is.

I know I know, your conscience is now dripping with guilt. So go back, do the "right thing", and ask again. We're all rootin' for ya :occasion14:

goldnugget · Dec 30, 2014

Start with a Vegas club. I see where someone Post Finds from the Las Vegas area.He finds alot of tokens

BosnMate · Dec 30, 2014

Tom_in_CA said:
Bosn-mate, it's easy for us md'rs to get "riled up" over some fluke story, like your Oregon example. I mean, sure: every once in awhile, you'll read about a motorist pulled over and "roughed up" for nothing but a tail-light out. But seriously now, do you really think anyone is out there in the desert, checking the dates on coins that someone finds, with a calculator-in-hand doing the math on the ages of coins that we find ?

Jim in Idaho said:
Yup....and, if you looked long enough, you might actually find somebody who pays attention to all those nit-picky regs. I sure don't. Nobody I know does, either. Live a full life...don't let the Bureaucrats grind you down.
Jim

I've lived in Nevada, and hunted the Oregon desert, and I'm familiar with what you are talking about. But I don't think it wise to tell someone who doesn't know anything about Federal Lands and laws to just go ahead and detect. Trouble is those laws aren't enforced because there isn't that many law officers out there. In the case of the older than 50 years dump, an Oregon state cop busted them, not a ranger or BLM officer. You might call it a fluke, but I wouldn't tell someone not to worry about it, just go detect anywhere you want in the Fremont National Forest. Did you guys sleep through the flap of the "Rape of the Oregon Trail in Idaho." We were getting details of that in our little local paper. You going to tell someone to just go ahead, the Oregon Trail is just over there, check it out. I'm not going to say that to anyone, especially a greenie, those Idaho arcies are livid over that one. So yeah, there aren't many cops out thereon the desert, but that works a couple of ways, and one is if you get caught they will throw the book at you, because they aren't catching anyone else. That said, it's legal to look for gold, detect for nuggets, detect for coins, but Nevada is really hen house when it comes to ghost towns, and there is a law for a fact that says over 50 years it illegal to pick up, and anymore, Indian relics on Federal Land are not supposed to be touched. You guys live there and know the cop comes by on Thursday, someone from out of the area is not going to know what you know.

austin · Dec 31, 2014

Ok, enough. You are going to Vegas. Make a list. If detecting is anywhere near the top 20 things to do in Vegas, cancel the trip. I promise that you will have a lot more fun without the detector. Gamble a bit, see a show, have a couple of drinks, meet someone NICE, play a round of golf, gamble some more, have fun, go to a nice restaurant or even a cheap buffet. You can detect anytime and remember, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"...

hvacker · Dec 31, 2014

austin said:
Ok, enough. You are going to Vegas. Make a list. If detecting is anywhere near the top 20 things to do in Vegas, cancel the trip. I promise that you will have a lot more fun without the detector. Gamble a bit, see a show, have a couple of drinks, meet someone NICE, play a round of golf, gamble some more, have fun, go to a nice restaurant or even a cheap buffet. You can detect anytime and remember, "what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"...

You just mentioned all the things I dislike about that town.

Tom_in_CA · Dec 31, 2014

BosnMate said:
.... Did you guys sleep through the flap of the "Rape of the Oregon Trail in Idaho."....

No. Nor have I "slept through" various other horror stories of md'rs getting "roughed up" for detecting at various other places as well. If you and I take any/every such story as cause-celebre to begin to avoid those certain types of places, then ...... the point will come, when you might as well stay home. Because for every type location you can come up with (city park, county beach, forest, desert, sandbox, etc...) I bet I can come up with a "scary story" of someone who got hassled. So therefore, at a certain point, (like anything in life with risks), you have to ask yourself if you can even step outside your front door in the morning.