discouraged

[germanshepherd]

Hello, I wanted to get into the hobby of detecting but in reading all of these posts about not being able to search here or there, and I agree with the logic etc but seems like there is no place to try this new hobby..
I had an el cheapo detector back in the 80's when I was a teen but back then, and where I lived, almost no place was off limits except for someones yard. sadly, the unit I had was not that good so probably missed a lot of items.
Where I live now in Central PA, everything is built up, marked no trespassing or posted off limits etc.

Where do most of you go? thanks

 

[Terry Soloman]

Welcome from White Plains, New York! If you are looking in local playgrounds or parks, you are looking in the same place as everybody else since 1980. You need to research places people gathered in the PAST (1870 - 1950). Be prepared to do a little work with your head, not just your machine. Good Luck!

A Few Sites to Get You Started:

1) Old Schools
2) City/Town Parks
3) Circus/Fair Sites
4) Old Churches
5) Old Homestead Sites
6) Swimming Holes and Areas
7) Picnic Groves
8) Athletic Fields
9) Scout Camps
10) Rodeo Arenas
11) Campgrounds
12) Ghost Towns
13) Beaches
14) Old Taverns
15) Roadside Rest Stops
16) Sidewalk Grassy Strips
17) Amusement Parks
18) Rural Mailboxes
19) Reunion Areas
20) Revival sites
21) Fort Sites
22) Winter Sledding Areas
23) Lookout/Overlook Sites
24) Church Supper Groves
25) Fishing Spots
26) Fishing Camps
27) Resorts
28) Old Barns and Outbuildings
29) Battle Sites
30) Band Shells
31) Racetracks
32) Rural Boundary Walls
33) Roadside Fruit and Vegetable Stands
34) Under Seaside Boardwalks
35) Flea Market Areas
36) Ski Slopes
37) Drive Ins
38) Canal Paths
39) Vacant Lots
40) Motels
41) College Campuses
42) Farmer Market Areas
43) Town Squares
44) Urban Yards and Backyards
45) Disaster Sites
46) Areas Around Skating Ponds
47) Hunting Lodges and Camps
48) Mining Camps
49) Railroad Grades, Stations and Junctions
50) Hiking Trails
51) Waterfalls
52) Rural Dance Sites
53) Lover's Lanes
54) Areas Adjacent to Historical Markers
55) Old Gas Stations and General Stores
56) Fence Posts
57) Chicken Houses
58) Bridges and Fords
59) Flower Beds
60) Playgrounds
61) Old Garbage Dumps
62) Cloth Lines
63) Military Camp and Cantonment Sites
64) Wells and Outhouses
65) Abandoned Houses and Structures
66) Areas where Old Trails Cross County or State Boundaries
67) Piles of Scraped Soil at Construction Sites
68) Old Stone Quarries
69) Areas Around Old Abandoned Cemeteries in the Forest
70) Junctions of Abandoned Roads (crossroads)

 

[jeff of pa]

location certainly matters. Harrisburg seems to be the worst.
I've been told all Harrisburg City, & Dauphin County Parks are off Limits.
although a Few have told me they hunt Harrisburg parks unmolested .
"Dauphin County Parks" web site Says No Metal detectors

Other then that. Most of the PA area I'm familiar with, Public Parks Mean "Public"
Church Groves are Church owned, Most municipalities (Boroughs, townships)
also let you hunt "Public property" unmolested.

But Beware your worst enemy is Your Conscience.

IF you ask permission you have a 50/50 chance of getting a No from someone who doesn't want to admit
they don't have the authority to say one way or another.

 

[releventchair]

PA full of places to hunt. Depends on what you want to hunt. Amazing hunting in PA. compared to some other states.
What ever it is you want to hunt do your digging research wise before learning a new detector. Learn it first then go afield. Keep accurate notes of possible sites and leads. You will see why over time. I use recipe cards. Bring paper and pencil or pen always. About lost a great lead from a civil employee that way.Lucky to catch him again but it took a while. After years of watching me around one community another worker approached and offered to leave a gate open to an event area.
Don,t focus on where you can not hunt. Network with people in your area starting near home and expand out. Hi how ya doin? I,m in to metal detecting and see you have some dirt out there ,mind if I check it out? Do that at places you spend your money. People you ask may know of other places,people,lost items. My barber gave me two leads. Smile it's a fun hobby. It gets easier in time relaxing and gaining people skills. Be fair and polite and your reputation gets around.
Dump the negative. Focus on the positive. Somebody says no you ain,t out nothin or bleeding. My area has few options so what? It is a big world and when you squint there is always a new place you overlooked before.

 

[jeff of pa]

By the way, Don't mix "Dauphin County Parks", with Local Parks in Dauphin county

They are not the same, & do not follow the same rules

Dauphin County Parks

 

[germanshepherd]

thank you all for the responses and great advice. I am in harrisburg area so this is helpful.
Terry, awesome list of sites and really broadened my thinking.
I will have to focus on the positive. thanks all..
Jeff

 

[germanshepherd]

There is a place where I used to live that was said to have had an old park (like an amusement park) a very long time ago. My friends and I used to play in the woods near that site (none of us had detectors at that time). This is going back almost 40 years ago but I do remember finding lots of neat bottles, colored glass etc. there were also remnants of old stone foundations that were getting overgrown. Not sure what the place looks like today but that is sure one place I would like to go back to as an adult.
Not sure who the owner is of that land though. its in the middle of no where basically.
Not sure if the spoken history of the place is accurate but as a kid, rumor was that it used to be an old tiny amusement park but never found anything online about it. Either way, something was there a very long time ago.

 

[releventchair]

Reasearch time. If a plat book of township section map ,possibly with correct owners name, doesn't help then it may be somebody paid taxes on it. Taxes are records you can often find a name on. Slide into the township office," Hi great day )" to the clerk before inquiring who owns a spot you can show on a map. Clerk probably only wants an address.
Old maps of most communities are interesting. Old newspapers with old photos can be located in x.y.z. form where?
Keep it fun. A check on the old park for recon on a great day could be worth it. Maybe an eyeball find. Keep an eye out too for old brick pieces.
Try to tell what layers are composed of . Natural or fill dirt brought in.stuff can be brought in taken out.. Always swing on fresh piles of dug up material if its there. Fresh diggins on your park site need attention right away if you have been detecting it a while you,ll have ideas about reaching deeper. There's how. Even if you get going on this park ,keep lining up other hunts. When a permission is granted is the time to hunt.
You can have places lined up you need to ask at and hit them consecutively the same day till you get a yes. Be a guest with a belong there attitude. Pick up trash. Leave where you uncover something better than it was and the soil /surface of site blended back in with whats around it. If you see mowing stuff consider how much vacuum the machines have so you know if a flap plug don,t work (if digging ) how big a plug. Pushed tight a little plug or a big one going to get pulled out? Move to where mowing equipment was. You,re not in their way and you can get the most out of your coil to ground height.

 

[germanshepherd]

Reasearch time. If a plat book of township section map ,possibly with correct owners name, doesn't help then it may be somebody paid taxes on it. Taxes are records you can often find a name on. Slide into the township office," Hi great day )" to the clerk before inquiring who owns a spot you can show on a map. Clerk probably only wants an address.
Old maps of most communities are interesting. Old newspapers with old photos can be located in x.y.z. form where?
Keep it fun. A check on the old park for recon on a great day could be worth it. Maybe an eyeball find. Keep an eye out too for old brick pieces.
Try to tell what layers are composed of . Natural or fill dirt brought in.stuff can be brought in taken out.. Always swing on fresh piles of dug up material if its there. Fresh diggins on your park site need attention right away if you have been detecting it a while you,ll have ideas about reaching deeper. There's how. Even if you get going on this park ,keep lining up other hunts. When a permission is granted is the time to hunt.
You can have places lined up you need to ask at and hit them consecutively the same day till you get a yes. Be a guest with a belong there attitude. Pick up trash. Leave where you uncover something better than it was and the soil /surface of site blended back in with whats around it. If you see mowing stuff consider how much vacuum the machines have so you know if a flap plug don,t work (if digging ) how big a plug. Pushed tight a little plug or a big one going to get pulled out? Move to where mowing equipment was. You,re not in their way and you can get the most out of your coil to ground height.

thanks. I do recall that the foundations were stone and I think possibly more modern materials (turn of the century modern) but even almost 40 years ago I recall brush/trees etc taking over the whole place and it was partial foundations, like one side or a corner left etc.
I will have to see if I have any old friends back there who can possibly find out who owns the land and then start doing what I need to do.
I need to get a detector first LOL. Looking at the Whites Coinmaster as I am trying to keep cost low since I am spending 10k for new windows this fall.

 

[jeff of pa]

There is a place where I used to live that was said to have had an old park (like an amusement park) a very long time ago. My friends and I used to play in the woods near that site (none of us had detectors at that time). This is going back almost 40 years ago but I do remember finding lots of neat bottles, colored glass etc. there were also remnants of old stone foundations that were getting overgrown. Not sure what the place looks like today but that is sure one place I would like to go back to as an adult.
Not sure who the owner is of that land though. its in the middle of no where basically.
Not sure if the spoken history of the place is accurate but as a kid, rumor was that it used to be an old tiny amusement park but never found anything online about it. Either way, something was there a very long time ago.

If you can locate it on a map

Check if the Land owner database is online

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/pennsylvania/44719-pa-property-listed-county.html

this should give you the land owner info including a Mailing or "Stop by (better) " address


another cool place for info is [SIZE=+1]Atlas of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 1875[/SIZE]

1875 Dauphin County Atlas Interface

These maps show where everything stood in 1875,
and includes land owner names from back then

Example: 1875 Map of Derry Church PA,est. 1729
(Now Known as Hershey)



Same General Area Now



You can even work online from Penn Pilot

& check out Aerials from the 30's , 50's, 70's & recent to compare

Penn Pilot Photo Centers

 

[Rawhide]

Jeff of PA beat me to it. Research will pay off. You can find a lot of stuff in the reference section of your local library and the historic records of the local college. Library of Congress is a great source of reading also. I find it easier to pick one type of hunt and just do that. Good Luck.

 

[germanshepherd]

Thank you Jeff and Casca. VERY helpful..

 

[germanshepherd]

wow, the current aerial view of that place I was talking about really changed. what was a wooded area are now some homes right in the area that we used to play around in as kids. looks like well manicured lawns now.. what was fields look like woodlands now. amazing how things change over decades.

 

[George (MN)]

I think in Harrisburg some people mistook the capitol grounds as a city park as this grassy area with no major buildings extends to a couple blocks away from the capitol. There is some fair-sized city in PA where I think nearly all parks are off limits as part of historic districts. I would look at park & rec rules & city code & if no metal detecting prohibited signs are present, give it a try. Best wishes, George (MN)

 

[SkySgt]

Never get discouraged! Seems like the odds are against us, but a little looking around the old hometown, and asking for permission will get you into quite a few great places.

I live near an Air Force base, and they have a park that has been there practically since the base was opened (1920s). I simply sent an email to the base's Public Affairs Office, and got permission to hunt rather quickly. I have also sent emails to a few of the local metropolitan areas nearby, and I have been given permission to hunt in all of their city parks. Only one city has allowed me to hunt, but notactually dig (Surface items only).

Some of the best places to hunt are on private property. There is an old rundown Drive-In Theater near me, and it has been for sale for the last ten years, or so. I plan to call the number on the for sale sign to see if I can get permision to hunt on the property. I plan to hunt the area around the admission gate, the snack bar building, and the playground. There is also an old school from the early 1900's that was remodeled into apartments. That place is also for sale and I plan to email the seller for permission.

I do a lot of my asking via email, so that I have written proof that permission was given. Save the emails and keep a printed copy of all of them in a binder in your vehicle (I do this, so that I do not accidentally leave them at home).

Some property owners are a hard nut to crack! In those cases, I state that I will turn over all items found to the property owner and will only keep those items that I am allowed to keep. I ask that in each case, I be allowed to at least photograph the items for my "Hunt Portfolio." Sometimes that will loosen them up a bit. With me, it's not all about keeping everything I find. I get more satisfaction from the act of hunting, than in keeping.

Hope this helps .... Swing away!

 

[germanshepherd]

thanks Sky Sgt, very positive post and great tip on the email. glad you mentioned the drive in because I know of a few closed ones within 2 hours from me.
thanks for your service as well from a former Air Force brother..
served in the 201st RED HORSE unit.

 

[SkySgt]

Aaaaahhhhh .... Penn ANG Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron Engineers!

 

[outdoorfunblonde]

I am new at the metal detecting thing, too,and I know the feeling of "being restricted".
There were a a lot of things I didn't know about metal detecting before I got one, and was too, very discouraging!
FRET NOT!! You have places to go, with just a little thinking. I have knowledge of a few old homes, and decided to buy a map of my area from 1936. Trying to compare with then and now... you start to see where schools and other "public "functions went on regularly. Know of any creek beds... river beds Floods always bring things from all over. Do a little investigating of your area, and you will start to find places to go. Good luck, and if you want to metal detect... do it!!!

I was irritated that a friend of mine found a dang canon ball mold while doing plumbing on a house!!! Stuff is everywhere waiting to be found!!

 

[outdoorfunblonde]

Great advice from SkySgt about doing the asking permission by email as proof!!
Didn't think about that, and just did my first email asking a min ago... hope to see a yes in the morning!! LOL

 

[nomad 11]

Welcome from White Plains, New York! If you are looking in local playgrounds or parks, you are looking in the same place as everybody else since 1980. You need to research places people gathered in the PAST (1870 - 1950). Be prepared to do a little work with your head, not just your machine. Good Luck!

A Few Sites to Get You Started:

1) Old Schools
2) City/Town Parks
3) Circus/Fair Sites
4) Old Churches
5) Old Homestead Sites
6) Swimming Holes and Areas
7) Picnic Groves
8) Athletic Fields
9) Scout Camps
10) Rodeo Arenas
11) Campgrounds
12) Ghost Towns
13) Beaches
14) Old Taverns
15) Roadside Rest Stops
16) Sidewalk Grassy Strips
17) Amusement Parks
18) Rural Mailboxes
19) Reunion Areas
20) Revival sites
21) Fort Sites
22) Winter Sledding Areas
23) Lookout/Overlook Sites
24) Church Supper Groves
25) Fishing Spots
26) Fishing Camps
27) Resorts
28) Old Barns and Outbuildings
29) Battle Sites
30) Band Shells
31) Racetracks
32) Rural Boundary Walls
33) Roadside Fruit and Vegetable Stands
34) Under Seaside Boardwalks
35) Flea Market Areas
36) Ski Slopes
37) Drive Ins
38) Canal Paths
39) Vacant Lots
40) Motels
41) College Campuses
42) Farmer Market Areas
43) Town Squares
44) Urban Yards and Backyards
45) Disaster Sites
46) Areas Around Skating Ponds
47) Hunting Lodges and Camps
48) Mining Camps
49) Railroad Grades, Stations and Junctions
50) Hiking Trails
51) Waterfalls
52) Rural Dance Sites
53) Lover's Lanes
54) Areas Adjacent to Historical Markers
55) Old Gas Stations and General Stores
56) Fence Posts
57) Chicken Houses
58) Bridges and Fords
59) Flower Beds
60) Playgrounds
61) Old Garbage Dumps
62) Cloth Lines
63) Military Camp and Cantonment Sites
64) Wells and Outhouses
65) Abandoned Houses and Structures
66) Areas where Old Trails Cross County or State Boundaries
67) Piles of Scraped Soil at Construction Sites
68) Old Stone Quarries
69) Areas Around Old Abandoned Cemeteries in the Forest
70) Junctions of Abandoned Roads (crossroads)

WELL SAID MR.SOLOMAN