Got turned down today

[cwdigger]

I went to an old freind house that i have grown up with and his dad owns the land, now I have known this man for 22 years and he owns roughly 600 acres where a small civil war skirmish took place so i went to his house and asked him if i could MD in his fields and told him what ever I find i will give to him, any trash i find will be picked up and the place will look like it did when i got there, he was very quick to say NO i could not belive it, i have helped this man pick tobbacco and work on his farm since I was a little boy and he said NO I was completly shocked is there anything anyone knows of that i can do that maybe will make him change his mind, or why possibly he was so quick to turn me down, It really doesnt matter all that much as i can hunt the farm right next to his but that really put a damper on my day.

 

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[Ocean7]

usually someone has gotten a real bad taste in their mouth from previous experiences. maybe he gave permission to some jerks that went into his crop fields and trampled down all kinds of crops in their zeal to find relics. Some people are just stuck on stupid and they ruin the chances of anyone else ever hunting an area.

Maybe he has a small fortune hidden on his property and put it there himself.

maybe he's just another Smagel and you could be his own son and he'd say NO! Just move on and chalk it up to experience. Everyone
will not say yes to you - it's just life.

 

[EDDE]

I went to an old freind house that i have grown up with and his dad owns the land, now I have known this man for 22 years and he owns roughly 600 acres where a small civil war skirmish took place so i went to his house and asked him if i could MD in his fields and told him what ever I find i will give to him, any trash i find will be picked up and the place will look like it did when i got there, he was very quick to say NO i could not belive it, i have helped this man pick tobbacco and work on his farm since I was a little boy and he said NO I was completly shocked is there anything anyone knows of that i can do that maybe will make him change his mind, or why possibly he was so quick to turn me down, It really doesnt matter all that much as i can hunt the farm right next to his but that really put a damper on my day.

maybe he doesn't like you

 

[IndianaSmith]

I wouldn't push the issue, some people tend to fly off the handle pretty easily anymore, besides it's his property. However I think I'd remember it.......especially if I passed him on a rainy night when he had a flat tire

Smitty

 

[ScrewcapRoy]

Sorry to hear you were turned down in this manner. Can't understand why but the others have some valid reasons. All I can say is keep digging the other farm and maybe show him some of your finds. He may come around or maybe he does have a stash hidden on his property and doesn't want you turning it up. I wouldn't let it affect your relationship but just be aware that he has a reason. Someday he may tell you or breakdown and let you eventually. Good Luck on the other farm.
HH Roy

 

[robert roy]

Sorry to hear you were turned down.

There is a soccerfield I go to sometimes to MD. I went there this Tuesday to see if I could recover anything more with my MXT. One of the grounds keepers drove up in his truck and very poltely asked me not to MD there anymore. He said, "I know you guys replace the dirt after you dig, but its been leaving brown spots when it doesn't rain for a few days." He was polite about it and I returned the favor and just said "No problem." Too bad because
that field really paid off!

It would be interesting to take a statistical survey from the many different MD forums and collect as many of the reasons for being turned down as possible.

But I would not push the issue with this gentleman. If he says no, then thats the end of it.

Regards

Robert R

 

[Michigander2005]

Give him time he may come around your friend may be able to bring the dad around some day too.

on the + side stuff will still be in the ground for you some day

 

[wildrider]

Disquise yourself and lock him in a closet. Then go hunt.

When your done, go by looking for him and ask if he'll reconsider and "accidently" find him in the closet and rescue him.

NOT! What in the heck were you thinking.

Seriously, I have land that I'd like to hunt in my wife's close family. Both CW and indian rocks are in the "plowed" field, but alas I have been told NO, by the uncle that farms it.

I don't see what I can damage, but a No is a no is a nO.

 

[ivan salis]

he might feel its a gravesite of the soldiers that died there and thus doesn't want them bothered -- some folks do feel that way --- could be his kin owned the land back then and died in the battle -- or bad seed types might have screwed up his place before -- the land is his - thus the right to hunt it or not is his to give or not give -- maybe depending on how "gruff" he was in saying "NO" you might ask him why--- but if it was a very gruff "NO" just remember he doesn't owe an you an explaination of what he does or doesn't want happening on "HIS" land. ---and often times working for folks don't make em your freinds --just your employers --- Ivan

 

[Demrok]

Maybe he has a small fortune hidden on his property and put it there himself.

no doubt that's it

 

[Tricia]

You said you went to an old friend's house and asked the father (the landowner) if you could hunt the land and he said no.

I agree with a prior assessment that he may have allowed MDing in the past and someone did something to PO him. Make a mess, disturb remains, steal artifacts, whatever.

Or maybe he just doesn't like you. Just because you've known him for 22 years doesn't mean he's your buddy. From your post it sounded like his son/daughter was your friend, not him.

Or just maybe you have a bad reputation in your town. If you want to find out go to other houses along the same street and ask if you can hunt their property. If they all turn you down, you have a problem with your neighbors. If they all say yes, perhaps the farmer is just a private person and doesn't want the liability of someone doing damage or getting hurt on his property.

Civil War artifacts are still a hot market and there are far more pirates than politically correct people who ask for permission. The unscrupulous treasuer hunters have tarnished MDing's reputation a bit. That why it is important to ask for permission and obey the decision of the landowner.

 

[txkickergirl]

I would ask your friend whats up with their dad for starters.

 

[Shortstack]

Something similar happened to me. In the small town I live in, there was a 2-story hotel that was used as a hospital right after the siege of Vicksburg. With dozens and dozens of suits of bloody clothes being burned out behind the building, there's a good chance there were a lot of uniform buttons, Minnie balls, etc. being strewn about the back lot. A few years ago that building was torn down and the lot cleared for sale. A guy I've known for about 30 years bought the lot and built an auto parts store there. One day I stopped by to ask him for permission to detect in the open area out beside the building and he very quickly said, NO! NO WAY. Then his son spoke up and said that they'd had had to dig out, in their words,"a lot of soft gunk and crap" from the lot and have fill material brought in. When I asked where the "cut" material was taken, the ole man said that he didn't know and didn't care. I told them, "well, thanks anyway" and left.
Up until that time, I bought most of my auto parts needs from them, but afterward, went to NAPA instead. I don't mind being told "no". But, I DO mind being told, "NO, NO WAY!" I mean, you have the right to refuse, but don't be an A--H--- about it.
Other people in town have said, "sure, have fun. Hope you find some good stuff." Those are the people who will share in anything of value I may find on their places--even though they've never asked.

 

[ivan salis]

hey short stack* the "lot of soft gunk and crap" -- just might have been bodies -- it was a hospital after all -- of course once he "bought" the land and started to build his auto parts store --the man found out "the bodies" were there but by then it was too late -- it was dig and dump the bodies or stop building the store and lose out on his investment (so the dead lost out)--- of course theres no way he would want anyone to know what he did however --- so NO you can't look (because you just might find other bodies or body parts) -- and NO I not telling you where we "dumped" the dirt (bodies / body parts) since then folks might just figger out what happened --- sounds about right -- after all the folks that died at the hospital had to be buried some where and most likely it was close at hand -- plus there were pits used to throw sawed off limbs into --the soft gunk & crap statement by the son makes one think hummm-- Ivan

 

[BuckleBoy]

I wouldn't push it with him...and act like everything is normal with your relationship with him. Keep in mind that this was probably a bigger shock to you than it was to him. You'd been looking forward to a yes, and you know what could be on his land...

That said, it will be in the ground waiting for you. If he didn't let YOU hunt it, then he CERTAINLY won't be granting permission to strangers.

Regards,

Buckleboy

P.S.--To Robert Roy: That is precisely the reason I DON'T hunt in summer or during dry weather. No matter whether one hunts private yards or clad...as soon as there is a chance for dead spots, there is a chance you won't be granted permission the next time. I use my summers for research. I would urge others to start taking notice of the weather and be conscious of the grass in the summertime...

 

[Shortstack]

hey short stack* the "lot of soft gunk and crap" -- just might have been bodies -- it was a hospital after all -- of course once he "bought" the land and started to build his auto parts store --the man found out "the bodies" were there but by then it was too late -- it was dig and dump the bodies or stop building the store and lose out on his investment (so the dead lost out)--- of course theres no way he would want anyone to know what he did however --- so NO you can't look (because you just might find other bodies or body parts) -- and NO I not telling you where we "dumped" the dirt (bodies / body parts) since then folks might just figger out what happened --- sounds about right -- after all the folks that died at the hospital had to be buried some where and most likely it was close at hand -- plus there were pits used to throw sawed off limbs into --the soft gunk & crap statement by the son makes one think hummm-- Ivan

Well, the bodies were buried in our town cemetery with proper headstones, but there MAY have been amputated limbs burned out back and buried on site. Don't know for sure, there is a mass grave location, too, in the cemetery. The amputated limbs could be in that mass grave or burned and buried in the lot. No real records for the "hospital" that I know of, but the State Archives may have something. It just hasn't been important enough for me to go there and check. There are several other historical places in town that I DO have permission to hunt.

 

[ivan salis]

well if you check -- most likely the properly buried folks with headstones and all that where from the early years of the war ---- most likely it was when the "massive battle" took place that is where the mass grave came from -- too many bodies showing up too quickly for "proper " burying sadly -- the "parts pit" was most likely close by the hospital --- most likely out back -- the sawed limbs and bloody raggidy clothes were burnt there -- yours was a big battle -- lots of wounded with lots of "parts" lost -- sorry if the subject is rather gross but so is war itself -- maybe I am getting off topic but I trying was thinking of a reason why short stack would be turned down (getting turned down was the topic of the thread) and being it was a hospital in the CW naturally the body / body parts idea come into my mind -- sorry I should have just PMed short stack about it rather that post it in the open -- again not wanting to hijack the thread sorry -- Ivan

 

[SomeGuy]

Since we're speculating here, I've noticed that old men often become strangely irascible several years before they're diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Just a WAG.

 

[desertfox]

SS, all the responses to you post are vary valid. The old man has his reasons, respect them even if you don't know what they are. It sounds like you have plenty of other places in town to hunt along with the property right next door, enjoy what you can hunt and some day that place will open up to you. In the mean time Happy Hunting and good luck.

Desertfox

 

[ivan salis]

the reason they love sod is one day they will be sod