Hate to ask, BUT...

[outdoorfunblonde]

I don't want to offend anyone, but, I'm going to ask a question that will be controversial.(I think)
Now, I have the utmost respect for properties... and have no intent on doing serious digging, but, I am considering scanning shallow depths for coins in a very old cemetery.
Very OLD, very hidden cemetery, so probably nobody will see me anyways.
BUT, is that something I would get arrested for?? Ya think??
I am in the process of doing history searches for my area, and finding places to search... and then the idea of cemeteries came to mind because they can be crowded...
HMMM! I'm briefly scanning a book about coin hunting, and I see it says obey laws... blah, blah, blah
but nothing pertaining to cemeteries being an "off limits" place...
Not robbing the dead by no means, but scanning the shallow for old coins, particularly around the oldest grave sites.
Your thoughts??
Anyone else done this before??
I'm not a wicked, no morals type person... but, just wondering others views...
Please And, thank you in advance!

 

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[Jason in Enid]

 

[Nitric]

LOL,, I can't wait to see how this goes!!


I don't know the laws, I do know people that have detected around and in cemeteries. I think it might depend on situation. I never did, just because it was weird to me and I didn't want the trouble of someone freaking out that didn't understand the difference between detecting and grave robbing. lol

Heck, the lawn mowing is doing more damage than what you will be doing.

It might depend on cemetery too. I'm not sure how that works and who actually owns the ground. I guess it would be hard to get permission from the people buried there!

If questioned just pick a stone and say that person gave you permission, "Just go ahead and ask him, he will tell you he gave me permission!" lol


Maybe, someone will know the real answer.

 

[BigWaveDave]

I can think of a few members who are going to lose their minds over this, will talk down to you, and try to shame you out of the hobby....I, on the other hand, would love to be your hunting buddy right now.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

"legal" ? It depends on who owns the cemetary. I mean is it like city (or county or state) owned? or church owned? or fraternal lodge owned, etc..... If it were some sort of public entity, then I suppose there's no laws forbidding the mere act of your standing or walking there, right? As for activities "allowed" or "disallowed", I highly doubt there's any *specific* rule that says "no metal detectors". But there is.... no doubt.... some rule that forbids "altering", "defacing", "vandalism", etc... But SO TOO is there the same type verbage for all parks, schools, beaches, etc.....


But this is all "technically" speaking. No different than the pro's and con's often bandied about for ALL SORTS of public land. You will no doubt get this drifted away from what is "legal", to another entire topic: The topic of: "is it right?" or "is it ethical?".

All you have to do, is do a key-word search on "cemetaries" and/or "graveyards", on ANY md'ing forum, to see that this topic has been beat to heck. There will be a common rejoinder that if/when someone sees you, that despite that you may be "doing no harm" (not going more than a few inches), yet someone will take offense, and then it gives a black-eye to the hobby, etc... But in your case it appears you've pre-empted that notion, by clarifying it's in the middle of nowhere, with no people, etc....

 

[outdoorfunblonde]

I can think of a few members who are going to lose their minds over this, will talk down to you, and try to shame you out of the hobby....I, on the other hand, would love to be your hunting buddy right now.

Yeah, i'm sure I will get some "bashing" over the thought...
BUT, like I said... I have respect for property of any type. I get pissed when people are too lazy to use the %$#@&*^% trash can at parks and lakes... and that bothers me more because that IS defacing of MY places of enjoyment, aside from being sad to see.
Yeah, kinda thinking is's crazy, and not good...
but I will probably give it a shot Hope nobody sees me... would be kinda embarrassing...

 

[Nitric]

Hey! You lost your ring(that your grandmother gave you) while you were there picking up trash and pulling weeds last week! How else are you supposed to find it?

 

[uglymailman]

"But is that something I could get arrested for?"
I see you live in Texas. A state where shooting your wife and the man she is in bed with is justifiable homicide and have wet/dry area's in the some County. Who knows what your laws are?
Here you could get arrested for desecrating a cemetery. Like tomb stone tipping. A misdemeanor. If they are Native American's you could get arrested by BIA & would bet that's a felony.
You do what ya want. Even going "a few inches deep" would give me the willies and thoughts of bad Juju. Good luck.

 

[Eureka!]

In case you decide to do it and you get caught and need and excuse...

 

[TheRingFinder]

It's a tough one Blonde - I searched "around" an old 1800's cemetery that is way back in the woods and totally forgotten about. You have to put yourself in others shoes though, what if your family member was buried and someone was right on top of them digging a hole? Wouldn't sit to well with most, though I understand your only digging a few inches - Like I said, it is a tough one!!!
Good Luck!

 

[outdoorfunblonde]

It's a tough one Blonde - I searched "around" an old 1800's cemetery that is way back in the woods and totally forgotten about. You have to put yourself in others shoes though, what if your family member was buried and someone was right on top of them digging a hole? Wouldn't sit to well with most, though I understand your only digging a few inches - Like I said, it is a tough one!!!
Good Luck!

LOL
By No means do I mean "on top of a grave"
I'm talking about around, where people stand... and walk...
Plenty of space in between to check it out... NO??

 

[littlewheaty]

I hear ya but I have researched this and so many people thinks its wrong. I believe it even in the code of ethics for metal detecting. I have always wanted to hunt in cemetery's but haven't cause people freak when you bring it up. Says it will hurt are image which they might be right. I have a civil war cemetery literately in my back yard. When they were building condos around it they had no problem taking graves they hit to the river to dump them and what about the farmers that have plowed over tombstones cause they was in the way of their crops. I have also found old cemetery's on historic maps that now have buildings on top of them. They said relocated but couldnt find were they were relocated too. Also have found treasure story's about people burying treasure in cemetery during the cilvil war. I think as long as you have permission and dont touch anything right over the headstone it shouldnt matter but unfortunately i do follow the code of ethics and stay out of them.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

This topic has been discussed many times here and it never ends well, if you want answers on topic use "cemetery" as search word.....

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