How close is too close to a graveyard?

[Arsoneye]

I too feel funny in graveyards. I usually hunt the roads and entrances but not around the graves themselves. I know of one site that has a stone wall with old gated entrance that is no longer used. Plenty of room away from graves and I have found a few things, 1800 & early 1900 coins and some small jewelry, not a lot, but while I like finding cool things, I enjoy being outside and hunting maybe as much

 

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[BC1969]

I don't know how I feel about this other than to say I have thought about detecting around old trees in there, as long as away from the graves themselves, I could not do that just from a respect issue.
I can understand the way others on the other side of it feel, I have over the years left all sorts of items on my pops grave, mostly bottles of whiskey lol, but I did leave a harmonica once for him to play in the afterlife, though it was gone the next time I visited..damn squirrels.

Mike

 

[Frankn]

Well we have a family burial ground on our farm. It is about 200' from the house. One section is for the pets, complete with carved planks. The other section is the resting place for my wife and son.
If I would see you digging within 100' of it, You just might be next! Frank...

 

[ModernMiner]

I don't know how I feel about this other than to say I have thought about detecting around old trees in there, as long as away from the graves themselves, I could not do that just from a respect issue.
I can understand the way others on the other side of it feel, I have over the years left all sorts of items on my pops grave, mostly bottles of whiskey lol, but I did leave a harmonica once for him to play in the afterlife, though it was gone the next time I visited..damn squirrels.

Mike

Mike,
We do the same on my Dad's grave. A small bottle of whiskey. I'm surprised the cemetery workers don't take them. We buried my Dad with the things he loved. Whiskey, cards, a copy of "Young Frankenstein", and a talking Rodney Dangerfield figure. My Dad was a comedian.
I love your avatar. Classic!
-Doug-

 

[TerryC]

Make your decision then do it. You don't need permission from anyone here. TTC

 

[dandut46]

Well. No we got to start shunning dog walkers let's hope they pic up after them selfs

 

[dandut46]

I don't no who,what or why I'm defending maybe personal experience . I don't hunt graves nor have I ever . I don't even feel right about hunting churches but still do.its like politics it goes on and on with no accomplishment.just be truthful to your self

 

[BC1969]

Not that I want to incite a riot, but the irony of this topic, the Archie's have no problem with it, but get bent out of shape if somebody digs up a coin or whatever on any historic site..bleh double standards.

Mike

 

[roaddust66]

I could write an essay on the subject. It makes our hobby look bad to passerbys , it makes us look like grave robbers to the public. Its disrespectful to the dead. There is an after life and you will answer to someone , sometime. I think about this topic almost everyday because my town is full of fortifications on hills ,Cemeteries are on a lot of those hills. There are dropped bullets and buttons in the dirt but I aint doing it.

a spirit world exists. laugh if you want. I laughed once outside of Shiloh Battlefield once when a land owner said yes you can hunt but dont go down " in that place" ...it's haunted. I laughed right in his face. Three hours later on a sunny day i was terrified. I had something all over me in broad daylight. Respect the dead. You regret it someday.

 

[dandut46]

People don't respect this hobby anyway. Its like your beg in., but I can say that everyone I talked to
about this that doesn't detect was against it.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

I can see both sides on this, personally I don't think I can allow myself to do it, but then I also have the worst luck, I would get in trouble for just looking in that direction, "before" I got out of the truck, no lie! I try not to tempt fate...I've been bitten several times!

 

[Lafitte Deux]

 

[BARKER]

HI Folks; Sorry but I got to speak from "my" point which you may or may not agree with. Thank you Modern Miiner. Case, point, set. !!! Here in Mass if you are caught in a Grave Yard you will be Arrested, PERIOD. !!! If you are unlucky and are caught by the locals I hope you can run fast or have good Health Insurance. Me, I'll root for the locals ok.
My view is that I don't bother the dead and they don't bother me. We had 2 guys came into our Club. Displayed their finds. We asked where they came from. They said "the Cemetery." We held them until the Police arrived and bagged them. These scum were holding a Diguerio tin type picture of the deceased and a woman's prayer rosary. They were "very" lucky the Police got there fast. It was NOT a pretty scene for sure.
Simple Question: Would you want to face God over this matter. The choice is yours. PEACE:RONB

 

[ModernMiner]

HI Folks; Sorry but I got to speak from "my" point which you may or may not agree with. Thank you Modern Miiner. Case, point, set. !!! Here in Mass if you are caught in a Grave Yard you will be Arrested, PERIOD. !!! If you are unlucky and are caught by the locals I hope you can run fast or have good Health Insurance. Me, I'll root for the locals ok.
My view is that I don't bother the dead and they don't bother me. We had 2 guys came into our Club. Displayed their finds. We asked where they came from. They said "the Cemetery." We held them until the Police arrived and bagged them. These scum were holding a Diguerio tin type picture of the deceased and a woman's prayer rosary. They were "very" lucky the Police got there fast. It was NOT a pretty scene for sure.
Simple Question: Would you want to face God over this matter. The choice is yours. PEACE:RONB

Thanks for the post Ron. Glad to hear those guys got what they deserved. That's just pathetic what they stole.
-MM-

 

[Mackaydon]

Let your conscious be your guide.
Personally, I see no need to stomp on someone's grave just to find a coin.
Don.......

 

[dandut46]

I didn't no it was illegal in ma , never had to worry though the one I searched was in ri. I come across lots of them in the woods four wheelers ride right threw them, stones tuned over,cracked or what ever no one cares. I would never take a picture or a rosebeed and don't no why they did that's stupid, but there's out skirts and parts of cemetery that was cleared but never used. Were kids played long ago.one more point people bust open pyramids steel everything take the corpse stick it behind a glass and display it for money cause they went to collage.sounds like hypocrisy to me like everything else you can't but you can watch me and I don't think you should swing over graves, just looking at all sides. Apple or orange?

 

[gunsil]

HI Folks; Sorry but I got to speak from "my" point which you may or may not agree with. Thank you Modern Miiner. Case, point, set. !!! Here in Mass if you are caught in a Grave Yard you will be Arrested, PERIOD. !!! If you are unlucky and are caught by the locals I hope you can run fast or have good Health Insurance. Me, I'll root for the locals ok.
My view is that I don't bother the dead and they don't bother me. We had 2 guys came into our Club. Displayed their finds. We asked where they came from. They said "the Cemetery." We held them until the Police arrived and bagged them. These scum were holding a Diguerio tin type picture of the deceased and a woman's prayer rosary. They were "very" lucky the Police got there fast. It was NOT a pretty scene for sure.
Simple Question: Would you want to face God over this matter. The choice is yours. PEACE:RONB

This smells fishy to me. No tintype photo would last very long out in the elements.

 

[whammy]

I have detected the roads going into the graveyards and large open areas near the yards where, on the old ones, horses and wagons may have parked. Also large trees on the edges of the graveyards. At our local cemetary, which dates to the early 1800s, by a large tree on the edge, I found 4 large cents and a half cent from Canada. I have often wondered how that half cent got here, and if maby the coins fell out of the pocket of someone who sat down after digging a grave. I would never consider detecting on or near the graves.

 

[aliciakay1981]

HI Folks; Sorry but I got to speak from "my" point which you may or may not agree with. Thank you Modern Miiner. Case, point, set. !!! Here in Mass if you are caught in a Grave Yard you will be Arrested, PERIOD. !!! If you are unlucky and are caught by the locals I hope you can run fast or have good Health Insurance. Me, I'll root for the locals ok.
My view is that I don't bother the dead and they don't bother me. We had 2 guys came into our Club. Displayed their finds. We asked where they came from. They said "the Cemetery." We held them until the Police arrived and bagged them. These scum were holding a Diguerio tin type picture of the deceased and a woman's prayer rosary. They were "very" lucky the Police got there fast. It was NOT a pretty scene for sure.
Simple Question: Would you want to face God over this matter. The choice is yours. PEACE:RONB

Maybe they didnt realize what they were doing was wrong, who would openly admit to commiting a crime such as that, knowing yaw'd disaprove and probably call the cops on them, i would assume they weren't very educated on social norms or either didnt have the sense god gave a goat. By the way you put it, im suprized they weren't tar'd feather'd and hang from the rafters by the time the cops arrived

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

If I ever found anyone hunting in our hometown cemetery I would be the owner of another metal detector because someone would have shot him or her. My hometown has to many crack shots for anyone to risk trying it. I myself wouldn't hunt there out of respect. But to each his own.