Is it OK to hunt old CCC camps?

[ottor]

Found the ruins of an old (1934) Civilian Conservation Corps camp - just some concrete foundations.... Is that OK to hunt, or would that be
something that the Forest Service would prohibit? It covers a large meadow in the Sawthooths (Idaho)..

tks,

r

 

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[dholland02]

I have never found to much. No one aaid a word to me about it.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Well, your question is not really so much about "CCC" sites, per se. Because those old CCC camps sites can be on any of a variety of locations nowadays. Ie.: wherever they were back in the '30s, might now be private land, state land, city land, county land, etc.... (and within each of those, are often-time various "types" of land, as well).

So seeing as how you identify this particular one as now being within forest service land, your real question therefore is: "Is it ok to hunt on forest service land?". The answer to that question, is "yes". See this link:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5261774.pdf

Now ..... as for any verbage there about archaeological or cultural stuff ... well ...... you're just looking for modern change afterall, right?

If the site is no secret, and easily visible and know, my hunch is that someone's already hit them. But by all means, give it a try. I've hunted such sites, and gotten wheaties, some silver, etc... But the CCC era was short-lived (6 or 8 years during the depression?). And some of them were not even used all-during those years (as they would build, camp, and move on somewhere else, etc...). HOWEVER, a lot were simply used for the public thereafter (and incoorporated into what became state parks, city parks, etc....). So in other words, the camping and recreation continued on .... sometimes up to modern times are still parks and campgrounds. So your success will just depend on usage, duration, and if others have already scoured it or not.

 

[huntsman53]

Tom in CA,

Thanks for providing the link to the (USDA's) Forest Service Reg. on the use of a metal detector for prospecting for Gold in the National Forests. In Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia is not allowed but I wonder if the local employees have decided this over the USDA or if there is another Reg. just for these States! The next time I inquire about using a metal detector in the National Forests in these States, I will make sure that they are aware of this Reg.!!! Maybe they have a Reg. that supersedes this one when it comes to these specific States, I just don't know!

Thanks!


Frank

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

Tom in CA,

Thanks for providing the link to the (USDA's) Forest Service Reg. on the use of a metal detector for prospecting for Gold in the National Forests. In Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia is not allowed but I wonder if the local employees have decided this over the USDA or if there is another Reg. just for these States! The next time I inquire about using a metal detector in the National Forests in these States, I will make sure that they are aware of this Reg.!!! Maybe they have a Reg. that supersedes this one when it comes to these specific States, I just don't know!

Thanks!


Frank

Frank, you asked "local employees" in TN, NC, and GA if detecting was allowed in USFS in their zones, and they said "no"? Well as you can see, they simply don't know their own verbage/minutia, and were just giving you the "safe" answer.

Let this be a lesson to you and all of us to NOT ever go asking deskbound bureaucrat's "can I metal detect?". Instead, look it up for oneself. If you see no prohibitions, then presto, it's not prohibited. Or ... heck, ... in this case, there's an actual specific ALLOWANCE (what more could a person ask for??). In either case, if a person is skittish, they can print that out (the fact that there is nothing that addresses detectors, or that there is, in fact, an allowance), and take it with them. If approached by a busy-body, presto, you can pull it out and show them. Oh sure, they can try to say you're disturbing earthworms or whatever. So what? Give lip service, and avoid that one person in the future.

But in any case, as you can see, there are just way too many places where you can detect and probably be un-bothered (and perhaps even have express allowances), yet find yourself a "no", simply because you asked.

You can hardly blame them for giving the safe answer. Example: If I went in to my city hall (or forest service office, or county park office, or whatever) and asked: "can I wear a suit made of tree-bark and spread peanut butter on my head and whistle dixie in your park?". They would probably tell me I need a parade permit, or that the peanut butter would harm the wildlife, or that the tree-bark needs the arborist's say-so, and so forth. But seriously now, did anyone really care till I asked? Such was the situation you find yourself in. And an example to all of us to just look things up for ourselves.

 

[grlangfitt]

Frank, you asked "local employees" in TN, NC, and GA if detecting was allowed in USFS in their zones, and they said "no"? Well as you can see, they simply don't know their own verbage/minutia, and were just giving you the "safe" answer.

Let this be a lesson to you and all of us to NOT ever go asking deskbound bureaucrat's "can I metal detect?". Instead, look it up for oneself. If you see no prohibitions, then presto, it's not prohibited. Or ... heck, ... in this case, there's an actual specific ALLOWANCE (what more could a person ask for??). In either case, if a person is skittish, they can print that out (the fact that there is nothing that addresses detectors, or that there is, in fact, an allowance), and take it with them. If approached by a busy-body, presto, you can pull it out and show them. Oh sure, they can try to say you're disturbing earthworms or whatever. So what? Give lip service, and avoid that one person in the future.

But in any case, as you can see, there are just way too many places where you can detect and probably be un-bothered (and perhaps even have express allowances), yet find yourself a "no", simply because you asked.

You can hardly blame them for giving the safe answer. Example: If I went in to my city hall (or forest service office, or county park office, or whatever) and asked: "can I wear a suit made of tree-bark and spread peanut butter on my head and whistle dixie in your park?". They would probably tell me I need a parade permit, or that the peanut butter would harm the wildlife, or that the tree-bark needs the arborist's say-so, and so forth. But seriously now, did anyone really care till I asked? Such was the situation you find yourself in. And an example to all of us to just look things up for ourselves.

Very well said....HH

 

[huntsman53]

Frank, you asked "local employees" in TN, NC, and GA if detecting was allowed in USFS in their zones, and they said "no"? Well as you can see, they simply don't know their own verbage/minutia, and were just giving you the "safe" answer.

Let this be a lesson to you and all of us to NOT ever go asking deskbound bureaucrat's "can I metal detect?". Instead, look it up for oneself. If you see no prohibitions, then presto, it's not prohibited. Or ... heck, ... in this case, there's an actual specific ALLOWANCE (what more could a person ask for??). In either case, if a person is skittish, they can print that out (the fact that there is nothing that addresses detectors, or that there is, in fact, an allowance), and take it with them. If approached by a busy-body, presto, you can pull it out and show them. Oh sure, they can try to say you're disturbing earthworms or whatever. So what? Give lip service, and avoid that one person in the future.

But in any case, as you can see, there are just way too many places where you can detect and probably be un-bothered (and perhaps even have express allowances), yet find yourself a "no", simply because you asked.

You can hardly blame them for giving the safe answer. Example: If I went in to my city hall (or forest service office, or county park office, or whatever) and asked: "can I wear a suit made of tree-bark and spread peanut butter on my head and whistle dixie in your park?". They would probably tell me I need a parade permit, or that the peanut butter would harm the wildlife, or that the tree-bark needs the arborist's say-so, and so forth. But seriously now, did anyone really care till I asked? Such was the situation you find yourself in. And an example to all of us to just look things up for ourselves.

Tom in CA,

Thanks for further soothing my fears in taking one of my' metal detectors on hunts in the National Forests! I have long wanted to take a metal detector to a special place where I have gotten some Gold via panning where an eroding Volcanic Pipe (Vent) comes up into a stream. A beautiful whitish/grey/blue clay comes up into the stream and has Gold and probably several other heavy metals contained inside. The clay is so heavy, that a heaping shovel full probably weighs up to 35 pounds or more and makes for a very strenuous and tasking digging day. I may try to get my' highbanker/dredge back in there again but it is a long haul from the truck. The biggest problem with where the hole of the Volcanic Pipe empties into stream, is actually blocked by big boulders. Even though it is blocked, it still metes out a considerable amount of the whitish/grey/blue clay into the stream after just a few rains. I hope to someday remove the boulders but when I do, I will be sure to tie my' big butt to a large tree 30 to 50 yards from the stream, just in case the Volcanic Pipe caves in. I feel that this Pipe if open, could produce a fortune in Gold and other heavy metals!


Frank