Look What I Found... I just couldnt believe it!!! : (

[SilverFox167]

Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

Well I was showing one of my clients a few houses for sale and had brought my metal detector
along and was going to detect for a few hours right after our last showing.

The park that I was going to hunt at was less than 15 minutes away. I had not been out for
a while and had hunted at this park a few years back and found a 1911 wheatie. This park
had the potential to produce some possible old coins.
When I got there here is what I saw:



I was so dissappointed that the park district had changed the rules. Just look at their priorities.

Needless to say I drove out there for nothing.

I did go hunt elsewhere that day and found some modern clad, but really nothing worth mentioning.

Just thought I would post the picture of the sign where I circled in red what I wanted you to see.

Thanks!

 

[Tykit]

Just found a county park that is almost virgin territory for detectorists. My

detecting buddy got there earlier than me. The park super saw him detecting and told him metal detecting is not allowed in the park. Then, while waiting for me to get there, a park ranger happened by and said to my buddy it's okay to metal detect anywhere in the park, but not on the soccer or baseball playing fields. Sometimes park employees will tell us anything and so we need to double check with higher authority. He found a mans gold ring, a Merury dime and clad. I found a set of gold earings (they were lost together) and a mans silver ring, and some clad. This park super probably kicked out many detectorists in the past, but we're staying, thanks to that park ranger.

 

[joecoin]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

IF you live in that local governments jurisdiction, you need to petition them to do the same thing they will do for alcoholics, issue you a permit. Then the sign would read "Metal Detecting by Police Permit Only."

 

[piggman1]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

Yes, it's getting harder to find spots that are not off limits. Homeowners associations around here prohibit metal detecting in some of their parks. I have managed to change two different ones to change their rules by showing them the way in which we keep the parks safer for the kids that play in them. Sure, you're going to have some jerk screw things up. If you see em doing it, rub their noses in it. If you don't see them, at least try to hide what they did. The reason that these laws and ordinances get passed in the first place is because not enough people who detect will stand up and try and fight it. The same thing happened with the no smoking laws, and lots of others that are ridiculous. I am a firm believer that the angle we have to take is the "for the kids" angle. Everything is for protecting the kids now days. We can use the same logic to keep metal detecting legal. Do you want your kids playing where there are rusty razor blades, where there is live ammunition, or even where there is shredded up aluminium sticking out of the ground? Not to mention the used syringes or rusty nails under the slides. But no one person can do it alone. It takes us all to stand up and show the good we do, outweighs the bad a few do. Yes, I am asking for all the trash people find in the parks, especially the dangerous things found. I am compiling all of them on a CD to be presented to every news agency around, and to the city council of Austin TX. They will also go to the county of Travis and the Lower Colorado River Association, all who ban metal detecting. Maybe if they see what their own kids are playing around, they may change their minds on a few things. Even if we could get it changed to where you need a permit, that is a step in the right direction. If everyone would take action, WE COULD GET THIS CHANGED!

 

[Ascholten]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

So.. if you dug up the sod, would the crime be sodomy?

Just curious.

 

[ltngbolt]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

When your told it's not legal to MD in the park just say no habla engles..........didn't see anything on that sign that said no illegal immigrants allowed..........oh yeah thats right we only enforce some of the laws............the stupid ones!

 

[CaptainMorgan]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

I can't believe they don't allow pets. They must of had dog owners that didn't pick up after Fido.
Also probably had sloppy detectorists at one time. Sad

 

[K-Man]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

here i was metal detecting a park and i was a hour in and a cop drove by 10 minutes later he came back. well when he came back he parked and just started watching me well when i got a hit and went down and started diggin he got outof his car and walked over by me and started talking to me and asking me a couple questions about what i wasdoin and all. well me and him starting chatting a bit. i knew the cop because i was arrested by him be for. well we chatted and told him i was lookin for old coinsand ect and i showed him some trash i dug up. he said well at least u aint takin the trash and buring it again or just throw off to the side.i told him that i knew if i did that there would b problems and he said yea there would be. well he ended up having to leave and said tomake sure i cover up my holes. we have talked a few times since he arrested me i think he was theonly the cop that arrested me that i got along with but hew said as long as i dont bury or throw the trash off to the side and i just cover up my holes its fine.

to me that sign in the park by u is messed up because yea mder's that disrespect the propertys by not covering up there holes and throwing the trash off to the side is ruining it for others but having alcohol in the park by police permit is messed up because there is more of a chance that the people that drink and get drunk in the parks have a better chance at ruining the property than mder's because there drunk and dont know wut there doin and off in lala land but yea thatsmy opinion.

HH K-Man

 

[Carson Coin Master]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

don't feel bad. the county i live in you have to get a metal detecting permit. its free and good for 3 years but if you want to detect in county or city parks good luck, your looking at a 250.00 fine if your caught with out this stupid free permit. its just a pain in the you know what to go down and have to get it. also the biggest park in town is off limits to detectorists. but gang bangers, bums and drug dealers can hang out there all day and all night long no problem. its kind of stupid how some cities prioritise certain things.

 

[DJ_Quinn]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

No archery? man, were does a guy have to go now to shoot an apple off of someone's head?

 

[Bavaria Mike]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

What a bummer! They forgot to post "No Fun". And to think that sign was probably put up because someone left holes all over. HH, Mike

 

[artemis moon]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

I got a written warning for detecting in a forest preserve near me earlier this summer. I had called the office the day before and was told that they used to require permits, but since they no longer have the paperwork, that it was OK for me to go ahead. I came to find out as I was being written up that it's OK to use a detector in the park to recover lost items such as your car keys or wedding band, but you are not allowed to dig and you can't use an MD to recover "lost or abandoned property". In other words, they are trying to preserve the historical artifacts from these places. I wonder why, if that's truly the case, are these precious things still in the ground

 

[EDDE]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

no big deal parks are trash pits
y waste your time digging modern trash when you can RESEARCH
old home sites that are gone and ask a nice happy farmer to go walk his field
99.8% old items .2% new trash

 

[digman]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

Go back and change that sign,
writte : YOU ARE NOT WELCOME TO THIS PARK
and see the reactions !!!!!
an eye for an eye !!!!
Digman.

 

[SilverFox167]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

Yeah it did not say anything about Graffiti either, maybe that is a new one that they could ad to their sign.
Oh... Man they are going to have to get a bigger sign! I am not condoning anything so don't take this the wrong way.

I have enjoyed reading all of your post and have a got a chuckle or two from several post.
Somehow we have got to get a World Wide Federation of Metal Detectorist Organization going to protect our rights.
Who wants to volunteer?

Go back and change that sign,
writte : YOU ARE NOT WELCOME TO THIS PARK
and see the reactions !!!!!
an eye for an eye !!!!
Digman.

 

[iamwood]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

Ask yourself a better question; Why would they change the rules in the first place?

Like most laws and rules regarding anything, the few who do bad things ruin it for the rest of us who do good things. I don't mind park rules saying I can't MD, I just research and go somewhere else. Some jerk prior had to do something wrong and thus the rule. Don't be mad at the people trying to protect the grounds their children play on, some TH'rs leave trenches unfilled and if my kid broke an ankle tripping in one I'd want a rule regarding MD'ing; or if the town keeps the playing fields groomed, even the neatest TH'r leaves spots of dead grass.

Simply curse, and move on.

There are a zillion places that still allow the hobby.

HH
Mike

 

[mastereagle22]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

What about dogs that dig and moles? They make holes and don't recover them

Seriously though it is a thought.

 

[Natman]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

Wow, I've never seen that before..it hasn't happened here...yet.

I've been finding more old coins and jewelry in old yards that are privately owned this year than ever before, so this is where I hunt unless I run out of places to get permission. If that happens, I head out to the sports fields and parks. If they start posting signs in public places around here, I may consider just doing yards and places I know I can go without being approached.

If my ethics are ever questioned, I just say I do less damage to the ground than a squirrel burying a nut.

Nat

 

[SilverFox167]

Re: Look What I Found... I just couldn't believe it!!! : (

Well Natman,
You probably have the best alternative as many other members stated there are still plenty of other places to hunt out there.
Here is a good example of how to find older homes, if you live in a town with a little bit of history.
Go to one of your local realtors and have them pull up homes built in the 1800's and early 1900's and ask for permission to hunt their property. Shoot even if they are not that old most of those homes out there will produce some silver and gold.
Now off to the HUNT!

Wow, I've never seen that before..it hasn't happened here...yet.

I've been finding more old coins and jewelry in old yards that are privately owned this year than ever before, so this is where I hunt unless I run out of places to get permission. If that happens, I head out to the sports fields and parks. If they start posting signs in public places around here, I may consider just doing yards and places I know I can go without being approached.

If my ethics are ever questioned, I just say I do less damage to the ground than a squirrel burying a nut.

Nat