I am a newbie and just wondered if anyone knew anything about the MDing laws in Indiana.... especially in State parks and on city owned riverbanks Thanks, steevoe
If you can't find someone here who has already done the leg work, you'll need to look up the rules yourself. They should be available online or at the appropriate governmental office. Just don't go in an ask for permission! You'll probably get a no and bring detecting to the attention of those in the office. Nothing good can come of that.
Generally speaking, state parks are as described above, IDNR administered properties are prohibited other than as described. You can MD on private land as long as you have written permission from the property owner, be sure they spell out exactly what you can and cannot do, where you can go, etc. The DNR hunting guide has a downloadable permission form that you can print out, it can be used for written permission in case a Conservation Officer or cop asks for your permission slip. One big advantage to this form is that it clearly spells out the state law that indemnifies the property owner from liability if they allow you recreational use of their land, this can go a long way toward gaining you access from skittish landowners.
UOTE=steevoe;3544573]I amand just wondered if anyone knew anything about the MDing laws in Indiana.... especially in State parks and on city owned riverbanks Thanks, steevoe[/QUOTE]I am a newbie and just wondered if anyone knew anything about the MDing laws in Indiana.... especially in State parks and on city owned riverbanks Thanks, steevoe
ABSOLUTELY NO METAL DETECTORS ARE ALLOWED IN INDIANA STATE PARKS! You cannot detect on federally managed lands, military bases, or national parks, everywhere else is fair game, unless locally prohibited. As for private property, verbal permission is ok, written IS better. If you think Indiana laws are bad get this: I'm currently on vacation in North Carolina visiting family. The laws in North Carolina AND in Virginia are the absolute worst! Not only are metal detectors not alllowed on State properties, federal lands, military bases, you must apply for and be granted a written permit just to hunt rivers and creeks!(as long as it's not deemed historically significant). Then if you are fortunate enough to be granted a permit, some places allow you to use your metal detector, but you are not allowed to disturb the soil in any way!! If you are fortunate enough to get your written permit, and actually find something, if it's more than fifty (50) years old, then you are required to turn it over to the proper authorities or risk property confiscation, (including your metal detector), and fines plus possible imprisionment! I'm a relic already just having read this B.S.!!! The only places you can detect is private property, (good luck for an out-of-stater getting permission), or hit the ocean, as long as the beach doesn't fall under the above mentioned guidelines! I'm here for another weekand I guess I'll be hitting the coastal beaches, (probably get stung by a jelly fish or ate by a shark), this Monday! It'd be nice if someone in the Fayetteville, North Carolina area would take me under their wings, but good luck on somebody taking a complete stranger to any of their honey holes. Just be thankful you live in Indiana, (as do I), where you can actually enjoy your/our hobby and not be treated as criminals.UOTE=steevoe;3544573]I amand just wondered if anyone knew anything about the MDing laws in Indiana.... especially in State parks and on city owned riverbanks Thanks, steevoe
Generally speaking, state parks are as described above, IDNR administered properties are prohibited other than as described. You can MD on private land as long as you have written permission from the property owner, be sure they spell out exactly what you can and cannot do, where you can go, etc. The DNR hunting guide has a downloadable permission form that you can print out, it can be used for written permission in case a Conservation Officer or cop asks for your permission slip. One big advantage to this form is that it clearly spells out the state law that indemnifies the property owner from liability if they allow you recreational use of their land, this can go a long way toward gaining you access from skittish landowners.
Hey Kevin1
i own lots of land and if you came here for written permission...i`d run you off but fast...if you came here and just asked = oral permission we would go out and have a good time MDing.
In 44 years of doing this i have never asked for a note from the homeowner/landowner, to detect...that is just silly...and will cut your chances to hunt their property far more than it will help.
Gary
jkoaltrades, you say:
"ABSOLUTELY NO METAL DETECTORS ARE ALLOWED IN INDIANA STATE PARKS! You cannot detect on federally managed lands, military bases, or national parks, everywhere else is fair game, unless locally prohibited. As for private property, verbal permission is ok, written IS better. If you think Indiana laws are bad get this: I'm currently on vacation in North Carolina visiting family. The laws in North Carolina AND in Virginia are the absolute worst! Not only are metal detectors not alllowed on State properties, federal lands, military bases, you must apply for and be granted a written permit just to hunt rivers and creeks!(as long as it's not deemed historically significant). Then if you are fortunate enough to be granted a permit, some places allow you to use your metal detector, but you are not allowed to disturb the soil in any way!! If you are fortunate enough to get your written permit, and actually find something, if it's more than fifty (50) years old, then you are required to turn it over to the proper authorities or risk property confiscation, (including your metal detector), and fines plus possible imprisionment! I'm a relic already just having read this B.S.!!! The only places you can detect is private property, (good luck for an out-of-stater getting permission), or hit the ocean, as long as the beach doesn't fall under the above mentioned guidelines! I'm here for another weekand I guess I'll be hitting the coastal beaches, (probably get stung by a jelly fish or ate by a shark), this Monday! It'd be nice if someone in the Fayetteville, North Carolina area would take me under their wings, but good luck on somebody taking a complete stranger to any of their honey holes. Just be thankful you live in Indiana, (as do I), where you can actually enjoy your/our hobby and not be treated as criminals.
a newbie "
Uh, Where are you getting your information from ??
See this site: Federation of Metal Detector & Archaeological Clubs Inc.
As you can see, your info about Indiana and Virginia state parks is not accurate. You can detect (at least on sandy beaches, blah blah). And even though there's verbage about "... yes with permission at kiosk" type stuff, the same is said when you look at the entry on that list for CA. Yet I can tell you for a fact, that you can detect state of CA beaches till you're blue in the face, and no one cares. And no, no one goes to the beach/park office at each stop and asks permission. They would look at you like your from outer space, shrug their shoulders, and say "what planet are you from?" Hence even that list (some dire things you might read), needs to be taken with a bit of understanding of "actual practice" and knowledge about how such lists came into being (because notice rarely is there ever any rules or laws cited, to back up what some desk jockey answered to this "pressing question". Often time just the "safe answer" they find by morphing something else to apply (disturbing earthworms, etc...) when in fact, no one cares. However, as silly as those type lists can be (the need to read between the lines), yet it's HARD to argue with variations of "yes", right?
So ..... again, where are you getting your information?
And as for military bases, I've hunted scores of them. Yup, right in front of passing MP's who venture nothing but a friendly wave. So who says you can't ? OH sure, I'm not saying that you will absolutely never get someone to morph something to boot you, if they were in a bad mood (like if you're snooping around obvious historic monuments, or waltzing right through PT fields while trainees are trying to work out, or md'ing right outside the windows of the women's barracks right at shower time). So, again, where is it written that all military bases are off-limits? I guess I've just not asked enough questions when I've done it. Shucks, guess I'll have to go put back all that silver I've found in 35+ yrs,
Simply go to the respective states' web site, it is Clearly stated , "NO METAL DETECTORS ALLOWED IN STATE PARKS"! LOOK IT UP
just go to "Indiana State Parks", then look up "Rules and Regulations". I also looked up the rules and regulations for North Carolina and Virginia, there is mention here that indicates that one could metal detect after September 1st, with permission, as long as it's not historically significant, and only on the beaches or swimming areas, but try calling and getting permission! You get a flat out 'NO, you cannot remove or disturb anything in the park!' After several calls to several different parks, i started to get the same answer over and over. I even questioned the fact that if nothing is allowed to be removed from the parks, then what if you were to catch a fish, would you have to throw it back? I am telling you, our hobby is off limits in STATE PARKS!, of course unless you are a STATE PARK EMPLOYEE!! I could understand them not wanting people digging dirt on the campsites, but to NOT ALLOW us to even sift sand on the beaches and swimming areas is simply B.S!! I only responded because some people on here are telling rookies to " go ahead, you can metal detect State Parks! One fellow elsewhere even advises, "just take your metal detector and just do it, don't worry about permission, I do it all the time"!!!! piz poor advise if you ask me, especially if someone were to heed that advise and get their metal detector confiscated, fined, or worse! If you'd like, I can even provide you with phone numbers of places I contacted. Let's face it folks, our hobby is being outlawed in alot of places, of course I like it when you are told that "you can use your metal detector if you like, but you cannot dig or disturb the sand or soil"!!!