al, let me see if I can be the "devil's advocate" and answer you from how a skittish person would:
A) Re.:
"if it's not expressly posted .... No metal detecting ...." Answer: "It doesn't have to be 'expressly' posted, for it still to be illegal. For example: there is no sign that forbids nudity, but ... well ... you get the point
Or perhaps even down at city hall on the 'more complete list' of forbidden things, perhaps there is nothing specifically addressing detector there either. Yet you might *still* run afoul, in some busy body's opinion, of harming earthworms, or hurting the grass, or taking 'park property' and other such things that might be
morphed to apply to you, if someone tried hard enough"
B) Re.:
"You got the sheriff's name and a "I don't see why not" response ...." Answer: "... But what if the sheriff was wrong in his information? What if you get arrested? What if you get your detector confiscated and face fines now, because the sheriff's info is wrong?"
See Al? They've got you closed in at every angle. I've been through this before so many times, that I've got the retort lines memorized from the skittish person's angle.
And my answer back to the above two points are:
On A) If a hunter wants to worry about whether or not someone *might* get their panties in a wad and morph something ELSE to apply, then I fear they have chosen the wrong hobby. Because the list is never-ending of what someone *might* apply to you, and will become an endless p*ssing match over the definition of "destroy" or "take" or "dig" or "collect" or whether or not your detector's frequencies harm spotted owls, and so forth. At some time, just like driving, you HAVE to take the risk that someone else is going to flip you off in traffic for what they perceive as a poor lane change on your part. In other words, let's face it: we're in an odd hobby that draws lookie-lous, and DOES contain connotations, no matter how you slice it. So if this bothers someone that not everyone may love them, then I fear they have chosen the wrong hobby. If a person can't keep a lower discreet profile, avoid high traffic times, and learn how to play it cool when and if a busy body ever approached, then i fear they need to change hobbies, or stick to private property.
I too wish park's had big signs that said "
metal detecting welcome, come deface the park for your own personal profit and enjoyment". But it just aint gonna happen.
On B) Sure: the cop or sheriff or city desk clerk *might* be wrong. So what. THEY would be the ones in trouble, not you. Only if you got re-appraised by a higher authority, and only if you the subsequently ignored this "re-appraisal", would you face any issues, legally. Since you operated within the word of a duly authorized person, in good faith.
