metal detecting at the YMCA??

dallgire · Jul 24, 2011

Obviously im new to this but i want to go to the local YMCA and metal detect i cant seem to get anyone to say yes or no! what do you guys think?

relichunters · Jul 24, 2011

When you ask, most of the time it's a no. It really depends on your approach, what you say, and how you say it. If it's a park and open to the public, chances are, it's okay to detect until someone says something. If you get kicked out you could then ask permission (from someone other than who kicked you out)

mlayers · Jul 24, 2011

What's so special about the YMCA?.......Matt

Woodland Detectors · Jul 24, 2011

mlayers said:
What's so special about the YMCA?.......Matt

Kids Matt. It's very sensitive to go on any property these days where the kids congregate.

mick56 · Jul 24, 2011

Go during hours when it is closed, either very early or very late.

Tom_in_CA · Jul 25, 2011

One thing you guys got to remember about private property, is that there is different types of private property (at least ...... from a psychological sense). For example: shopping centers are "private property", right? Yet you can waltz through there, whistle dixie, and perhaps even juggle tennis balls in the parking lot (so long as you weren't a nuisance). So the point is, there are some types of private property that are sort of quasi semi public. They might have a sign with small print something to the effect of "permission to pass revokable by owner..." etc...

Now this is all as opposed to someone's private yard, or a fenced posted property, etc... See the difference?

Now I dunno about your locale, but where I'm at, the YMCA facility (which has a little lawn and park around it too), is sort of one of these quasi-public feels to it. Ie.: no one would say "boo" to you, unless you were being a nuisance in some other way. And they have a campground too in the hills near me, where various other groups reserve it for use. It's not fenced or anything, etc... So I dunno why, but that has a different flavor than say ... someone's private resort, or a church's private conference grounds facility, or something of that nature.

But go figure: you're asking this on a forum where some people will say you need permission to even hunt public sandboxes.

Woodland Detectors · Jul 25, 2011

Tom_in_CA said:
One thing you guys got to remember about private property, is that there is different types of private property (at least ...... from a psychological sense). For example: shopping centers are "private property", right? Yet you can waltz through there, whistle dixie, and perhaps even juggle tennis balls in the parking lot (so long as you weren't a nuisance). So the point is, there are some types of private property that are sort of quasi semi public. They might have a sign with small print something to the effect of "permission to pass revokable by owner..." etc...

Now this is all as opposed to someone's private yard, or a fenced posted property, etc... See the difference?

Now I dunno about your locale, but where I'm at, the YMCA facility (which has a little lawn and park around it too), is sort of one of these quasi-public feels to it. Ie.: no one would say "boo" to you, unless you were being a nuisance in some other way. And they have a campground too in the hills near me, where various other groups reserve it for use. It's not fenced or anything, etc... So I dunno why, but that has a different flavor than say ... someone's private resort, or a church's private conference grounds facility, or something of that nature.

But go figure: you're asking this on a forum where some people will say you need permission to even hunt public sandboxes.

Having written permission ,if accessible is always a good insurance policy just in case someone wants to pressure you. But any place that has the huge responsibility for other people's kids is surely a touchy subject. My wife and I run kids centers, and I know that there are strict policies about having people on site when the kids are present, but like mentioned above there should be no problem accessing these sites after hours or in the off season.

Bramblefind · Jul 25, 2011

I metal detect at my YMCA! They were happy to give me permission. I told them I would donate all the change I found to them. But when I started hunting I found an 1802 large cent and various other old relics from the edge of a homesite no one ever knew was there

I'm working on making them a display.

Taking the summer off from digging there now though b/c they have Camp going on and I don't want to be in the way.

BobinSouthVA · Jul 25, 2011

my dad was a director of a YMCA for many years, a very large one on 512 acres which had some very old homesteads on the property. I know he wouldn't have given anyone trouble detecting. (I know this dosen't answer your question).

Another idea, Get a membership. maybe they would be more receptive to members. Although I'm not sure how much they cost, maybe that's not practial for you.

dallgire · Jul 25, 2011

Well i appreciate the comments guys. I was kind of thinking the same thing i just get paranoid metal detecting anywhere that i know is public idk why. Like a park i would feel paranoid just walking up and digging a trench around a bench!!! haha sarcasm of course!!! Our YMCA just has a soccer field and a small football field!!! And ive just always heard go where the people go!!

SeaninNH · Jul 25, 2011

Go in and talk to the director. Tell him what you want to do, ask if it's ok and hope for the best.

Don't just go detecting at the Y. Someone WILL ask you to leave. There is a good chance he will let you.

dallgire · Jul 25, 2011

SeaninNH said:
Go in and talk to the director. Tell him what you want to do, ask if it's ok and hope for the best.

Don't just go detecting at the Y. Someone WILL ask you to leave. There is a good chance he will let you.

yea i think thats the best thing to do at this point i left a message for him but no response!

SeaninNH · Jul 25, 2011

As for being worried in a park.. Don't worry about detecting in parks. It's your park as much as anyone else's. As long as you dig neat plugs, take your trash and don't leave holes you will be fine.

dallgire · Jul 25, 2011

SeaninNH said:
As for being worried in a park.. Don't worry about detecting in parks. It's your park as much as anyone else's. As long as you dig neat plugs, take your trash and don't leave holes you will be fine.

Yea i guess im just paranoid cause im alone lol everyone stares!! I used to go with my dad and i was younger didnt think anything about it then!! Seems like everyone is doing really well at baseball fields! Is a high school baseball field fair game?

Tom_in_CA · Jul 25, 2011

Yes, high school baseball fields are "fair game". I mean, if you see others using the fields after school, for things like jogging the track, basketball, etc... then .... why would you be different? That is, of course, if you're not planning on being a nuisance in some other way (like, leaving holes, etc...). Of course, use due discretion, because even though YOU know you'll leave no trace of your presence, some people can be kill-joys. So I still go at low traffic times, and avoid lookie-lous, since our contraptions are admittedly attention-drawing

And to be honest with you, I'd consider YMCA grounds to be similar. Ie.: if others can just help themselves to the park-like features there, then why not you too? If you're doing no harm, why would you need permission any more so than them? But that's just me.

As you said, you've gotten no response. And when you think of it though, the mere fact that you think you needed to ask them for sanction for this (as opposed to other users, like someone who's going to fly frisbees, for instance, who doesn't ask) merely pre-supposes that something is wrong ...... or damaging or evil etc.... that you had to ask, to begin with. Otherwise, why would you feel the need to ask, if nothing were wrong with it, and if the grounds were quasi-public already? Or are the grounds off-limits and fenced to all people there?

dallgire · Jul 26, 2011

Grounds are completely open besides the tennis court and splash pad of course but the soccer and football fields are open. I used to go there and throw a football with one of my buddies. I guess im just confused about all of this lol. The high school i want to go to was the school i used to attend maybe thats why im nervous. The high is locked down i dont even know if i can get into the baseball field it has a sign on the tennis court that says to use any sports facilities at Dutch Fork High school you must have permission from the sports director. Does that mean no on MD the fields?

Tom_in_CA · Jul 26, 2011

dallgire, regarding the sign at the high-school that you say says:

" ....... you must have permission from the sports director."

Those type signs sort of popped up, with the advent of fences around schools, starting in the late 1970s and through the 1980s. Ie.: in the advent of our litigical age, to keep people from suing the school if you slip on a bananna peel. But again, I ask you: do you see others out there after hours? For example, you say that you used to go there (after hours I presume?) to throw football with your buddy. Did you have permission from the sports director to do that? And if you see others on the school yard doing chinups, jogging, etc... after hours, do you think they are getting permission from the sports director?

I think your hangup is not that you think you can't be on school grounds after hours, any more so than any other joe out there who's walking by can. Because as we all know, there's always a wide-spot in gate or turn-style, etc... and no one really cares. I think your hangup is the dreaded digging/holes issue. And there's simply no way around this, unless you intend to only look for coins on top of the ground, or in the sand box perhaps. You've got to practice on probing for shallow coins, and practice horsehoe plugs in innocuous areas (with a catch-mat to keep the surrounding ground from getting dirty). etc... etc... There's plenty of posts in the archives that deal with making the least impact in plugs (going only when the ground is moist, not detaching the roots from the ground, stomping it when done, etc.. etc...). If all this still bothers you, and you're just the skittish type that can't stay discreet, then yes, you'll have to choose another location to hunt, or another hobby. Because there's just no getting around this.