Treasure Tales and Steve, I should clarify and say "state owned" CA beaches. Yes, some federal ones do have rangers here who care less. But restricting the conversation to state of CA owned beaches, if someone were to take the FMDAC website literally, they would be inclined to think they must "inquire at each one". All I am saying ... right or wrong.... is that no one here does. They have been detected since the dawn of detectors, back when it didn't even dawn on any of the early hunters that you needed to "ask" to detect a public beach, to begin with.
So when new folks join clubs, join friends on hunts, and get into the hobby, it's just assumed that the beaches are ok, since, that's where your friends, who turned you onto the hobby, or the fellow club members, etc... go. Not until you log onto the internet, or hear a story of someone getting hassled, do you think "gee, no one's ever said anything to me here?". So are legions of CA hunters supposed to start asking, even though they've been hunting state beaches for decades?
Of course this is only CA, in this example, but I'm just saying, that when you extrapilate that out, it just makes me wonder if the other FMDAC state's answers and specifics are perhaps the same thing?
And although it might seem like "what's the harm in asking", I would be afraid to get a no, at places no one's ever cared. Ie.: why rock the boat, when we've gone for 30 yrs. in front of God and everyone?
I guess I will have to ask at the station before I dig...just thought someone here may know for sure.
