Need some help! Richmond Va area

[darktower007]

Hey folks... I posted in the Virginia thread... but I was wondering if anyone hunts around Richmond and if they know if parks are okay to hunt in? While a hunting partner is cool (I’ll be there next week) I’m just looking for some info/experiences in the area.

I searched the entire Municode of Richmond, nothing was mentioned about metal detecting, but I have seen on various old threads you can’t hunt in Richmond proper.

So any help you may have would be great!

 

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[Tom_in_CA]

....I searched the entire Municode of Richmond, nothing was mentioned about metal detecting, but I have seen on various old threads you can’t hunt in Richmond proper. ...

Well if the muni-code and park rules are silent on the issue, then .... logically ....... not prohibited.

So if you saw on various past threads where someone said otherwise, did they cite where they were getting their info from ? Because you'd be surprised at how often claims like this get made, when it's based on stuff like:

a) someone called the city and asked. Found a desk-jockey who's image was geeks with shovels, and got a safe answer: "no". IMHO that doesn't constitute "law" or "a rule". It's nothing more than swatting hornet's nests.

b) someone got a "scram" (from a gardener having a bad hair day). So they put the word out "such & such parks are off-limits". This fails to take into account that sometimes such busy-body stuff is simply isolated flukes.

I haven't looked up myself, but .... just saying .... it's possible find a "no" anywhere on earth, if you ask long enough and hard enough. And such is the origin of some of the dire things you read about. For me personally, I do not hesitate to hunt any park I come to (so long as not an obvious historic sensitive monument). And ... sure... go at low traffic times (if it's nice manicured turf). Because our hobby has connotations that you might be about to leave a hole. But .... that's just me. If I found the city park rules and muni-code to be silent, then ... I'm in.

 

[smokeythecat]

And be extremely careful to NOT go on Federal land. They will eat your lunch on that one. I like private permission and door knocking the most! I have found way more on private property than EVER on any parkland.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

And be extremely careful to NOT go on Federal land. They will eat your lunch on that one.....

Can't speak exactly to the Fed. land within shot of Richmond VA, but ... just so we're clear: Not all fed. land is off-limits to md'ing, when speaking of the USA in general.

 

[Gare]

Well remember this. If you get a yes ask the persons name that gave it to you and there position and write it down.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Well remember this. If you get a yes ask the persons name that gave it to you and there position and write it down.

Ah yes. If only it were this simple. While ... yes. ... it's comforting to have a name in your back-pocket to whip out, the following scenarios have played out before on threads about this:

Someone (cop, gardener, or whoever) comes up to gripe. The md'r gleefully whips the "permission" out of his back pocket to show the griper. The griper merely gets on his cell phone, calls to city hall (or the desk clerk at park's dept. or whomever) and says "But he's tearing the place up" (which isn't true, of course). Then guess what happens to your permission ?

 

[Gare]

But when who ever comes up and asks you who gave you permission to detect it is nice to be able to name a name and not just a SOMEBODY .

 

[franklin]

Get permission in writing from the people or government that owns the property, get their name, their employer and their phone number and signature on a letterhead letter.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

But when who ever comes up and asks you who gave you permission to detect it is nice to be able to name a name and not just a SOMEBODY .

Well ... sure. And not only that: Even though perhaps the "name-dropping" could get over-turned, yet .... the md'r is only going to get a "scram" at worst. Ie.: no legal hassles, since you were operating on good authority from so & so. Hence it's the person who told you "yes" that is in any trouble, not you. Right ? Thus ... a good idea to ask and get names, right ?

I can see the logic and comfort of this. But IMHO it still does not outweigh the downsides of risking the "safe answer". I have seen too many places where no one ever had an issue or problem before. Until someone (bless their little hearts) took it upon themselves to go ask "can I?".

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Get permission in writing from the people or government that owns the property, get their name, their employer and their phone number and signature on a letterhead letter.

Franklin, sure. And that's the FASTEST way to get a "no". Is for a total stranger to show up at the desk of a govt. employee with a contract for them to sign. The only thing this will do is to conjure up images of danger, risk, legal issues, etc.... Why else would you be standing there asking for their written contractual approval, if your activity were not somehow inherently evil, harmful, dangerous, etc... ? Why this starting premise ? I happen to consider md'ing benign, harmless, educational and nutritious. If someone else disagrees , fine then, go when they're not around.