New to the hobby?

[JmCraz8]

Just a few days I had my very first hunt at an early 1800s homestead but that was on our property. By my house a few miles up the road there are some baseball and softball fields that was on land donated to be built on. Are these fields considered public property? if they are how would you go on detecting them, I know to look around the bleachers but they would drive the detector insane. Any help is appreciated, i'm still learning the ropes. Thanks.

 

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[Cherokee_Kidd]

I would check with your local parks department for permission before trying to detect. I know I had to get permission to detect my local parks and sports fields because it hadn't been allowed in a long time.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Just a few days I had my very first hunt at an early 1800s homestead but that was on our property. By my house a few miles up the road there are some baseball and softball fields that was on land donated to be built on. Are these fields considered public property? if they are how would you go on detecting them, I know to look around the bleachers but they would drive the detector insane. Any help is appreciated, i'm still learning the ropes. Thanks.

They may be public, but they may belong to a charitable "Corporation," set up to administrate them. First, do you know the local sheriff or police officer? Best to ask over a cup of coffee. Second, just find out who actually takes care of the fields (volunteer groundskeepers-city-state), and speak to them. Third, never go during an event! I got kicked off a private beach just yesterday, but I was polite and apologetic, and the groundskeeper actually bent the rules and let me detect a while longer! Honey baby, just kill 'em with kindness!

 

[OutBack Duo]

I agree with the post to always check with the local parks, some charge a nominal fee, others you just need to register.

 

[JmCraz8]

i'm pretty sure it's public property, but I live in a town of maybe 800 people and don't really have a police department, maybe a few local police cruisers and mostly state cops. How would i contact them?

 

[Cherokee_Kidd]

I've lived in alot of small towns like that. I never had any problems detecting in those towns so I wouldn't worry. I would ask around to see if you can find out who's in charge of the fields. I would just catch one of the local cruisers or a state cop and let them know what you want to do and they should tell you if its okay or not. If there's a City or Town hall I would call and ask them cause they can tell you if its okay too.

 

[Minrelica]

I always email the park board for every city/town that I want to detect in. I explain that "no ground will be harmed" and "all trashed will be removed". Out of about 12 emails I've only received 1 negative response and that was from a county fairgrounds stating that "we already have some people who do that so we probably don't need any more"..

I do it mainly to relax my mind because I was paranoid the first few times out and it was a distraction from learning the hobby. Knowing that I've been given permission is a good feeling.

Just make sure that you actually are removing the trash and that you're not trashing the grass. I'm fairly new to the hobby as well... Welcome

 

[Cherokee_Kidd]

If the town he's in is anything like the real small towns I lived in they might not have a website or email or a parks department at all. Thats why I say call the city hall if there is one.

 

[JmCraz8]

Nope no website, were not even a town but a village lol

 

[Cherokee_Kidd]

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[JmCraz8]

If I get approached by police, would they just politely give me a warning or tell me to leave?. I'm just a little paranoid I guess going out to a public place to hunt for the first time.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I agree with Cherokee kid's last summary: just go. If it's public, then ........ why wouldn't you? I mean, are you planning on harming the place? Or put it this way: would you ask permission to fly a frisbee there? Go ahead and ask, if you want. But a lot of times (not always) what happens is you might get a "no", where, ...... quite frankly ....... no one would ever have cared less! (till you asked). The mere fact of thinking you need to ask, just implies that you are doing something wrong, or inherently damaging or destructive (lest why would you have felt the need to ask?). I'm betting that if you're not leaving a mess, being discreet about your recovery, etc... no one cares.

This is not to gaurantee there'll never be busy-bodies or kill-joys out there. If someone has an issue, their welcome to tell you and ...... no harm done. But that's just me. I travel and hunt parks all the time, no problem.

 

[JmCraz8]

Thanks for all the help, i'll just go for it and if someone tells me to leave i'll just leave.

 

[Cherokee_Kidd]

You might even get someone else interested in the hobby. I know thats happened to me alot .

 

[relichunters]

Generally all public parks allow metal detecting, if there is no signs, then it's probably okay. If you ask parks and rec they most likely will say no every time. Because they don't understand, to them you are digging big holes and leaving them.

Be respectful, don't dig in the soccer fields where people play, don't dig up home base on the baseball field, etc. Go out to the woods, or in the big fields.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

No problem. It's just always safe to ask permission from your local authorities first Jim...Some places are different than others my friend

good luck!