Odd lot of metal detecting laws

[k0bgalan]

This link (http://www.mdhtalk.org/home.html) is no longer active. If you do a search for laws, one of them refers you to Garrett and a list of generalities. I'm not surprised at either situation. One of the reasons is the complexity of keeping up with the ever-changing regulations. And it isn't just the fed or the states. Local governmental organizations—cities, counties, townships, etc.— all contribute to ever-more complex scenarios.

Here in Roswell, NM, all city parks are fair game, unless the area is posted. Typically, those areas are fenced and with proper signage. The only thing the city asks is that you replace and tamp down your divots. Just about everything else (public) is off limits, even in the county. New Mexico statewide, BLM lands are no-nos, but other states allow their BLM land to be searched, unless posted. The old adage about it's best to ask forgiveness than permission is a knife-edged line to cross nowadays.

I sort of wish I lived east of the Mississippi, where a lot of private lands are still available to detect. At least you have access to relics and silver coinage, because they're very rare west of the Mississippi and especially so in the desert southwest. I'm jealous!

 

[cudamark]

And it's not just laws specifying metal detecting. We can be affected by archaic park rules that were meant to keep people from taking the flora to landscape their own yard. They just morph those laws to include us, even though we have no intent to remove anything except our metal target. In most cases, it's the person who sees you making a recovery. Some don't care if you return things like you found them. Other busy-bodies will call the cops even if you're only probing with a screwdriver.