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I may be heading to Ok for a job. It loos like there is a state park close (Will Rodgers). Does anyone have info as to if detecting is allowed there. And if water detecting is allowed? If I get stationed there I would enjoy some detecting with locals. Thanks!
some answers you've received so far are on the order of "it depends, on a case-by-case, park-by-park basis, so you should go in and ask if it's ok".
While the first part of that statement is true (that park rules vary, from location to location, entity-to-entity), yet the second part of that statement need-not necessarilly follow. Instead, if it were true that "there might be a rule", then you can merely look up the rules for yourself. NOT think that you need to ask someone "can I?". Because by asking "can I?" you risk a "no", when no real rule exists that says such a thing. Or that they morph something else to apply to the question, when in fact, perhaps they really wouldn't have cared less, or given the matter any thought.
But to address your question specifically as it applies to OK state parks: It turns out that someone's already done this footwork many decades ago. Starting with a book called "Treasure Laws of the United States", and now evolved into web-listings like this one:
Federation of Metal Detector & Archaeological Clubs Inc.
And as you can see, OK has a "yes" in their column (that you can detect state parks there). However, it has a suffix note: " ... with permit from park office". Doh! Ok, and with that type answer, a little explanation of the evolution of such lists is in order:
The way such lists came about, way back when (starting with R.W. "Doc" Grim book Treasure Laws in the 1980s), was a simple way to compile the data: They asked! Yup, Doc Grim merely sent out 50 xerox copies to all 50 states capitols, to the parks dept. high powers, with a letter to the effect of:
"what are your state's rules regarding the use of metal detectors in your state parks?" And then he merely compiled all 50 state's replies, in alphabetic order, in his book. Even to the point of including the actual letter head reply, so in case someone accosts you in the field, you can just show them the page from their own state capitol saying it's allowed.
What a genius idea right? I mean, what better authority to have, than a "yes" straight from the capitol right? And what better pre-emptive info to have if it were a "no", so you "don't get in trouble" right? And who better to ask, than the state's themselves, right?
And subsequent lists (like the link above) often just drew from sources like that. Or continued to use the same method of seeking clarification, and sending inquiries, in the same way.
But a curious thing happened when that first book made the rounds: There were a lot of those state with "no's" or dire sounding things like "with permission" or "with permit", where ......... quite frankly ...... detecting had just always gone on in those state's parks, and no one had ever had a problem. I mean, duh, of course, stay away from obvious historic monuments, but aside from that, it hadn't been an issue. But now all of the sudden there's this book with a "no" or some such dire-sounding things?
The reason for this was simple: put yourself in the shoes, way-back-when, of whomever receives such an inquiry? What do you THINK the "simple" answer is going to be? Because logically, admittedly, some state parks *might* have a historically sensitive theme (while the other 95% are non-historic run-of-the-mill beaches and campgrounds). So if you were tasked with answering such a question, you simply can not go into minute detail, and say: "yes at these 42, but no at these 6" Or "yes at such & such park, except stay off the golf course putting green" or "not at the west end by the historic cabin" and so forth. Duh. So obviously the easy answer was either "no", or "inquire at each kiosk you come to".
Do you see the self-fulfilling vicious loop here? So people did exactly what the list said, and started 'asking at each kiosk'. Or seeking a "permit" which apparently only goes to archies, and the average man will never get. So all of the sudden, these "pressing questions" at each kiosk and indivual park office and ranger, merely puts this on the radar as a "BOL" for rank and file rangers that this must somehow now be watched for, as if it's now somehow evil or something.
So before long, states that had never had a problem before, DO have a problem now. And old-timers are left scratching their heads saying "since when?". It was a national case of "no one caring till you ask".
And even those states on that list that have a "with permission" or "ask at each kiosk" or "with a permit", you have to ask yourself: Do they really mean that, and does anyone really care, or does such a "permit" even exist? Because take CA, on that list, as an example: If someone were to take that list literally, they might *think* they need "permission" on state-of-CA beaches (which are administered by the state's park's dept. afterall). But on the contrary, you can hunt state of CA owned beaches till you're blue in the face, and no one cares. Gee, I guess not enough people have gone asking questions for clarification. And I guess that's a good thing.
