Perfect Timing!

[Troller]

On Monday our village board just approved a permitting process for detectorist to obtain a permit to metal detect in village parks! Previously all metal detecting in the village has been banned. In the past detectortist have had to obtain permission from board members in order to detect on public land or get permission from a property owner.

The timing couldn't be better either as I have just started out in this hobby and have been restricted to un-turfed areas. We don't have any beaches in the village so its been slim pickings around here in that one is limited to sand boxes and playgrounds. Typically all one finds in these areas (if one finds anything at all) is coins. The oldest coin I have found is from 1972.

The move to allow metal detecting passed 3-1 Monday evening, now lets just hope that detectorists in the area proceed and act responsibly!

 

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[RobRieman]

And be sure you get there first! [emoji4]

 

[Troller]

I was the first one to request a permit. I am going back Friday when the board president is there to get the permit. They haven't finalized the permits just yet so I have to wait. I do however have permission to metal detect at the local elementary school. I asked the Administrator if I could detect there and he said it wouldn't be a problem at all. even asked if I wanted to use the schools metal detector! I have been out behind the school for days now just combing the area. I have found that the best place to dig is right under the monkey bars. Obviously students dump a lot of change there. We do have a nature center within village limits and I am wondering if the permit applies to that area as well. There are a lot of old foundations on that property and it would be awesome if they allowed metal detecting on that property. I was thinking about it and I think it would be neat to donate historically significant finds back to the village.

 

[Troller]

I hate to sound like a rookie, but... I am a rookie. I understand the concept of running a grid but what is the best way to set one up? Is there an online tool that one can use to set up a virtual grid and then lay it out physically or am I over thinking this? Do you typically just use cones stakes with string?

 

[kcm]

If you get proficient at MD'ing, you might be able to set something up with one or more of your local/area schools and have outdoor MD classes for the kids. Could teach them the right way to swing, show them your detector and explain how it works (lots of visual), and maybe have an area set up for the kids, where you push a penny or a nickle into the ground for every 10' x 10' area (before the kids are out there), and then each kid gets to find something.

THEN, in the process, I bet you could get LOTS of exclusive permission for lots of prime places!!

...Just make sure to have a cheaper detector for the kids to use!!

 

[kcm]

Skippy wrote, "That could backfire pretty quickly. "Please come to our house to let our children use your equipment.""

Well, not exactly what I had in mind. The kids would be very young kids - most of which would not become MD'ers because it's too much "work". They'd be interested for a time, but young kids quickly lose interest....most of them would, I believe.

When invited to someone's home, it would have to be the understanding that you are there to detect their property as best you can; not to give lessons. Was only talking about having a school-grounds class for the kids as a way to maybe drum up some off-campus permissions. Sorry I wasn't very clear there.

 

[Troller]

My school owns a metal detector. We also do an enrichment day and I am usually invited to do a class for the enrichment day. If I were to ever do a class I think I would focus on the code of ethics as well as the actual activity. Skippy does have a point though! The more people out there swinging coils the less loot there is for other detectorist. We have maybe four parks in our village. To boot I teach in a rather a rather well off district and the parents probably wouldn't think twice about dropping $400 on a metal detector. We have a teacher who does a geocaching unit and that has taken off like wild fire through our district. Still out of our 50 some 8th graders and 60 7th graders maybe 40 would take my enrichment class. Of those 40 maybe only 15 or so would take to it and of those 15 maybe five will stick with it. The one thing that I have learned from my 5 years of teaching is that today's youth are all about instant gratification thanks to video games! Odds are those who do get a metal detector will go a couple of time and get sick off finding pull tabs. In the process however they would more than likely get their parents into it. Their parents are the one I would worry about as they could easily purchase a high end metal detector for themselves if they wanted to.
It's a great idea but it would come with its draw backs!

 

[Normsel]

I can almost assure you that some gopher will dig and not fill his holes properly and leave the park a mess. A cpl yrs ago I pulled over $75 in clad from one park and you couldn't tell I had been there. One guy came through and dug about 30 holes and never covered any of them and they banned anyone from detecting in the park. I asked for special permission because the Parks Supt had talked to me in the past and told me as long as I dug my plugs nice and neat and covered everything up properly I could hunt there. So when asked the Supt after the gopher went through he said sorry I can't let just one person. One guy ruined a 30 acre park

 

[Troller]

That sucks! That guy deserves the soap in sock treatment.

 

[RustyGold]

Why is your town called a village. That's very cool as I see the folks up in Alaska call their small town a village. Sorry! ..off topic...

 

[Troller]

I believe it's because we are unincorporated. We have a village board but no mayor or police force of our own. I suppose you could call us a town but it would be a very small town in terms of populace. It's basically a small farming community with a few high end subdivisions peppered in here and there. In fact we are right across the border from Illinois and we get some people who transplant to start hobby farms. It's the kind of small town where coaches and teachers can't go to the local diner without a good deal of fan fair. Since I have moved here the towns been referred to as a village so that's what I call it.

 

[Troller]

I know it's not a great answer but it's the only reason I know of.

 

[RustyGold]

It is a great answer! I love the idea of a village over a town, city, metropolis. More of a community that takes care of the elders.
I often wonder how well a shire like community would do.

 

[Troller]

Went down to the village hall today and filled out my application. I asked if I could dig at the local nature center and they said, "now that is a good question. As of right now no you can not dig there. You can however dig at any village park you want now." I was so pumped I went in the rain to the local park which was spongy at best... almost soupy. I started to grid the area but some areas were ankle deep. I am not overly worried about being the first person there right at this point and time because I am the only person with a permit so really I can go anytime I'd like to. Any how I obtained my first permission to go to any local park!