Permission for hunting public schools

[surfrat96]

Could someone please tell me if you need permission to hunt on public school grounds, once school is out? Also if you do, who would you ask? Thanks in advance 8)

 

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[treasurekidd]

Surfrat, I'm not sure about your area, but here in RI I hunt the schoolyards all the time and have never been bothered. I go on weekends, early in the morning. I usually head out if kids come along to use the playground cuz I don't want Moms getting worried about some wierdo with a detector hunting around where their kids are playing. Sometimes I bring my own kids if the weather is nice, and they can get some fresh air running around the playground while I hunt and scoop up trash. If your not sure, ask someone, even if it's just a call to the school administration for your town. As long as it's off hours, and you fill your holes properly and haul out trash, they shouldn't have a problem with it. After all, your taxes pay for the school, teachers salaries and the gym equipmenty, right? Good luck!

 

[stoney56]

I personally have had no problems with the schools. Of course our club has permission on any city or public property. The only thing the High School said was please not on the football or baseball field- of course they keep them locked up anyway.

 

[Vingamel]

Regardless of the legality questions, I just think it shows class to always ask for permission to hunt any private property that you don't own. Do the right thing, and everything falls into place.

 

[Monty]

Don't dnow about all schools but public schools usually have an elected school board. I suppose you would contact them?

 

[michinkae]

I usually go on non-school days and stay off of the obvious sports fields and pick up any and all trash I find. I personally think that asking permission is a wise idea if your not sure. If I know the area and the people I just go, if its a school out of my area its best to ask. In my experience out here in Massachusetts however, its usually not a big deal to just go onto school property and hunt. We have people that hunt at the local Community College and their advice is to just go when theres no classes usually on an early Saturday or Sunday morning and no one will bug you. It always help to police up trash as you go and always keep the hazardous stuff you find to show any one thats whines at you. I had a pouch full of bottle tops with shards of broken glass still in them and torn up soda cans that could cut feet and arms if someone landed on them. A grounds keeper can stroming up to me and started hollering like there was no tomorrow. I waited for him to slow down and when he did thats when I pulled all the sharp and hazardous metal out of my pouch and showed him. He instantltychanged his tune and simply told me that it was OK to hunt this time but just check into the grounds office the next time. They let me hunt any time I want to at the college now because they know that I'm responsible and keep there students from harm. I made the mistake that time of only checking in with public safety who had no problem with me hunting. You should always check with grounds first because they will yell the loudest.

 

[dfxdude]

I use the following rules of thumb:
Detect off hours or on weekends when school is in session. I usually wait until school closes down in late May, early June and try to hit them before others and you have all day. This applies to public schools. Private or parochial schools, I would definately get permission. I have never had problems or been questioned on public school grounds and I am careful not to show I have been there. Pick up all trash. The maintenance man advised me to stay away from football field at one school , but I could MD the boundaries beyond the sidelines. I deal mostly with small rural town schools in Upper Midwest, where most school property is not fenced and locked and I am probably the only MD'er around. I hit several schools last summer and only ran into one where other MD'ers were present and that was a larger town of about 15,000.
Happy Hunting

 

[eathabs]

Well said ving. Always does good to ask first. Today I called our local community pool which won't open for another 2 months. I talked to the guy(who I know) in charge of the grounds asking if I could come down and check it out. He said no. I asked if it was a city ordinance and got a yup out of him. He did say that the local ball fields are fair game though. Funny thing was that he asked me if I had a Whites. He said he was thinking about getting one and I think he might be wanting to keep the pool area for himself. No worries, there are plenty of areas locally to detect.