Rejection letter #1 and todays finds

[goldencoin]

Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

Hello, went to the local park and got a couple nice surprises....

A wheat
A compact (0-2 coin-wise)
Cool key 8)
1.26 in clad

And a rejection letter for a school park (never ask unless you need to!)

Dear Justin:

I am writing this letter in response to your request to use a metal
detector on blankety blank's property.

I must deny your request as it poses many problems; the least of which
is that we have many students who use the playground area - as well as
other areas for play, or running, or practices and/or physical education
activities.

The District spends a lot of time and money trying to make sure that
the ground is taken care of. Therefore, we do not want anyone "digging"
up the grass and/or dirt which could result in an injury and/or cause us
more work.

Good luck in your treasure hunting

A nice way of saying we don't want holes in our lawn...which is basically a swamp...the snow plow can do more damage in a winter than i can ever do there...everyone was fine, even the teachers until this one "just wanted to make sure". She was nice and just wanted permission...you can go there and not find any holes....oh well

HH
-GC

 

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[gold fish]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

wow, that sucks, in Wi almost all taxpayer property is public access.

As a matter of fact I WON'T ask permission to hunt on schoolgrounds, I am a taxpayer, and therefore I have some rights, I would check your state laws and see if they can even keep you off the property. I agree that getting permission is important, but sometimes knowing your rights is a far higher priority.

 

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[Jack(IN)]

I hunt many schools...

some schools state No metal detectors and I stay away. If a gate is locked I stay away, if posted in any way I stay away. In Indiana, after hours most public school are considered a park and can be hunted until dark. I normally don't ask permission, and have yet to be questioned other than asking what I'm looking for and what have I found. If I go to a football field I take only a screwdriver and no digging tool and you can't tell if I've even been there and can show anyone with a concern how I dig a coin. If someone does have a problem I can move on to a better place. At least you did try and maybe next year you could get a different response, more to your liking!!

 

[DJ_Quinn]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

That's fair enough, you asked and they said no. There's plenty of other places to hunt and at least you had the integrity to ask for permission.

 

[EDDE]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

i can't see finding much at a place called blankety blank anyway.....

yada yada maybe but for sure so and so's sounds promising

 

[goldencoin]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

Thanks for all the replies. I was forced to ask permission by a teacher, so i might as well get a no rather than a what-if. This is the forst time i asked permission for everything and i knew it was going to turn out like this.

I have probably been to a hundered schools without permission and everyone was fine with it.

I would like to tell the teacher to go outside and find the 200 holes i already dug there! I might of gotten a different response in the feild though....even the teacher was surprised i was filing in the holes and said thank you. Maybe some one with a walmart detector thoughtlessly destroyed the property before.

HH
-GC

 

[jeric2]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

you can hunt them, just not during school hours or after dark. They are public and you pay the taxes.

 

[DFX-SE Gregg]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

Lets look at it this way....should certain people be telling you that you are not allowed to detect? What gives that person the authority. Here is how I do it, if it is public property I hunt....But as someone stated if it is a school why take any chances...hunt when no one is around! But if someone gives me a problem I will move on...

I was at a perfectly manicured park yesterday, with perfect grass on perfect baseball fields. There were signs and rules posted everywhere!!! You even needed apass and a key to enter the basketball court!, This does not apear to be a "public" park to me!I could feel the dirty looks i was getting...a first! But in particular one of the groundskeepers was really watching...so I switched to the tot lot! 8) He then stopped watching, guess what I will be back, I fill my holes, I know how to pinpoint, I will not destroy their fields.....and they will not even know I was there!

 

[borninok]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

Am sending the following city law for Manassas, VA:

Sec. 78-80. Hunting for relics on public property.
It shall be unlawful for any person, without authority of the city council, to hunt, search out for, attempt to find or seek relics, or to use or be in possession of a metal detector on public grounds or property.
(Code 1978, § 21-37.1)
Cross references: Streets, sidewalks and other public places, ch. 102.
State law references: Acquisition and housing of relics, Code of Virginia, § 15.2-945.

I got bounced off of a public park soccer field that was a ruddy mess after a hard fought soccer game..............ohhhhhhhhhh but I could have potentially caused damage to the field. When I tried to explain that sometimes I find things on the surface and no digging is required, the answer was a repeated but stronger "NO". The mere possession of a metal detector is prohibited....and a crime.

It seems that a lot of times it is easier to say "no you can't do it" and live in total ignorance than to try to understand something.

It's a shame.
Just my 2 cents.
--Mel

 

[BIG61AL]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

it's all a crock of &%(^.
one kids soccer game does more damage than i ever could if i tried.

 

[Nana40]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

Ya know...I once told a local park ranger, as I looked around me that the only diff. between me and the cute little squirrils was that I filled my holes back in.
..............Joe

Ain't that the truth!

You'll find a better site to hunt any 'ole how.

Nana

 

[staceysallaboutu]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

Whoops thats one letter that the darn old mail man must have dropped huh. To bad.. Good Luck with yur hunting

Stacey

 

[eathabs]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

I have hunted the local schools with no issues. One, however, has a fence all around the athletic fields. They keep all the gates locked when they are not in use. I would imagine that I would get whacked for tresspassing if I hopped over the fence on the weekends.

Another location I have my eye on is privately owned. I am friends with a local cop and asked him about the property. We both know who owns it but he thought that because it is private property for public use that I would be good to go. The only thing stopping me from detecting is the sign that states no one over 14. He told me not to worry about that as there are older kids in there that play some type of organized sports. I am still trying to get the land owner's permission as I want to cover my butt as well as my friends.

Also, I asked him if they had a metal detector in their crime fighting arsenal. They do but they are the hand held wands. Imagine them on hands and knees trying to find evidence. I told him to call me if they ever need help with finding metallic evidence, he said no problem. No calls yet but none the less it is good to have those guys on our side. Might not be a bad idea for our members to do the same in offering the local PD your services. You never know when you might need a favor. Besides that, they can also let you know what can and can't be detected within their jurisdiction.

 

[Michigan Badger]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

Hello, went to the local park and got a couple nice surprises....

And a rejection letter for a school park (never ask unless you need to!)

-GC

I don't want to start a fire storm here but asking permission is a very relative topic.

As a general rule I ask permission when hunting private sites but with public or state sites I just do some general asking around and take it from there. If others are hunting a site without a problem then I'll hunt it. See, with some types of sites the owner would rather one not ask because then he's liable for that one's health while at that site. If someone doesn't ask and that person gets hurt on the property the land owner can say he was tresspassing and he may get off the hook.

The last thing I want to do is open the can of worms because this is one of the most explosive topics on any forum. But, when you asked permission you in fact forced this person to say no because to say yes he would have been verbally placing you on the school's insurance list plus laying the school open to possible lawsuit (if a child should happen to stumble on something in the yard and get hurt). Really, any informed person would have done what he (or she) did.

Again, if we're talking hunting somebody's yard or farm, etc., it's simple..ask permission. When hunting the many other types of sites it's not so easy. In fact, at some locations those in authority want people to like them (public PR) and they will welcome hunting but only in such a way as they're not responsible for them. The only way this can happen is if those hunting just do it on their own.

This is why I talk with the other THers in the area to learn the "lay of the land" before going to a new site. All potential sites have and are being hunted by someone, you can almost bet on that.

Badger

 

[paul1410]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

Excellent discussion, strong arguments for both sides.

For the record: I'm in the "don't ask on public land" camp. Simply, as was stated earlier, anytime you ask someone to endorse your actions the answer will always be NO.

 

[FLauthor]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

I hunted a schoolyard once and got blamed for all the holes that were dug all over the place. I had just started hunting and hadn't dug a thing when this stupid principle accused me. Obviously she wasn't a Floridian and not familiar with the digging habits of the southern armadillo that I'd spotted as I walk onto the field moments earlier.
I pointed the critter out to her and told her to examine the spot where it was digging and she could see that it was the same as all the other holes.
She turned about 3 shades of red from embarrasement, stammered a quick apology and left as fast as her feet could carry her. Detectorists never had a problem after that episode for years until the area was finally fenced and padlocked.
Keep trying, lots of other areas that hold treasures.

 

[borninok]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

FLauthor,

I just about fell out of my chair laughing so hard at your posting! I can imagine how embarrassed she was!
Having grown up in Oklahoma with prairie dog holes, I can imagine....ha/ha Great posting!
--Mel

 

[dfxmatt]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

There's alot to be talked about with this issue. I myself have never been approached yet on public property, but if i were, I'd take the person out with me where i was hunting and tell them,

*if you can show me a place where i've dug i will kindly leave with no questions asked*

Alot of people would end up telling u no anyway, but it would still nice to prove your point and shut them up for that brief second. When you fill your holes correctly u have a little pull anyway.

 

[mikesand]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

how do you dig a coin with just a screwdriver
HH
mike

 

[Jeffro]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

I ask in person, its harder for someone to say no that way, for some reason.

Getting coins with a screwdriver is no problem. Probe gently until you feel the coin, pull back a little, move the point over to the side, go down below the coin, and pry and slightly pull at the same time. They pop right out, down to about 4 inches or so.

Dull the edges on the tip with a file or bench grinder first, saves scratches.

Deeper coins, I'll kinda make like a swizel stick, with the tip above the coin, making a hole large enough to get my finger down into and use my finger and the screwdriver tip like tweezers to pluck it out.

Much deeper, its time to dig a plug generally. I get 90 percent of my coins around town with a screwdriver only. I may cut a plug every once in a while on deep solid hits, but more often than not, its a screwdriver.

Out away from the well manicured lawns, I'll dig holes and refill if need be.

 

[oknorom]

Re: Rejection letter #1 and today's finds

i agree. when someone recieves a letter, they have a lot of time to think about why they should say no. at least when you're face to face you can charm them a little bit. especially when asking permission to hunt a private residence. complimenting them on their home and saying you are fascinated by historic architecture sometimes seals the deal.