Seemse senseless now

[Melissa Archibald]

Seems senseless now

Metal detecting seems like I just wasted a lot of money on a device that cannot be use in most areas of the country let alone where I live, I am really wondering why I got into this. I love the hunt and being out with nature but today you almost need permission every where you go and/or you can get sued or arrested with heavy fines just for wanting find to coins and jewelry with no disturbing the ground. I have found some sites online where the people are just nasty and I won't name the site on here.

 

[choppadude]

I find tons of places to detect. Perhaps you are not looking in the right places? When you do find a place to detect just make sure you do a neat job of recovering your item and filling in the hole leaving the turf in as good as shape as you found it.
Good luck and cheer up, a good attitude is your most valuable tool in detecting!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Metal detecting seems like I just wasted a lot of money on a device that cannot be use in most areas of the country let alone where I live, I am really wondering why I got into this.

Huh? What country do you live in? Based on your other T'net posts, I'm going to assume the SW U.S.A., right? (eg.: Arizona?). If so, who told you that you can't detect? Where are you getting this info? And I see that your other posts have to do with indian stuff. Perhaps that is the genesis of your fears here now? If so, be assured that "indian stuff" is in a camp all its own. Ie.: heaven help you if you touch an arrow head or indian bone, blah blah blah. Right? But trust me: such is not the scrutiny of coins, rings, etc.... No one cares about us European guys. Doh!

There's people detecting there in AZ, I assure you. Who are having no problems finding lots of places to detect. I've travelled through AZ and found ample places to detect, find old stuff, etc....

So let us know what places you're lamenting not being able to detect, and where you got your info that you couldn't detect.

 

[Melissa Archibald]

I am in SE Arizona and this is one state with a lot of places you cannot detect. Sure you are allowed to detect in Tucson parks with permission in a public park yet.

 

[Melissa Archibald]

Pima County

On Pima County Property you cannot detect anywhere or even pan. The Saguaro National Park here you are not even allowed to pan.

 

[jeff of pa]

National Parks are out everywhere , but seriously,
there must be some "public" property around you somewhere.

If not enough Public how about Personal Friends & family Property ?
Surly they are not rude & nasty

 

[Melissa Archibald]

Jeff that is an idea.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Where are you getting this information? You may be confusing something about "state parks" to mean "the entire state". This is a common mistake: Anything that applies to "state parks" is ONLY for "state parks" (and not even necessarily for other forms of state-owned land). Same for county parks: would only apply to county parks, and not other forms of land within the county. As for the Tuscon city thing, where are you getting that info? From this website: mdhtalk ? If so, I notice it says that this is one of the rare cities which has a permit system (which is free there btw). Ok then, why don't you just go get the permit, and detect the city parks ?

As for the rest of the stuff on that mdhtalk, you've got to be a little aware of the back-ground of such "scary" sites, and the things it reports. Namely: How did they get their info? Same way the FMDAC state-by-state state-parks listing did: THEY ASKED. Sounds reasonable enough, eh? But oddly, often-time "dire-sounding answers" came back to these "pressing questions". Yet when you probe deeper, you THEN see that there's often really nothing that specifically said "no metal detecting". Instead, it's someone's opinion of "alter", "deface" "remove", "collect", "cultural heritage", etc.... And often the state or county or city parks they allude to (where the fished and found a "no"), were (and still are) often detected WITH NO PROBLEMS. So long as you're not being a nuisance, leaving holes, and snooping around obvious sensitive historic monuments. I'm not saying to throw caution-to-the-wind, but .... just saying to keep in mind how some of those "dire-sounding lists" you found, came into being, in the first place.

As for National parks, yes that is a given. It is a known fact that national parks do indeed have specific dis-allowance verbage on md'ing. However, do not confuse that with other forms of federal land. Like BLM or NFS. Both of which have specific ALLOWANCES for md'ing (as opposed to simple silence on the subject, which would be good enough for most, to mean not dis-allowed).

 

[Melissa Archibald]

If you look back at a federal law back in the 1800's for treasure hunting it does allow people to treasure hunt without restrictions, I realize back then they didn't have metal detectors but the same situation applies.

 

[bigscoop]

The biggest part of this hobby resides in the three R's...."Research, Research, Research." Yes, there are a ton of laws and regulations on the books but researching them is just part of the hobby. There are still a lot of places where you can treasure hunt and metal detect but you have to put in the time to find them.

In general folks will help guide you, but as for specific locations they aren't usually going to give up what was likely hard to find with a lot of RRR. Just the nature of the beast.

 

[TNGUNS]

OK...... kind of lost on the post. Do the research, go to the court house and find the owner, obtain permission, and hunt. If the owner will not grant permission, move on to the next. I have obtained permission for literally thousands of acres (numerous owners) where I live. One track of land is 1500 acres, another owner has several land tracts that total over 1000 acres, and numerous smaller ones that encompass an old ghost town here. Be a good steward of the land, pick up the trash, and bend over backwards to leave it better than you found it, and the land owners will sometimes ask others on your behalf. Once you have reached the place where you can the land owners vouching, and or asking for you, you will have plenty to hunt. Just takes a little time and effort.

 

[releventchair]

Always places off limits.
Focus on those that are not.
It is frustrating if we fight it but there are undetected sites yet, let alone those that need gone over again with modern equipment.
Seeking permission to hunt a private site gets easier with ,doing it.
Without going overboard ,letting people know you detect can and has led to leads.
If you spend money someplace out and about why not ask if you can swing there? A no is just a no. Thanks anyway. Even a no can lead to another place.
Start a map at your immediate location and fill in where you can hunt. Then map where you would like to and figure how to access those areas only off limits due to being private. Focus on what you can do.....Approach someone like you would be approached to hunt your property. Some people don't care others get real nervous and a quick no. People are people. Move on to the next. In time you find places that show little but are good hunting. Maybe even enough you can't keep up for a while.

 

[Melissa Archibald]

Always places off limits.
Focus on those that are not.
It is frustrating if we fight it but there are undetected sites yet, let alone those that need gone over again with modern equipment.
Seeking permission to hunt a private site gets easier with ,doing it.
Without going overboard ,letting people know you detect can and has led to leads.
If you spend money someplace out and about why not ask if you can swing there? A no is just a no. Thanks anyway. Even a no can lead to another place.
Start a map at your immediate location and fill in where you can hunt. Then map where you would like to and figure how to access those areas only off limits due to being private. Focus on what you can do.....Approach someone like you would be approached to hunt your property. Soe people don't care others get real nervous and a quick no. People are people. Move on to the next. In time you find places that show little but are good hunting. Maybe even enough you can't keep up for a while.

Thank you everybody for your input I appreciate it and you helped.

 

[Melissa Archibald]

The town North of me Marana, AZ does allow metal detecting in all their parks you just have to put the dirt or sand in this case back where it was and leave it how you found it, now that makes sense. The one thing I really do not understand is if metal detecting is allowed in a towns parks why would they request you need permission from them first?

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Yep, and you will now start finding tons of places to detect. I go early Sunday mornings fewer people around. As long as you can look back and not tell where you've dug up a target and filled the hole, you're good!
Good luck and Happy Hunting!

 

[Boatlode]

Metal detect anywhere you want in Arizona. If somebody stops you, tell them in spanish that you're an illegal. Then they have to let you go.

 

[TNGUNS]

The town North of me Marana, AZ does allow metal detecting in all their parks you just have to put the dirt or sand in this case back where it was and leave it how you found it, now that makes sense. The one thing I really do not understand is if metal detecting is allowed in a towns parks why would they request you need permission from them first?

My understanding is that you don't need permission if it is not banned on public property. Always, always, always, cover those holes whether in the grass, woods, or plowed fields. A practice that will help insure the places we can still detect will remain that way. One person leaving uncovered holes in a public park, or private land, can close it to all.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... The one thing I really do not understand is if metal detecting is allowed in a towns parks why would they request you need permission from them first?

Good question. The answer is, that if an activity (metal detecting, for instance), is not specifically dis-allowed or prohibited, then ...... doh .... it's not dis-allowed or prohibited. You need not think you need to ask permission for the activity, any-more-so than you'd think you need permission to fly frisbees. Or skip stones on the pond.

At the VERY MOST, if someone *really* feels the need to talk to a live person (rather than look up the rules for themselves), they can do this: ask that desk clerk "where can I find the rules-of-use , muni-codes, etc... available for public viewing?". Because laws are no secret. They have to be somewhere for the public to view.

 

[texasred777]

Melissa, I started MDing in my own yard. I bought a little Radio Shack detector for $29.99. I lived in a house with a nice sized front and larger back yards. I started finding a few clad coins, along with a lot of pull-tabs and foil. The little detector didn't have discrimination on it. As I got more used to it, I began finding nickels and then some silver dimes, along with some wheat cents. I started keeping up with the finds. I counted the wheat cents at 3 cents each, silver at 10 to 1, and nickels at double their face value. I paid for the little detector in just a few months. I then bought the Bounty Hunter 840 and searched the yard more. The first coin I found with the BH was a 1909 quarter!
Then I started hunting an elementary school about 3 blocks from the house. I found quite a bit of silver and other coins there. I was told that the school ground had been hunted out several years earlier. I saw several people using MDs there each week. I bought a set of headphones and started going very slowly and digging almost every 'hit'. I have probably 20 or 30 coins that I found at the school that I kept. I then started going to parks.
Several neighbors let me detect their yards. I found a lot of coins, knives, etc..
I've kept the coins that I thought were worth something. I have kept the wheat cents, pre-1960 nickels, silver coins, and anything else that might be worth something. I have about 600 coins.
If you live in a house with a yard, start there. It will be a great start and will teach you a lot about using your detector. If you live in an apartment, try to get permission to search all the property. You never know what you might find! Good hunting!

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I mostly agree with your post except the part I highlighted. I would suggest that they just detect it. I don't see any need to ask.

Interesting. I lived in an apartment for a year or so, about 15 yrs. ago. Our complex was built in the early 1960s. So I would, occasionally when needing a place to test out my equipment, or just goof off, hit my own complex's grass lawn. One day, the land-lord came to check on his property, and saw me out there. He recognized me as a tenant though. He came over to ask what I was doing. I told him. He just shrugged his shoulders and went on about his business.

Yes I can see needing to ask permission for where you don't live (like if you didn't live and pay rent there). But with tenancy *does* come use of the common area, I would think. I mean barring, of course, you being a nuisance, leaving a mess, etc....