So what would you do...

[badpenny]

My wife and I were out for our daily walk which takes us past an old home site which belongs to a friend of mine. And I noticed a guy in camouflage with a detector and shovel hiding in the woods every time he heard a car coming, he didn't see me and my wife. My wife said to call the property owner and I said no. But now that I think about it, I think I should have because all my neighbors know I detect and if they see a ton of fresh dug holes they will think it was me, and I would only dig there if I had asked. So what would you have done? I never saw another person with a detector in my area so it surprised me, and I didn.t see a car or anything parked near by. However, just by his actions I knew he knew he wasn't supposed to be there.

 

[spartacus53]

Next time shoot him, and say you thought it was a deer

Honestly, since you know the man, I would give him a call and a heads up, that someone was on his property. HE may have had permission, but then again, he could have been trespassing. It's called looking out for neighbors.

 

[badpenny]

That is what my gut is telling me to do too.

 

[robgwv]

I agree,No matter how u say it. Takeing without permission is stealing.

 

[TNGUNS]

Bust him big time. I ask or I don't hunt on private property. That kind of idiot puts us all in a poor light. Think it is a pretty safe bet that he was not supposed to be there.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

reply

Badpenny, your mental description (camoflauge, ducking when passerbys go by, etc....) paints a picture of a guy who's "up to no good". But .... here's other possibilities: a lot of us where camo. when detecting (there was even a recent thread on that), and doesn't mean someone is/was sneaking around. And as for ducking when cars pass by, that certainly sounds incriminating, but I can think of some parks or places I've gone where I too don't want to attract lookie-lous. Not that it's off-limits, but just so as not to have anyone start the "20 questions". Heck, I know a guy who .... if he's got a good beach erosion spot, will hide from other md'rs, go at night, etc.. If someone comes down the beach, he "ducks". Why? So no one wises up to his good spot. Nothing at all to do with legality (the beach he's at was perfectly open to detecting).

I know that series of potentials is not likely, given the steps you spell out. but just saying, that lack of wearing neon orange, and someone hunting at discreet times and avoiding lookie-lous, does not automatically equate to "up to no good".

So do you know your friend granted no one else permission? Is the house-site abandoned? Posted? Fenced? And the adjacent woods: are they public, or also the property of your friends? There has also been posts about random abandoned ruins in forests (where there's nothing to stop someone from walking by, which, for example, your wife and you also were walking by said-"old-home-site" as well, yet ... perhaps you were on the "other" side of a fence or sign?).


Yes, I know, the long list of potentials to make this md'r "smell like an angel" isn't likely, but .... just saying that some of the things *could* have an explanation.

If it were a public site, I would not report that to authorities. Because as much as I may not like it, the end result of calling the authorities does much worse for the hobby. It makes the hobby a big-red "x" in need of more scrutiny. Ends up in newspapers for archies to see, etc...., and cops to have a "BOL" mental picture, for when they see an md'r in the future, even if nothing at all is askew at other places. But since this is not a public site, and it's a personal friend of yours, then I would not have a problem with telling a personal friend. But actually, if I saw someone detecting, (like when you were walking by with your wife), I'd have probably walked right up to him, see what he's found, checked to see if he had permission, and so forth. Or perhaps he was too far away? Or you didn't want to 'cuz your wife was with you?

 

[mical66]

i would have called the land owner as soon as i got to a phone. if you could not have got them then yes i would have called the police , it can only make MDers look bad if this guy was doing something wrong, if he had permission then the landowner or police would not have bothered him.
as some one else said , its called looking out for your neighbors . i would want some one to call if they seen some one on my property.

 

[badpenny]

I plan on calling the owner when I get home tonight, this property was recently robbed of all the metal that was around it. And like I said, the only one my neighbors ever see around here detecting is me. And I don't care who detects where I don't want anyone thinking I am the old man making the mess. I am not saying this guy did, and this property has been abandoned for many, many years, and there is junk everywhere. I thought live and let live... but after I thought about it I thought I should have called. And knowing this neighbor I know he would not have granted permission to anyone, even me. And there is no public land around it.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... And there is no public land around it.

I suppose there must have been public land close enough to it, that you are your wife could even have walked there, in order to have seen him .... to begin with? Or perhaps it/he was seen "from afar ..." ?

 

[badpenny]

There is a country road which we walk everyday. And that is where we were at, on the paved road in front of the property. There is another paved road behind it with more traffic and that was the one that concerned him more and why he didn't see us.


Like I said, live and let live, I am not looking for an argument. I will say something to the owner just to cover my ass.

 

[mical66]

yea as well as protecting the land owner it will go far for you i think to let him know that if that man did not have permission to be there , he does not represent all MDers , and you being a mder would never do that .

 

[spartacus53]

I plan on calling the owner when I get home tonight, this property was recently robbed of all the metal that was around it.

Well, maybe you should have called yesterday I hope you're not too shy to report this to your neighbor, but if you are, I have another suggestion.

Write a note, wrap it around a good sized rock and throw it through his kitchen window. This is a great way to get his attention..

I have plenty more ideas if you need them

 

[Mortamus]

Interesting the different response's from this post is it not?

 

[Holly_squirrel]

I'm a little confused.. You said he is a friend of yours.... So calling him to tell him wouldn't have been weird. Is it cause you didn't want to be the cause of this guy getting in trouble with the police... And figured .. What are the chances he is going to find something of value? Like you didn't want to cause an uproar?
I'd probably be in the same boat as you right now, if that's the case.. On the fence about what I should have done.
Here is what I might do.... The guy is gone now... He's not gonna get busted on the spot from you making a call.. Call the property owner. If your worried about him being upset that you didn't call at the time of the crime, you could say.... " hey so and so was at my house ( daughter, friend, whoever) and went by your place and saw some guy with a detector in camo... Just wanted to let you know in case he didnt have permission to be there " He probably would put up no trespassing signs, and the guy sneaking around, would likely realize he had been seen and was the reason for them .

 

[Muddyhandz]

I would have walked right up and confronted him.
Did you find anything? Do you have permission to be here? I know the owner.
I also detect and what you're doing is ruining it for me and everyone else.
If he looks aggressive just tell him that you already phoned the cops.
I wonder if he learned that it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission from a certain forum?

 

[badpenny]

I did call my neighbor and told him what we saw and he didn't grant anyone permission, and as I said I believe in live and let live. After I saw the guy with a shovel digging holes I thought I'd call him because everyone knows I detect and I didn't want to get accused of making a mess. And my neighbor told me I was welcome to dig the site any time I want. See, all you have to do is ask.

And I don't need a shovel to dig it either... I have more respect for peoples property than that, abandoned or not. Holly I have read a few of your post and I believe you and I suffer from the same problem, honesty and respect for others. I would have asked permission at the park too. Oh well, that's just who I am. And I am not out to condemn anyone for enjoying the hobby either, if done properly.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I wonder if he learned that it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission from a certain forum?

muddy, if that's directed to me, then I believe you will see that this quote ("better to ask forgiveness, than permission"), has never come from me. Using the key-word searches, you will find that I have never said this. Because "forgiveness" presumes that something being done, was wrong, in the first place. (ie.: a true and specific law being broken). But yes, other's have said this particular quote before.

 

[badpenny]

It was never my intention to start a ruckus so lets call the discussion over and thanks for the input.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

It was never my intention to start a ruckus so lets call the discussion over and thanks for the input.

No "ruckus". No hard feelings. There were some posts in the past, about foundations in the middle of nowhere (with no fences, signs, etc...). Or things that stirred debate like foreclosed home's yards (where a nameless faceless bank in another state owns it, yet it just sits abandoned...). And it just goes "downhill" from there. There's certainly a point -in-time where ALL of us would agree that some things are just crossing the line. While other places are seemingly as innocuous as stepping off the sidewalk to cross the corner of a vacant lot. Thus seemingly endless middle-ground. And the minute anyone says "go ahead, no one will care", then that only begs the question: "great, where does it end?"

 

[foiler]

If it where me it would have probably gone something like this 'HEY YOU, HIDING IN THE BUSHES. WHAT THEY HELL ARE YOU DOING