Quick history lesson for my area, as given to me by research and two of the leading local history experts, one of which is a metal detectorist.
This area was settled in 1872 when the railroad finally came through. There are several wagon tails well over grown and hidden, and used fairly often for military purposes during the periods of war. There were two major recorded battles between the Native Americans and Americans, and tons of skirmishes.
Most of the wagon trails, and almost every military used wagon trail is either covered over, or on NPS, or Federal lands. The two major battles both took place in an area that is now a state park.
The uncovered portion of one of the military routes, and both battle locations have historical monuments in place.
The next wave of history would be gold rush period, still a lot of gold to find here, but not really what I was interested in when I considered buying a metal detector. The camps however would be of interest, who knows what was lost in the camp. I found seventeen locations that people claim were gold rush camp sites. One is a historical landmark, one is now a nature preserve, the rest have been destroyed from larger mining operations, or construction.
The majority of area around me? Lassen, Shasta, Whiskey Town, all State of Federal parks. One is an absolute no metal detecting, the other two are metal detecting allowed for mineral deposits, but digging, disturbing wildlife, shrubbery, trees, grass is not legal.
BLM and is pretty much what is left, the few abandoned mines in the BLM area have been filled in for safety, and the rest are under control of current gold claims. A large portion of the rest of the BLM land has been turned into hiking and mountain biking trails.
Tom you go near that 1930's depression era CCC camp with a metal detector the ranger there is more likely to shoot someone then arrest someone. I swear that man most likely lived in the camp in the '30's It is now a historical monument as is off limits to detecting. As well as the park next to it where the lumber mill was, the bridge built by the CCC crew, and the school house <which is now a private residences> that is across the street for that park.
I know Tom feels I am over reacting to the legal policies to all of these places. I have found a section in most of them that literally say no Metal Detecting, or terminology to exclude all metal detecting other than for minerals.
And as we all know, if it is State or Federal land and you find a relic you are supposed to report the finding, and it belongs to the State, United States, etc.. per the antiquity laws.
I also found several privately owned sites of interest in my area, and every home owner told me know, I tried to explain that I would take care to leave everything as I found it, even offered 50/50 splits, etc...
Guess what, half the people that I talked to did not want me on their property because they were growing an acre of Marijuana back there. The other half probably had the same or worse on their property <a few were probably afraid I would find the bodies they hid there>.
So more or less, when I first looked into this hobby I found that federal land was pretty much a no-no right off the bat, but to see further detailing of State, and City limitations around me, it just seemed unreasonable.
Anyways, as you said, maybe I just wasn't as interested as I thought I was, but I honestly feel that it's the recent experiences that have made me lose interest, I have watched far too many hobby's that I very much liked die due to these same problems, little by little getting banned, that I just don't want to get into this one and watch it happen again.
To each his own right? Have fun guys.
). Here's example #6
