reply
Sick of all these GD laws about metal detecting. Such as in North Carolina you can detect on city or state property but you can't dig WTF, or in Tennessee if you get caught with anything dug over 100 years old it's an arrest...I didn't buy $1400 worth of stuff for scratching my ass! I think I'm gonna go covert and just do it at night, so what I'm breaking some law created by pansy selfish archeologist, f'em....at least I cover my tracks and holes. PS I'm not going on private property without permission....at least the ones with posted signs and residential areas, that's an obvious no no.
ok, I'll bite: WHERE THE HECK did you get the information that you can detect, but can't dig, on city properties in all of NC ? I could understand the part about state, but only insofar as it concerns state parks. Not other forms of land within the state (city and county). Each city has it's own rules, codes, charter, etc.. And each county too is different. And RARELY EVER is detecting listed as something forbidden down on podunk city and county levels.
So pray-tell: where did you get the information that "all city parks in the entire state of NC prohibit digging in the parks" ?
And same for your TN info. Your "100 yr." thing might pertain to TN state parks. But no, it does not apply to all other forms of parks, schools, land, etc.... ONLY state parks.
This has been a common misconception when people read the state parks rules list (like what the FMDAC puts out there in their link, for instance). When people read something dire sounding there, they can make the mistake to think that means "the entire state". But it doesn't. It only means the states parks period. Other entity/levels of govt. are not state parks.
Now that's not to say that there *might* not be something on city or county levels about "defacement" or "alteration" or "vandalism", etc... (if that's where you're getting your "dig" fears). But if you leave no trace, then technically you have not defacED, or alterED anything. Just go at low traffic times, avoid busy-bodies and obvious historic sacred monuments. Trust me: there's scores of hunters in each of the states you list, who are a) on public property, and b) "digging" (gasp) for their targets, and c) find > 100 yr. old stuff (gasp). Just don't parade yourself in front of nosy archaeologists at sacred sites.
