Upstate New York Question??

JOHUNT

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Sep 24, 2009
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Hello all. I live in Broome County,NY, I've never hunted any public areas(parks, etc.) only private land. I am wondering what kind of permits if any are needed if any to search public places here in NY.Also, how I would go about obtaining them.Any info will help.Thanks'
 

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slwilliamssr

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Aug 8, 2010
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My son lives in NY, what we have found when it comes to public places if there are no signs posted saying no metal detecting allowed then we go for it. Just be very sure you leave no sign of you being there and take all trash out with you. You can also check with the town offices to see if they have any kind of law on the books about metal detecting. Some places will just say no even if there are no laws in place.

Here is what I was able to find.

New York http://nysparks.state.ny.us/



Metal detecting is allowed on a park by park basis. Must check with each individual park manager. Permits are necessary and in some areas there is a fee. Most allow detecting only on the beach.

hope this helps.
 

Tom_in_CA

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slwilliamssr give good advice, in that: if it's not specifically disallowed (ie.: no signs posted saying "no metal detecting"), then go for it. Ie.: in the same way you wouldn't ask permission to fly a frisbee, or any other such non-prohibited activities (this assumes, of course, that you are not being a nuisance in some other way, leaving a mess, or hunting an obvious historical monument). If you have any doubts, most city and counties rules/laws are posted on their websites. Do a key word search under words like "metal detectors" or "metal detecting", etc.... If there is nothing addresing the issue, then so be it! And no, I do not consider "vandalism" and "destruction" type clauses to apply to us, if you/we/I know that we will leave no trace of our presence, then that's good enough.

The link slwilliamssr gives, is only for NY state park lands, and has nothing to do with county and city owned/managed lands.
 

slwilliamssr

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The reason I post the link is because where my son lives he is right in the middle of a huge state park, so even the public beach falls under the park laws. And you have to get permission to hunt them as well from what I can find out.

I'm really new to this hobby my self and try to find all the information I can on what I can and can't do, I live in Mass so I detect in Mass and NY and try my best to learn the laws for both states. Both have state park laws in place.

I was just trying to give the OP the best advise I could with the link to show what the state park laws are as well.
 

Pitch

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Jul 27, 2003
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NY has declared anything more than 50 years old on state own property to belong to the state, they can also nail you on the old "disturbing plants or natural features clause. In NY your best bet is to stick to private property or muncipal sites.
 

Tom_in_CA

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If you're going to "keep checking", just be sure to look things up for yourself. That is: don't go walking in to ask deskbound clerks, cops, etc.... Because no matter how carefully you might try to ask "is metal detecting ok?" or "is there anything that prohibits it?", they might either 1) answer your question as if you were asking their permission (like, an answer that might go like this: "we would prefer that you didn't"). or 2) They'll morph something inane, like "don't disturb the wildflowers" or some such nonsense, and tell you "no". (afterall, why should they care? what do you THINK the easy answer is going to be afterall?)

To check it for yourself, city codes are usually available on-line, at the various city websites. If there's a search function, just do a search on words like "metal detectors", etc.. If the city (or county, or whatever) doesn't have a website with their laws/rules, then they are usually available, for public viewing, down at city or county halls walk-in lobby desk.

Satisfy yourself that it is silent on the issue. Because if you go asking, you may get an arbitrary "no", when no one would probably have ever have really cared, or ever noticed (till you asked that is).
 

rwsnc

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I started metal detecting in Broome County back in the 70s and never had any problem anywhere. I never detected state parks though so I can't speak for that but I did do schools and city parks. As someone stated earlier, leave little or no trace that you were there, remove all junk that you find, be respectful of others in the area and I doubt that you will have any trouble.
 

gleaner1

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In New York State, you have to buy a metal detecting permit to search NYS parks. Searching and recovery is allowed in the water and on sandy beaches only. No destruction to grass or vegetation is allowed.
nysparks.state.ny.us/.../Permits/MetalDetectorApplicationAndPermit.pdf
 

lidigger

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I found out recently that you need a permit from NY state to dig in state parks. I forgot how much it cost, but it is a yearly permit which will expire the last day of December. My county, (Suffolk) also has a permit which can be purchased for metal detecting on county property. Same expiration date. From what I understand if you dig something out of the ground that is valued at $20 or more, you are supposed to turn it in.

I am going to wait until the new year before I purchase the permits so I can get good use out of them.

Chris
 

underdogger

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Pitch said:
NY has declared anything more than 50 years old on state own property to belong to the state, they can also nail you on the old "disturbing plants or natural features clause. In NY your best bet is to stick to private property or muncipal sites.
First off I do not know if you are speaking from first hand knowledge or what? Most places say do not disturb plant life . But it is not like we are transplanting poison ivy here. State parks you need permits some permits are free and some may cost you . Do not assume that if park is open and no ones arround that they allow mding without a permit. Most parks here in syracuse you must have a permit and each have restriction No baseball fiedls or tot lots and size limits on digging tools . I have been detecting in central n.y. for 8 yrs and I always make sure that there is not a problem. I had a guy who's dog took a dump right in front of me tell me I could not do that in this park . I said who are you to tell me I can not be here when your dog is desecrating the park . he left abruptly . use common sense .
 

ICON

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Dec 22, 2012
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went to GREEN LAKES county park a couple weeks a go . near SYRACUSE NY. i have searched there before with my whites surf pro.950. they charged me 10 bucks for the permit. so went back there afew weeks ago, to search the woods where there's been activety for 100's of years. the ranger told me that county parks grants permits for the beach's only,an only when the beachs are closed for the season. i allways tell them that i will donate items that date to the parks history, or finds that are before the park was built. i keep the coins an such. i've even offered to do the research,recovery, an document every thing ,so they can start a museum for the public to view, an all for free !! if they don't do it , no one will !!
 

G.A.P.metal

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I`v been hunting in N.Y.for 44 years and never had a problem .....if there is no sign sayin not to MD then do it....if you ask for trouble you will get it....so let it alone and go metal detecting.....don`t cause problems if there are none.
IF you ask a cop if your dog can crap in the park...what do you think he will tell you... even if there is no law aginst it .
Gary
 

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Tom_in_CA

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I`v been hunting in N.Y.for 44 years and never had a problem .....
Gary

Tsk tsk tsk. do you know why that's the case? Probably because you didn't ask enough questions, of enough bureaucrats, far enough up the chain, with the right combinations of buzzwords. Go back, ask some more, dropping words like "dig" and "treasure" and "arpa" and "indian bone" and "personal enrichment" and "lawsuits", etc... Be sure to have a shovel in your hand, lest they not have the right mental impression. Then, alas, yes, even you too can find a "problem". Now go quickly and do the "right thing" :)
 

G.A.P.metal

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Ya tom
I`m just an old coot with a metal detector.....sometimes i find spent bullet shells 32 cal./9MM in the parks...i don`t think that`s aloud either in the parks ....and i`ll bet they don`t ask.
Gary
 

Nirros

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Jefferson county nys parks charge $15 for a yearly permit from day of purchase. This allows you to md the beaches up to the high water mark..........still waiting for lake ontario to rise 10 feet so I can hit the picnic areas ;).
 

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