FLauthor
Hero Member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2004
- Messages
- 770
- Reaction score
- 204
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- Minneola, FL
- Detector(s) used
- Excalibur 800; Fisher F5; White Beachmaster VLF
- Primary Interest:
- Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
- #1
Thread Owner
About 30 years ago, the Central Florida Metal Detecting Club approached the State Park Rangers at Dade's Battlefield near Bushnell, FL. The display of relics were pitiful to say the least. Detectorists offered their services to the Park Service to search and recover artifacts but were turned down cold.
Some of the TH'ers saw that a pasture was next to the state park and asked the Rangers if they knew the owner. The Rangers warned them that the old man didn't cotton to trespassers and had been known to shoot at them. They figured there was no harm in asking and went over and met the folks, their name escapes me but he was the nicest old gentleman you ever wanted to meet. Seems he didn't get along with the Rangers at all. Did he grant permission, he sure did. I didn't get to hunt the site as I was working but I heard the stories. The Breakfast Pond that is mentioned in the single survivors account of the battle was in the pasture. Water hunters got in there and found the soldiers musket, belt plate, breast plate and all the buttons off his great coat. They presented the owner with the belt plate in appreciation. Some of the hunted right on the fence line with the rangers on the other side glaring at them and each time they dug up a musket ball or relic, they'd hold it up to the rangers and grin at them. They said you could clearly see that they were P.O.'d.
Moral of the story is if the parks are closed to detectorist's then go hunt somewhere else. Go hunt tree lawns, every city has a historic district where the oldest homes are located. Screw up your courage, knock on the door and ask the people if you can hunt their yard for lost items. If you want some backing then join the local Historical Society and offer to become their field rep and they probably know a bunch of people who live in old houses and farms. Share some of the finds with the historical society and with the owner. I once hunted a old yard in Kissimmee, FL and recovered a lot of silver coins and several old hose nozzles that belonged to the guys grandfather. He kept one and gave me the other, its solid Brass and over a 100 years old and still works. Also in Kissimmee, is Camp Morris situated on Brack Street near Orange St. It was a 2nd Seminole Indian War encampment for the 4th Artillery and 2nd Dragoons. It is covered in old homes and one home owners found a 6 pound cannonball in his yard when he was planting a tree. Treasure is everywhere, do your research, look at old Gov't Survey Plats at the tax offices and compare them to modern maps.
Maybe you'll get to hunt next to a park on private land and hold up a relic to the ranger and grin at him. You'll get the last laugh!
, 
Some of the TH'ers saw that a pasture was next to the state park and asked the Rangers if they knew the owner. The Rangers warned them that the old man didn't cotton to trespassers and had been known to shoot at them. They figured there was no harm in asking and went over and met the folks, their name escapes me but he was the nicest old gentleman you ever wanted to meet. Seems he didn't get along with the Rangers at all. Did he grant permission, he sure did. I didn't get to hunt the site as I was working but I heard the stories. The Breakfast Pond that is mentioned in the single survivors account of the battle was in the pasture. Water hunters got in there and found the soldiers musket, belt plate, breast plate and all the buttons off his great coat. They presented the owner with the belt plate in appreciation. Some of the hunted right on the fence line with the rangers on the other side glaring at them and each time they dug up a musket ball or relic, they'd hold it up to the rangers and grin at them. They said you could clearly see that they were P.O.'d.
Moral of the story is if the parks are closed to detectorist's then go hunt somewhere else. Go hunt tree lawns, every city has a historic district where the oldest homes are located. Screw up your courage, knock on the door and ask the people if you can hunt their yard for lost items. If you want some backing then join the local Historical Society and offer to become their field rep and they probably know a bunch of people who live in old houses and farms. Share some of the finds with the historical society and with the owner. I once hunted a old yard in Kissimmee, FL and recovered a lot of silver coins and several old hose nozzles that belonged to the guys grandfather. He kept one and gave me the other, its solid Brass and over a 100 years old and still works. Also in Kissimmee, is Camp Morris situated on Brack Street near Orange St. It was a 2nd Seminole Indian War encampment for the 4th Artillery and 2nd Dragoons. It is covered in old homes and one home owners found a 6 pound cannonball in his yard when he was planting a tree. Treasure is everywhere, do your research, look at old Gov't Survey Plats at the tax offices and compare them to modern maps.
Maybe you'll get to hunt next to a park on private land and hold up a relic to the ranger and grin at him. You'll get the last laugh!
, 
