Woo-hoo! Just got permission..

[pinenut]

..to detect an old Scout camp, established in the late '40s. Pretty sure the property was donated to the Scouts then, and the old "lodge" was actually built in the 1930s. Conditions are that I sign a release of liability and donate any Scouting related items. Not an issue, as I'm just hoping for some silver coinage...
I was told by the camp "ranger" to expect lots of nails, but I'll be using my best nail fighters; a couple of Tesoros equipped with small concentrics. Should be a blast!

 

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[DannyB.]

Awesome pinenut! I'd love to get a chance like that. Keep us posted!

I guess the first non coin target will be a neckerchief slide!

 

[pinenut]

Awesome pinenut! I'd love to get a chance like that. Keep us posted!

I guess the first non coin target will be a neckerchief slide!

That's OK - already have a small collection of those slides... Hoping for some silver coinage...

 

[DannyB.]

That's OK - already have a small collection of those slides... Hoping for some silver coinage...

Unfortunately I don't have mine from the scouting years, I'd love to find one.

 

[Beezly]

Congratulations on the permission! I tried asking for permission to hunt an abandoned scout camp near me and the park manager yelled at me I am jealous indeed.

 

[pinenut]

Thanks!

Congratulations on the permission! I tried asking for permission to hunt an abandoned scout camp near me and the park manager yelled at me I am jealous indeed.

I was surprised and thought it wouldn't happen, 'cause I asked a couple weeks ago and hadn't heard back (by email) 'till today.
After I introduced myself to the ranger there and asked permission, I offered to bring another detector for him to use.. Maybe that helped; said he's never been metal detecting before. He told me to send him an email with my request, which he then forwarded to the Scout council that owns the camp.
If he decides to go detecting with me, I'll give him a good turn on & go machine, & set disc just before zinc. He'll find a few coins and have a good time, without digging bottlecaps or tabs. It's a 60 acre camp area, so there should be plenty of room for both of us.
Hopefully he won't find so much that he decides to get his own detector and not have me back..

 

[pinenut]

plenty out there..

Unfortunately I don't have mine from the scouting years, I'd love to find one.

You'll find more than one, if you frequently detect in campgrounds... I think I have five or six of 'em now, including one pretty old one, and one or two Cubscout slides. All from regular public campgrounds. Also have at least three Scout pocket knives, but they're all really crusty. Still fun to find.

 

[RVRoamer74]

Congratulations on the permission! I tried asking for permission to hunt an abandoned scout camp near me and the park manager yelled at me I am jealous indeed.

thanks for sparking my 17 brains cells, they thank you, as they huddle, we have decided to hunt a old scout camp near me, and btw, what is this "permission thing you speak of."


Thanks !!

 

[Swaveab]

Watch out for tent stakes as you could find a spill in the area of them.

 

[pinenut]

Always ask permission...

thanks for sparking my 17 brains cells, they thank you, as they huddle, we have decided to hunt a old scout camp near me, and btw, what is this "permission thing you speak of."


Thanks !!

Scout camps are privately owned or operated, not open to public... You can be arrested for detecting there without permission and if word gets around, they won't be giving permission out to those who do ask nicely. It never hurts to ask.
That said, there's an old abandoned Scout camp near me where you don't need permission; it was turned back over to the Forest Service years ago, so it's now just public land. That one is super-trashy and has been hit by detectorists for years. All I've found there is a few wheaties and a little clad.

 

[RVRoamer74]

ya, dont sweat my details

same-o same-o. Pinenut, no need for permission on this.....got it !! fill your holes, leave no trace....hope you do for the rest of our reputations !!!

 

[SteveM70]

Not sure about scout camps elsewhere but just try too get into the Summit Bechtel Reserve Boy Scout camp near me without permission and you will be quickly shown the way out or worse!

 

[srcdco]

I hope you're the first one in there. You'll find all kinds of stuff and you should do well on the silver. I've been detecting one of our Scout camps for over a decade and have pulled just shy of $50 in face value of silver out of it. I don't think there's much left now, but I'm sometimes surprised.

One thing you might try to do is to get any old maps of the camp. The ranger may have some. If not, the Scout office might. I know that in the Scout camp that I've been detecting, there are at least four places where campsites used to be and if you didn't know that, you'd never even think of detecting in those spots. They are all just wooded areas now. They were all loaded with coins. You will find more neckerchief slides than you know what to do with. Going back to the 40's, you'll find some of the Statue of Liberty ones and you might even find some from the 1960 50th anniversary. There will be foil everywhere, along with cans (they used to have large cans in each tent in case of fire - they stopped that a few years ago due to it being mosquito breeding ground). Those can were typically just thrown in the woods. Make sure you hunt the wooded areas around the sites. The boys would play there and go looking for firewood there. Any place along water is good, too. Check out all trails and the campfire site - here the old map will come in handy as those move around as well. Our camp is on it's fourth campfire site.

I just got permission to hunt our other camp. I don't know if it's been hunted before or not, but it isn't as old. It was opened in 1955, but there should still be silver there. The camp that I've been hunting was opened in 1939. If you have any questions, let me know.

Scott

 

[RVRoamer74]

hey scott, great tips for anyone that may hunt a old scout camp....

 

[LoyalistDigger]

Watch out for tent stakes as you could find a spill in the area of them.

Yup....