Look out fellows:cry:

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

Went to my detecting meeting last night and one of the members passed out a flyer concerning metal detecting in city parks in a town about 50 miles from my place. They just passed a new city ordinance saying that no digging of hinged or four corner plugs are allowed. The use of an ice pick or screwdriver are still acceptable, but I can see it coming guys and believe me there will be some jerks out there that will continue to dig holes and as much as I hate to admit it, the day will come when there won't be any metal detecting period because of a few jerks who won't follow the rules. If it comes down to one city finally outlawing metal detecting completely then it won't be long as I'm sure other cities will probably follow suit. Guess we better get our city park hunts in while we still can. HH.

Eddie

 

[Chris(SoCenWI)]

And except up in Minnesota or North Dakota dealing with prairie sod it's more than adequate. I think the bigger issue is only detecting when there is plenty of ground moisture. If the sod is dry or is going to be dry you will leave brown spots.

Using a screw driver and making a hinged flap or a slit seldom causes problems. But if it is dry the sod will crumble into chunks.

I also have a periscope probe which allows me to exactly locate the target before digging. Wish they still made them.

Eddie you are right about the jerks. I've seen yahoos with shovels that don't even attempt to fill there holes and leave trash everywhere. We need to better police ourselves.

Chris

 

[Bell]

Already is illegal in a lot of places. In the whole state of TX its illegal to dig anything over 50 yrs old on any public land. Every wheat Ive ever dug in a park was a crime. Only 60-64 silvers legal

 

[dewcon4414]

I understand some of the reasoning behind it, but ive looked at what those mowers and normal ware and tare from people and especially animals do in a park.. I think a lot has to do with people understanding the hobby. Because of all the new style sports parks many of the older parks are barely being used anymore. I think its more likely that the citys will sell them out from under the tax payers to big business. They make every accommodation they can to about every hobby available in our parks. I dont know why, but the government hates it when someone might find something they were too lazy to get out and hunt for. They would rather it rot in the ground than be discovered. Do we do a little damage sure.... but ive seen a soccer field after a season no one complains about having to reseed those annually.... why because its part of the sport. We spend BIG money for new property to build these complexes... why because they make money. Id be willing to pay a small fee for an annual detecting pass, but no one wants to hear that.

Dew

 

[gitterdug]

n/t

 

[Bell]

I wasnt either till I started volunteering on some state funded digs lately. Go to TX historical commisions website and read the TX "Antiquities Code". You can find stories of guys getting busted too.

 

[Bell]

Even worse its Illegal to hunt ANYTHING from under the water or on the banks of any body of water in TX, the gulf, lakes, bayous, rivers, ponds, all beach hunting is illegal.

 

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

You made some good points Dew. I especially like the one about the soccer fields as I also have seen how the fields get all torn up after soccer games. I also wouldn't mind paying a small fee to be able to detect in our parks if it came down to that. Not too long ago our state had a $5 usage and parking fee, but a lot of people complained about it and stopped going to the parks and they eventually did away with the $5 charge. I have seen dogs digging up the grass in parks and you also have those pesky moles that make a park look like moon landscape!! I was detecting a park one time and saw this lady and her dog not far from me. Her dog took a big dump and I could see that she was coming towards me. She asked me why I was digging holes and ruining her park and I calmly said, I'll stop digging holes when you start picking up your dogs poop. Well, she left without saying another word and left her dogs poop for other park goers to step in. HH.

Eddie

 

[LabradorBob]

n/t

I just read that it is a class A misdemeanor to dig in any state parks in Texas.

 

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

We have the same problem in my state also Bell. A lot of our state parks are closed to metal detecting and even some beach areas, but we are slowly getting some of these areas opened up again. I guess there is someone on the parks and recreation board that is an archaeologist and they are the ones who have made up policies which became laws claiming certain places to be sacred ground for fear that we might dig up some rusty nails and other junk or an old coin or two. They would just as soon leave it in the ground and let it rot away without making any kind of effort to find it themselves. I sure hope the state of Washington doesn't become another Texas!!

Eddie

 

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

I agree with you on the dry ground issues. I would just as soon not dig any plugs when the ground is so dry and especially in parks. I haven't mastered the screwdriver method yet and would like to see a demonstration on someone popping out a coin at 8 inches or more using a screwdriver. I am working on the slit method and although it is a little more time consuming it is less noticeable. Yes, we should better police ourselves, but it's the few jerks out there that we can't police that will eventually ruin this great hobby for all of us. That periscope probe sounds interesting even if they don't make them anymore. How about posting a picture of yours as I'm sure some other fellows would like to see what it looks like also. HH.

Eddie

 

[Bell]

and it specifically says it covers state, county, and city public lands. Up to 30 days in jail and a $1000 fine. Its enforced by game and fish and like with poaching they can take your car and gear.

 

[Bell]

In fact I believe you stand to suffer more penalties if you are caught detecting in a TX city park than if you are caught smoking a joint, which baffles me.

 

[drkp88]

It's frustrating being naturally responsible while others don't give a *#@%. I have a habit of being as neat as possible at all times - "leave it as you found it".
I fill in holes even if I'm in the woods in the middle of no where - it's the point !
Some towns here in CT have ordinances against metal detecting because of a few "yahoos" in the past. Most places are no problem if you're being neat.
We all have to do our part. If confronted, be courteous. Show them all the "junk" that you're actually removing from the park.
Bruce in Ct

 

[Bell]

In TX i think it actualy has more to do with the "Cultural Resource Management" lobby convining lawmakers that everything is historically important and only they are qaulified to dig it, which means $

 

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

they said no digging of plugs was because some guys were caught using metal detectors to locate under ground copper wires to steal. It takes all kinds, but it's jerks like that that give honest metal detectorists a bad name and ruin the hobby for us. I also agree that a lot of people just don't understand our hobby, but if we do our best and leave an area that we have detected just as we found it then maybe our great hobby will be around for years to come without the fear of being fined or thrown into jail.

Eddie

 

[dewcon4414]

Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. We get on here and talk about all those who are digging holes and not filling them..... that might be a rare occasion, but everyone talks about it like it happens every time they are out. I see the brown spots, but for the most part those holes are filled and they do a pretty good job of cutting their holes. Those that make these decisions read our sites and FB and justify their decisions based on our own comments and photos. We need to police our comments and limit our posting of anything considered relic in their state if you want to have a place to hunt in the future.

Dew

 

[Eddie in Poulsbo]

We do have to be more discrete about the way we recover our targets and leave the area as if nobody was there. Not because we are trying to hide anything, but because we want people to know that our hobby conducted in the proper way does very little damage and making sure that we fill everything back in should keep everyone happy. Nothing ticks me off more than to see dog crap all over the place when in most places around here they even provide plastic bags, but some people are just too lazy to pick up after their dogs. I pick up a lot of trash just lying on the ground when I'm detecting and throw it in the garbage cans, but I draw the line when it comes to picking up someone else's dog poop. We all have to do our part on keeping our parks open to metal detecting and I believe that most of us know how to do that. Not sure about other states, but we have a group called the MDAW, Metal Detection Association of Washington that works with people down in Olympia our Capitol to get more state land and park areas opened up for metal detecting and it has paid off. They are still working on more land to be opened up and will continue to do so to keep our hobby alive. I recommend that if your state doesn't have a group like ours then I would see about getting one started. Sure, you have to butt heads with the law makers, but being a thorn in their side has helped open up more areas for us.

Eddie

 

[crazyman]

Chuck Swanson, Terry Wright and Ron Sharer. Great people who care about the hobby.