Harold said:
I lost about 80% of my sites the last year are two. Some is people with shovels new and old. And some is just to many people doing it nowadays so flying under the radar is impossible anymore. That is why I'm negative sometimes,But you would be too if you lost 80% of your sites. I think in 5 years from now no public property's will allow metal detecting.So all the manufactures better make and sell as many detectors as they can as hard times are to follow. These metal detecting shows they Sponser are going to cut there own throat.JMHO.
I can definitely understand how you feel Harold, as an old timer myself I've seen the hobby do a 180 degree turn around over the last thirty years. Yes, there are people with shovels running around all over the place (and now I'm seeing them in public parks and even private yards), many of them not knowing how to properly recover/preserve finds and these metal detecting shows surely don't help. Then there is this new obsession with everyone having to do a movie production to show their finds on You tube. Making movies for You tube wouldn't be so bad but too many of these people display the very worst practices that give our hobby a bad name and provide fuel to the people (IE archaeologist, many who despise us), who have been lobbying for years to have laws enacted to ban the hobby. Believe me when I say that these people are still hard at work trying to get our hobby banned. Do some research and look at some of the laws that are already in place in many areas/states (IE antiquities acts) some enacted quite recently and cover many of the historical artifacts (IE anything over 100 years old, and yes even on private property) that we all love to find. Their reasoning is that these metal detectorists are a bunch of criminals stealing, destroying and selling historical artifacts which belong to history and the American culture. What better ammunition can we give these people than posting videos showing people, many carelessly digging holes/fetching beautiful/valuable artifacts and then beating/scraping on them with their digging tools and many times in the case of coins rubbing the heck out of them. I cringe every time I see these types of things and can just see our enemies using these very videos (which are everywhere on line now) as evidence against us to make their case! If anything, we should be using (new technology & especially videos) as mechanisms to show the public and our enemies that we are respectful, responsible people who enjoy discovering and preserving our history/culture as much as they do!
In recent years I can't tell you how many times I've been met with the response when asking permission for instance "oh, you're one of those guys who runs around with a metal detector digging big holes all over the place". Believe me guys, the bad perceptions about our hobby are getting worse and if we don't do something to change those perceptions by policing our hobby ourselves, we will not have it in a few years.
Listed below are a few practices that have served me well in the hobby over the years:
- Make up a business type card with your picture and personal information (name, address, phone, occupation) to present to the owner when you approach them
- Explain the hobby and non-destructive methods used to retrieve finds (that shows that you respect their property)
- Tell them that you will show/share your finds with them and even offer to have them join in the fun with you (I always take an extra turn on and go type detector with me for that purpose)
- Never no never take a shovel in private yards or public parks (only use them in the woods or farm fields)
- Always try to leave the area (no matter where) such that no-one can tell that you were there once you leave (this in itself takes practice)
- Just my experience, you're more likely to get permission to hunt a private yard as a single person rather than in a group
- When metal detecting be as discrete as possible when digging and retrieving finds (I always kneel to dig and use a stout, sharp hunting knife, which can be carried discretely under my shirt/jacket)
- Especially in private yards and even in parks only detect when the ground is moist and only cut 180 degree plugs so as not to destroy the root system and have the grass die and cause brown spots
- When detecting moist manicured lawns even though you cut 180 degree plugs, Aerate the plug by using a slim screwdriver to punch holes in it after firmly tamping it down which will greatly reduce the chance of it dying and leaving a brown spot
- If detecting a prime old property and you find something interesting about the same age as the property, offer it to the owner as this can create good will and greatly increase your chances of being able to detect the property again
- One little trick, if you just can't wait until you get home to properly clean a find, especially a coin, always carry a small squirt bottle filled with water to remove the dirt and avoid rubbing/scratching it
- Finally, never detect property (even if it looks abandoned) unless you get permission from the owner or maybe the caretaker
JMHO
HH
Since you've been hunting this place for such a long time, theres gotta be a way you can plead you are 'grandfathered' in....funny thing, I cant remember a post where ANY of us ever got actually arrested though, you know, cuffed and stuffed and all that....I remember Jimtn got rousted in Nashville last year much the same way you experienced...
Have it signed and notarized by the local Judge or Chief of police?
....oh, I had some rent a cops roll up on me while I was hunting a local College once while it was on holiday..no biggie, we talked a bit and they were cool...so those private schools a guy can get into even if theres a local bug about the public ones...