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permission about parks in maine

amcjavelin

Active member
Those of you that live or near the northeast or near Maine just wanted to share my experience obtaining permission about hunting surburbian parks or bigger town's parks, this is in the western part of the state which is very rural for the most part and this particular town of paris ME i went in today and asked if there were any bans on metal detectorists and she said no, but she said i was the second person that's asked within the week and before she could say yes she said she had to run it by the town's selectmen before approval and she got quite concerned and made the statement (well i'm not sure if i really want a dozen people tearring up the park) and i assured her that there wouldnt be no tearing up the park i even went as far and said i'll give the selectmen a demo on how to retrieve the target if need be and told her that any trash that we dig we take with us and tried to make it like a public service at the same time to persuede but i will find out tommorrow what the verdict is and will keep posted if interested just thought i would share this with fellow detectorist's
 
Gosh, I hate to see this.

What I mean is I hate to see someone asking permission to detect when there is no need to.

City parks are public property. Paid for by taxpayers like you and me. I wouldn't ask permission to walk a dog, play frisbee, fly a kite OR metal detect in a public park.

"But, oh my goodness, what if there is a law against detecting parks there?" you ask.

Assuming there is nothing posted at the park, if there is a law against detecting there (still rare in city parks) someone will tell you when you're detecting (or maybe not) and you politely leave.

By asking permission this lady who works for the city became very concerned. The town council or selectmen or whatever they're called will no doubt become very concerned when she talks to them.

Doing a demo isn't likely to alleviate these concerns. Just because one detectorist is neat and considerate doesn't mean the others will be. They're very likely to want to nip this detecting thing in the bud before people start tearing up parks.

So there's a very real possibility that this town will ban detecting in their parks.

Whereas if no one would have asked permission, no one in government would have given it a second thought.
 
I generally take the approach marcomo is talking about and here's my reason, If you ask about something such as this you bring the undue attention of city officials and they will really put it under the microscope looking at all the liability and consequences of you digging up the parks and stealing history, (they always er on the side of caution usually by saying NO) . Here is a for instance, I work for a city fire department with a year round "no-burn" ordnance and if we are out in the engine and see someone burning leaves, trash, or whatever in their backyard, we won't even give them a second look (so long as its not out of control). But if they come and ask if they may burn the items the answer will always be NO.
If you ask and they say NO, then you surely can't be out there, whats the old saying forgiveness is easier to get than permission? :angel:
 
To all of the comments i understand where everybody is coming from and as far the fire thing we issue fire burning permits, but anyways why i'm going around and asking is i've read many stories that this state will automaticly conviscate your detector if there is has'nt been any permission aquired and i have to much money involved no questions asked, especially on the coastal area's there very anal retentive there and as far as the forgiveness measure i'm sorry i don't believe in that and if try this espeacialy on private property your libal to hear gun shots ringing at you, people up here don't take to that very well and believe it or not there's not a whole lot of detectorists up here i think just in part of the state i've actually run into 2 or 3 others that are somewhat serrious into it and there is only one official club in the state which is bangor maine that i'm aware of but i'll find out today what the verdict is and let everyone know, thanks for the comments and reading.
 
You know...Every metal detecting forum on the Internet needs to put up a big banner on top of their page saying.....
" DO NOT ASK FOR PERMISSION TO DETECT IF NOT NEEDED"
What's one of the most important things a detectorists does? Research!
Call the local or nearest detector dealer.....
The nearest club will know what you need to know! Contact them!
Google it for Pete's sake! :cry:
 
Well here's the thing i did get permission but of the lawn maitence people are on the look out and i was told that if the grass starts to lift after a dig while there mowing that i would be asked to stop and they ended up taking my phone #'s and address and all that good stuff and you want to hear another good one they said if the park has alot of people please don't detectect during that time I think what i might do is just take an early morning comb over it well and be done with it just because of the politics involved. I can see the writing on the wall there just waiting for a fall guy
 
Yeah....stay low and it will all work out. Most park employees just ignore me. Actually I find a lot of people ignore me..........................Hello?
Are you still there?.................................Hello?
 
Glad you got permission. I tend to ask too. Even if I don't get to go where I want to every time, there is still way more good hunting areas to cover than I will be able to hunt in my life time.
tvr
 
amcjavelin said:
Well here's the thing i did get permission but of the lawn maitence people are on the look out and i was told that if the grass starts to lift after a dig while there mowing that i would be asked to stop and they ended up taking my phone #'s and address and all that good stuff and you want to hear another good one they said if the park has alot of people please don't detectect during that time I think what i might do is just take an early morning comb over it well and be done with it just because of the politics involved. I can see the writing on the wall there just waiting for a fall guy

Fully removed plugs can come out during mowing, no matter how much you stomp them down.

A V-shape flap plug definitely won't. And someone watching won't actually see a clump removed from the ground.

If a maintenance guy asked for my phone # and address I'd probably say, "sure, and let me get yours too."
 
well i'm going to try it early saturday morning and see what happens, the only reason i wanted to try the park was that it goes all the back to the 1880's hoping to find that first buffalo nickle or standing liberty quater or any rings also, you never know.
 
I hope you have good luck on that hunt, considering all you went through for permission..
 
forget about the town of Harrison maine, there nothing but bunch of bearuecratic annis's over there can't do the beach unless your resident or the baseball fields but being the hypacrytical bunch they are told me I could do the picnic area if I wanted and then told me if I find any surenges to contact them or drug paraphenalia, and i told them and said i guess your going to have someone official checking to see if there residents on the beach then, the man and paused and said well at least i'm letting you hunt the picnic area and told him for what it's worth and said i'm going to decline but thanks anyways
 
Syringes and drug paraphenalia? what the heck is going on in these parks? That statement would really give me pause.. Sounds like they want you to clean up a "problem area" and the locals don't want to do it..
 
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