Please fill your holes when you detect beaches.

[Goldstrike]

What spurred this post here is a response on the 'Metal Detecting Forum' regarding 99.9% of parks being closed in England for metal detectorists. While you can 'detect' you CANNOT dig holes in the parks across the pond now. I know that is stupid but that is the law.
The laws and rules can be tweaked anyway the local government want to it seems. When I beach detect here in SoCal, I ALWAYS fill in those holes I dig even at the waterline. I am fully aware that people are watching me doing what I do (I don't think I'm being paranoid)!!!.
Knowing that there are a percentage of beach detectorists here who are really lazy/sloppy and unprofessional, leaving sometimes deep holes and still seeing the aluminum can in the hole that they had detected BUT LEFT THERE!!! leaves me angry. It would just take one unfilled hole to twist or break a joggers/old ladies ankle to start a law suit. Also, if you are identified by a bi-stander as the person who left the hole open, it might start some new rules being written up which might affect this hobby. Don't think it could not happen because recently one of the beach Cities wanted to pass laws regarding no throwing of Frisbees or balls because you might hit someone!! duh!! and also there is a fight going on regarding removal of fire pits off the beaches.
PLEASE FILL IN YOUR HOLES EVEN AT THE WATER LINE EVEN IF THE SURF WILL SOONER OR LATER FILL THEM IN BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE JOGGERS USUALLY RUN.

 

[KinTN]

Let me add my plea to that as well. If we aren't responsible stewards, some pinhead bureaucrat with an inferiority/Napoleon complex will acquire us on his radar. Don't give him the opportunity- let him go on his merry way stealing from his department instead of dreaming up ways to make good folks miserable.

Also, be sure and let folks see you picking up trash/garbage and putting it in a trash can. People notice and it does matter. eg, I always carry a pooper scooper when walking my dog (even on my own property; shes a BIG dog). Twice I have been approached by a park 'official' to thank me for picking up after my dog and lament that "no one else does so". Great, Free PR.

 

[John(Tx)]

and have found and filled unfilled holes. Doesn't take that much effort to kick in some sand but it still happens. The place I hunt 80% of the time requires a permit so people are very careful when they hunt or they won't get their permit re-issued. HH

 

[Howard Snell]

In New Jersey I would prefer a fine for not re-filling a hole rather than an out right ban.

 

[tvr]

In New Jersey I would prefer a fine for not re-filling a hole rather than an out right ban.

Be careful what you ask for!

My preference is for every one to be responsible and for reduced government interference ... or rather reduced regulation because people are being responsible.

Few weekends back I was in Atlantic City. On one of the days there I was filling holes left by some one else. The holes were well up in the wet sand with no chance to get filled by water action for many hours. I was embarrassed for the hobby. Never saw the person but I could see the unmistakable coil impressions in the sand next to the holes.

Let's police ourselves before more detecting locations are lost due to overactive legislation.
tvr

 

[gunsil]

Like the old 60s saying, "just because you aren't paranoid doesn't mean they aren't watching!!"

 

[KinTN]

The question isn't whether you are paranoid; its whether you are paranoid Enough!

 

[dirtdigginlady]

YOU are so RIGHT and well said. It takes just one complaint to change the rules.

 

[ferdware]

I totally agree. I always fill my holes and it kills me when I walk by and see that some lazy person left a bunch of holes. And I get even more mad when they dig up trash and leave it laying there. Now with that being said. It also drives me crazy when a cop riding down the beach does circles around me to make sure I fill my holes while he does nothing about someone digging a hole big enough for a car 50 yards from me. Double standards.

 

[jyt2017]

Anyway you look at it, MDing is like walking in a church with a straw hat. If I worried about other peoples trash I would never get any hunting done. Same with their holes. And for that matter, if I am going to be so good that I am gonna pick up after local beach hunters leaving their pull tabs and junk, I might as well drop the scoop and detector and dawn an idiot stick/5 gal bucket and litter pick 16 hours a day on the beach. Better get that rubbish up, or there gonna ban ... soda an chips on the beach. MDing is banned for many many more reasons then the one excuse...that people don't fill their holes. I don't pick up other peoples rubbish, fill in their holes, or take any time or effort away from my hunt to make others look good, or claim to for that matter, at all. ...just put my muffs on an creep the area. ...mind my own business. ...creep the area.

...yes i fill my holes and remove the junk I dig up...

 

[muggsc]

I agree also. I always take the junk with me that I find and fill my holes and smooth them over actually. It would be more than a full time job filling all the holes that the kids make and picking up all the junk on the beaches that I go to. I think everyone just needs to do their part and let it go at that.
IMHO
Cal

 

[Water wizard]

I live in the UK, and I didn't know it was illegal to dig in a park any more, but I can believe that it is true. I detect at the beach the most. I travel and detect a lot, so I am always very conscious of how I am perceived by other beach users and life guards. I make a point of putting my trash in the bin and if the lifeguards ask I show them all the broken glass and rusty tops and ring pulls I have recovered. I don't show them the good finds however! I want them to be happy with me detecting on their beach. I help them, they let me search. It's a win win situation. I always fill my holes.
When I'm at home searching I pick stuff up as I detect anyway, I also pick up rubbish as I walk along the beach, and cans when I'm running with my dog. I know that is not what most people do, and people do laugh at me behind my back, but I don't mind. I do it because I can, and because I live by the beach. . I also have had 'instant Karma' on many occasions. I believe there is a connection between the ocean and us, and things go round. I good turn deserves another. Everything is linked together in my mind. I see the tourists come, chuck their trash and drop their money and valuables. I pick up their money, I pick up their valuables and I pick up some of their trash. The sea and beach look after me, and I look after the them. Win win, happy days

 

[BootyHunter]

I like your thinking about looking after the sea and each and they look after you! Good thought, I agree everyone should fill their holes and pick up trash but to the op, I'm sorry but the jerks that leave open holes and trash aren't going to change because some post on a forum asked them to. They put the detecting code of ethics in the detector manuals, it's in every book about detecting and I've seen it implored on every forum 1000's of times. Those type are not the ones who are going to listen to anyone else I'm afraid. If you see someone doing it its not even safe to approach them and chastise them about this day and time they are just as liable to shoot you and everyone else on the beach as they are to fill their holes. If I find an area in a mess I fix it best I can while I'm detecting, not for that jerk, but for the ones of us that obey the rules, enjoy detecting and want the beaches to stay open so we can continue to do so. I think the recent "gold rush" which has faded, had alot to do with the number of folks that were doing these things. Sadly some are ONLY in this hobby to make a buck and think about nothing but finding gold. What a glorious fool that thinks he will ever make an actual profit from this hobby! Add up all the time gas equipment expenses and repair and you would do better to work part time at McDonald's!

 

[KinTN]

Character is what you do when you think no one is watching.

 

[KinTN]

.....Sadly some are ONLY in this hobby to make a buck and think about nothing but finding gold. What a glorious fool that thinks he will ever make an actual profit from this hobby! Add up all the time gas equipment expenses and repair and you would do better to work part time at McDonald's!

I'm of the opinion that you can also make more money picking up aluminum(cans, slaw, melted metal, etc) than coins.
But I still put the Al in the trash sack.....old habits die hard.

 

[mudpuppy]

Up here we get 10c for every can or plastic bottle, theres folks I run into early in the am that have their own little routes they run looking for emptys in the garbage cans. I got a dollars worth myself today random drops off the beach..never gave it much thought about NOT to pick them up, who would pass up an easy dime? As far as filling holes, its just good sense to never leave a trace of where you've been or what you've been doing...whether it be detecting, or camping, or anything else outdoors ..I don't like to even leave a print of my coil in the sand, I would prefer nobody knows I've ever been there. Obviously though, some folks have no qualms about this, and its sort of interesting how much you can tell about a person based upon the tracks/trash/treasure they leave behind. Beach hunting is rewarding in that aspect, real fresh sign every morning that tells a story of what happened here less than 24hrs ago. Always a puzzle as to who they were and what they think about.
Mud

 

[HaroldILL.]

I'm curiuos as I have only land hunted for 15 years and never water hunted,But when out in the surf when you dig a hole how do you fill it? Or do you cover with your foot using sand around the hole or leave it be? I was considering trying some water detecting as silver coins are few and far these days with all the newbies and jewelry at least can be replenished. Thanks.

 

[KinTN]

I'm curiuos as I have only land hunted for 15 years and never water hunted,But when out in the surf when you dig a hole how do you fill it? Or do you cover with your foot using sand around the hole or leave it be? I was considering trying some water detecting as silver coins are few and far these days with all the newbies and jewelry at least can be replenished. Thanks.

I've only hunted ankle deep, but yeah that's what I do- kick some sand into the hole. My dig hole is usually less of an imprint than the swash zone around my feet that the receeding water has caused. In fact, the hole usually tries to fill itself before I can get to it. In deeper water, it would take a bit more effort of course; more like land filling.

 

[Grunter]

OK., I'm detecting on the beach yesterday evening around 7 pm. I'm not finding much but when I hit a signal I dig and then I fill my hole. I suddenly come up on a hole 3' across and approx. 5' deep. Its was perfectly round and really not visible upon line of sight. I put my ATP shaft all the way down up to the control box but still didn't hit the bottom. I stepped a little closer to the edge to try and reach the bottom out of curiosity Well !! the wall caved in and I go head first into the hole. Luckily my detector and my scoop broke my fall. I hurt my detecting wrist that was all. I had to struggle to pull myself out of the hole. My wrist was hurting so I started back to the car. The next signal I got turned out to be a waterproof stainless steel tube like container with a hanging clip on it. I opened it up and it contained a small bottle of Nitro-Stat. I thought to myself someone may need this if they fall in that hole. Needless to say I did not fill the hole. I walked over numerous sand castles with moats and trenches that were real obstructions for walkers,joggers and detectorists.

 

[jyt2017]

Hole usually fills in on its own.

I'm curiuos as I have only land hunted for 15 years and never water hunted,But when out in the surf when you dig a hole how do you fill it? Or do you cover with your foot using sand around the hole or leave it be? I was considering trying some water detecting as silver coins are few and far these days with all the newbies and jewelry at least can be replenished. Thanks.