Scored Today

[daddyflea]

I sold an old Friend a Mint Condition Tesoro GS II along with a like new Pin Pointer for $200. Immediately he started naming places that he knew to hunt. he named at least 6 places within 8 miles of my house and told me he wanted me to go with him so I could show him how to work his detector. Most of these are Cemetaries going back to the 1800s with Picnic areas outside the gates.

 

[hunter12]

You hitting the cemeteries , or just the picnic ares out side the gate. Reason I ask ,is I don't do cemeteries out of respect for the dead no matter how old they are.Think if it was you or one of your loved ones lying there. Hope you make a right decision. Good luck.

 

[daddyflea]

No Cemetaries at all but these have Picnic areas outside the gates. I imagine most had a church very nearby as well. I read somewhere that it is illegal to dig in a Cemetary, although I never saw that in print. I often hit the parking areas of cemetaries to include the edges of the road outside the gates. I have been stopped on several occasions by Grounds Keepers but they have never asked me not to dig. Always checked on me then asked if I found anything. I must be doing it something right.

 

[hunter12]

daddyflea. You did it right, You know how to do it. Dig away, and good luck. I dig Churches too with permission. When I started in the early 80's , I went with a buddy to a cemetery to dig. First grave site I hit is a soldier who died in Nam, I was there too. I felt bad , because this was a fallen brother. I told my buddy how i felt and we left. I never went back to a cemetery again.

 

[daddyflea]

I love those old country churches myself. In sensative places I won't dig at all myself. I mainly hit the parking areas and play grounds. If you do this you must use common sense.

 

[hunter12]

How true, how true. I agree common sense is cheap, you just have to use it. Thanks.

 

[kaolinwasher]

I hunt cemetarys, I dont dig up bodies just in that 6" range I have found lots of coins and lots of Gun shells from salutes and i clean up any trash, and respect the property, what makes them madd is steeling the brass stars, of veterans or tipping over stones,

 

[hunter12]

It would be better to just clean up the trash, and not MD the grave sights . People should stay out of cemetery's other then paying respect. Think if God forbid you had a child buried there , would you want me digging up the first 6" of the grave or surrounding area. As far as I'm concerned there are a lot of places to detect other then cemeteries. I'm sorry , I lose respect for guy's that do. Do the Churches, parking Lot's but not cemeteries. You have to use common sense in this hobby, always think what it looks like to others. if I caught a guy detecting my Mothers or fathers grave, I'd rap the detector around his head.Just my 2 cent's.

 

[MarkCZ]

I hunt cemetarys, I dont dig up bodies just in that 6" range I have found lots of coins and lots of Gun shells from salutes and i clean up any trash, and respect the property, what makes them madd is steeling the brass stars, of veterans or tipping over stones,

I'll hunt cemeteries, but I stay off of the graves!! and the few that I have hunted were Church cemeteries to which I had gotten permission from the Pastors of the church to hunt and we were very clear about what I was hunting and the type and depth of hunting I would be doing.
The last one I hunted there were three of us hunted for the whole day! and we didn't find one COIN, or piece of jewelry!
So, cemeteries are not on my top of the list for places to hunt! the very old ones and the ones that aren't used anymore were hit HARD in the 80's. The larger Church cemeteries that are unused now are a burden for the Churches to maintain. That last one I hunted the Pastor told me that no one has visited it for YEARS! and trying to find somebody to just mow it is just about impossible, he said that he had mowed it and it took him 16 hours! The cemetery is for sure OLD! it has a wagon trail up the ridge through the center of it. But the three of us didn't find ONE good find.

Mark

 

[hunter12]

Mark, At least you used the common sense approach. You asked permission, and respected the Dead. Good hunting.

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi Mark, and all other cemetery diggers, I have told my story on several forums over the years of the experience I had while detecting an old nonexistent church site "within" a large cemetery. . I talked to some folks there visiting a grave and they were ok with me being there. Later,that turned out to be of no consequence and had I not had on a sidearm my "cemetery"(and all other) days would have likely been ended permanently by an old man and his 12Ga.. automatic shotgun.. He told me his intent was to shoot from his truck,and leave me "laying there". I could only suppose he choose not to risk me returning fire had he missed or I survived his first shot. I advise highly against detecting anywhere near ANY cemetery. There are those out there that still do shoot first and ask/answer no questions anytime! God was looking out for me and I thank Him every day for doing so! HH, Charlie

 

[MarkCZ]

Hi Mark, and all other cemetery diggers, I have told my story on several forums over the years of the experience I had while detecting an old nonexistent church site "within" a large cemetery. . I talked to some folks there visiting a grave and they were ok with me being there. Later,that turned out to be of no consequence and had I not had on a sidearm my "cemetery"(and all other) days would have likely been ended permanently by an old man and his 12Ga.. automatic shotgun.. He told me his intent was to shoot from his truck,and leave me "laying there". I could only suppose he choose not to risk me returning fire had he missed or I survived his first shot. I advise highly against detecting anywhere near ANY cemetery. There are those out there that still do shoot first and ask/answer no questions anytime! God was looking out for me and I thank Him every day for doing so! HH, Charlie

Well, in my case the Church is still their!
They still have services,
The cemetery is still maintained, but any and all family of people buried there is either dead, or long moved away!
But, I'm not really a fan of detecting cemeteries anyway, so I don't go out of my way to look for them, the few that I have hunted I never found anything anyway.

Mark

 

[fowlercharles]

That's a great point too Mark , and certainly not worth getting killed over! My experience was very un-nerving because after talking to my almost killer, I recognized him to me the brother of a man who had killed their other brother over a land dispute they had. Shades of" Deliverance" folks, you bet!, and they are still out there! HH Charlie

 

[mudpuppy]

I've got a bit of experience in Cemetaries....not as a hunter, but as a genuine grave digger...

All those old ones with big stones where you cant get a backhoe in have to be dug by hand...shovel, wheelbarrow, and pick..$100 per hole....for 3yrs straight in northern MN of all places, where the clay ground freezes 3' deep in November and has to be picked through..

Looking back, it was the best job I ever had! Very peaceful and interesting the inscriptions on the stones and all....the dead seem to enjoy any visitor, you could sense the chatter sometimes, I was a welcome addition listening to their murmurs about their lives, loves and experiences, it was good for my soul...I have never detected one YET...not out of respect for the dead, (which I have, but I'm pretty sure the ones I know wouldnt care, and even find it interesting)... but like Charles and Hunter12 mentioned, I dont hunt them out of fear and respect of the Living....

We all hunt the Dead in one form or fashion, 'archaeologists' do it all the time with no shame at all...any old coin or relic we find belonged to somebody who is now dead, and it tells us a little about them based upon where it was dropped...so we all hunt the dead now anyways as we track their steps through Time...unless you are a fresh drop cladstabber..

I'd dig graves again, especially here in Michigan where its all sandy loam...I bet they pay $200 bucks now a days! A guy has to be good with a wheelbarrow...you have to haul off 52 full loads to make room for the vault...It sure keeps a guy in shape...a guy feels sort of good to be able to provide the final anonymous service and resting place for a person, so you cut it right, square, level and clean, do a good job on the fill too...I'm gonna ask around at the local Funeral Parlors...a fellow can flat move some dirt with a nicely balanced shovel, and this is one job that has a demand and cant be offshored!...
Mud

 

[dixiedigger57]

it is against the law in some states, and i think not a thing to do at all. i know the historical one in my town that is the early 1800s is loaded, the town people met regulary to clean it up. it was on a riverfront and actually had a cannon battery for the Civil war. ITS LOADED. ITS ALSO HALLOWED GROUND.. if the historical society which works with tours etc needs me to find a cast iron marker marker pin or something that is fine. BUT ITS HALLOWED GROUND. my humble opinion. to each his own. the park out front of the gates is fine. not the graves. it was used for picnics.

 

[daddyflea]

I think MUD is pulling your leg. I don't hunt cemeteries and I bet he don't either. I do hunt parking areas and especially Pavillions and gathering areas outside of Cemeteries. Most of these have or have had Churches there as well.

 

[mudpuppy]

Like I said and was amply exhibited, its the 'Living' a guy has to take into consideration regarding the feelings on this topic...sorry if you misunderstood my parameters, dixiedigger57...I dont YET hunt Cemetaries, but have no problem with those that do in a respectful manner..

Just because some person is buried there dont make it 'Hallowed' ground...what if the person buried there was an evil SOB? So all of a sudden its 'Hallowed' on account of he died? think a little about that...I bet you'd take a pisss on some graves of people you've known in the past...I know I would! Just saying, just because a person dies dont make them a Saint or anything special..someday we all fall into that category, and I bet you nor I am anything to be held aloft as an exemplary Human being..

I'm a modern clad stabber in totlots and parks by nature, happy with fresh drop clad pennies and dimes, so theres nothing in a Cemetary that has any deep attraction to me unless I got the hole contract.....I do like to spend time in Cemetaries though, for a walk through and the contemplation value...

Thanks DF for explaining it and getting my back...I do not want to offend the Living or Dead if at all possible, I know I'm a guest here on your Forum, so I want to be careful not to cause any trouble...I just want to enjoy my short time here without hurting nobody, and wont cause anybody any trouble on this matter....its something personal that each one of us figures out on their own I guess...Y'all have my permission to hunt on top of my grave..Ya wont find anything of value, but go ahead none the less...take a piss on the stone if you feel so inclined, wont bother me in the slightest!...In fact, I may rise up and turn you onto some gold coins I heard one of the other dead guys talking about that he buried out back under the lilac bushes in a mason jar!
Mud.

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi Mud, Absolutely it is the" living" folks we have to take into consideration, and Hallowed Ground, or "whatever", as thought of by you or me ain't got a thing to do with it if along comes, ,as you say, some, very much alive Evil SOB with his 12Ga, and blows your $#!+ away because "he" did happen to consider it a small piece of "his" personal Hallowed Ground.. LOL, you are so right! HH Charlie