Shovels in City, County and State Parks

[u2robert]

Please People do NOT use Shovels in parks it will get metal detecting Banned from parks and city's Thank You

 

[ewtaylor]

I agree. Ever since I got back in to the hobby I've been watching videos like crazy. I'm appalled at the amount of people digging horrible, fall apart, plugs in the parks and YARDS. Some guy was even shocked his permission was rescinded and the cops called after only 10 minutes into the hunt.
When I started this hobby 30 years ago there were guys using nothing more than a screwdriver to retrieve objects in parks and yards. We have to remember we are always under the microscope so please show some respect.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

Visited a city park a couple of weeks ago and was appalled at what i found. Some one was digging plugs larger than my 10 inch coil an not even pressing the plub back into the ground. They also dug trenches that were up to 16 inches long.

I fixed the plugs as best as i could but that type of carelessness will also get us banned.

I was in a city park in North Carolina a year ago and was detecting the tot lot and was told that due to guys using shovels to dig up the soccer fields that the city had passed a law making it illegal to dig in any of the parks.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... was told that due to guys using shovels to dig up the soccer fields that the city had passed a law making it illegal to dig in any of the parks.

George, when you hear these type things, you will mutter under your breath: "Durned that guy that must've left holes". Right ? But I'm not convinced that all such stories were the result of "holes". Often time it's just a passerby's knee-jerk reaction TO MERELY SEEING A MAN WITH A DETECTOR. The connotation is "he is going to leave holes".

Or if you're digging your target, yet leave utterly no trace, a busy-body, who saw you digging, will just assume "holes" (even though when you were done, you left no trace).

And then when you hear "passed a law...", sometimes it pays to look up for yourself to see if this is actually true. Because sometimes these rumors of "not allowed" or "there's a new rule", is nothing more than someone who got a "scram". Or the results of someone going in seeking permission (as if it were needed) and fetched a safe answer "no". Yet when you look up muni. codes and park rules, you see nothing codified that actually says that.

 

[ewtaylor]

I got permission to hunt a local college dated back to the late 1800's. While I was searching, the head of the maint. dept. came out and said he hated to see people detecting here because of the holes. He went on to say the "plugs" would get sucked up into the lawn mowers and spit out, resulting in ugly spots on the campus grounds. He asked if I would dig DEEP plugs to avoid this from happening.
I use a pinpointer, which usually means I don't destroy the plug I just dug. Of course in extra dry conditions your plug is going to disintegrate and there is nothing you can do.
I agree with Tom, some people are full of crap and get bent out of shape over a detector. We just have to be good ambassadors while in public.

 

[GeorgeinSC]

I checked and they did pass that law. So I went to a couple different parks where there was no one around and spent the day detecting. Oh No i did not dig any holes.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

I checked and they did pass that law. So I went to a couple different parks where there was no one around and spent the day detecting. Oh No i did not dig any holes.

Ok. Then in that case, what you heard was true, that a rule/law got made. However, the cause , which you heard was "holes": As I say, this is often just the "go-to" reason to justify a law or rule . Only because it's the admitted connotation of metal detectors. Hence, for example, if there is some reason for city or park official to be wondering "do we allow md'ing?", and they decide to make an actual law, then .... sure, they'll always say "... because of holes". Even if an actual case can not be shown.

As for you having "spent the day detecting" , yet ... never dug any holes: Yes I too like to go around and listen to the sound of my detector beep, yet not dig any. I too do that in parks where "no one's around" all the time

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... some people are full of crap and get bent out of shape over a detector......

Which is exactly why 90% of my nice-manicured turf hunting is done at nights. So peaceful. So serene. And that's the way I'm a "good ambassador "

 

[Digger 45]

With a little practice with a screw driver you can retrieve 80% of park targets without digging a plug, i hate digging a plug if i don't have to. It is quicker and no mess and no trail that anything was dug there.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

With a little practice with a screw driver you can retrieve 80% of park targets without digging a plug,....

Well, yes, for clad and shallow stuff (4" or 5" or less ?). But when you're talking about angling for deeper old coins at 7 to 9", then : IMHO you'll end up making a bigger mess with the screwdriver, by the time you're finished