what do you think is the single best thing to happen to our hobby in the last 20 years?

[DonNWF]

I'm with you on your analysis. I started detecting in Tombstone Az in 1980. I lived there and I never gave a thought to asking permission to search old mining sites and the towns gulley's, town property or public property. Of course I got permission if I went on private property. But I tended to avoid those places. The idea that you should seek permission to hunt public places implies that you think you might be doing something wrong. It is basically a bad idea. I know others might disagree. Personally I don't hunt many parks . I do hunt state land. I have never asked permission to hunt any public property. If its got a big NO sign on it I go away, otherwise I'm on it.
I have not read anything in the Louisville situation as to what caused the City to take action, That would be interesting information, HH Don.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Don,very good point.My approach also.

 

[GRAY GHOST]

hi don, you made some really good points in both of your posts. i've not taken any offense at all. [i'm real hard to offend - just ask anybody] but anyway, i hope you do visit the louisville website at the top of the page and sign up. i think i can qualify as an old oddball too - going on 30 years in this great hobby. i did take some necessary life breaks from the hobby at times, but always came back. i live here in the richmond / petersburg area of virginia, so, as you can imagine, the competion is pretty fierce. good spots are getting harder to come by near the house. but, i know i have to change the way i think and the places i go and be smarter than the machine, and be flexible. i just feel that if i don't go with the changes, i'll soon be consumed by them.

living in the area that i do has made me a relichunter almost by default. old coins don't come nearly as often as a civil war bullet does. public land is fair game so long as it's not posted. but, true to form, all i'm doing at this point is thinking about my next hunt! good luck, don, and keep on gettin' up! hh,

 

[jim tn]

I guess I am a oddball too, as back in the 70's and 80's I did pretty much what you did Don. Anything public, I considered o.k. to hunt on and no one ever bothered me. Even back then, though, I kind of tended to hunt early mornings and if I couldn't hunt early, would pick spots a little off the main track. That is still pretty much my approach today. I don't think the problems within our hobby are the cause of the internet, but more so that a small number of people are ruining the hobby for the rest of us. Sure, unfilled holes in parks, school yards and other public places hurt the image of our hobby and may be some of the cause why some public places become off limits. I think the bigger problem comes from people that don't understand the hobby and then complain to public officials. Some simply are upset because they think you may be finding something valuable that they don't want to learn how to do for themselves, or are simply to lazy to do. "If I can't have it, neither can you," mentality. So, off to a some public official they go and the next thing that happens is some ordinance gets enacted banning detecting in all local city parks. All, under the guise of something being historic, liability cause or defamation of public property. Oh well! HH jim tn

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Don & Jim, what's wierd is, that ..... even back 25 or 30 yrs. ago when it never occured to us to inquire if there were laws, etc... that if someone even back then had gone into their city hall or parks dept. they might have in fact gotten a "no". So it's not that TODAY there are more "no's" being handed out, IMHO. It's that there are more people ASKING. But just like back then, I bet the average city bureaucrat never even gave the matter thought (until you asked). Alas, as long as scary stories continue to circulate (no matter how isolated), it will continue to prompt others to think that they somehow therefore need sanction, written approval, "permission" etc.... And thus, it becomes a maddening self-fulfilling prophesy

 

[tabdog]

This is tha same post I did for tha "Early Days of Detecting"
thread.

Funny how this post will work for both threads......lol

[size=medium]I detected about 25 years ago.

I found lots of silver coins including a few silver dollars.

If I had known at tha time, there were many good places
at that time to hunt that do not exist anymore.

40 years ago, we could hunt in Civil War sites, even parks.

Never could figer out them BFO detectors. Used a friend's.

But my golden age of detectin started in October of 2007.

I have done much better than I did back then.

I have not found many silver coins at all sense then, but
for the first time in my life, I have been finding GOLD!!!!!

And something else, I have started finding relics. I just
love finding relics.

Was always too dumb to find them before.

But this forum changed everything.

So, maybe it is what Gray Ghost says it is.

Happy Huntin,

Tabdog[/size]

 

[jmaryt]

very interesting point.jim!..it certainly has merit!..i have been hunting here in new england for over 30 years,and traveled extensively in vermont,new hampshire,maine,and massachusetts...believe it or not,it is my feeling that metal detecting is an insignificant activity to MOST people here!..in other words,in my experiences here,people just totally IGNORE you!..now the WHY this is so,i can ONLY speculate as i am NOT a trained physcologist!...my OPINION is that what we do is a harmless,AND overall a worthless time consuming activity that is insignificant in nature,so as to not have any endearing value whatsoever!.....i really do not care WHAT others think,as long as i am allowed to do my thing undisturbed,and so far,no problems at all!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jmaryt]

excellent point!..well taken!..however,i am NOT experiencing that phenomenon here!.i do NOT see alot of detectorists afield!..i go just about everywhere,and i just am NOT seeing it!..i gotta tell ya straight!..i DON'T get kicked out no matter where i go!..i always go to public places too!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jim tn]

j.t. Pretty much the same around here for me. For the most part, I am left alone and also seldom see others out and about hunting of the public places I frequent. I know there are others out and about, as I belong to a club and several regularly hunt. I was on a school yard early on a Sat. morning a while back when I looked up and noted a lady off a few yards with her dog and watching me. After a couple of minutes and noting she was still there, I looked at her and said "good morning." She replied something and I dropped my earphones and again said "good morning. Nice morning for walking your dog." She replied, " what are you doing, looking for the poor little kids lunch money they lost." I could tell by her tone that she was a busy body type, so I stated, "I find more trash then lost change" and pulled out of my apron pocket a handful of can slaw pieces and tabs to show her. She just shook her head and walked away. Sure enough, about a half hour later a school police car pulled up and the fellow walked over to me and said they had a complaint that someone was out in the school yard digging big holes. We talked for several minutes and he finally said, "I don't see any holes around, have a good time," and he left. This lady with some kind of problem in her own mind is the kind of situation that I was referring to in my earlier post. If she yells enough, eventually she will get some officials ear. HH jim tn

 

[kane23]

The day I found a 1875 twenty dollar gold piece! LOL kane 23

 

[Tom_in_CA]

So the moral of the story in your area? DON'T ASK! And hope that no newbies take it upon themselves, in your area, to go asking either!

 

[jmaryt]

i never have!..been huntin' a long time,and never had any problems for the "reason" i explained!..maybe i have been "lucky!"..who knows!..all i know is i'm NOT complaining,and happy just to be able to detect WITHOUT being "f***ed with!..

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jmaryt]

jim!..i have encountered similar situations over the years,however just about all of them were resolved amicably...i have been investigated many times by cops and they ALWAYS walk away telling me to have a nice day!..the reason?..as YOU stated!..i know HOW to dig,find WHAT i am looking for,and leave the place better than i found it!..this is THE KEY!..if experience in this hobby has taught me anything!..you MUST cover your holes,and leave little trace of WHERE you have dug!..all i can state for the RECORD is!..if you do NOT DO THIS..,then we are all F***ED!"... .AGAIN as ALL experienced detectorists are aware.,this action is non-negotiable!

(h.h!)
j.t.

 

[jim tn]

j.t., Over the year's, I've never had a serious problems when out detecting. I'll talk with interested people explaining that detecting is a fun hobby, affords one the chance for some fresh air and a little exercise. I seldom discuss or show any finds I may have found, but if pressed, then the trash items come out. For some reason that morning, the lady was ragging on me pretty good so when I told her I carry off any trash I find, dig small holes and fill them back in, then showed her my trash and then I asked her if she hauled off her dog's poop. I think she felt trapped and this p----d her off as she didn't have a pooper scooper or bag. I have been back to the school since and haven't seen her again. HH jim tn

 

[jmaryt]

not being a phsycologist,it is difficult for me to determine WHAT if anything was on her mind when you made the "noble" effort to explain your actions!..i believe i would have acted similarly,and perhaps experienced the SAME outcome!.needless to say,you have my sympathies!

regards!
(h.h!)
j.t.