Unfortunately here's the lowdown from their downloadable PDF:
"Cultural materials on public lands may not be removed, damaged, disturbed, excavated or
transferred without BLM permit. Cultural resources include prehistoric and historic artifacts
and sites, broken objects and debris more than 100 years old that were used or produced by
humans. Protected materials include arrowheads and other stone tools, grinding stones,
beads, baskets, pottery, old bottles, horse shoes, metal tools, graves and trash scatters.
Historic sites such as cabins, sawmills,
graves, trail traces, mining areas, townsites,
ranches and railroads are not open to
collecting.
Metal detector use is allowed on public
lands. Modern money may be collected,
but coins and artifacts more than 100
years old may not be collected."
The link:
https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/documents/files/collecting_on_publiclands.pdf
Pretty self explanatory.
I'm not saying it wouldn't be hard to break the rules, but I am not going to advocate it. I realize most BLM land is all pretty remote. Our permit, though we are in Grant county OR, is through the Prineville office. And we have a long time manager who is really common sense and fair and easy to deal with.
I imagine I personally won't have any issues. And since my neighbors and the locals are more than accommodating about such things if you're a fellow land owner, I think I may have a lot of fun here for the rest of my life
I already got the low down about artifacts. Hubby & I still own a bit of the ND ranch and there on the Cannonball River my yard was literally a Native America paleo cultural site. I'd find points and scrapers and things in my driveway.
I imagine I will find stuff here as well. Especially since I wake up in the morning and Picture Gorge is right out of my window
