For those of you whove hunted in Hawaii, a question:

Tom_in_CA

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Mar 23, 2007
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For those of you who've hunted in Hawaii, a question:

Two buddies of mine are working on finding at least 1 silver coin in all of the 50 states. They've knocked out a large # of the states so far, and only have a handful of states left to go :)

They're going to Hawaii next in their "bingo game" quest, and have asked me to float this question for any T'net folks who've hunted there: Have any of you land-hunted any sites, that have the potential for producing a silver coin? You know, like regular turf (park or whatever) hunting sites? Even if not particularly old, doesn't matter. Just to add that to their list of states they can cross off. Or for that matter, are there any beaches that have potential for porking out a silver coin? (although I'm sure that's highly dependant on erosion factors to get down to older sand. Which is highly speculative on wind, tides, swells, etc... and can never be forecast unless you're there watching the lay-of-the-land, eh?).

thanx!
 

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Have not hunted there myself Tom, but I have read posts and heard of silver coins coming from the Windward (east) side of Oahu when they get some sand movement. Another place which is probably off limits to them is some of the military facilities.
 

Two buddies of mine are working on finding at least 1 silver coin in all of the 50 states. They've knocked out a large # of the states so far, and only have a handful of states left to go :)

They're going to Hawaii next in their "bingo game" quest, and have asked me to float this question for any T'net folks who've hunted there: Have any of you land-hunted any sites, that have the potential for producing a silver coin? You know, like regular turf (park or whatever) hunting sites? Even if not particularly old, doesn't matter. Just to add that to their list of states they can cross off. Or for that matter, are there any beaches that have potential for porking out a silver coin? (although I'm sure that's highly dependant on erosion factors to get down to older sand. Which is highly speculative on wind, tides, swells, etc... and can never be forecast unless you're there watching the lay-of-the-land, eh?).

thanx!

Tom: You can hunt with a metal detector on the beaches in Hawaii as all beaches in Hawaii are Public Property and can be used by anyone as long as you have legal access (cannot cross private property to reach the beach).

Other than beaches, the State of Hawaii does not allow metal detecting in it parks or lands.

You may be able to hunt on private property with written permission, but will run into problems if what you find has archeological significance.

I would say your friends are in for a real challenge. Historically Hawaii had depended upon foreign coins for trade and on tokens within and between plantations.
Interestingly, in 1883 under King Kalakaua the Hawaiian 10 cent coin was struck at the San Francisco mint under the direction of chief engraver Charles El Barber from silver furnished by the Hawaiian Government. Proof sets were also struck of a 12 ½ cent coin (piece of eight) for members and friends of the Royal Family , but never put into circulation as the cost(s) were too high. Sadly these coins lasted only about 30 years before they were pulled out of circulation and melted down.
Further, script was use used rather than US currency during WWII.

I have found silver jewelry, but have neither seen nor know anyone who has found silver coins on the Island I hunt on. Though I did hear of silver coins being found on Oahu.
 

There's not a lot of soil in Hawaii. It's mostly lava rock right under or at the surface. That's going to present the greatest difficulty.

Any populated place is going to be private, and a lot of public places are off limits due to the cultural heritage concern.

On the other hand, Hawaii is an awesome place to visit; they can always eat the local Cuisine, tour the waterfalls, see the volcano, surf, get to know the native Hawaiians, or just hang out at the beach. It could be worse!
 

Other than beaches, the State of Hawaii does not allow metal detecting in it parks or lands.

Sir gala clad, you are mistaken. Such "laws" you are reading, are for state-level parks. Not all "parks" in Hawaii, are going to be state parks. I assume there can be city parks, county parks, private parks, etc... And not only that, whatever rules your reading (which you say say "no") about "state parks", would not apply to other types of state land. In other words, not all state-owned land is "park" land. An example of another type would be road-right-of-ways (which are not "parks").

Yours is a common mistake made, when someone reads lists like the FMDAC's state-by-state list. Someone sees something dire sounding, and thinks it applies to "the whole state". That's not correct. It only applies to state PARK land, which would only be a small percentage of land parks in any given state.

My friends found a few silver washington quarters last night at a park in Oahu. Apparently they had no problems, and no one cared.

I know other guys who've hunted on land sites in Hawaii too, with no problems. I mean, sure, I'm sure they had the "presence of mind" not to go snooping around obvious historic monuments, or on closed military bases, or something silly. But for run-of-mill parks, school yards, etc............
 

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Sir gala clad, you are mistaken. Such "laws" you are reading, are for state-level parks. Not all "parks" in Hawaii, are going to be state parks. I assume there can be city parks, county parks, private parks, etc... And not only that, whatever rules your reading (which you say say "no") about "state parks", would not apply to other types of state land. In other words, not all state-owned land is "park" land. An example of another type would be road-right-of-ways (which are not "parks").

Yours is a common mistake made, when someone reads lists like the FMDAC's state-by-state list. Someone sees something dire sounding, and thinks it applies to "the whole state". That's not correct. It only applies to state PARK land, which would only be a small percentage of land parks in any given state.

My friends found a few silver washington quarters last night at a park in Oahu. Apparently they had no problems, and no one cared.

I know other guys who've hunted on land sites in Hawaii too, with no problems. I mean, sure, I'm sure they had the "presence of mind" not to go snooping around obvious historic monuments, or on closed military bases, or something silly. But for run-of-mill parks, school yards, etc............

Tom: You are correct, my initial reply was for metal detecting in Hawaii State Parks as there are published rules and they are posted.

I do not know if these rules apply to city and county parks but suspect that they may as the source of most of the land for City and County parks is from the State of Hawaii. Another major source is from major developments where one or more park(s) are required as part of that subdivision.

Archeologists are very powerful here and can stop a development indefinitely when significant artifacts/remains are found.

As for private parks many are funded under grants such as plant research and must satisfy Hawaii State requirement to remain funded.

From a dated survey, I have been able to determine that the state and Federal governments and 72 private landowners own 95.36% of the land in Hawaii. The remaining private landowners are left with less than 5% of the lands to ask permission from to metal detect.

Hopefully an experienced bottle hunter who also metal detects will chime in about digging in the dirt as I only hunt beaches for health reasons.

If I erred it is on the side of caution, as I have noticed that those who professionally retrieve jewelry will only do so at the beach, but they will rent you an entry level detector when it comes to finding lost jewelry on dry land.

I have copied rules published by Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Division of State Parks P.O. Box 621 Honolulu, HI 96809 for Hawaii State Parks to give you and T net members an overall feel for them.

Park rules are designed to help you and others have an enjoyable visit while protecting the cultural and natural resources. Always observe and adhere to posted signs in the parks. In addition, you can help us by observing the following rules.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: The use or possession of alcoholic beverages is prohibited.
BEGGING AND SOLICITING are prohibited, except pursuant to Section 13-7, HAR.
BOATING VESSELS or any similar buoyant devices are prohibited where posted.
FIRES: Where not prohibited, build fires in the fireplaces and grills provided. Portable stoves or warming devices may be used in designated camping and picnicking areas unless otherwise prohibited. Dump live coals only in designated ash pits or receptacles.
GENERATORS: Operation or use of any portable electric generator is prohibited, except with a special use permit.
PETS and other animals are prohibited wherever posted, and are not allowed in restaurants, pavilions, swimming areas, campgrounds, lodges, or on beaches. Where permitted, pets are to be crated, caged, on a 6-foot or shorter leash or otherwise under physical restrictive control at all times. Horses prohibited unless otherwise posted. Please clean up after your pet.
NUDITY is prohibited.
NOISE: Do not operate any audio device, television, or musical instrument in such a manner and at such times so as to create excessive noise or nuisance.

PLANTS: Leave all plant life undisturbed. Where permitted, reasonable quantities of fruits and seeds may be gathered for personal use.
REPORT OF INJURY OR DAMAGE: All incidents resulting in personal injury or death, or property damage must be reported as soon as possible to the district office, and other appropriate agencies.
SKATING AND SKATEBOARDS are prohibited where posted.
METAL DETECTING DEVICES are allowed on sand beaches only.
VEHICLES: Drive and park motor vehicles only on designated roads and parking areas provided for such usage.
WASTE DISPOSAL: Place all waste in trash cans and pack out trash from wilderness parks.
NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES: Leave all plants, geological, historical, and archaeological features undisturbed.
WILDLIFE: Leave the wildlife and their habitat undisturbed except where hunting and fishing is permitted subject to all applicable laws and regulations.
LOST AND FOUND ARTICLES are to be deposited by the finder at the nearest police station, or at the park visitor facility.
SUSPECTED VIOLATIONS: Report suspected law and park rule violations to enforcement officers. On all islands, call 643-DLNR (643-3567), no area code required. For emergencies, dial 911.


Of the above rules only one directly applies to metal detecting:
“METAL DETECTING DEVICES are allowed on sand beaches only”


Two may apply to treasure hunting:

- NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES: Leave all plants, geological, historical, and archaeological features undisturbed

- LOST AND FOUND ARTICLES are to be deposited by the finder at the nearest police station, or at the park visitor.

The last so called rule, in my opinion, may result in the most grief”, SUSPECTED VIOLATIONS: Report suspected law and park rule violations to enforcement officers. On all islands, call 643-DLNR (643-3567), no area code required. For emergencies, dial 911.
 

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Two buddies of mine are working on finding at least 1 silver coin in all of the 50 states. They've knocked out a large # of the states so far, and only have a handful of states left to go :)

They're going to Hawaii next in their "bingo game" quest, and have asked me to float this question for any T'net folks who've hunted there: Have any of you land-hunted any sites, that have the potential for producing a silver coin? You know, like regular turf (park or whatever) hunting sites? Even if not particularly old, doesn't matter. Just to add that to their list of states they can cross off. Or for that matter, are there any beaches that have potential for porking out a silver coin? (although I'm sure that's highly dependant on erosion factors to get down to older sand. Which is highly speculative on wind, tides, swells, etc... and can never be forecast unless you're there watching the lay-of-the-land, eh?).

thanx!

Almost forgot there is a local, IIRC his mane is Pat, on Oahu who does a lot of beach hunting videos. You might be able to hook up with him on the internet, he is very friendly and he and his guest(s) appears to have a great time.
Don’t forget to hit the road stands to sample the exotic fruits, the Lychee and Longan seem especially good this year HH
 

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.... From a dated survey, I have been able to determine that the state and Federal governments and 72 private landowners own 95.36% of the land in Hawaii. The remaining private landowners are left with less than 5% of the lands .....

Sir Gala clad, thanx for all your in-depth answer! I know that was no easy task to assemble, so thank you very much.

Regarding the above quote:

On the one-hand, you acknowledge that your initial statement that land-hunting was/is a no-no, didn't apply to city and county lands. You acknowledge that the statement applied to state-owned lands. Like a state-parks rule, for instance, that you go on to cite in detail.

But then you give the above land-ownership statistic, which is confusing. Because it divies up the various types of land to be 100% fed, state, and private. With nothing remaining that could be city or county owned parks.

Oh well, no biggee. As I say, there's people who hunt parks and schools there, so it might just be one of those cases of "no one cares till you ask" psychology, as they seem to have no problem.
 

Sorry for the confusion Tom:
To be honest, I do not know the answer: "if you can metal detect on city, county, or private parks". I seriously doubt that they would have anything in print allowing it as most rules are restrictions prohibiting you from doing something.
I suggested that you hook up with Pat, as I have seen out of state detectorists with him and IIRC he did a video on detecting and dirt digging in a park. As some areas are territorial, he would know to avoid them or make it easier for your friends to hunt there.
As Hawaii tends to be hang loose, you can pretty much do your own thing, unless someone complains. When someone complains then it is as if everyone in the county cares, Even though the law is the same for everyone it is enforced differently dependent upon who you are: {one of the thousand of descendents from an early plantation family, native Hawaiian, visitor, or Kaimana (worst)}.
The point I was trying to make earlier is that the State of Hawaii, Federal Government, and a few large estates own most of the land. In my opinion neither the State nor the Federal Government are friendly toward metal detecting, and I don’t know anyone who moved here because they liked the politics.
As Archeologists are very strong here and the native Hawaiians (rightfully so) are very involved about preserving their heritage.
You do not even want to move a rock out of place and definitely do not take it home (trust me on this). I suspect that it would be very difficult to get permission to dig on their properties.
 

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Sorry for the confusion Tom:
To be honest, I do not know the answer: "if you can metal detect on city, county, or private parks". I seriously doubt that they would have anything in print allowing it as most rules are restrictions prohibiting you from doing something.
I suggested that you hook up with Pat, as I have seen out of state detectorists with him and IIRC he did a video on detecting and dirt digging in a park. As some areas are territorial, he would know to avoid them or make it easier for your friends to hunt there.
As Hawaii tends to be hang loose, you can pretty much do your own thing, unless someone complains. When someone complains then it is as if everyone in the county cares, Even though the law is the same for everyone it is enforced differently dependent upon who you are: {one of the thousand of descendents from an early plantation family, native Hawaiian, visitor, or Kaimana (worst)}.
The point I was trying to make earlier is that the State of Hawaii, Federal Government, and a few large estates own most of the land. In my opinion neither the State nor the Federal Government are friendly toward metal detecting, and I don’t know anyone who moved here because they liked the politics.
As Archeologists are very strong here and the native Hawaiians (rightfully so) are very involved about preserving their heritage.
You do not even want to move a rock out of place and definitely do not take it home (trust me on this). I suspect that it would be very difficult to get permission to dig on their properties.

Sir G: Did Pat go by Coconut on the forums? I used to really enjoy his posts, but don't see him post any more on any of the forums. Do you know what's up?
 

Sir G: Did Pat go by Coconut on the forums? I used to really enjoy his posts, but don't see him post any more on any of the forums. Do you know what's up?

Aloha Ron: Pat metal detects on Oahu. You can view his videos by goggling Metal Detecting in Hawaii. He often has vacationers treasure hunt with him, IIRC he had a guest from Ohio with him when he did a video on Haleiwa Beach. He uses a homemade sand scope made out of a large PVC elbow with 5/8 “ holes and a galvanized screen clamped to the back.
I doubt Pat and Coconut are the same ? Pat is lay back, and likes to communicate verbally and visually while talking story. I was not able to find any posts by Coconut on the forums to compare styles.
 

Aloha Ron: Pat metal detects on Oahu. You can view his videos by goggling Metal Detecting in Hawaii. He often has vacationers treasure hunt with him, IIRC he had a guest from Ohio with him when he did a video on Haleiwa Beach. He uses a homemade sand scope made out of a large PVC elbow with 5/8 “ holes and a galvanized screen clamped to the back.
I doubt Pat and Coconut are the same ? Pat is lay back, and likes to communicate verbally and visually while talking story. I was not able to find any posts by Coconut on the forums to compare styles.

Pat IS Coconut over on FMDF. He has not been on the forum in quite awhile. Always enjoyed his posts!
 

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