Getting Permission.

[Born2Dtect]

When you go metal detecting do you always get permission? I Have always been told it is best to get written permission. However when I read books, articles, and postings I see where some just stop and hunt abandoned schools, churches or buildings. This leaves me to believe that permission was not obtained. Are there places where you consider it public property and detecting without permission is OK? Give me your thoughts.

Ed Donovan

 

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[willie d]

I'm glad this subject was brought up again...
How do you go about finding out who owns a piece of land?
If you go to the tax collector's office either online or in person. Since you don't know the address, try the house closest to it for reference.

 

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[nevrdundetecting]

the places that I hunt around here i.e. city parks, schools and state parks, none have signs that say "No Metal Detecting" and I can't think of a time that I have ever seen another person detecting at any of the places exept for the beech at the state park which is a lake also that has a swimming area.....anyways, I have never had a problem with any officials while hunting these places and don't ever even really see any exept for city police and they don't seem to care.....I am always very careful using the hinged door method of digging and it's almost impossible to see where I have dug exept for places with no grass and I always fill in holes and level out the ground....hopefully my good fortune will continue...those are my thoughts on the matter.....HH

 

[Born2Dtect]

Neverdundetecting,

You are taking a risk if you don't ask permission. All land is owned by some one. Public land is also regulated. The fact that you have never been approached while hunting is not uncommon. I have not been approached or questioned by authorized personnel ever. I do get permission in some form. When I request permission, I currently have a 100% yes reply with only 1 requesting no digging which ss not a problem as they are newer parks and fields so finds should be shallow. I need to try more personal property request because around me more older finds are made on personal property. Try getting permission for all your hunting. An area public or private does not have to be posted for you to get into trouble. I make most of my public property request on the internet and public ones in person. I have gotten a 100% yes reply so far (over two years) so don't be afraid to ask it will save you some hassle and keep you legal.

Good luck,

Ed Donovan

 

[nevrdundetecting]

I'm afraid that if I do ask some city official to detect in the park that it would "open a can of worms" like what happened to someone else on this forum. However I don't think that anyone would ever say anything if the subject was ever brought up. The way I look at it, public land is owned by the public, and as long as I fill my holes and the ground comes out virtually unscathed I don't see a problem with it, as I do pay many taxes and user fees in this city, when I don't even live within the city boundaries, which is unconstitutional in my view anyway (taxation without representation". I will never hunt on private property without gaining permission, only state property which my taxes fund. I know many of the public officials and police officers in this area so I'm not really worried about it, and I'm sure that I could either talk my way out or change the persons mind if I was ever approached. Just my thoughts on the matter.....HH

 

[Born2Dtect]

The only place to give me a conditional answer had a law about digging on town property. I did not know about the law before asking permission. I would have had I just started digging found out about it in the form of a ticket or court appearance. In my sate Maryland the state parks have very strict regulations, times, areas, that you need to know. Asking permission will let you know this. My point is the law that enforces regulations in Maryland is likely to treat you like a Poacher, Grave robber or other criminal. They will confiscate everything you use to get to or do what ever you are doing. For example your vehicle, Metal detector. So why chance it when you should get a positive number permission request granted. I heard a judge once tell a defendant the Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Once again I wish good hunting and add don't expect the worse when asking permission you just won't get as many no answers as you expect.

Ed Donovan

 

[nevrdundetecting]

I have checked around and asked some local lawyers and as far as they know and as far as I can find there are no laws against metal detecting or against digging small holes on city park land or on the state parks at least around here. However I wouldn't try MDing on any historical parks as I would imagine there are probably state and maybe federal laws against it. As for the park, there were some people from the Parks dept there yesterday while I was detecting, they saw me, as well as some city police and groundskeepers so I don't envision ever having a problem there and I do go out of my way to make the ground look unscathed. Good discussion and happy hunting!!