I found I cant hunt my favorite park anymore!

[Roland58]

I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

All set for a fun time with my F75, Hori Hori knife in hand, fresh batteries, partly cloudy, 65°, light wind......just a great day to relax and hunt at my favorite soccer complex. I step across a sidewalk on the field side (still a long way from the actual playing field) and get a good solid nickle signal. I stop, pinpoint it, dig a plug, retrieve an aluminus poptipicus and put my plug back and the poptop goes in my junk bag. Then I hear the voice, "Did you find a quarter?" Nope, just a poptop. It was the guy that signed my permit to hunt in the park. He was making small talk before he lowered the boom on how I could not hunt there anymore! I could not figure out why, my digging is non-destructive, shallow and done with a very sharp knife. When done, ALL the dirt goes back in the hole and I try to leave it looking better than when I find it. No matter what it found, it goes with me.........a little bag for keepers and a big bag for junk. I showed the manager a hole I had just dug and he could not find it, then stomped around and found no soft spots. Then I showed him the aluminum sherds, nails and other items that I had removed that could really hurt a kid. Didn't matter.

But, he had a couple of instances where some )#%&)_! butt had dug and left holes open in the middle of the playing fields, left trash and generally made a mess. So, for you one or two mouth breathing lowlifes, thanks for screwing things up for the rest of the world! BTW, this is Lindsey Park in Tyler, TX. and I live close by. If I see you locating, I WILL call the sheriff. If I can't enjoy the park, you sure aren't going to either.

 

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[JUNKYARD DOG]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

RIGHT ON !!

JYD...

 

[g-olden years]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

That's lousy! Like so many areas of life, a few jerks can ruin things for the rest of us!
I hope you soon find your best detecting area yet! Andi

 

[Intodeep]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately... all it takes is that one dumb*** in your area to screw it all up for everyone else.
Who every they are.... I wish them a lifetime of digging halo's and pull tabs. HH 2 you.

 

[CrustyClad]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

I had a similar instance to your story, I hit a park in my area and I have not been there before, so i start detecting and i dig a few small plugs with my leshe, I was there maybe 10 min and a lady comes up and ask's if I am allowed to metal detect and I say yes, she proceeds to tell me about another man that was there earlier in the week metal detecting and he was using a shovel and was digging huge holes and just kicking the soil back in the hole and not packing it or even making sure that the sod was face up, I did see some of the hole's he dug and they are ugly holes I wound never leave any thing of the sort, but she is mad that he killed all the grass he dug. She asked him what kind of money he was really making and if it was worth killing all the grass, he said i had made $10 she said she would give him $20 if he would just not dig any more, ( he said no thanks and left) she told me also she was going to call the sharriff on any one digging in the park, so I left because i did not want to have to answer to the law for his nastie holes he left.......

So yes it take's 1 inconsiderate a$$hole to ruin it for everyone and make everyone hate you....

 

[Pull_tab_mike]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

Some dirty DING DONG did that to me, I was P##ed so like the scout I was, I staked out the place and waited and waited and more waiting only three days. As I had hoped he came, told him to get lost and he challanged me, I said listen here dip SH*T you need a permit do you have one "NO" then get the H out of here "I don't have to" fine, left him to do his thing while I hit speed dial to local Sheriff Office (they were aware of no more MD'ing @ park). They got there asked me I pointed in DING DONG's location...... They confiscated his metal detector..... Yes I know that was mean of me, but hey if I can't have fun b/c some DING DONG screwed it for me well to bad I'm going to be mean

 

[Daedalus]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

This story of people are leaving holes in the park is something that is being used and most of the time has nothing to do with why you or I are not allowed to detect in the parks anymore .
Do like I did and start calling around and asking questions of why you cannot detect in the park from the City , and you will see what I am talking about .
Not all but most of the time it is because of someone complaining to the City about it and do not want anyone in the park , they are even telling the kids that they cannot play baseball in some of the parks now because of this.
This is the result of a few people who are just mean and try to control everyone around them , and in some cases as I have been told
(if we charge for people to have a picnic in the park now then you should not be able to detect for free either ! ) They are charging to use the park even though the people have already paid for the right to use the park , anything that can be done to bring in a few more dollars so the City workers can keep there jobs !

And it is going to get worse in till we start going to the Town meetings and putting a stop to this.
You ought to go to one and ask why and make them tell why it was done and if someone is calling have them show what the complaint was about .
You will be surprised at what you will hear , I know I was . And in some cases you will find that there are no law's about this and no City ordinances that have been voted on and put into place about this either . So it came down to someone making up the law as they go .

 

[MKnTenn]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

Stuff like this is happening all over the place. We have people who go out buy a detector, go to a park thinking they are going to find a fortune, dig up trash throw it beside the hole, don't fill their holes and go to the next signal and do the same thing. I can't tell you how many times I've spent my time fixing the mess someone left behind because I don't want anyone to think I made that mess. There should be a class on digging and filling your holes everyone that buys a detector should have to take, or make it a law you have to attend the class, you know how they love to make new laws. Like you said they are making more and more spots off limits because of their carelessness and stupidity, and yea, I get angry every time.

 

[Chocadog]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

Hm!

 

[Charlene]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

It only takes one to ruin a good thing

I think the most unusual response from a city so far for me is one that I have to watch a video and be issued a pass before I can detect their beaches. Someone dug up an old military ordnance a few year ago, so they shut it down from all detecting for 5 yrs. Now open again with the stipulation of watching a video.

 

[underdogger]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

Way of the world . I have seen just about all the people in my area . They are all pretty good. But I would not hesitate to blow someone in. I am disabled and this is about all the physical activity I get . You bet if someone starts to jepordize that ,I would call a local or the park manager. Rob.

 

[black651]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

I had a similar situation happen just last Sunday. One woman felt that I shouldn't be digging where I was and called the police. An officer showed up and after speaking with her (She was furious because I basically ignored her and she waved her arms around and pointed in my direction like some dramatic fool) the officer approached me and asked if I had in fact been digging in the park. I said yes, I was - but then calmly explained that I was doing so according to the rules and did have a permit. I then showed the officer the hole I had just dug and he couldn't even find it. Even offered to show my permit as I had it in my pocket but he said no need. He said that I was find and he then went over and spoke to the woman - and this was worth the hassle - because if I thought she was upset before - she REALLY freaked out when the officer explained to her that I was not doing anything wrong. She had to be dragged off by her husband because she was acting so childishly and he finally became embarrassed enough to put a stop to it.

I had to explain to a couple curious onlookers what the situation was all about and they had a good laugh when they got the story. It sure seems to me that some small portion of the population appears to enjoy telling others what to do and REALLY don't like it when they aren't allowed to do so. I'm just glad I had all my ducks in a row and learned to do this hobby the correct way (Thank you TNet for that!) and avoided any hassles.


Stay cool out there my fellow hunters.

 

[Pull_tab_mike]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

I had a similar situation happen just last Sunday. One woman felt that I shouldn't be digging where I was and called the police. An officer showed up and after speaking with her (She was furious because I basically ignored her and she waved her arms around and pointed in my direction like some dramatic fool) the officer approached me and asked if I had in fact been digging in the park. I said yes, I was - but then calmly explained that I was doing so according to the rules and did have a permit. I then showed the officer the hole I had just dug and he couldn't even find it. Even offered to show my permit as I had it in my pocket but he said no need. He said that I was find and he then went over and spoke to the woman - and this was worth the hassle - because if I thought she was upset before - she REALLY freaked out when the officer explained to her that I was not doing anything wrong. She had to be dragged off by her husband because she was acting so childishly and he finally became embarrassed enough to put a stop to it.

I had to explain to a couple curious onlookers what the situation was all about and they had a good laugh when they got the story. It sure seems to me that some small portion of the population appears to enjoy telling others what to do and REALLY don't like it when they aren't allowed to do so. I'm just glad I had all my ducks in a row and learned to do this hobby the correct way (Thank you TNet for that!) and avoided any hassles.


Stay cool out there my fellow hunters.
[/quote


LOL I get that crap all the time, I hunt a local park which is also a nature preserve. I have a permit and all, but people still call the cops on m, I sit and laugh at them as they leave more P**ed then be for.

 

[DMN]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

I've been fortunate enough not to have had any issues like this. I do understand why the park and town officials use a heavy hand on detectorists. The individuals who do not act with consideration run up a number costs for the towns and municipalities, like resodding, landscaping or restoration, and the potential for someone to trip and injure themselves. These can be real costs for a muni which then get passed on to all the taxpayers there. Since it seems people like to sue for as much as they possibly can get away with, an injury can crush a town's budget principally for attorney fees and insurance costs. Frankly I don't want to pay any more taxes than I need to and am mindful of it when digging.

I play the game as I should, and try not to think of myself first but for the others who have to go in my wake. Sadly all it takes is one <fill in your fave expletive descriptor> to spoil it for the responsible ones. I definitely understand why many here choose to gain property permissions and detect on private lands.

 

[mastereagle22]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

Just to point out something that has not been said here...... we (metal detectorists) are NOT the only things making holes in the ground.

I had a lady challenge me once in a local park that I had left a hole which was obviously a mole trail. Another lady approached me with her dog and blamed me while her dog was digging a hole for some reason. I politely pointed that out to her and she left embarrassed.

What is wrong with this country? What is happening to it? When did we lose our backbone and let a few crazy, unhappy miserable people ruin it for the rest of us?

But I can say I have detected with two people who did not fill their holes ONCE. I will never go with them again. I tried to explain to them why it was bad, they didn't listen. Some people are just jerks.

 

[DMN]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

Just to point out something that has not been said here...... we (metal detectorists) are NOT the only things making holes in the ground.

I had a lady challenge me once in a local park that I had left a hole which was obviously a mole trail. Another lady approached me with her dog and blamed me while her dog was digging a hole for some reason. I politely pointed that out to her and she left embarrassed.

What is wrong with this country? What is happening to it? When did we lose our backbone and let a few crazy, unhappy miserable people ruin it for the rest of us?

But I can say I have detected with two people who did not fill their holes ONCE. I will never go with them again. I tried to explain to them why it was bad, they didn't listen. Some people are just jerks.

Good points...especially the last sentence.

 

[diggummup]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

What is wrong with this country? What is happening to it? When did we lose our backbone and let a few crazy, unhappy miserable people ruin it for the rest of us?
But I can say I have detected with two people who did not fill their holes ONCE. I will never go with them again. I tried to explain to them why it was bad, they didn't listen. Some people are just jerks.

Blame the liberals. It is only getting worse too. And I also agree with the last statement. Some people are just a-holes and think the world revolves around them.

 

[TooManyHobbies]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

One time last year I returned to my honey hole to find a bunch of holes. Since I'm the only one that detects it, and since I knew I filled my holes, I had to scratch my head. It seems a nocturnal beast had undug some of my holes. It was a skunk grubbing in the fresh dirt. I caught him the next night and took him away. It's not always the lowlife scum bag that leaves the mess, sometimes it's a low life skunk that sets you up to get in trouble.

 

[eldorado]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

I just dont understand,, why,, I mean really WHY, cant some folks fill in the hole. cover it up! I like to challenge myself to see how good I can do so that no one can see that I was there. Go figure?

 

[Bell]

Re: I found I can't hunt my favorite park anymore!

In my experience almost every single time I have been hassled by someone who didn't like me detecting in the park it was someone walking around with a dog off the leash. No kidding, almost every time.