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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[Lookin]

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

I recently hunted a school yard for the first time. I came around the side of the school, only to find dirt piles all over the place! My first thought - who was the moron detecting here Well, upon closer inspection, I realized that I was looking at the push piles of a major gopher infestation!

Since I didn't want anyone else to accuse me or another detectorist of leaving a mess, I contacted the school's maintenance leader and explained their gopher problem to him. He laughed and said that the contracted lawn maintenance company had been fighting those gophers for years.

 

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[bula]

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

I do not have that problem here, I do not dig holes. With a little parctice you can learn how to pop out a coin from about 7" with a screw driver leaving nothing but a small hole smaller than the ones they cause when they plug the lawn.

 

[Deadwood Dick]

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

Happened to me today. I was hunting the park for the second day. I had checked with the police and there were no city ordenances against it so they said have at it.
A city pickup pulled up and out hops this short, old, pissed off looking guy. He tells me to pack up as I was done hunting.
I tried to explain the police had given me permission. He said he had seen me digging and went to the police department and lined them out about me in the park. Said I could cut a water line wire and I was done. Nasty little man really.
I left but am going to talk to the police tomorrow to see whats up.

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

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

I had a similar encounter on a city owned baseball diamond a few weeks back. I noticed a City Parks Dept. truck pull up, a man got out and walked over to a plug I had just dug. He asked me "what gave me the right to come into the parks and dig holes in the infield?!" I told him that our city doesn't have any by-laws to say that I can't dig as long as I don't remove any plants or destroy park property. He then said "that there was guy that had dug up a sprinklerhead in another section of the park and had just left it like that!"

I then asked him to look behind him and tell me how many holes he could see that I'd already dug? He said "he couldn't see any," so I then showed him all the junk in my pouch and told him that I'd already dug 15 holes here! He then promptly turned around and stomped back to his truck!

Dave

 

[artzstuff1]

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

BRAVO!!!!,,,,,,BRAVO!!!!!!!

 

[ihavetone]

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

Most cities do not have laws against mding but if you leave traces they can site you for destruction of public property.

 

[Yard Digger]

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

I've haven't had any problems so far. There are four parks I detect in. Three are in small towns and cities another in a fairly large city. One of those parks I take care of myself and I have to say that it's
grounds are smoother and nicer than the others. No dogs or varmints digging holes like those other parks. Also I mostly use a full size shovel blade, but careful to cover my holes and put the sod back in place. I know what it feels like to have a lawnmower tire suddenly hit a hole going as fast as the mower will go. Occasionally I will have a varmint hole or a sink hole, but I grab a load of dirt and fill it in as soon as I can. For my own safety as well as the users of the park.

Kids and adults have approached me out of curiosity to see if I'm finding anything. I'll usually have a pocket full of clads and a bag full of junk to show them. I think that people who approach and complain, gripe and call the police does that mostly for the simple fact that detectorists are out there doing something different from the general population of park users. If you could watch those same miserable complainers you'll probably notice that they would not take any note of someone tossing cans and other trash on the ground. The fact is they probably do some of that littering themselves. But like I said they're mostly miserable people and those poor souls just need to get a life of their own.

 

[windage]

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

One advantage to living in a small town is that you can develop relationships with the cops and invite them along on a hunt, most are interested (they saw it on TV). Also offer M/D help to recover items at a scene. Goes a long way to prove you're just an average Joe and not an "eco-terrorist". I never use a relic shovel out in the open, but rather a digging knife and plastic ground cloth. I take pride in the fact that you cannot find my holes after a recovery. (well, maybe YOU, but not the average person)
I try to schedule my M/D activities on public property on late sat/early sun to avoid too much attention.
Hope you get your old park back, or a better one!

 

[Troyounce]

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

Sorry to heat that... a few rotten eggs or bad apples sure do make it hard for us at times!

 

[eagleforce]

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

Ever even stop to think that sometimes the fields could have been damaged by a dog digging or kids digging or something of the like? I have seen damage from these kinds of things before, in action. But they are still going to blame the person metal detecting.

 

[Roland58]

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

Ever even stop to think that sometimes the fields could have been damaged by a dog digging or kids digging or something of the like? I have seen damage from these kinds of things before, in action. But they are still going to blame the person metal detecting.

For you and Daedalus, these were actual folks and I saw evidence of what they had done. The park manager couldn't find the spots I had dug, but, he showed me samples of what they had done. We did talk for a while and parted friends. I understand where he was coming from, my beef is with the people that made the messes and damage. They are probably the same ones that threw their McDonald's sacks out of their car windows on the way to the park.......WHERE THERE ARE TRASH CANS! (sorry, my voice goes up in direct proportion to my blood pressure)

On a good note, I was hunting in another city park (that is also under seige by the A-holes that should not be allowed to reproduce) and made my best find so far.......a good friend. He is an old man like me and was very interested in my detector. I told him all about it, we talked and I found out he has 122 acres of virgin land handed down to him by his grandfather with two sites of old homesteads that have long since been gone.....one from a fire. Indians owned this land before his grandfather. I was quick to tell him I had another detector and would be happy to show him how to use it......I would even be happy to bring it to his place to try it out! He was all for the idea. YES! He is also the mayor of his own little incorporated town, on the school board and still drives a school bus at the tender age of 75. (that means the old school yard should be available when there is no school functions going on, yay). We have each other's phone #'s and will get together soon, he seemed as excited as I did!

I'll keep everyone posted.....silver linings do exist!!

 

[savant365]

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

Kicking all metal detectorists out of the parks for the actions of 1 or 2 is just ridiculous. I asked the parks guy here if they were gonna keep all the cars off of a street if 1 person gets a speeding ticket on it. There doesn't seem to be any of them (city workers) around to complain if you go on Sunday mornings though.

HH Charlie

 

[Cherokee_Kidd]

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

They gripe and complain here too. I'm still trying to get permission to detect in the parks here cause there's a few people trying to tell the parks department not to allow anyone to use a metal detector in the parks.

 

[fmerg]

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

at the end of last years season i was in a corn field when i spotted a new york state trooper walk towards me
being the field was a little muddy i placed my shovel in the ground and lean my machine on it and walk over to the trooper
he was called by a local person who he stated "cant let people be"
well any way after talking for about 10 minuets on what i was finding and how good the newer machines were i said any time you get a chance call me any i will get ya out in one of the fields i have extra equipment you can use
to my suprise he called hos dispatcher and told he he would be out of service for 30 minuets
he then spent the next hour or so hunting with me
i did get a little jealous when he got the only silver of the day

 

[momule55]

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

Well, it's sad that it has come to this in public parks. I quit hunting parks when the silver gave out a few years ago, if it's still there, you have to dig deep and be really careful how you do it. Me, I like hunting old yards, homesteads and relic sites. Do some research on your area, find the owner and ask permission. To me it's alot better than having to look over your shoulder for trouble from the cops or crooks & crackheads. I would rather have a property owner say no and move on to another site. I have detected for over 35 years and have found that research and being picky about your sites is well worth the effort. I leave the "Dirty Money" hunting to the cheap detector, too lazy to research newbes out there. I know this may sound harsh, but it is the cold hard truth.......

 

[g-olden years]

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

Small aside to momule 55, who just said "cheap detector, too lazy to research newbes out there", and said "that's the cold hard truth". I realize you're just letting off steam, but it's never wise to lump people together as all the same, in this case newbies! I'm a NEWBIEwith a CHEAP DETECTOR, and I'm extremely good at careful digging and covering up holes! Also I'm an avid researcher, having been interested in the history of localities long before starting my detecting career. There's jerk newbies who wreck parks and everyone's chances to detect them, but there's marvelous newbies who're careful and who are keeping the good detecting traditions alive! Just like most of you, I've filled in big holes that other detectorists have left! The slobs who're too self-centered to refill their holes should only detect where gophers or ground squirrels have already dug hundreds of holes! Or maybe in thick brush in rattlesnake country? hmm... Andi

 

[SaintSea]

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

I feel your pain.
The next small town over from mine now has posted metal signs that say there cannot be ANY metal detecting on the town property. Anywhere.
Damn.
I used to enjoy hitting the tot lots there; it was my ole' stomping grounds.
And with the price of gas these days, having to drive even a bit further kinda sucks.
Oh well.
Life goes on...

 

[63bkpkr]

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

Hello Folks,
To add my two cents to this thread - There are detectorists who follow the rules of self respect for others and the land they detect and there are those who do not. The ones who do not should go to jail and as some have indicated in this thread "You" as an individual can do something about this. Yes it takes time BUT if you/we do not get involved to protect our hard earned rights WE will loose them.

Unfortunately the time has come that we must defend our rights from those who do not have enough common sense to dig a plug properly and to fill the hole back in. Make yourselves known in the community and I mean in a positive manner. Volunteer! Yup give your time freely to the local municipality. Alert the town officials that you are going out as a group and clean up a park or a street or ask them what they would like done. Advertise that we are good by helping out.

Just a thought..........63bkpkr

 

[Lakemonster]

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

AH........ What

I called Tyler Parks a month ago to find out where I could not detect. The guy on the other end told me to stay out of Bergfeld, Childrens and Rudman... and to stay off the ballfield play areas. NO mention of permits. He even mentioned that most of us do in fact take care with our diggin.

I never got around to shooting there... guess I never will. Bummer.

Did he say if this was in effect for the rest of Tyler parks or just Lindsey?

 

[Cherokee_Kidd]

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

Well I have good news . I was finally given permission to metal detect the parks here after almost a year of talking to the parks department about it . They finally called and sent me a email this morning to let me know that I now have permission to metal detect in the parks here. They also told me that as far as they know noone has used a metal detector in any of the parks in this town for a long time and a few of the parks hopefully have never been detected because those parks weren't there the last time anyone was allowed to detect the parks here. It was a funny day I got permission and I couldn't do anything because it's been cold and raining and snowing all day.