Legality of hunting in DuPage County?

[Pepperlizard]

I am looking to get into metal detecting and I'm from around Hinsdale in DuPage County. Reading up on several posts on this forum I have been noticing that there are legality issues with hunting in some areas in both DuPage County and Cook County. My question is where in DuPage would it be legal for me to hunt, and what areas or types of places should I avoid?

 

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[DPBOB]

At this time of the year , HOT SUMMER, DROUGHT hunting parks and schools would not be a wise choice.

First off bad digging of holes at this time of the year is NOT GOOD.

Welcome aboard.

Construction areas and street tear ups are always good at this time....

 

[Gimmie The Loot]

find some old swimming holes and go divin. Ask your friend's to hunt their yard. Welcome.

 

[tinman68]

if u hunt the woods and get caught that's two rangers and u in the middle

 

[needle n haystack]

All Dupage County Forrest Preserves are off limits..............They enforce it

 

[Pepperlizard]

How do I go about searching sidewalk tear ups and construction sites? Should I ask permission from the construction workers there or is there a better way to go about doing it?

 

[Lowbatts]

It all depends on the where, when and why. If you're there as they are pulling the slabs, just stay very clear of the workers. Only reason anyone would object is if you are interferring with the workers or their schedule in my experience. Of course there's always differences between residential areas and business areas in some towns but I've never had any trouble while just walking on and detecting.

Some of the engineers may ask what you're doing, which group or component of the work you're with, etc.. I just tell them I'm looking for old coins and such exposed by the work. Only time I've ever had trouble is with one large construction outfit and the guy threatening me had no authority over the area I was detecting.

The parkways, when they get scraped are the best place to find old goodies but they will go fast if you are not there in or during the process very often. In the parkways you will be dealing with the landscapers and they are usually the most friendly, but they all do their jobs differently so some sites may be very good while others are not.

You have to keep up with them, they don't wait for you. But if they leave an area open for the weekend, it's best to go back to it even if you've already been over it and go over it again slowly and deliberately. Best part about this is meeting the people who live in the area and getting invites to do yards and asking the okay to do yards along the way.

Next best part about it, the digging is done for you on much of the site.

 

[Tom_in_CA]

For old-town demolition sites (of which old-town sidewalk tearouts are the most fun ) , just wait till after 5pm, and go. Sure it means you'll have to step over a ribbon, or walk past a few cones, etc.... But gauranteed, if you ask, you'll most likely get a "no". Because in their mind, if they say "yes", and you're a doofas yahoo that goes out and slips on a bananna peel, you might sue them. So the easy answer is always "no", from any const. worker. I mean, be serious. But if you just wait till the workers cut out for the day, ....... and be a little discreet ...... well ..... you know.

 

[Lowbatts]

Tom is right on that one, even though those are work sites and the site boss has some discretion there, it's a public right of way, with limited restrictions once the crew calls it a day, which is usually 3:30 or 4:00 around here. I usually am there when the crew is there and most often work as close to them as possible to hit the ground as soon as they do the first pull or scrape and before the second scrape or cut gets done.

I find the people in the neighborhood are much more receptive to you if you're there when the crew is there and in some of the shady neighborhoods, that counts toward the hunt time and the finds, was well the possible ancillary rewards such as private yard invites.

The only times I've had the cops called on me is when the crew is not there working. Around here, that usually results in a unit or two driving up, seeing what I'm doing, waving from the car and they drive off.