Looks like it won’t be another day at the park. I got BANNED.

Truth

Gold Member
Apr 13, 2016
14,332
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Abita Springs La....Born in New Orleans
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EQUINOX 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
This public City Park, dating back to the 1850’s,and where I’ve been going to for 3 years has come to an end. I was told today by the Park’s Police that I had a complaint called on me, but they excused it but the they got another call from the same person to a “high up” so they have to check into it to see if there’s a rule or law against me. The officer to down my name and number and promised me man-to-man that he would let me know, good or bad, a let me know. I could tell he felt bad. He also thanked me for how I handled myself and to me how sorry he was.

The park is 1300 acres so I could always spread out in locations but when I stumbled across that 3 ringer in November it was in a more populated area near the museum and that did me in. I can’t lie I always wanted one more and it gave them up one at a time with a total of 28. Unfortunately it was in a 40x40ft spot and with the large chucks of clay and them being down 8” to a foot the plugs where very lumpy and noticeable. I hit it pretty hard and often on a 3 ringer bender and it caught up with me man it hard to stop a spot when it’s hot. Hopefully good news will come my way and I learn a lesson, if not I’ll have to look at is as a opportunity to look else where, water hunt this summer or start my 2018 door knocking career. When one door closes another one will open. I will miss you my friend. Thank you for giving me many happy days.

R.I.P. City Park (2015-2018)
 

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I hate these people who think everyone should believe the way they believe if there is no law against it tell him to kick rocks. Spoiled brats and very self righteous. If you don't get to go back go adopt two huge dogs that can do there thing all over the grass which most of the complainers own and they kill the grass, Who do you think pays for and owns these parks all us tax payers.............THAAAAAAATS RIGHT/ There will always be people like that.I once lived in a condo which had a home owners association a lot of busy bodies you couldnt fart without the whole community knowing what you had for dinner!!!Any way my condo faced a golf course and each unit had a pine tree in front of there window. This thing totally blocked any view I should have had, One night after a few cold ones about 200 am .I chopped it down and dragged it into the woods literally a half mile away I was pretty happy!!! Well about 6.30 am a bang on my door so I come down stairs open the door there were about 10 people and a association head standing where the pine had resided and they had dragged the chopped tree all the way back lol they were furious Dentures sharpened nitting needles at the ready. How dare you take that tree down well I was the Black sheep of the heard from that point on which I am used to they made me replace the tree so I got one that was about 20 inches high..lol I mean REALLY I guess that tree no longer there upset the propery values at the posh estates .Anyway people who have nothing better to do make others peoples lives tough so they can feel important. Sorry about the rant I had to vent I hope it all works in your favor my friend!!!!!!Tommy
 

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I hate these people who think everyone should believe the way they believe if there is no law against it tell him to kick rocks. Spoiled brats and very self righteous. If you don't get to go back go adopt two huge dogs that can do there thing all over the grass which most of the complainers own and they kill the grass, Who do you think pays for and owns these parks all us tax payers.............THAAAAAAATS RIGHT/ There will always be people like that.I once lived in a condo which had a home owners association a lot of busy bodies you couldnt fart without the whole community knowing what you had for dinner!!!Any way my condo faced a golf course and each unit had a pine tree in front of there window. This thing totally blocked any view I should have had, One night after a few cold ones about 200 am .I chopped it down and dragged it into the woods literally a half mile away I was pretty happy!!! Well about 6.30 am a bang on my door so I come down stairs open the door there were about 10 people and a association head standing where the pine had resided and they had dragged the chopped tree all the way back lol they were furious Dentures sharpened nitting needles at the ready. How dare you take that tree down well I was the Black sheep of the heard from that point on which I am used to they made me replace the tree so I got one that was about 20 inches high..lol I mean REALLY I guess that tree no longer there upset the propery values at the posh estates .Anyway people who have nothing better to do make others peoples lives tough so they can feel important. Sorry about the rant I had to vent I hope it all works in your favor my friend!!!!!!Tommy

Thanks Tommy funny story! Lol
 

.... if there is no law against it tell him to kick rocks....

Or ... another solution: Just go when they're not around. What they don't see can't hurt them. There are SOME hunt situations (nice manicured turf, etc...) where "telling them to kick rocks" might come back to bite you in the B*tt. Ie.: yes you may be right. But if they want to make a stink (since they think you're about to leave holes), do you REALLY think you're going to come out on the winning side of that ?

Hence sometimes better just to avoid such singular lookie lous. 90% of my turf hunting (for the nicer "eye-sore" type locations) is done at night nowadays. So peaceful. So serene. Some people might call that "sneaking around". Ok, fine then: Sneak around. You're simply not going to please every last person on earth, in this hobby.
 

I would also add: This is EXACTLY why I do 90% of my nice manicured park turf hunting at night (over ... at least ... very low traffic times). So peaceful. So serene.

THIS ^^^

Morning is the WORST time... most busy bodies are up early. The only time I've EVER been bothered was between 7 and 9 am.

Busy bodes also go to bed early... so they are likely in bed by 9pm.
 

THIS ^^^

Morning is the WORST time... most busy bodies are up early. The only time I've EVER been bothered was between 7 and 9 am.

Busy bodes also go to bed early... so they are likely in bed by 9pm.

That’s exactly right I was going 6:30-12:30 am and the guy would pass me at 7:30am.
 

Nope. Sorry. There's no way around it. Face the fact cudamark. All items that you find md'ing in your state, on every/all different types of land, "belong to the state". If you have any doubt, get on the phone or email, and ask various govt. lawyers, city attorneys, etc.... Don't stop till you find one that , likewise, gives you this technical answer . After all: You want to be law-abiding right ?

Or you can just make it simple and send me all your finds. I will make sure they get to the proper authorities . And will absolve your conscience of all guilt.

No guilt here. I sleep just fine! I try way harder than the government to reunite people with their lost items. My price is to be able to keep those things I find whose ownership can't be determined.
 

THIS ^^^

Morning is the WORST time... most busy bodies are up early. The only time I've EVER been bothered was between 7 and 9 am.

Busy bodes also go to bed early... so they are likely in bed by 9pm.

This ^^ Better just to avoid spitting in people's holy water. Than to spend your entire life trying to convince them that the water isn't really holy.

No guilt here. I sleep just fine! I try way harder than the government to reunite people with their lost items. ......

This ^^ I gave up "feeling guilty" long ago too.
 

Sorry to hear about this foolishness. I hunt city park occasionally. I'll get the occasional "find anything?" or "I get to keep half of anything good you find!" in passing, but I've yet to encounter anything close to the harassment that has been thrown your way. Do you bring a shovel? I use a lesche hand digger for parks, which I keep sheathed until it's time to dig a target, and I have yet to receive any attention from the busybodies that apparently frequent the park (knock on wood). If you do use a shovel, I wonder if using a hand tool would draw less attention from them?

I also make it a point to never dig a plug in a park. I just insert the lesche and lever it to spread the earth. I reach in and feel around, remove target and then press the earth back together. No plug, no C cut, nothing.

When someone says "you can't dig here" I point to the entire area I've worked, and I say "I haven't dug a single hole. Do you see any holes?"
 

I also make it a point to never dig a plug in a park. I just insert the lesche and lever it to spread the earth. I reach in and feel around, remove target and then press the earth back together. No plug, no C cut, nothing.

When someone says "you can't dig here" I point to the entire area I've worked, and I say "I haven't dug a single hole. Do you see any holes?"

Unfortunately these were 8 to 14” 3 ringers and once you know it’s most probably a 3 ringer you gotta go in big.
 

I also make it a point to never dig a plug in a park. I just insert the lesche and lever it to spread the earth. I reach in and feel around, remove target and then press the earth back together. No plug, no C cut, nothing.

When someone says "you can't dig here" I point to the entire area I've worked, and I say "I haven't dug a single hole. Do you see any holes?"

That method is great when you can use it. Depending on the type of grass, composition and hardness of the soil, sometimes you have to use other methods.
 

Sorry to hear about your "Honey Hole" issue. Fingers crossed that they can't find an ordinance that they can use to make the park off limits.
If that doesn't work, sounds like it's time to dig out the clown mask & costume when detecting.

On a serious note. Go down to the PD and request an un-redacted copy of the report. It'd give you an idea of whether it was a competitor or a busy body trying to save the earth starting with your park. Grab yourself a good book and have a nice time in the park reading watching. If it's a competitor, return the favor and call PD. Get a copy of that report. File it away, it could come in handy later.
 

Here it’s mostly chunky clay that either crumbles all up when it dry or big moist blocks when it’s moist. It’s hard to put those pieces back together at that depth the plug always went back a inch higher when I was finished even with my 6’1 250lbs jumping on it.
I think about it often and I ask myself was it worth it/ would I do it again and the answer always comes back YES!!!View attachment 1541281View attachment 1541282
 

If that doesn't work, sounds like it's time to dig out the clown mask & costume when detecting.

On a serious note. Go down to the PD and request an un-redacted copy of the report. It'd give you an idea of whether it was a competitor or a busy body trying to save the earth starting with your park. Grab yourself a good book and have a nice time in the park reading watching. If it's a competitor, return the favor and call PD. Get a copy of that report. File it away, it could come in handy later.

The Park police told me it was 1 busy body. He said he sounded like the Tulane Lawyer type. Lol
 

Ok well were you banned or just asked to leave? Unless you were issued a trespassing warrant or threatened with one you are free to return. Choose a different time : )
 

Ok well were you banned or just asked to leave? Unless you were issued a trespassing warrant or threatened with one you are free to return. Choose a different time : )

I was asked to leave and he said to right down my phone number and promised to call me and let me know if it was legal (which it is) and never called me back. I’ll gonna go back in the next month or so.
 

.... and promised to call me and let me know if it was legal (which it is) and never called me back. ....

In cases like that, it's not unusual for them to respond still with a "no". And allude to verbiage about "alter", "deface", "take" & "remove" wording. None of which specifically say "no md'ing", nor do I consider them to pertain to md'ing. Here's why:

a) if you leave no trace of your presence (cover and stomp and fluff your holes), then technically, you have not alterED or defacED anything.

b) the remove/take/harvest verbiage was never meant to apply to fumble fingers coins, etc... It is so that no numbskull thinks he can start removing the sod for commercial sale, take home the park benches, cut down the trees for firewood, etc....

So ... even if he'd called back with a "no", if he pointed this type stuff, I would not consider those things to apply. Fortunately, as you say, he didn't call back either way . LEAVE it at that, and do NOT seek clarification :)
 

In cases like that, it's not unusual for them to respond still with a "no". And allude to verbiage about "alter", "deface", "take" & "remove" wording. None of which specifically say "no md'ing", nor do I consider them to pertain to md'ing. Here's why:

a) if you leave no trace of your presence (cover and stomp and fluff your holes), then technically, you have not alterED or defacED anything.

b) the remove/take/harvest verbiage was never meant to apply to fumble fingers coins, etc... It is so that no numbskull thinks he can start removing the sod for commercial sale, take home the park benches, cut down the trees for firewood, etc....

So ... even if he'd called back with a "no", if he pointed this type stuff, I would not consider those things to apply. Fortunately, as you say, he didn't call back either way . LEAVE it at that, and do NOT seek clarification :)

Not planning on it
 

Here it’s mostly chunky clay that either crumbles all up when it dry or big moist blocks when it’s moist. It’s hard to put those pieces back together at that depth the plug always went back a inch higher when I was finished even with my 6’1 250lbs jumping on it.
I think about it often and I ask myself was it worth it/ would I do it again and the answer always comes back YES!!!View attachment 1541281View attachment 1541282

Yea the soil in that part of the park can be tricky. Even with my hand tool I've occasionally had to dig down to 8". If you have the time try experimenting with this and see if it makes a difference ...Make your plug shallower than you would normally for a deep target, so that the plug is not as thick. Dig out the dirt to recover your target. When replacing the dirt add it back a little at a time and stomp it down to make it as compact as possible. Rinse and repeat until you have just enough room to replace your original, thinner plug then stomp it flat. You'll most likely have some chunks of clay left over, just like nuts and screws left over after assembling flat pack furniture, but you can either stomp these chunks flat and cover with leaves (if you're under a big oak), toss them in the lagoon, or break them up into smaller pieces and scatter under a bush. This way may take a little more time and effort to perform, but the end results may be cleaner and neater.
 

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Yea the soil in that part of the park can be tricky. Even with my hand tool I've occasionally had to dig down to 8". If you have the time try experimenting with this and see if it makes a difference ...Make your plug shallower than you would normally for a deep target, so that the plug is not as thick. Dig out the dirt to recover your target. When replacing the dirt add it back a little at a time and stomp it down to make it as compact as possible. Rinse and repeat until you have just enough room to replace your original, thinner plug then stomp it flat. You'll most likely have some chunks of clay left over, just like nuts and screws left over after assembling flat pack furniture, but you can either stomp these chunks flat and cover with leaves (if you're under a big oak), toss them in the lagoon, or break them up into smaller pieces and scatter under a bush. This way may take a little more time and effort to perform, but the end results may be cleaner and neater.

That makes sense Al thanks for the advice my friend.
 

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