Pirate Treasure-Trying to get a permit to dig up

[Bigdogdad]

If you want to break up a long post just hit the enter key a couple of times. I don't think the site let's you indent.

It was the second attempt to get a permit to dig.

I have an LLC. It is more for the videoing of the dig. I also have liability insurance. I explained to them that I only want to dig a relatively small hole (5 feet deep or less) in one specific location. There is no way I can do any damage to the bridge. I also asked to be able to do a survey using metal detectors and maybe GPR. None of this is the issue. They don't want ANYBODY doing ANYTHING on "their" property.

Again, I told them up front that a refusal on their part is not going to make me give up. I am only getting warmed up. In fact, I'm just about to get HOT! When I start to boil over is when the fun will begin.

I had a friend suggest that I give up on this dig attempt. He reminded me that I don't even know for sure that there is treasure. How many people go after treasure without knowing "for sure" that it is there? Without seeing it in front of you with your own eyes after having dug it up yourself, you will never know the truth. Even when you see them dig something up in front of the camera on a "reality" show you still have doubts about whether or not it is real or was planted.

I am willing to take the risk of being wrong and perhaps looking like a fool with no gold or silver to show for my efforts. Taking a risk is how a lot of people have made incredible things happen.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[Jeffro]

First off let me say best of luck to you, I sincerely mean that.

If you think it's tough now before the dig, just wait until after. I'm sure you're well aware of what comes after.

Definitely an interesting thread, right up there with Nightstalkers from a few years ago, although he had already dug.

I admire your determination, and you seem to be a person who thinks things through a bit. Once again, best of luck in your endeavor.

 

[Bigdogdad]

The more I thought about my friend's comment about knowing "for sure" about whether there is treasure at the bridge site, the more it bothers me. I think they say that there are only two sure things, death and taxes. This subject got me thinking about what would constitute a for sure treasure site without seeing the treasure.

How about if you had a treasure map made by Great-Great Grandaddy the pirate. It shows a large X and next to the X it says "treasure buried here". Does that mean you find treasure at the X site? What if it was already found? What if GGG the P was just playing around and the map was a fake? Nothing for sure about this scenario.

Okay, you think you have a location and you rent a GPR (ground penetrating radar). It shows a square object 6 feet down. It seems to be the size of a large chest. You run a probe into the ground and it hits metal. You bring out the best metal detector money can buy and it confirms your hopes. Sounds like treasure, right? You dig and it turns out to be an old engine block. Or maybe it was an iron box full of junk. No treasure 'for sure' here.

Okay, my scenario. A tested (by myself) and confirmed to be authenic remote sensor (dowser/diviner) leads you to a spot from a half mile away and draws out a square on the ground and says it reads for silver. Years later some expert detectorists with no info from you draw out the same square on the ground and say that it is silver. Years later some other expert detectorists tell you there is an area on the same spot, the same size, and tell you it is a heavy non-ferrous metal which they believe to be silver. Oh, and by the way, it is smack dab in the middle of a known pirate camp. This has got to be "for sure" treasure. right?

Okay, so now you go thru the long pain in the butt task to get permission to dig as it is on state land. You line up state approved archaeologists to supervise the dig. You line up a museum to accept the supposed treasure. You line up security as it is bound to be worth millions. You tell all your friends about it. You tell people you don't even know about it. You go on Treasurenet and write numerous (too many to count) long-winded posts about it. You go to the biggest newspaper in the area to cover the story. You hire a professional videographer to capture this tremendous find for all of humanity to see. You even tell your 84 year old mother to tell all her friends about it and you assure her that you will no longer be broke. You put your entire treasure stories fate on the line for this "for sure" treasure.

Now the big moment. Drum roll, please. As the whole world watches, I, the one who made all of this happen, begin to dig. I get down a couple of feet and hit something. Eureka, I've found it !!! Oh noooooooooo!!! It's a great big pile of old lead batteries.

Hey, but at least I tried. More than I can say for a lot of people. Do I look like a fool? Maybe. The thought of looking like a fool has never stopped me.

Of course I have yet to get permission or to have dug. But I will. Stay tuned.

 

[old man]

bump

I hate to say it, but I think most people in the industry knew that the State of Florida would never give anyone a permit to dig for treasure. The old days of finders keepers is over in Florida. Personally, I think the State is making a big mistake. The State of Florida could make a nice profit when treasure hunters find a wreck or a cache. Instead they are led by the nose by archeologist that will never get the funding to dig up anything.

 

[fishdaddy]

very interesting read.thanks for taking the time to post.

 

[Bigdogdad]

I had a two hour interview today with a reporter from the Tampa Bay Times. There is way more to my story than what I put on this thread. I told him the basics of the bridge pirate treasure. I told him about the fued between the "archies" and the treasure hunters/metal detectorists. He asked me many questions. He wanted to know what i wanted to accomplish by going public with my story. I gave him the info to get on this site and thread. I gave him a bunch of stuff to read. I told him about the archaeologist that is on TN claiming to want to help us.

This is just one more step in my quest to get the possible treasure dug up. I am far from done. In fact I won't be done until we find out what is at the site. I have lawyers, politicians and public officials that I will bring into this endeavour. I will not give up.

 

[old man]

Hello Bigdogdad. I spoke with Salvor6 on the phone for almost an hour and he has decided to allow me to work with you guys on the Everglades project.

Hope you guys learned your lesson about trying to get a permit from the State.

 

[Bigdogdad]

Old Man--What would that lesson be? To not ask permission? To commit a felony and take it when no one is looking? To risk going to jail when I don't know "for sure" that there really is a treasure? Do you think I am done? Old man, I won't ask what your methods are. I assume you must be a successful treasure hunter as you seem to know how to do it.

I spoke with a county commissioner today. He is my age and we went to the same high school at the same time. I admire his methods for getting things done as he is not afraid to step on a few toes. He has known about my treasure story for years. He said he will try to help me. I wanted to let the county officials know the possible location of many treasures throughout the county. Of course most of them and probably the majority of people who have read my posts may think I am full of crap.

I have what I call AADD (adult attention deficit disorder). If I don't make steady progress at something I may get off track and go off on another tangent. I probably have way too many interests. I am constantly getting things done but the treasure is not an easy one. Of course if it was easy the treasure would probably already be gone.

I am going to force myself to stay after this particular treasure. If it is there I need to dig it up. I WILL find a way to convince the officials that it would be in everyones best interest to dig this up, assuming it is there. I started this thread to get advice and I have got a little. If someone in Southwest Florida knows any official that has the power to help me, please let me know.

 

[old man]

Old Man--What would that lesson be? To not ask permission? To commit a felony and take it when no one is looking? To risk going to jail when I don't know "for sure" that there really is a treasure? Do you think I am done? Old man, I won't ask what your methods are. I assume you must be a successful treasure hunter as you seem to know how to do it.

I spoke with a county commissioner today. He is my age and we went to the same high school at the same time. I admire his methods for getting things done as he is not afraid to step on a few toes. He has known about my treasure story for years. He said he will try to help me. I wanted to let the county officials know the possible location of many treasures throughout the county. Of course most of them and probably the majority of people who have read my posts may think I am full of crap.

I have what I call AADD (adult attention deficit disorder). If I don't make steady progress at something I may get off track and go off on another tangent. I probably have way too many interests. I am constantly getting things done but the treasure is not an easy one. Of course if it was easy the treasure would probably already be gone.

I am going to force myself to stay after this particular treasure. If it is there I need to dig it up. I WILL find a way to convince the officials that it would be in everyones best interest to dig this up, assuming it is there. I started this thread to get advice and I have got a little. If someone in Southwest Florida knows any official that has the power to help me, please let me know.

No Big Daddy, I wouldn't just go dig it up. I would do what most treasure hunters are doing. I wouldn't work in the State of Florida. I wouldn't waste my time trying to get a permit in Florida, either on land or in the water. I think it's a waste of time.
I wish you LUCK.

 

[cooper36]

Bigdogbad, I think your doing the right thing. But i have a question. You are putting alot of faith, time and money into something that might not be there. Will it be worth it if its not there?

 

[Bigdogdad]

A lot of people put the same effort into things that may not work out as planned. It is one of the risks you take. How many people have trained for years for the Olympics and then not won anything? You could go on a long-awaited hunting/fishing trip and end up empty handed. Part of the fun is the planning and talking about what you are going to do. Have you ever planned and then gone on a vacation and when it was over you found it was not as much fun as you had hoped for?

It has really not cost that much or taken that much time and effort. Of course it is not over yet. It will be one more story for my book. My book is a work in progress as are some of my other projects/hobbies. I am going to put a link to my new website that I will use to promote my book when it is ready. This website was made by my wife and I and may seem a little crude, but it is a start.http://mytreasurestory.com The pictures will give you an idea of what I have done to get to this point. I will be adding more including video.

 

[JT]

He has known about my treasure story for years. I wanted to let the county officials know the possible location of many treasures throughout the county. Of course most of them and probably the majority of people who have read my posts may think I am full of crap.

Quite honestly, a lack of credibility leads people to think you're full of crap.

Before you get all up in arms, hear me out.

You spent years traveling around the US with a dowser who supposedly pointed out hundreds of supposed "treasure" sites to you. To this day, you haven't even looked at the vast majority of them. One "supposed" site, you had an investor fund a dig which turned up nothing. And at another "supposed" site, you dug up a septic tank.

These supposed "treasure" sites weren't found by research and dogged determination, they were pinpointed by what could actually have just been a nutty old man who enjoyed traveling around with you and jerking your chain with romantic tales of treasure and yesteryear.

Now, to be clear..I think it would be neat if you get permission, do a dig, and find something spectacular. But if you don't, eventually you're going to have to face reality. This isn't the same thing as Mel Fisher spending years searching for a shipwreck that he knew for a fact was out there...you're depending on the whims and predictions of a possibly nutty, confused old guy who possibly couldn't even find a landfill using a road map, much less hundreds of buried treasures using a crystal on a string.

I believe there could possibly be "something" to people using psychic powers, dowsing, etc, because the human mind is an amazing thing...but when you follow someone's divine treasure directions and dig up nothing but beer cans and septic tanks, eventually you need to come to the realisation you've been had.

Again, I wish you luck, and hope you find the mother lode.

 

[Bigdogdad]

JT-You have me "up in arms". You don't know me well enough to say that I lack credibility. Other than find the motherlode I have accomplished pretty much everything else in my life that I told people I was going to do. Finding a large amount of treasure is obviously not easy to do. The list of people finding the motherlode is very small especially when you subtract the ones finding it at the bottom of the ocean. I did not spend "years" traveling, it was numerous long weekends up and down the East coast.

To keep the facts straight the dowser did not point out "hundreds" of locations. It was more like a couple dozen. You don't know what I have or have not "looked at". What investor funded a dig? I must have forgot. I never dug up a septic tank. I did tear up part of a septic system. That was only because the guy who put it in lied about exactly where it was for two reasons. He had heard about the "supposed" pirate chest and had secretly dug for it without the property owners permission. He also wanted me to damage the system so he would not have to warranty it.

I was after a treasure from a German U-boat that I had put a lot of "research and dogged determination" into before I even met the old dowser. It was through this treasure that I met him. The U-boat story is based on a first-hand account that has nothing to do with dowsing.

The old man was not "nutty" and was probably a lot smarter than you. As I have stated, we tested him in a number of ways, and he passed all tests. He did not know he was being tested and that is how you need to test a dowser. The two guys who helped me test him were certifiable genius's who had invented their own metal detectors that were better than anythiing available to the public at that time, 1989-90. There was also nothing "romantic' about his stories.

Mel Fisher spent millions upon millions of other people's money in his quest. He had dozens upon dozens of people helping him. He devoted his entire life to the search. Yes, you are right, my story is not the same thing. I am a construction worker with no money, a few guys help, and too many hobbies hoping to get lucky and find the big one.

Since you brought up Mel Fisher, I am convinced that my "nutty, confused, old man" stood on the bow of one of Fisher's boats and put them on top of a pile of silver and a pile of gold. There are some people who may not want to acknowledge that this happened, but I go into great detail of EXACTLY how it happened in my book.

I spent a lot of time while in the army as an engineer working with topographical maps. Everytime I thought the old man was wrong while leading us with his pendulum, usually his gold/brass one, he had no "crystal" one, he never once contradicted himself. This was before GPS. He was as good with his pendulum as I was with maps and compass, and I helped win contests while in Jungle Warfare School.

I'm glad that you think there could be "something' to dowsing although I question how "amazing" your mind is. As far as what I have dug up or not dug up, you really don't know the answer to that, now do you? I will accept your wish of luck. Thanks. Another thanks to your "advice" to me on how to succeed in my quest.

 

[Hot zone]

We got to respect that you are willing to put your life on the line in an attempt to recover treasure. The big dig depicted on your website is enlightening. Scuba diving to remove muck and lower the concrete cylinder while reopening the old dig sounds dangerous. OSHA approved? You obviously believe in what you are doing.

 

[pops9653]

Hey big some constructive criticism for your site. Some of the picture take way too long to open edit them and make them smaller jpg or png. instead of having all those pages maybe make your page like a magazine or newspaper with columns. If you want to keep the format the way it is then make links for next and previous. I like the story so far just some navagation pointers for you. The big picture size is a big turn off and people will leave.

 

[Bigdogdad]

The site is a work in progress. It seems to work great on most computers. We will do what it takes. I am trying to put it together with my wife so that we don't have to rely on anyone else. I am waiting to hear how it works. Thanks for the input.

 

[pops9653]

Just suggestions LOL it is your site you can do what ever you want. I am glad to help. If I think of anything else I will let ya know. The picture thing is the biggest. Once they load the first time they are fine. If you look at web pictures they are usually under a couple megs but pictures you want to print will be around 8 megs or up. The reason behind this is better quality in print and the computer pic is for just checking out and doesn't need to be as high quality. Low Quality faster load you can have good quality and a good load speed you just have to find the spot you want. I don't care if you ever find treasure it is the hunt that interest me. I am just now getting into dowsing myself.

 

[Hot zone]

Just suggestions LOL it is your site you can do what ever you want. I am glad to help. If I think of anything else I will let ya know. The picture thing is the biggest. Once they load the first time they are fine. If you look at web pictures they are usually under a couple megs but pictures you want to print will be around 8 megs or up. The reason behind this is better quality in print and the computer pic is for just checking out and doesn't need to be as high quality. Low Quality faster load you can have good quality and a good load speed you just have to find the spot you want. I don't care if you ever find treasure it is the hunt that interest me. I am just now getting into dowsing myself.

Hunting is like fishing. You got to have a reasonable expectation of finding or catching to get me interested. I prefer to trout fish as I will usually catch something. Salmon are fun to catch but I don't catch them often enough to want to spend much time at it. I hunt deer and have better than a 50/50 chance so I look forward to that. I look for small treasure with my detector as I am sure to find something. The big treasure is just a little too fantastic to expect a chance in hell. I would have to fall into a money pit to find it.

 

[Jay of MS]

Hot Zone I am right there with you on "having to fall in a money pit to find it".

Big I don't believe in dowsing at all. I believe in hard work, determination and common sense. If you are having fun with this that's great but if this whole ordeal consumes you and your life it isn't worth it. I remember reading a thread of yours that you started a few months ago about a treasure chest and instead you dug into a septic tank. In this particular thread I believe you spoke of your wife becoming disillusioned with the whole treasure chasing business. Don't quote me on that I may have just read into it wrong but that's what I gathered. I say have fun and make sure this ordeal revolves around you and your family instead of the other way around. Remember you have already found the biggest treasure you will ever find if you have a woman that has supported you through all of this lol. Anyways I am rooting for ya.

 

[Jason in Enid]

Bigdogdad, While I don't agree with the methods that led you to choose this site for your treasure hunt I got to give you props. You have a dream and are willing to chase it. You have spent a lot of time and aggrevation dealing with the government to attempt to do this the right way. I applaud your efforts, sincerity and honesty. We chase our treasures in different methods, but I wish you the best luck in your hunt!