Todays Beach = Coins, Ring, and of course the Police!

[ScubaDetector]

Here we go again folks. STUPID laws. However a fantastic officer.

I am at a state park in Utah. 5500 foot above sea level where there was never a lake. So the state of Utah make a huge earth dam in a canyon to flood it and presto, they have a lake. Then they truck in tons and tons of sand to make a beach and pave the road and make some very nice shelters for tables and fire pits.

So I am at this beach that is still frozen and I am detecting. I get a few coins, pull tabs and a child's adjustable junk ring and I get a visit from the Utah DNR. (Division of Natural Resources). I am advised that it is illegal to detect the beach. I could find an Indian artifact! WHAT How deep do they think a detector can go?

We had a wonderful talk and he told me he wasn't going to be around the rest of the day. He told me to contact the office in SLC on Monday. He did agree with me. Any artifacts will be under the concrete or sand or water and there probably isn't any metal ones anyway. I did tell him if I came across an arrow head I would turn it in!

Pictures will show the beach, the dam and the picnic areas, and of course my Indian artifacts. (The spark plug top could be a trade bead!)

 

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[Professor of Engineering]

Congratualtions on getting out today! Nice ring find!

 

[trapperart]

Congrats on getting out

 

[fish1on]

As you probably already know, you can detect the state parks with a permit/permission but you cannot take anything and have to turn it all in is the way I have read the rules.

With that, good luck finding a single sole at the parks or the main offices who knows what this permit/permission is. I have asked at many different state parks and offices and all I have received is a deer in the headlights look. Also, I don't think they would be too happy with me dumping a bag full of bottle caps, pull tabs, lead weights, can slaw, foil, etc. onto their desk! Ya, I would say that's all I found! LOL

 

[treblehunter]

I know the feeling, just thank all the aholes before us that could not find the energy to kick in there dirt to refill there holes and probably left trash on top of the dirt. DNR here in Jersey is called WMA and state parks, I could write a page but it won't change a thing.

 

[A2coins]

Good to see you detecting scuba. I think contacting an attorney to get a legal document to carry wouldnt cost too much but would be quick and keep them off your back sorry you had problems but then again you could have found Chief Big Buns Tomahawk!!!!!! Good to hear from you!!!!!!!!!

 

[stealthycat]

I keep a bucket with me, and I tell them I'll gladly pour all that artifact trash back if they want me to.

 

[BTV Digger]

Yeah, that seems to take it a little far at a place like that. Here in VT the rules are quite strict on any state land, so certain town forests and private property permissions are definitely the way to go. HH!

John

 

[ScubaDetector]

Folks, as I see it if they were so worried about artifacts, WHY did they flood the canyon and bury them so deep that only the fish could ever enjoy them? Why did they pave anything? That huge earthen dam they made probably buried a few also and I am POSITIVE they didn't truck all the dirt in for it.

Us criminal detectorists looking for indian artifacts without a permit. At least the DNR officer had a brain.

 

[against the wind]

Nice that you got out.
Some of the projects that the Army Corps of Engineers were involved in got stopped because animals thought to be extinct were discovered where they wanted to build. Things like rare spiders, minnows, or worms. Now if there are humans who own and are living on the land where they want to build, guess what happens. They will bury artifacts and tell you that metal detecting is not permitted. They will stop projects because of spiders but evict humans. Makes a lot of sense, don't it.

 

[Stretch Da Truth]

Good story and some nice finds. Keep at it!

 

[sutphin]

LOVE THE PULL TOP EARRINGS MADE OF SILVER AND THE OTHER NEAT FINDS>

 

[CASPER-2]

SHOULD HAVE ARRESTED YOU

 

[Terry Soloman]

You got VERY lucky! I know folks that have had their machines confiscated and received $1,000.00 fines doing what you just got away with.

 

[kingskid1611]

I am happy to see you out....was it too frozen to scuba detect? He would have never seen you then, right? Glad your out and about in the game in the big Utah state.

 

[ScubaDetector]

You got VERY lucky! I know folks that have had their machines confiscated and received $1,000.00 fines doing what you just got away with.

Terry. I think you are hoping that I get arrested one day. You seem to think I am purposely breaking the law and pushing the limits of our hobby.

Sometimes you come across an officer with a brain that is very nice and reasonable. And other times you come across an officer that feels his word is law. (Like my dealings in the Detroit River)

Did you even bother looking at the pictures? I wasn't detecting untouched state land. I was detecting a man made beach. The only signs that are up are No Dogs allowed on Beach. There is nobody at the entrance gate and it is open to everyone to still enjoy. There are signs at the entrance but NONE talk about metal detecting.

I know ignorance of the law is no excuse however with my Michigan plates I had a small advantage. I also had a few other things going for me. First he was VERY polite, and so was I. He totally agreed with me that I was on land that was man made and not looking for artifacts on land that wasn't altered. He gave me no attitude and I gave him none back.

Did you even look at the pictures? I will call the DNR office on Monday and talk to probably another reasonable officer. Will see what the law is about.

Maybe one day you will get satisfaction and hear that I am in jail and going to prison for digging up a silver coin where I shouldn't be. I hear Arlington National Cemetery might have a lot of old silver in it.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Dude! I simply said you got lucky - THEN gave you a thumbs up. Is it really ME that has the problem? Good hunting buddy!

 

[ScubaDetector]

Dude! I simply said you got lucky - THEN gave you a thumbs up. Is it really ME that has the problem? Good hunting buddy!

Absolutely no problem here Terry. IF I interpreted what you meant wrong I can blame it on not being able to see body language or hear your tone of voice in what you type.

Not my fault!!

 

[coinman123]

Give them all your pull tabs and bottle caps and tell them that you suspect that they may be Indian artifacts.

 

[CASPER-2]

I had permission at a state park by head ranger ---in Ma. that is usually only way you can hit state parks
I returned an expensive radio life guard lost in the sand --so I had carte blanc
I knew all the rules - been hitting the place since I was a kid
one day I'm out in chest deep water - I'm using mask and snorkel like 630am - only one there
I'm squatting down so all you can see from shore is my snorkel - even in waist deep water I will squat so only
thing visible is my snorkel tip - all by myself - no need to look up - all of a sudden I'm getting yelled at from
shore to "get the hell out of the water" - like 4 local cruisers - ambulance and a couple fire trucks
they were yelling at me - "what the hell are you doing in here?"
I told them metal detecting and that "ive been going in here for years" - they tell me I'm breaking the law
I said - "excuse me" - "yea..its says no trespassing when gates are closed"
I say - "there is no such sign ...and I have permission from the head ranger here to hunt as long as there are no swimmers"
and I'm wondering who called them - so I asked - they said they got a call from an old lady saying she saw a dead body floating
they don't have a key for the gate so they cut the expensive chain off and broke in - reminder - this is a state park - not
a city park - if anything state troopers should have been called in
this park has a gate at its entrance - that's it - meaning there is no fence - if you live in neighborhood across the street - you can just walk in around the gate
or in thru any of a number of paths thru the woods - its like a mile walk from outside to the pond
so I ask -" if I'm trespassing - then where was this old lady when she called - its a mile of thick woods to the nearest house "
only way to see me is if your on the beach or bike path just above it - so wouldn't she be trespassing too?
I'm being verbally attacked by officers and fire men - they want my license - I'm in a bathing suit and tee shirt - I tell them its
under seat of my car which is legally parked in neighborhood out side the park - they got cuffs in their hands - ask me all my
personal info - I keep telling them I have permission and I know the rules - the only rule is there is no trespassing
between dusk and dawn - so as long as I come in after sunrise and out before sunset - no probs
now my back is to the water - they are all facing me - facing the water - they are all still saying I'm trespassing and cause I'm wet - trying
to decide who is going to put the wet guy in their car
mean while - I look past them ...2 people are on bike path walking their dogs - 4 joggers - not together - are doing their thing and 3 bikers are riding by
I ask - "you gonna arrest them too?" - all the while - no one is looking and no one knows if there is an actual dead body out there some where
then I hear the rangers tractor - he is coming down from the ranger station - so I'm saved - He rides up and is like "WTF!"
"whats going on? "- I say "hi bob" - and officers try explaining why they are there - He is po'ed - he wants to know why he did not get a call
why they broke in with no permission into a state park - and why state troopers were not called and why they were parked all over his beach
I butted in and told him "they say I'm breaking the law" - he asked - "what did he do?" - they say "he's here before the gates are opened "
He says "What?" - the gates are closed so no one comes in at night and kids don't drive in and race around the park - he tells them theres
like 20 people in the park right now - farther down there are a few guys walking to go fishing - which friends and I did there
when we were kids early in the morning
- finally I asked if I could go - they were po'ed like its my fault they were in there
told them - "maybe you should try and find that old lady and arrest her for a false call"
they were thinking of charging me for the cost of coming in there - I said "are you friggin kidding"
I took short cut to go out - when I got on the road cop cars were driving by me leering - one followed me to my car trying to see if he could cite me for something
funny thing is - I registered with the city when I was younger to help that police dept, with my detectors if they ever needed me
I had another minor meeting with a state trooper there too - that's another story ---I won that one too