Was excited to start treasure hunting but having second thoughts...advice?

[GulfCoastBum]

Hello to all TreasureNet Forum members. For 25 years I have been facinated with the hobby of treasure hunting with a metal detector. Finally the kids are grown and I am semi-retired and decided nows the time! Spent several weeks researching detectors and finally ordered one from Kellyco.com which is scheduled to ship tomorrow 3/26. After reading Treasure Hunting Legal Issues as well as several other web posts regarding laws and ordinances regulating the sport I've become concerned. If indeed metal detecting in Florida as well as other states is to be legislated out of existence or made so restrictive as to ruin this great hobby perhaps I will be contacting Kellyco.com and cancelling my order. Any information and recommendations from this great community are appreciated.

GulfCoastBum
Bounty Hunter Pioneer 505 with 4" and 8" Coils (Shipping tomorrow)

 

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[FCCDFEd]

The best advice I can give you is always try to obtain permission if at all possible. A lot of people will say no but you have to be persistent.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Close to 99% of the beaches in Florida are owned by the public, you can hunt them with no problems... Most of the restrictions on the beaches are on theTreasure Coast, and there you can still hunt from low tide line to the toe of the dune.... If you concerned about hunting Florida beaches don't be..........

Contact some of the hunters in your area, you will see you can hunt there as well, your letting fear get the best of you..........

 

[spartacus53]

Hey welcome to T-Net there Sparky... It may be best for now to read as many threads as possible, all the members are too busy trying to figure out how to use this new format

 

[River Rat]

GulfCoastBum

 

[Tom_in_CA]

gulf-coast bum, look closely at this one sentence of yours:

" After reading Treasure Hunting Legal Issues as well as several other web posts regarding laws and ordinances regulating the sport I've become concerned."

This is the modern-day problem of the internet: Is isolated scary stories get posted, and WHAM, everyone reads them. Those scary stories get thrusted to the top again and again, and read over and over. And people "project" them into: "Oh no, I might be in trouble in my city or state". For example: if a single city had an issue (a booting, or a law, or a ticket, or something), and yet, 10,000 other cities did NOT have any bootings, laws, or tickets, guess which city is going to make it to the top post? The "oh no the sky is falling" type posts? The ONE city (or state or county or whatever), NOT the 10,000. And you, the skittish newbie thinks "oh no, what if I'm arrested like that guy?"

For example, I distinctly recall back in the early 1980s, before there was any internet, all there was treasure mag. articles, & brick & mortar clubs. And pretty much you only knew what was going on in your area, what you heard from old-timers who got you into the hobby. Period. But by the early 1980s, the "FMDAC" had been formed, and started sending out their monthly periodicals. For the FIRST TIME scary stories were read aloud at club meetings, about potential flaps from far away places. You know the drill: "Hurry and send your solidarity letters to repeal such & such", Or "watch out where you hunt, because look what happend to Joe Blow in Chicago", blah blah. All of the sudden, when these stories were read out load, where no one had ever heard of such things, you could FEEL the mood change. It was as if "oh no, we're doomed, coming to a city near you! We better rush out and grovel at each city hall we come to, lest we be 'arrested' " and so forth.

Do you see? What changed in that case? Nothing at all here. There was no reason at all for these people (or you in this case) to fear. The only thing that happens is you read of isolated cases, and *assume* that "oh no, I wonder if there's any rules in my local sandbox?", etc...

But it's as Treasure Hunter in Orlando is telling you: So long as you avoid obvious historic monuments, and/or perhaps a few specific spots (get to know local long-time hunters to know what is what), and presto, no problems.

 

[GulfCoastBum]

The best advice I can give you is always try to obtain permission if at all possible. A lot of people will say no but you have to be persistent.

Thanks for the sound advice. As with any outdoor activity treating property owners with respect opens doors more often than not.

 

[GulfCoastBum]

Close to 99% of the beaches in Florida are owned by the public, you can hunt them with no problems... Most of the restrictions on the beaches are on theTreasure Coast, and there you can still hunt from low tide line to the toe of the dune.... If you concerned about hunting Florida beaches don't be..........

Contact some of the hunters in your area, you will see you can hunt there as well, your letting fear get the best of you..........

Thanks Treasure Hunter...it was not so much fear as my low tolerance to BS and our increasingly obtrusive government. But I probably had a knee jerk reaction and should have known better.

 

[GulfCoastBum]

Tom_In_CA
I read your reply to my post and agree 100%. I have been using the Web for many years and often given others similar advice when it comes to "The Sky is Falling" web based articles and forums. I'd better learn to heed my own advice. Once again thanks for taking the time to respond in depth.

 

[williamsingr]

Get out and find some gold dont worry about it

 

[Killer B Dunc]

Please don't let these "horror" stories deter you from doing what you want to do which is metal detecting. By throwing in the towel you are in fact letting them win. That's exactly what government does to scare the public is to invent some made up boogie man. Yes, respect private property and certain laws,but live the dream and to hell with big brother, thats my opinion.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Yes, by all means quit now! Especially if you are starting with with a freaking Bounty Hunter.. If you're ready to give up without getting started, just go back to whatever job you retired from. God Bless!

 

[Rockhunter1620]

Yes, by all means quit now! Especially if you are starting with with a freaking Bounty Hunter.. If you're ready to give up without getting started, just go back to whatever job you retired from. God Bless!

Hey Terry, how you doin, RH here from nuggetshooters. Just wanted to say "good advice!" you tell em straight! No messin round with you.