Frustrated Fella

[Viking]

Well, my dog ran away, my wife left me, and my truck broke down. Ok, ok, things aren't that bad for me! ;) I am a little down in the dumps though about getting permission to hunt prospective spots near my home however.

I live in an area that is relatively new (1950's and younger). I can and do find clad until the cows come home, but I really want to find more old coins. Old towns exist, but they require pretty long drives and have varying regulations in regards to metal detecting. I've done research that has led me to ask for permission, but I keep getting denied. Again and again...and again. :white:usaflag::

I think it's just a coincidence and I'm in a rut. I've asked on the phone, in email, and in letters, all with the same response- No. I have yet to ask in person, but I don't think I can handle the rejection. :crying02: You'll have to take my word that my requests for permission are articulate, amiable, and reassuring. Here's a run down.

-I sent a letter to a ministry group asking to hunt on an old camp property. They were all set to let me detect, but they had recently sold the land to the city. I contacted the city (who bans metal detecting/digging), they deliberated for a few days, and ultimately said no because if they said ok to me, they thought the flood gates would open and they'd have to say yes to everyone. The lady's husband even detects and I still got rejected! :hairpulling:

-I called a park superintendent for an older, nearby city to confirm that it was ok to detect in their public parks, as long as no footprint was left, and even though they make no mention of banning detecting in their long list of rules and regs, he informed that it is indeed not allowed. Although most of the targets would be between 4-5 inches, the park superintendent said that I could encounter electrical wires, irrigation wires, and irrigation valves at these depths. :thinkingabout: I thanked him, but am very disappointed. It seems like one of those situations where asking about a public, tax funded place will only lead to a no, although I'm sure people hunt there all the time.

-I mentioned to a friend, who lives in a condo unit that used to be a church until the 30's, that I was thinking about stopping by to detect the curb strips near his building. He informed me that although the strips are the city's property, I would be putting my life in my own hands if I disturbed any blade of grass, compliments of a couple of old, crotchety women who live in the same building. :blackeye:

-I emailed a realtor who is trying to sell 50 acres near my home, to see if I could detect an old, abandoned lot that resides on the large piece of acreage. No response. I guess I could call.

This is getting long and you likely get my point, so I'll stop. :beatdeadhorse: I think I'm 0-7 on recently asking for permission and it's got me questioning my place in this hobby. I am absolutely passionate about metal detecting and have been detecting since I was a child, but between the city regulations and my recent string of bad luck, I can't help but think that nobody really wants me digging around their property, anywhere, ever.

Just wondering if any of you have ever felt the same way, and how you broke out of the funk. :hammer: Thanks for looking! HH- Viking

[coinnut]

lol We all get that same feeling at different times. I average about 1 in 10 for a yes, that is why I changed my strategy. I only ask if I know someone who knows the person 's property that I want to detect. Sometimes they will get permission for you if you tell them that you are not that good at asking and usually get a NO. Sometimes they will offer to call their friend and ask.. Another way to increase your chances is to offer the library and the senior center your services to be a guest speaker at each place. Sometimes that speaking event draws the attention of the local newspaper and they will run a story on you. Also offer your assistance to the Police department as part of an evidence recovery person or just someone to call if they lose their keys lol I have given a talk at the library and at the historical commission and the local paper was there, so I have a picture write up on my detecting. I took that write up and photocopied it and wrote down a bit of what I do and why I do it. I hand these out anytime it seems fitting. Thiese are just some different avenues. Hanging around the Dunkin' Donuts where older people may go to in the morning helps start a medal detecting conversation and may get you permission. Food for thought?? :popcorn:

[Epi-hunter]

Well, if your written requests were as articulate and professional as your post above, then you certainly are not doing anything wrong there :)

I do think that people have an easier time in general saying no to a written correspondence than when they are doing so to you in person. If you present yourself professionally and are willing to volunteer to show others how you dig/fill holes/etc, that might help.

Having said that, I do not ask strangers for permission very often, not so much because I don't want to hear a refusal, but because during the few times I have detected private property, I have had homeowners breathing down my neck while I'm detecting and I just don't enjoy that.

Others who do a lot of 'cold calling' have said that you have to learn not to take a 'no' personally and just move on to the next place. Eventually you will get a 'yes', even if you have to ask a number of people before you do.

George had some great ideas. :yes: If you happen to know someone who can secure permission for you, that might help as well. :)

[Viking]

Thanks for the suggestions and advice, coinnut and Epi-hunter! I think the key is to grind through these rough patches, and network. They say that it's not what you know, it's who you know and that probably applies more to finding good hunting grounds than I give it credit for.

Also, it sounds like I need to start doing a better job of reading between the lines while reading rules and regs with different city parks and schools. When I see that a city doesn't address metal detecting/digging directly, I think well, I better check to be sure. I prefer to get confirmation ahead of time, but these inquiries seem to turn into no responses (it's just so easy for people to say no!). Instead, I need to think well, they didn't say I can't detect there, so lets give it a shot until I hear otherwise. I don't like to detect like this, because I feel like I don't have a leg to stand on if I'm approached by authorities or a local on a power trip, but that seems to be the norm. Either way, the goal is always to leave no trace and respect the property that I'm on, so hopefully that shines through to those who are watching me swing the coil.

I'm going to hit it hard this weekend, so hopefully I'm out of this funk come Monday! :beerbuddy:

[russellt]

rejection is part of the game . some people may even get rude but all they can say is no .. hi-eva. sometimes it is easier to be forgiven than to get permission as far as detecting parks etc.i never go on private property with out permission .. where i am , ya might get shot , or at least shot at

[jkress]

It is a numbers game. As others have stated... don't take the no's personally. Just thank the person for their time, wish them a good day and move on.
You'll get all kinds of responses. One time, after my 'sales pitch' the guy said yes and proceeded to ask me how much I was going to charge him to do this. lol
Sooner or later you will get the 'go ahead' and things will fall into place.



When I see that a city doesn't address metal detecting/digging directly, I think well, I better check to be sure. I prefer to get confirmation ahead of time, but these inquiries seem to turn into no responses (it's just so easy for people to say no!).


Next time, instead of asking for permission to detect a park, ask the appropriate person if there is a specific ordinance prohibiting metal detecting. Asking for permission will give someone too much latitude to answer. Asking for the specific ordinance narrows their responses down to what counts.

Good luck.

[Kimster]

Now....this is just my opinion, but you're making the same mistake over and over. You're asking permission.

OK, I say this somewhat with tongue in cheek. But to be honest, unless I’m hunting in an area where it would be blatantly wrong to hunt without permission (e.g., my neighbors front yard, the lawn in front of the police department, etc.), I don’t ask. Kinda the old ax, “shoot first and ask questions later.” I’m just very respectful when I get kicked off a hunting ground, and try to explain how digging holes in the ground is a good thing (aerates the grass, allows more water to get to roots, if done correctly no one should be able to tell that I was there, i.e., filling holes and replacing plugs, etc….believe it or not, that actually worked once…once…yeah, it surprised me too).

The main reason people, companies, businesses, construction sites, don’t want you on their property is because of “liability”. At least this is what nine out of ten property owners will tell you. I don’t think one out of ten people actually knows how far liability goes in the event of an accident, but no one wants to take a chance.

However, if you don’t ask permission, generally people (particularly the city) really don’t care if you metal detect. And you’re doing them a favor, because they are not liable if you are trespassing (ho-ho).

Another very good tack is to stop at the local police station and ask them to look at the “books” and see if there is a local ordinance that restricts MDing. Ninety-nine percent of the cities in the U.S. have no such ordinance (let’s hope it stays that way…it probably will because MDing is not a rampant sport that is taking over the world). Then, at least, if you are hunting on public property and want to tactfully justify your actions while being kicked off the property you can say, “I did check first with the Police Department to make sure there were no ordinances against MDing here in town.” This line works really well if the person kicking you off the property IS a policeman. Even if you hear that ugly word “trespassing”, he’ll most likely let you off with a warning.

There is one place where you never want to tread! That is National Parks. MDing is forbidden in all National Parks (they are national) and the standard operating procedure is to issue you a ticket and take away your metal detector, which you may or may not see again (getting it back will be a big hassle at the very least). However, if you handle the situation right, and you’re lucky, you may even get off here with a simple warning. The trick is to be very good natured and friendly when accosted by a NP policeman or ranger, and to ask a lot of questions so that they can feel that they have educated you. I once was hunting on a beach which, honestly, I had no idea was part of the National Park system surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area. And I really didn’t even realize how much trouble I was in when approached by an actual San Francisco Police Officer. I was just my normal friendly self, joking around and finding out from the police officer what the limits of the national park were, when he said, “OK. I could write you a ticket and take your detector away, but I’ll just ask you to leave.” Hey, it pays to be friendly. :grin:

[AmxFred]

Quit asking permission and just dig!

[MartinL]

Now....this is just my opinion, but you're making the same mistake over and over. You're asking permission.

OK, I say this somewhat with tongue in cheek. But to be honest, unless I’m hunting in an area where it would be blatantly wrong to hunt without permission (e.g., my neighbors front yard, the lawn in front of the police department, etc.), I don’t ask. Kinda the old ax, “shoot first and ask questions later.” I’m just very respectful when I get kicked off a hunting ground, and try to explain how digging holes in the ground is a good thing (aerates the grass, allows more water to get to roots, if done correctly no one should be able to tell that I was there, i.e., filling holes and replacing plugs, etc….believe it or not, that actually worked once…once…yeah, it surprised me too).

The main reason people, companies, businesses, construction sites, don’t want you on their property is because of “liability”. At least this is what nine out of ten property owners will tell you. I don’t think one out of ten people actually knows how far liability goes in the event of an accident, but no one wants to take a chance.

However, if you don’t ask permission, generally people (particularly the city) really don’t care if you metal detect. And you’re doing them a favor, because they are not liable if you are trespassing (ho-ho).

Another very good tack is to stop at the local police station and ask them to look at the “books” and see if there is a local ordinance that restricts MDing. Ninety-nine percent of the cities in the U.S. have no such ordinance (let’s hope it stays that way…it probably will because MDing is not a rampant sport that is taking over the world). Then, at least, if you are hunting on public property and want to tactfully justify your actions while being kicked off the property you can say, “I did check first with the Police Department to make sure there were no ordinances against MDing here in town.” This line works really well if the person kicking you off the property IS a policeman. Even if you hear that ugly word “trespassing”, he’ll most likely let you off with a warning.

There is one place where you never want to tread! That is National Parks. MDing is forbidden in all National Parks (they are national) and the standard operating procedure is to issue you a ticket and take away your metal detector, which you may or may not see again (getting it back will be a big hassle at the very least). However, if you handle the situation right, and you’re lucky, you may even get off here with a simple warning. The trick is to be very good natured and friendly when accosted by a NP policeman or ranger, and to ask a lot of questions so that they can feel that they have educated you. I once was hunting on a beach which, honestly, I had no idea was part of the National Park system surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area. And I really didn’t even realize how much trouble I was in when approached by an actual San Francisco Police Officer. I was just my normal friendly self, joking around and finding out from the police officer what the limits of the national park were, when he said, “OK. I could write you a ticket and take your detector away, but I’ll just ask you to leave.” Hey, it pays to be friendly. :grin:


I could count the number of times I've gotten off with a simple warning from cops in ANYTHING! in my 59 years, on one hand total. I don't really think that it's a good idea to figure on nice police. I've known people though who can get off even if they are caught picking the cops pocket(exaggeration.) Point is, some people have the gift, and some hardly ever catch a brake. I'd rather not hunt than be under the gun for a legal infraction if I had to put hope on a simple warning from a law officer or legal official of any kind.

Asking, IMO, is the only way to go. martin

[Hunt4Fun]

When something is taken from a piece of real estate without the land owners permission, it is called theft.

Good hunting to all you honest people.
Bob

[v3ikid]

I like having permission above the cops level in parks, that way if they stop and ask I give them a name and a phone number. I have never had trouble with any cop in these rural areas but i have always called the city ahead of time to get the ok. I figure if a cop stops and says something by having a name and phone number from the city they will see i am serious and honest about what i'm doing. So far after 5 years no problems.

If I get questioned i will demonstrate how i do what i do (of course digging a small hole for an example ;)) Then explain that on rare occasion i will dig deeper but the result is the same. i figure if at that point they don't have anything better to do then i probably need to find a different park anyway.

As for private property, it's always a crap shoot. Best thing to do is show people some of the things you have found. This has worked well for me, i have gained access to several places by just showing pictures from my phone. Everyone is intrigued with rings and or coins. Believe it or not it makes them curious and 99% have no intrest in doing it themselves and out of the 1% that says detecting is something they would like to try about .09% won't. But hey who knows you might even get a hunting buddy with lots of cool places to hunt out of the deal. Good luck. Keep us posted on how you do.