National parks

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wingmaster

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Is metal detecting allowed in national parks? I have read that coins are not protected in the archaeological protection act as defined by the national parks service, so if your only hunting coins is this permitted? The place I have in mind to hunt is actually a state park but was bought by federal money so they had to go by their guidelines when developing the area and they had this in the outline for the park. I'm sure people in charge of the park system here are not even aware of what is protected and what isn't, its amazing that the people in charge of such places do not bother to read or know what is and isn't protected under such laws.
 
As a rule national parks are off limits for detecting. Here in Wisconsin state parks and any DNR controlled land, including navigable waterways, are also off limits.
 
Same here in Tennessee state parks is off limits, tva property detecting is allowed in certain areas but a permit is required.
City and county parks depends on the local gov for that area.
 
I'm going to contact the park and ask if a permit can be granted for the area, the area used to be private property its only been bought by the state a couple years ago. From what I've read in the archaeological protection act anything thats one hundred or more years of age is protected with the exception of coins, bullets, rocks,and minerals, though rocks that have been worked by man(arrowheads) are protected.
 
In Wisconsin it's 50 years old. Heck, I'm almost afraid if I go into a state park they'll never let me leave.
 
So, if you find something that's over 100 years old. Do you stuff it back in the hole and cover it back up? :dontknow:
 
Wingmaster, I bow hunt down in the Delaware watergap in NJ, it is Federal land. I had noticed that their was quite a few cellar holes in there. I asked a federal warden if it was ok.....he asked me if I had my detector with me. I said no ( i didn't) He said that's good because mere possession of a metal detector was a crime and he would have written me up and taken my MD. Be careful...know the laws, and abide by them. HH, Dan
 
DAN03USMC said:
Wingmaster, I bow hunt down in the Delaware watergap in NJ, it is Federal land. I had noticed that their was quite a few cellar holes in there. I asked a federal warden if it was ok.....he asked me if I had my detector with me. I said no ( i didn't) He said that's good because mere possession of a metal detector was a crime and he would have written me up and taken my MD. Be careful...know the laws, and abide by them. HH, Dan
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Makes ya wonder what they're hiding, don't it.
 
You can ask ... Here in Oregon you do need a permit for the state parks as long as it's not a State Heritage Park... They are off limits do to the history of the site.
 
Nitro, you are talking state, federal is a whole other deal. Finding out the law is a must.

Bubba 707, I don't think they are trying to hide anything.....they just have strict rules, and they enforce them. The weird thing is, down there ( DWG) is that people still own homes within the boundries of the federal area.
 
Its a federal law called the archaeological protection act you still need a permit though, but coins, bullets, rocks(as long as it hasn't been worked by man as in arrowheads, and minerals are ok to take as long as you are granted the permit. Its the archaeological protection act if its older than 100yrs then its off limits other than the four things listed there it seems.
 
On any public lands, local, state and federal, I would ask for a permit first. If you get one, cool, hunt away under their restrictions. Otherwise you can be in a heap of trouble. Of course while we are still a democracy you can try to get the laws changed. I haven't been living in Arkansas long but I understand that hunting in any state parks was not allowed a few years ago. Now they are running a pilot project on select state parks in very specific areas between certain dates. Mostly at some beaches during the winter and early spring period. If this is so thanks to those in the state that got involved and are trying to make some changes.
 
DAN03USMC said:
Wingmaster, I bow hunt down in the Delaware watergap in NJ, it is Federal land. I had noticed that their was quite a few cellar holes in there. I asked a federal warden if it was ok.....he asked me if I had my detector with me. I said no ( i didn't) He said that's good because mere possession of a metal detector was a crime and he would have written me up and taken my MD. Be careful...know the laws, and abide by them. HH, Dan
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Well I understand why they are concerned about protecting the area...but it seems to me, if I am reading correctly the tenor of your post, the warden had that In your face attitude I have asked for permission at places and have been told No the rules don't permit it but thank you for asking now that is saying the same thing and getting the same result without all the posturing and flexing of authourity muscles. The laws that allow of confiscation of anothers legal property in such cases is ridiculous. Some silly laws are enacted to please a lobby group. In this state if you fill your car with gas and drive off they can take your liscense away, but if you went into the gas station and put a gun in their face and took money and drove off...they wouldn't take your liscense!
 
As an attorney who has reviewed over the laws regarding Federal lands..because we all know there are some great things there.....The law does allow for amateurs, however you MUST obtain a permit, then anything you find belongs to the federal govenment. Failure to comply could reult in prison, fines, or both.......I've never found anything worth that risk. State laws vary by state.
 
Under that protection law it does state that coins, bullets, rocks(unless worked by man as in arrowheads and other artifacts), and minerals are not protected though. It would seem by that statement these would be ok if a permit was granted and I'm sure that would be a long shot at best.
 
wingmaster said:
Under that protection law it does state that coins, bullets, rocks(unless worked by man as in arrowheads and other artifacts), and minerals are not protected though. It would seem by that statement these would be ok if a permit was granted and I'm sure that would be a long shot at best.
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I bet those laws are written so they could be viewed two ways. Let's say for arguements sake, you could detect that park based on your understandings of the law. It says it excludes bullets, coins, etc... so it sounds like a go. :clapping: But on the flip side, it never said you could keep the items :dontknow: So it could be said that permission is granted to metal detect (for pleasure?) but since the land is owned by the Government, everything on or in it, is theirs.

I had an incident on state land a while back. I didn't realize that this particular area was off limits. Joggers, hikers, bicycles everywhere. Cellar holes too :drool: So I have my GPS and old map and my detector and am walking the trail between detecting a couple holes and looking forward to the next one up ahead. All of a sudden that green truck pulls up and he asks me What are you doing? I could see by the look on his face, my answer was not going to make him happy lol So I just told him and then mentioned about this old map I had and my GPS and I then awaited my fate. |:confused:) I gave him zero slack and mentioned nothing about having no signs or anything else. He listened and finally said OK, but I could have had you arrested and confiscated your machine. My advice is, regardless of the written law, it's a real good idea to approach the person in charge with some maps, history and then ask permission. If he says no, it just saved you a very uncomfortable couple of hours if he caught you there. Just my experience with it :thinkingabout:
 
Bell-Two, No, he wasn't in my face at all. We had just wrapped up a morning hunt and were gathering our things by our vehicles. he rolled in and and wanted to check us out- Lic's tags etc. we were all good. he then just started chit-chating with us about this and that. I asked him about detecting, that is how it came up. When he said what he said, he was kinda smiling. I think he just wanted to impress upon me that there is no detecting there. No harm no foul.
 
Makes you sort of want to ask who was asleep at the wheel when all this craziness was quietly being written into laws..... Sort of dumps all over the framers intentions of the Constitution and limited government. What a shame, it was probably much nicer when Americans were citizens rather than subjects… :hairpulling: crying01 :ticked: :ticked:
 
DAN03USMC said:
Bell-Two, No, he wasn't in my face at all. We had just wrapped up a morning hunt and were gathering our things by our vehicles. he rolled in and and wanted to check us out- Lic's tags etc. we were all good. he then just started chit-chating with us about this and that. I asked him about detecting, that is how it came up. When he said what he said, he was kinda smiling. I think he just wanted to impress upon me that there is no detecting there. No harm no foul.
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Well I am glad to hear that, because a simple word is just as efficient as a beligerent attitude. I and a friend were hunting in a park when a ranger pulled up and started hollering at my friend telling him Get over here right now, what are you doing? His tone of voice suggested he was having a crappy day and somebody was going to pay for it. He started to bluster about our hunting there but when I mentioned I had permission from the director of the park system all of a sudden everything was peaches and cream with him he even went so far to tell us we should go sometime to another park in the district because he had never seen anybody hunting that one so we might make good finds! If he would have pulled up and made an enquiry about what we were doing in a reasonable tone it would have ended up exactly the same but he would have saved himself some embarrasment.
 
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