Jamflicker
Elite Member
If it's a park with no signs at the park specifically saying no metal detecting then just go ahead and detect. Fill your holes and make as small of a mess as possible.
South Carolina SUCKS!
- Thread starter juggernaut0055
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dirtydog
Forum Supporter
The last of October of this year I detected Myrtle beach and did very well. As far as the beach goes the government has to claim territorial rights over the ocean that surrounds the US. But unless a Recovery crew like Mel Fisher's have leased the rights to dive the waters your ok. Knock yourself out and hit the water. That's where the good stuff is hidden.
Chrisco
Senior Member
I bought me and my buddies syringes at the local feed store. Kinda acts as camoflage! If somebody comes up to hassle ya all you have to do is pull that out of the bag and say "wow look what I found"!! Even lookie lou's will be impresssed with you doing your civic responsibility!!
I lived north of Greenville some years ago. SC has some messed up laws for sure but I miss SC. The MO state parks might as well be off limits with all the ridiculous regs. I've hunted some county parks here and even had park maintenance guys telling me good places to detect. Then one day the rangers pulled up and said no M.D.ing. They said they've even had to run off park employees too. "...just a warning this time." 
A lot of time I keep some of the broken glass I've found to show people even if it was from a previous hunt.
georgeinsc
Elite Member
One can hunt most state parks but you have to have permission of the park manager. City and county parks regulations depend on the city and county. Charleston county says NO METAL DETECTING in any county park. The beaches in front of the there beach parks can be detected. The city of Charleston prohibits detecting on any property that belongs to the city.
The beach from the dunes eastward is wide open. I do not know of any beach that one can not detect.
The beach from the dunes eastward is wide open. I do not know of any beach that one can not detect.
no! we saw this comin' a long time ago! ..people refuse to learn how to cover their holes properly! also you don't take a "sampson" into a public park!.now ya got two choices,either knock on doors,or hunt your own yard..pick one!
(h.h.!)
j.t.
Jugger, You dont have to follow any laws if you dont want to! Take a look around...people get away with all sorts of things!
Mud
this is true!..especially in the 'toilet" washington d.c.
point is,hunt all ya want!..if ya get "pitched",find someplace else!
(h.h.!)
j.t.
Yeah...I know right!....
Tom will tell a story about a guy who was hunting an "Off Limits No Detecting beach" for a year making amazing finds, he got away with it too! Old gold and silver up the wazoo! He was wondering why he had this place all to himself! hunting it daily right in front of the Rangers and everything! He was completely unaware he was breaking the "law"! He just never bothered to ask, and nobody told him to stop!
Mud
simple answer!..no body gave 2 sh*ts!..most people, i have found, over the years
(35 doing this) could care less,just as long s you 'cover your holes",and mind your own business.
(h.h.!)
j.t.
maxxkatt
Forum Supporter
Keep in mind some petty government bureaucrat seeking a way to get a promotion finds some little incident, blows it out of proportion and convinces his betters to pass a new restrictive law and he gets recognition, an award and maybe his hoped for promotion.
Here is the Internet definition. Notice the last part of the sentence?
bu·reau·crat
noun
an official in a government department, in particular one perceived as being concerned with procedural correctness at the expense of people's needs.
But here is one example that will even baffle Tom in CA. This past year the City of Atlanta dropped its no digging policy in all City of Atlanta parks. Now how the heck did that happen? It is not like we have a big well funded metal detectorists lobby in Atlanta that was trying to get the change made.
Tom?
Here is the Internet definition. Notice the last part of the sentence?
bu·reau·crat
noun
an official in a government department, in particular one perceived as being concerned with procedural correctness at the expense of people's needs.
But here is one example that will even baffle Tom in CA. This past year the City of Atlanta dropped its no digging policy in all City of Atlanta parks. Now how the heck did that happen? It is not like we have a big well funded metal detectorists lobby in Atlanta that was trying to get the change made.
Tom?
RBachman
Forum Supporter
For the curious who either think they are the local neighborhood guardian, or just want to interrupt your efforts by tagging along, I wonder if creating a plausible story saying something like the following would run the
"I'm an environmentalist removing buried cans and discarded scrap metal to prevent decaying aluminum oxides from harming the ozone layer and further increasing the rate of global warming. Studies have shown that discarded garbage is causing great harm to the environment. Would you like to help? Everyone needs to do their part. If you have time to check out our activities, then you've time to jump in and help. Mother Earth needs all the help we can give her. Do you have a shovel? If you don't have a metal detector?......"
They'll either run away or help dump the trash. LOL
"I'm an environmentalist removing buried cans and discarded scrap metal to prevent decaying aluminum oxides from harming the ozone layer and further increasing the rate of global warming. Studies have shown that discarded garbage is causing great harm to the environment. Would you like to help? Everyone needs to do their part. If you have time to check out our activities, then you've time to jump in and help. Mother Earth needs all the help we can give her. Do you have a shovel? If you don't have a metal detector?......"
They'll either run away or help dump the trash. LOL
ollievon
Elite Member
I hate to say it, but you need to learn to man up and ask for permissions. Agreed it can be a little awkward at times, heck, I've been doing it for 20+ years and every once and awhile I will get a no, or awkward response.
I would say that 95% of my door knocking results in a permission, and often a long term one that results in the property owner making a suggestion, or hooking me up with another permission or lead. Plus, just last year I got two leads from property owners who knew people that had lost a ring or some jewelry and passed my information on to the new leads...which in turn got me more!
So, don't be afraid of rejection since it will happen, but so what? I have found that 99% of farmers are totally cool with it and as long as you don't show up after they have planted or show up with gaggle of other mdr's, you will be ok...and there is nothing like having an ENTIRE farm field to yourself, especially one where you are killing it.
I would say that 95% of my door knocking results in a permission, and often a long term one that results in the property owner making a suggestion, or hooking me up with another permission or lead. Plus, just last year I got two leads from property owners who knew people that had lost a ring or some jewelry and passed my information on to the new leads...which in turn got me more!
So, don't be afraid of rejection since it will happen, but so what? I have found that 99% of farmers are totally cool with it and as long as you don't show up after they have planted or show up with gaggle of other mdr's, you will be ok...and there is nothing like having an ENTIRE farm field to yourself, especially one where you are killing it.
Skippy SH13
Forum Supporter
I'm with Tom on this one.
If the "soil disturbance" were to be taken at face value, you couldn't walk on it, put a stake in it, and definitely not play sports on it (especially with Cleats!).
Stupid laws are stupid laws. And truly, the only laws that matter are the ones that are enforced.
I regularly detect areas (with cops coming up and offering advice on where to detect) in places that have those silly laws. Bottom line is if the action isn't specifically prohibited AND ENFORCED, then you're pretty much ok.
Sometimes, the only way to tell is to try. Don't bother calling the city, that's a waste of your time and pretty much is only a method to find out what the codes ARE... (ask for the codes, and where you can read them, don't ask for interpretations, or applications of law).
Best advice I can give is to ask a cop in the municipality, casually, if they ever give out tickets for "Weird hobbies like metal detecting." 99% of the time, they'll look at you like you're crazy, and say, "WHY WOULD WE DO THAT?" The one time I've had them say something otherwise, it was with "only if they don't have a permit."
Either way, you'll then know it's not enforced, this so-called, "Soil disturbance" ordinance.
Cheers,
Skippy
Refmec
Junior Member
I agree with ollievon , but I have never had the issues with county parks, it has always been state or city. I have had some really good permissions and have been denied a few times. The way I look at it is that the worst they can say is no, I only had one in years that got a little snippy so I just smiled and wished them a great day and chalked it up to another experience !
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
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Muddy: Sometimes encounters like that can simply be "flukes". Eg.: someone having a bad-hair day. Or a singular person in the entire-city staff, who ... odds are .... you'd never see again. Or a cop or park-person who was only responding to a call-out from a "miss-lookie-lou" (And who personally could care less, but just has to please miss-lookie)
So I do not construe every "scram" as "gospel law from then-on-out". Sometimes it just means: Give lip service, and come back later when said-busy-body isn't present.
I have utterly no idea. That's strange. Because something like that is usually just boiler-plate verbiage.
I am in Columbia SC and have asked about public parks and got the green light, I'm not saying on historical properties or state grounds, but the run of the mill green spaces are a go here.
Tom_in_CA
Elite Member
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Asked "who" ? Fellow md'rs what their experience is ? Or the powers-that-be, in charge of those parks ?
If it was a "green light" from the powers-that-be, then at first blush, this would seem to be fodder to the "should ask" notion. After all, it's hard to argue with a "yes". Right ? Hence stories of "yes's" just push the next person to think "aha, great idea. It's a good thing to know I can !"
But ... this always struck me as an odd conclusion. Because what other answers could you have expected ?
1) If they had said "no", then the conclusion would have been same. Eg.: " Wow, It's a good thing I asked. Because now I know I can't detect" (never mind if a law or rule *really* exists that says such a thing) Vs
2) If they said "yes", you'd conclude the same thing: "Wow, It's a good thing I asked, because now I know I can detect".
But is there really any other answer ? Do you think this 3rd option is a possibility ?
3) Would they say: "Gee, that's a funny question. Why are you asking me? If there's no rule against it, you don't need a green light from me".
No. Of course not. Authority figures never answer with #3 option. They will grant you their princely powers of #1 or #2. After all, you asked. And that implies that their princely say-so opinion is needed. Right ? Otherwise, if it didn't need their say-so, why would you be asking them ?
Sorry for not being more precise. I was heading to a park in the Elmwood section of Columbia and met some parks and recreation workers. I asked them if there were any restrictions and they told me that there were no issues in the public parks, however State property was a separate issue. I was simply doing a courtesy inquiry, if they had said that I could not I would have asked if it as illegal. I already reviewed the city laws and found no indications. I would have just gone to a different area and went on from there.
