Anyone md on gulf beaches in Florida?

reew

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Jan 23, 2017
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Still trying to find out if there are any regulations to hunting on the gulf beaches.
 
welcome to FMDF. I'll let someone else respond to your exact Question. But just want to point out an interesting statistic:

If anyone ever went to study all md'ing web forum pages, to find posts where someone asks about the legality of certain beaches: Has anyone ever noticed that 99% of the posts always pertain to FL beaches ? Notice we don't ever see similar inquiries about any other ocean facing state's beaches. Only ever Florida.

I have a theory as to why this is. And it's NOT that "Florida has any more or any less, potential 'laws' ". Anyone else care to take a venture ?
 
The varying areas of Florida have different rules regarding detecting so you really need to research the area you plan to pirate. The treasure coast beaches are all yours....until you step foot in the water, then it belongs to the state or the pro treasure hunters that have salvage rights. Here in the gulf, I've never had a single problem on the beach and never have even been stopped by any official even though I've walked past them hundreds of times. Detectorists are a very common sight around here so we pretty much are under the radar.
 
welcome to FMDF. I'll let someone else respond to your exact Question. But just want to point out an interesting statistic:

If anyone ever went to study all md'ing web forum pages, to find posts where someone asks about the legality of certain beaches: Has anyone ever noticed that 99% of the posts always pertain to FL beaches ? Notice we don't ever see similar inquiries about any other ocean facing state's beaches. Only ever Florida.

I have a theory as to why this is. And it's NOT that "Florida has any more or any less, potential 'laws' ". Anyone else care to take a venture ?

More people travel there in a way that requires them to take their detector on a plane. Hence, they "double check" before going. Most folks who travel to CA, often take their car, so it's not as big of a deal. Just toss it in an use it or not.

I know I always do due diligence before loading up my own suitcase with 9 extra pounds of gear...

Skippy
 
welcome to FMDF. I'll let someone else respond to your exact Question. But just want to point out an interesting statistic:

If anyone ever went to study all md'ing web forum pages, to find posts where someone asks about the legality of certain beaches: Has anyone ever noticed that 99% of the posts always pertain to FL beaches ? Notice we don't ever see similar inquiries about any other ocean facing state's beaches. Only ever Florida.

I have a theory as to why this is. And it's NOT that "Florida has any more or any less, potential 'laws' ". Anyone else care to take a venture ?


May have to do with the high numbers of retirees that move to Florida. Maybe ones that used to metal detect decades ago looking forward to getting back into the hobby once they arrive in Florida with extra free time on their hands.
 
Still trying to find out if there are any regulations to hunting on the gulf beaches.
Where you going to hunt? Most of our beaches are open and legal to detect but there are a few exceptions. Gulf coast State Parks allow hunting from the dunes to the waters edge. Lease areas (treasure coast) you have to stay out of the water. Most other beaches are OK as long as there is public access. You can not cross private property without permission to get to the beach.
 
Where you going to hunt? Most of our beaches are open and legal to detect but there are a few exceptions. Gulf coast State Parks allow hunting from the dunes to the waters edge. Lease areas (treasure coast) you have to stay out of the water. Most other beaches are OK as long as there is public access. You can not cross private property without permission to get to the beach.

I believe any National Seashores are no detecting areas and be careful about Federally owned beaches (Tyndall, Eglin and Hurlburt AFBs have miles of beach).
 
I believe any National Seashores are no detecting areas and be careful about Federally owned beaches (Tyndall, Eglin and Hurlburt AFBs have miles of beach).
Yes, anything National including forests are off limits. Best advise is call the local law enforcement where a person wants to hunt. I am in the Clearwater area so National Seashores don't come to mind. Thanks for reminding me. :D
 
He asked about the gulf side...... like IMA said, state parks you cant hunt in the water. State owns up to high water line on this side of the island and ive only had a few swanky hotels TRY to make me leave the WATER........that didnt happen. Most are so use to seeing up....... we are a part of everyday life to them...... like surfers in Hawaii. You wont have a problem unless you start bothering the guests....... just use common sense.
 
May have to do with the high numbers of retirees that move to Florida. Maybe ones that used to metal detect decades ago looking forward to getting back into the hobby once they arrive in Florida with extra free time on their hands.

Oooh... Probably ALSO a contributor. Nice!
 
More people travel there in a way that requires them to take their detector on a plane. ...

Interesting guess. Whether arriving by plane or by car, I can't imagine how the #'s are much different there, than elsewhere. And a quick look at the map of the USA, to see how many states, and how many miles front the ocean (ie.: have beaches), seems to defy your explanation. Other states that have OODLES of travel into them. Just like FL. You can both fly or drive to Florida, just like any other state.

May have to do with the high numbers of retirees that move to Florida....

An interesting speculation. So I suppose we can infer that "old people check laws more than young people" ? I don't know if there's any way to check on the disproportionate # of these posts (which are always aimed at "Florida beaches" ) and ask: "Are you a retiree thinking to retire there ?" Not possible to do.

In any case, even if we wrote it off to age phenomenon: Certainly there are retirees and old folks traveling or moving to other beach front states too. Yet ..., not the same avalanche/percentage/ratio of questions as FL receives. Remember, we're talking a 99% to 1% ratio.

Example: If you search forum archives for this same question regarding CA beaches (or any other state for that matter), you find little to no questions. But if you search Florida, on the exact same question, you find questions every month, over and over.

I'll give my theory, as soon as I see if any others care to venture any other guesses first.
 
my guess would be that Florida has more snowbirds ratio-wise (more old guys/gals with detectors in tow from the north)?
 
someone from a well known resort actually asked me not to detect in the cabana chair area (lol)...or even in front of them up to the water (lmao)! I walked away from him saying nothing and proceeded to hunt in front of the chairs. Found a nice $1300 diamond ring! I was just waiting for him to challenge me on being there but I think they were too busy to bother me again! Amazing how these resorts think they have private beaches!
 
my guess would be that Florida has more snowbirds ratio-wise (more old guys/gals with detectors in tow from the north)?

Ah, another guess that it must be because of ages of the hunters ? That A) FL is a popular retirement destination B) old people are more skittish, thus C) the reason FL beach question comes up ad-nauseam, is because of this connection.

Interesting. I still can't see why age would make a difference. At least not to the percentage of times this comes up FL vs other states.

Ok, here's my theory: It's the psychology of ever having read or heard a rumor, anywhere, that "such & such places is off-limits". Heck, even THE MERE QUESTION on a post somewhere concerning a certain place. Then later, when someone in said-location takes up the hobby. Or someone travels to the location. Guess what's on-their-mind ? So ... to be safe, they ask.

Then it becomes a vicious circle. Someone else, who remembers that thread title from a year ago, will likewise ask. Then THAT question spurs 20 more questions. And no matter how minuscule the area in question might be. No matter how many times a misconception is corrected. No matter HOW many times it got answered, it just fuels more questions.
 
A humorous micro-example of this occurred in my area : For starters, State of CA beaches are fair game for md'ing. They've just always-ever been md'd. However, one day, in an isolated fluke, a buddy of mine happened to run into a purist state-payroll archie who read him the riot act. The two of them squared off in a debate. The archie stormed off threatening to get a ranger.

My friend continued detecting for another 5 min., before "getting the willies" and deciding to call it a day. He hiked out to his car and loaded his gear. No one ever came to him. Nothing ever happened. He reported this incident to a few of us on a local md'ing forum. We all got a good laugh out of, and wrote it off as a fluke.

But then an odd thing started to happen: At that exact same beach, about 4 or 5 months later, another friend of mine was getting out of his car to prepare to hit this beach. A curious on-looker in an RV there saw his detector. And said : "I thought it wasn't allowed here ?" Turns out the other fellow had thought about detecting there. But had done some on-line googling ("just to be safe") and had apparently seen this booting story. So the other fellow assumed you can't do it. See how merely even BRINGING it up, simply starts the vicious circle of inquiries ?

I recall putting down this mistaken notion at least two times for this beach. And we traced it all back to the single thread. You see ? The MERE TITLE OF A THREAD becomes a vicious loop of future inquires.

This is the psychology of what's happened in FL, IMHO
 
Ah, another guess that it must be because of ages of the hunters ? That A) FL is a popular retirement destination B) old people are more skittish, thus C) the reason FL beach question comes up ad-nauseam, is because of this connection.

Interesting. I still can't see why age would make a difference. At least not to the percentage of times this comes up FL vs other states.

Ok, here's my theory: It's the psychology of ever having read or heard a rumor, anywhere, that "such & such places is off-limits". Heck, even THE MERE QUESTION on a post somewhere concerning a certain place. Then later, when someone in said-location takes up the hobby. Or someone travels to the location. Guess what's on-their-mind ? So ... to be safe, they ask.

Then it becomes a vicious circle. Someone else, who remembers that thread title from a year ago, will likewise ask. Then THAT question spurs 20 more questions. And no matter how minuscule the area in question might be. No matter how many times a misconception is corrected. No matter HOW many times it got answered, it just fuels more questions.

I am guessing that you are over thinking it. its just a question. :popcorn:
 
Yes. A question that comes up over and over and over and over again. For no where else but there.

he didn't ask about cali beaches. you have nothing to add to this thread. he specifically asked about the florida gulf coast. I go there every October. keep this on topic. :yes: I hate reading a topic and seeing it go off the rails. :lol:
 
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