Shut down before I could even start

Foragist said:

.... Since you are a beginner, I strongly urge you to consider the importance of not making a mess from digging! I only say this because some beginners do not consider it much, and ugly holes/messy plugs look bad for all of us. Thank you!

...and welcome to FMDF!

Click to expand...

This is very important. I have introduced several folks recently into detecting and to a man, even after extensive instruction on plug digging, they all left a complete mess and thought they did a good job. Then again, maybe my choice of friends isnt what it should be.
Try to leave your dig so that no one can tell you were there- at least leave it so theres no evidence after a light rain.
And if you dig it, you own it. Haul it to the trash can if you dont want it.

Wings63 said:

....There are some blogs that say we are restricted during the heavy months of summer, but my neighbor goes out there all the time and she said that she sees MD'ing going on all the time and no one says anything. .....

Click to expand...

This is just so typical : Someone, at some point in the past, is sure to post something dire-sounding of "not allowed". Either they got this info. via their "pressing questions" to bored pencil pushers (Ie.: were victims of "no one cared till you asked", so now they're passing on this info far and wide). Or they found something dire in boiler plate minutia (disturb, alter, cultural heritage, etc...) . Who knows ?

But meanwhile, as you say, others who are simply not appraised of this, go without a care in the world. I've lost track of the # of places that someone figured they'd found out "no md'ing". Yet oldtimers are left scratching their heads saying "since when ?". As it becomes painfully obvious it's a non-issue.

As for your 2nd link, I disagree with one thing that author wrote :

" ... It is best that you contact the appropriate beach town where you plan to hunt in order to check if the activity is actually allowed in that area or not.... "

I disagree. He's got it bass-ackwards. You don't go in asking "Is it allowed" (lest you become the latest victim of no-one-cared-till-you-asked). Instead you look it up for yourself. If you see nothing that says "No md'ing", then presto, it's not disallowed.

Tom_in_CA said:

As for your 2nd link, I disagree with one thing that author wrote :

" ... It is best that you contact the appropriate beach town where you plan to hunt in order to check if the activity is actually allowed in that area or not.... "

I disagree. He's got it bass-ackwards. You don't go in asking "Is it allowed" (lest you become the latest victim of no-one-cared-till-you-asked). Instead you look it up for yourself. If you see nothing that says "No md'ing", then presto, it's not disallowed.

Click to expand...

Thanks Tom for your insightful input. Your comments seem to be in line with the majority of other comments I have heard. As a "newbie", I personally plan on taking a wait-and-see approach as well as talk to other MD'ing folks who are in the area that I want to visit. I saw a post recently where a guy got fined for taking something (Indian Artifact) and the Officials had no mercy. Is that typical (having no mercy) on people with metal detectors?

Back on topic, there are plenty of links out there for NC for the OP. I think my plan is safe (to ask other MD'ing hobbiest in the area) for pointers on where I will least likely have any issues. I hope that you do take the opportunity to take your family out to the beach areas to enjoy that type of hunting as well. I haven't seen it yet, but supposedly, "vertical Purple Paint or Tape" on a tree means NO TRESPASSING, at least in NC.

Good Luck,
Wings63


Just saw this:

Recreation Areas

While most of the Northern Outer Banks is open all-year round for metal detecting, some areas restrict its usage during the busiest time of the year. During June, July, and August, people flock from all over to the Outer Banks and some recreation areas get crowded. The end result is that the use of metal detectors is prohibited on most North Carolina Recreation areas on the beaches during the summer.

I have a feeling that it may be "embelished", but here is the original link. Please consider the source of the article (Rental Company): https://www.firstflightrentals.com/blog/metal-detecting-laws-outer-banks/

Wings63 said:

.... (Indian Artifact) and the Officials had no mercy. Is that typical (having no mercy) on people with metal detectors? ...

Click to expand...

No. They are thankfully Totally different leagues. The indian stuff (bones especially) are super hyped of protection.

Humorously for example, one time we got stopped in Las Padres National forest. The fellows who pulled us over (for having parked in an awkward spot in the middle of nowhere) were grilling us on what we were doing. They had suspected game poachers or illegal pot growers, so they'd been staking out our vehicle. But when they saw our detectors, and that we had no hunting rifles, and our licenses checked out squeeky clean, they were sort of confused as to what to do next. Their suspicions had evaporated.

So they began to question the detectors. One of them said "You're not disturbing Indian artifacts, are you ?". To which we could truthfully answer "no" (since the Indians here had no refined metals). They shrugged their shoulders and let us go on our way.

And this is not unique. I've heard of guys getting the riot act read-to-them for disturbing arrowheads, mortars, pestles, beads, bones, feathers, etc.... Yet in the exact same zones, md'rs are ignored.

Is that to say that if you asked enough purist archies that you might not find one to object ? No, of course you can ALWAYS find someone in this world who "doesn't like it". But technically, you're not in violation of ARPA if you're hunting modern stuff, or nuggets, or meteorites, or the ring your wife lost last week. But Indian stuff, on the other hand, is in a different league.

And to whatever extent you *could* find some horror story of someone "roughed up " for md'ing, it's invariably someone night sneaking obvious sensitive spots/monuments. Or someone being obstinate who can't take a warning. Or someone with no common sense and parades himself around during an archie convention, etc.....

It is the same here in Oregon with most state parks. That doesn’t really stop you from checking out county, and city parks though. Plus schools are usually ok as well. Now remember look up the rules on the county or city parks website. If it doesn’t specifically mention no metal detecting I consider it fine to detect.

Don't give up. Same in GA cannot hunt in state parks. So who cares, lots of other places to hunt.

go to youtube and watch the videos by calabash digger from your state. He had to have started sometime as a newbie. One of the more prolific hunter in your state for Civil War and Rev war relics.

As we get more experienced in this hobby some of us get a little more crafty and inventive in our methods for finding good hunting spots.

Determine what you want to hunt first. Then get a proper detector for that type of hunting or an Nox 800.

coins - learn to get permissions from older homes
ocean beaches - learn to read ocean beaches
civil war or rev war relics - study old maps and match them with google earth and GIS county property tax maps.

creeks and lakes - study some youtube videos of detectorists hunting creeks and lakes.

gold hunting - yes I believe NC has some gold bearing areas. Find those creeks that are known to have gold deposits, take your gold detector or Nox 800 and have at those creeks. Hint, if you find white corroded bird or buck shot, you are on the trail of likely areas in the creek where gold will be found if in a gold bearing. Why? Specific gravity of lead and gold are close so both drop down as far as they can go until they hit clay or bedrock. Start shoveling and panning those areas.

You see in your state you have lots of opportunities to use a metal detector.
You can even advertise in your area as a lost jewelry finder for a fee.

Another couple of hints. Fill out your profile, State and City. Then make a post asking for good places to hunt. Ok, local guys won't tell you, just like I don't tell anyone where my Civil War hunt sites are located. That is just the way it is with this hobby. However there is a sub plot here. By asking on these forums where to hunt in your area, you will often find a few detectorists who used to live in that area and now have moved. Those guy will often tell you where the good places are to hunt, since they won't be hunting those places again. That has happened to me on more than several occasions.

I have even put a post on craigslist asking about two old goldmines near a city 10 miles north of me that had gotten gobbled up by suburban development. And guess what 3 months later a man who grew up in that area gave the explicit directions to both gold mines withing 15 feet. So don't be afraid to ask. When hunting in an area, if you come across some older men, ask if they know any good places to hunt. Did this once, and this guy showed me where his older neighbor hunted Civil War relics in the 70's. Next day I found the area and a carved three ringer. See places are never hunted out especially if you have a more modern detector like the nox 800.

Have fun,but don't give up.


then focus your research accordingly.

I would also add that sometimes you can ask a ranger (head ranger is best) in a place where md'ing is prohibited and get an OK but with qualifications(eg hunt This area but not This one). I've had some limited success with this- just be friendly, respectful and prepared to allow a bored ranger to talk your ear off for a bit. And if they say no, i thank them for their consideration and leave my card with them in case they want me to hunt for a lost something later. Cuz you never know.....

I have detected a number of city parks in NC and have only been told one time that i could not detect in a certain park. Then the guy who told me i could not detect changed it to you cant dig. It was okay in the tot lots and as long as i popped the coin out of the dirt he had no problem. They were upset because some folks were using "Shovels" to "Dig" on the soccer fields leaving a mess.
S o the city passed an ordnance against digging. So i went ahead detecting.

georgeinsc said:

I have detected a number of city parks in NC and have only been told one time that i could not detect in a certain park. Then the guy who told me i could not detect changed it to you cant dig. It was okay in the tot lots and as long as i popped the coin out of the dirt he had no problem. They were upset because some folks were using "Shovels" to "Dig" on the soccer fields leaving a mess.
S o the city passed an ordnance against digging. So i went ahead detecting.

Click to expand...

George, a couple of thoughts on this : Sometimes those isolated fluke "scrams", are just that : Isolated and flukes (ie.: that don't repeat). I can think of many many parks where someone in our circle of friends got a "scram", but no one else ever did (despite perpetual ongoing md'ing ). And later, when the original scrammee gets wind of the fact that no-on-cares, he too returns, never to be bothered again.

So sometimes I do not construe every single "scram" as gospel law from then-on-out. Sometimes it just means to avoid that singular individual in the future

And as for the ".... Because of holes" song and dance : Don't be so sure that there was ever an actual incident of this . Sometimes the MERE SIGHT of a man with a detector can conjur up images of (drumroll) HOLES. So the busy-body tells the next md'rs (or justifies his new rules) as "because of holes". When in fact maybe there wasn't ever an actual case of "holes".

Because let's face it: When a busy-body sees a man with a detector in nice manicured turf (even if he's not digging, and hasn't left any holes) , then the connotations can be holes. So later on, the "holes" thing, is just the "go to" reason, to justify the rule or scram someone just invented. When in fact there may never have been such an incident.