Michigan state park detecting

I was always curious if the rules here in Michigan were on par with the rules elsewhere.

Some folks may argue it, but I actually agree with Michigan's list. Public natural and historic places like that shouldn't be open to just any dimwit that buys a $29 detector from Harbor Freight.

On the other hand, I've also thought some of those places should have a sign up type, state sanctioned hunt for benefit of the park. I think it could be voluntarily enjoyed by many, yet controlled by the greenskeeper, and overseen by a historical eye.

Imagine the opportunity it would be to detect Ft Wilkins with a group of other serious hobby detectorists. All while our entire motivation was to put EVERYTHING on a table at the end of the day, donated to the displays there. I would pay 20 bucks and show up one day a year. even pick up trash and clean the park. Be thrilled to see my name on some little trinket I dug in a display case.

Or maybe we should just leave it in the ground to rot.
 
A few observations:

a) that only deals with state parks under that entity. Not county, city, federal, or private land.

b) No doubt this type of list came about by well-meaning md'rs, over the past few decades, that repeatedly inquire about md'ing. Thus .... presto: Rules are born.

c) I got a chuckle out of this line : "Any items found must be reviewed by park staff and may be retained for further investigation." Ok, so I wonder if any md'rs there have actually dutifully gone to the various park rangers with their handful of clad, pulltabs, etc... ? :roll:
 
Missouri State Parks allows detecting at some of the beaches and camping areas with a free permit. Most State Park land is off limits
 
Michigan also distinguishes between "State Parks" and "State Game Areas" as well, which is a very important difference.
 
... I used to animal hunt in one that would be considered heavenly for detecting.

But, naturally .... metal detecting is MUCH MORE dangerous than guns used for hunting . Right ? Thus OF COURSE they would need to implement rules for this dangerous hobby of ours. Right ? :roll:
 
But, naturally .... metal detecting is MUCH MORE dangerous than guns used for hunting . Right ? Thus OF COURSE they would need to implement rules for this dangerous hobby of ours. Right ? :roll:
I guess we could also just have a free-for-all of every idiot that watches Oak Island or Youtube and decides to be a treasure hunter, going out and ignorantly trashing our public land and blindly raping anything of any potential historic value for sale on Ebay.

People need rules, simply because most are too selfish, careless, or ignorant, and willing to destroy anything they want to for their own benefit.

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... ignorantly trashing our public land and blindly raping anything of any potential historic value for sale on Ebay....

If that is your definition of metal detecting, then .... by all means .... bring on the rules and laws.

I dunno about you, but I don't "trash" or "blindly rape" things. Depending on your inherent definitions. I suppose if you asked a purist archie what he thinks of metal detecting, then ... sure .... these would be his definitions. Is this your definition of detecting ? :?:

Another alternative definition is: Innocuous & harmless.
 
If that is your definition of metal detecting, then .... by all means .... bring on the rules and laws.

I dunno about you, but I don't "trash" or "blindly rape" things. Depending on your inherent definitions. I suppose if you asked a purist archie what he thinks of metal detecting, then ... sure .... these would be his definitions. Is this your definition of detecting ? :?:

Another alternative definition is: Innocuous & harmless.
Those of us that actually care enough to be innoculous and harmless are a minority. Like it or not.

With the amount of littering, abuse, vandalism and distruction of public property that goes on "in the name of fun".....regardless of the law, what's it matter anyhow? People are gonna do what they want.

I see this every day of my life, and i also live on land scarred by this unfortunate behavior.

This ain't my definition of metal detecting. It seems pretty narrow minded and selfish to even consider this as such.

It's simple, basic park and land management.

I, personally am glad there's at least an avenue of legal punishment for this type of behavior.







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My find bag is generally filled with trash. A whole aluminum can shows about a 22 on my nox. There are some good stuff that does that as well although I can tell because of the size if the can ain’t squashed up so I skip that but still end up with cans etc I fill my find bag with trash and good stuff goes in my pocket. I carefully get finds from the plug if it’s in there and put it back carefully. I leave it better than I find it. That is also my rule with camping. I finally got the setting and discrimination right to detect campsites. I am not going to collect the hundreds of beer caps so I discriminate out the mid teens on the VDI. I’ve got some clad so far but I’ll find more another day.
 
To me, things like this are just another symptom of government out of control. It must be nice to get paid a lot of money to dictate to other people what they can and cannot do on land that's taken care of from taxes. Who knows how many treasures will sit forever in the ground wasting away that deserve to be found and maybe even in a museum.

It's pretty pathetic they have nothing better to do with their life than see who's digging holes in the ground.
 
To me, things like this are just another symptom of government out of control. It must be nice to get paid a lot of money to dictate to other people what they can and cannot do on land that's taken care of from taxes. Who knows how many treasures will sit forever in the ground wasting away that deserve to be found and maybe even in a museum.

It's pretty pathetic they have nothing better to do with their life than see who's digging holes in the ground.


Couple of things :

a) in the minds of the archie, you and I are the "pathetic" ones, to "rob future generations" of their ability to learn about their past. Because we "ripped items from context". Blah blah. How could you be so cruel ? Don't you feel a tinge of guilt now ? :roll:

b) As far as the "sit forever" (rot-till-eternity) fallback, that md'rs often cite: That too is answered by the purist-archie mindset :

"How do you know that no one, 500 yrs. from now, *might not* sink one of their 10 ft. x 10 ft. archie pits on the exact spot that you removed that buffalo nickel at ? Hence you would have destroyed their ability to learn about their past. How can you be so cruel ?

But not to worry: Box up all your old coins and relics, and ship them to me. I will make sure they get to proper agencies. I will absolve your conscience of all guilt. No ... don't thank me. It's the least I can do for a fine md'r like yourself.
 
I never understood the concept of someone being upset that an old historic item is being

dug up, I guess they think that if its not a trained professional doing the digging then the item

may be damaged or not removed in the proper way, But......... We as hobby detectorists

rarely dig up very old items of major historic value and I doubt most archealogists would

care less about some wheaties, a few mercs, or old railroad ties.

KEEP :digginahole:
 
... But......... We as hobby detectorists rarely dig up very old items of major historic value ....

Check out this crazy-but-true story:

An md'r was plying the beach on the east coast somewhere. A purist archie spotted him, and gave him the riot-act about "cultural heritage" blah blah. The perplexed md'r stood and listened to the archie-gal for a moment, trying to figure out what her beef was.

He quickly figured out that it was something to do with "antiquities" and "cultural heritage" that she was trying to insinuate that he was guilty of. Thus he promptly opened up his apron, to gleefully show her that all his finds were modern "non-historical" clad. Ie.: he was just angling for modern jewelry or whatever.

At first, she was equally perplexed at his push-back answer. She composed herself, gave it a moment's thought, and launched back by saying:

"Well ... perhaps it's not a historical object *now*. But in 50 yrs. from now, it will be a historical object. And you will have robbed future generations from learning about their past".

TRUE STORY ! Ok, I know you are wracked with grief about your horrible hobby. Just send me all your stuff, and I will absolve your conscience of all guilt :laughing:
 
The department of natural resources has maps of every park online with where you can an cannot detect. Is this commonplace for all states?


https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79133_79205_83819-97922--,00.html

Well, here in Indiana I MD the Indiana Dunes STATE PARK (Not Indiana Dunes National Park, which is Federal and surrounds the state park) and MDing is allowed from the day after Labor Day to the day before Memorial Day (which, incidentally, is in a few days). You must have an Indiana DNR permit, available free at the park office. The flat beach area that comprises the actual swim boundaries is the only area MD is allowed. No campgrounds, playgrounds or dunes are allowed. They also say items of value *must* be turned in (yeah, right) but nobody I know has ever done that. IDK about other State Parks in the state.
 
....They also say items of value *must* be turned in (yeah, right) ....


Huh ? Well gee, and this probably also violates your (and 49 other states) Lost & Found laws statutes (which typically spell out $50 or 100 valuation limits). Born out of wandering cattle laws.

I'm sure you are racked with guilt right now. So just package up all your stuff and send it to me. I will absolve your conscience of all guilt, and get the stuff to the right agencies.

As for the tedious "allwances" and "permits" that you speak of: I have a sneaking suspicion of how that originated. Care to take a guess ? :roll:
 
If you start checking every public property you’d like to hunt you might as well just hunt your backyard. But beware if you ask about that Iam sure there is some ordnance against that also.
 
Huh ? Well gee, and this probably also violates your (and 49 other states) Lost & Found laws statutes (which typically spell out $50 or 100 valuation limits). Born out of wandering cattle laws.

I'm sure you are racked with guilt right now. So just package up all your stuff and send it to me. I will absolve your conscience of all guilt, and get the stuff to the right agencies.

As for the tedious "allwances" and "permits" that you speak of: I have a sneaking suspicion of how that originated. Care to take a guess ? :roll:

10-4 I'm thinking what they don't know won't hurt them.:D
 
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