Do you detect in NJ? If so read this please...

fir469

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Southampton, NJ
Hey everybody, just wanted to throw a thread out here for those hunting in NJ to emphasize how important it is to follow our code of ethics...

I stopped briefly to detect in a field I noticed that has been recently posted as Monmouth County parkland. This site is directly adjacent to the Crosswicks Creek Canoe Access on Rt. 537 in Plumstead Twp. It's a small piece of old farmland. I'm hoping that by posting the exact location of this site, the person I speak of in this post will see it and change his or her ways.

While detecting in this field I started coming across deep divots that appeared to possibly be animal dug holes, possibly grubbing holes. They all were about the same size (10" across by 6" deep) and had small flattened piles of sand beside them. After passing up about 10 or so of these holes I decided to swing the detector over a few to see if they were possibly unfilled detectorists holes.... sure enough they were!! The first 3 holes swung across produced signals, I proceeded to dig out the target and quickly realized that the person who dug these was leaving their trash targets either right in the hole or lying close beside it. I was furious!! Some holes obviously gave no signal, which I can only assume were the holes with take home targets.

Well I just wanted to stress how important it is to TAKE ALL TRASH ENCOUNTERED WITH YOU!! AND FILL ALL HOLES REGARDLESS OF HOW REMOTE THE SITE!!! It just does not reflect well on our community to stray from the code of ethics. It is bad enough that half the state is undetectable due to State forest being off limits and almost the entire other half is private property, please don't ruin our chances of detecting the last few places we all have left in this tiny overpopulated state.

To close... Thanks whoever you are for missing the targets I did manage to snag in the midst of your unfilled trash laden holes which included a semi key date 1879 Indian Head in VF condition, a Small crotal bell, a D buckle, and a few flat buttons... I guess it serves ya right for leaving the site a mess...

-Jason-
 
I Agree.....

:goodpost:

Jason, Thanks for the post, I have not come across this for some time (in the field), but it is important for all of us to follow the code.....

HH, Dave........
 
Well said fir469! I hope that this gets across to everyone & the people who are new to this hobby also. It is very important to take your trash and fill your holes. Try to leave the land in the conditions as which you arrived. I know when I hunt I dont want to have to go behind someone elses unfilled holes and have to fill them all up! We have enough trouble getting premission to hunt as it is and we dont need this to be another reason! Thanks for posting this.
 
Great post! Its a real shame some people aren't careful to put back the dirt they dig. I know how hard it is to detect in this state. I tried in my own town and they said I needed a written letter from the mayor to detect in public parks or any land owned by them. Which leads me to ask does anyone know where you can legally metal detect here in NJ. Like parks, beaches or elswhere? Because I'm really clueless as to where to detect here in jersey.:?:

Thanks and HH Andy
 
Great post! Its a real shame some people aren't careful to put back the dirt they dig. I know how hard it is to detect in this state. I tried in my own town and they said I needed a written letter from the mayor to detect in public parks or any land owned by them. Which leads me to ask does anyone know where you can legally metal detect here in NJ. Like parks, beaches or elswhere? Because I'm really clueless as to where to detect here in jersey.:?:

Thanks and HH Andy

Very good question, I'm trying to figure that out myself. The public beaches are ok, but land-wise, I don't know. I'm new here, so I don't know anybody personally to ask to detect their land, except for my landlord, who gave me permission to hunt his fields. I'm currently trying to find history of the towns, and locate some spots...ask permission, etc. It's hard.

Here's a general question: how is it up to the Mayor to decide if it's acceptable? Either it is lawful, or it is not. It shouldn't be based on his/her whim.
 
Very good question, I'm trying to figure that out myself. The public beaches are ok, but land-wise, I don't know. I'm new here, so I don't know anybody personally to ask to detect their land, except for my landlord, who gave me permission to hunt his fields. I'm currently trying to find history of the towns, and locate some spots...ask permission, etc. It's hard.

Here's a general question: how is it up to the Mayor to decide if it's acceptable? Either it is lawful, or it is not. It shouldn't be based on his/her whim.

Yeah, Thats all I really want to know, where is it legal to detect. The Town hall directed me to the historian and the historian directed me to the mayor. No one really seems to know the answer. The only place outside of my yard I've detected is Island Beach State Park. Seems to be one of the few places that is legal to detect. Even though its a state park they allow you to detect there, all you need is a permit.
 
That's great that you can detect IBSP. I've been there several times, but for work. Beautiful place, a lot of beach. If they allow vehicles on the beach they darn well should allow detecting. :roll:

I want to look into getting a permit for state parks, but am wondering if they are park-specific (for those that allow MDing), as the beach tags are beach-specific. If you make it to southern NJ, Wildwood Crest has MDers, and I want to say Sea Isle City as well. Those beaches are free, too.

As to detecting in your city, if there is no law that you can find prohibiting detecting in public areas (be it park or city ordinances), and if you run it by the police and they don't care, then I wouldn't worry about the mayor.
 
Yeah, Thats all I really want to know, where is it legal to detect. The Town hall directed me to the historian and the historian directed me to the mayor. No one really seems to know the answer. The only place outside of my yard I've detected is Island Beach State Park. Seems to be one of the few places that is legal to detect. Even though its a state park they allow you to detect there, all you need is a permit.


Everywhere will give you a response like that if you ask. In a bureaucracy it is easier to say no than yes. If you tell someone yes and that person causes a problem you can get in trouble. If you tell them no you are covering your butt. Since it is public property I feel that detecting is allowed unless there is a rule prohibiting it. I'll pretty much guarantee you the historian made it up the letter from the mayor thing to get rid of you. In the future just look online for a city municipal code and check the rules. City laws prohibiting metal detecting are rare. There are usually laws that say you can't destroy plants in parks, which is the law they can use against you if they want. But the reality of the situation is most police are too busy with real crime to care and the mayor and city council aren't hanging out in parks all the time. So the only people with authority that might bug you are city park workers. Many won't care, a few might. But they usually don't work evenings and weekends! I've never heard of someone being arrested for detecting in a city park in a town without a metal detecting ordinance, so long as the detectorist doesn't make a scene if asked to leave by a cop.
 
Detecting in New Jersey

I relocated from New York City to East Orange, NJ three years ago and I've come across so many rules in my town that I considered going back to New York. Can anyone tell me of any good spots in NJ to detect. I was considering Atlantic city but if anyone knows of better places, please let me know.
 
I've seen some places around me that don't say anything about metal detecting or cutting planets of anything so I think it would be ok to hunt there
 
I did a field last sat here in south jersey .went there again this am can't tell where I left off ..lol..can't even tell where I had been should have left some type of marker left a marker this time ...Hook
 
I recently moved back to NJ to the town in which I grew up. I had never detected here before. I am fortunate enough to have some private propery "back yards" to hunt. I also recall places I played as a youth- some of which haven't been developed yet. I do not hunt in busy public places or anywhere public with manicured lawn. I do not wear camoflage or anything that might indicate I am trying to hide. My Lesche is not visible unless I am kneeling over a plug digging. I'm friendly and talkative to everyone I meet. I think I am already known as "that metal detector guy" around town and that is a good thing. I think the only time I will run into trouble on public or school property is if a resident calls the police. If that happens the police will have to follow thru and hopefully just ask me to leave that spot. I prefer to stay out of sight completely. I always carry "business cards" related to detecting. I fill my plugs and of course I pack out all garbage from above and below the ground surface and I dispose of it in a public recepticle when possible so people don't think I found a bag of valuable loot. New Jersey has been a challenge but there are possiblities. GL and HH to everyone. Matt
 
Hi Jason, I live in Toms River NJ 08753 and would really like to get into metal detecting and was wondering if you would be interested in helping me get started? I have a bounty hunter land star unit and no book so not really sure how to get the settings dialed in etc. etc. I also don't know where to go that I would have half a chance in finding something please let me know if you would be interested in meeting up and going detecting! My grandfather used to go to Monmouth battlefield with his buddy Ralph Phillips they have all kinds of ammo and Indian artifacts in the museum that they found my grandfather told me that they help discover that the battle was completely opposite from what they taught in school based on where they found the ammo they could tell who was shooting in what direction etc etc.

Thanks Ed Lynch
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Whoever originally was leaving the holes is back at it again. I have been hunting Monmouth Parkland for years now and this is the first time I have seen it to the extent that the OP posted about. For the past 2 months there has been someone digging 50+ holes on county land and leaving them uncovered in multiple parks. These holes range from small divots to over 12 inches deep and all are uncovered with garbage next to the holes. Whoever is doing this is NOT new to metal detecting because they really know where to hunt in the parks and are cherry picking signals. I was just out yesterday and I spend half of my time covering this person's holes.

Monmouth is one of the few counties that continues to allow detecting and they are gracious enough to allow us in a majority of their parks but whoever is leaving these holes is going to ruin it for the rest of us who have been hunting there for years. It is just a matter of time before someone complains about the open holes. Myself and the few other guys I hunt with have been lucky enough to catch the holes a few days after they are dug and we spend over 45 minutes covering them before the Ranger sees them. It is just a matter of time before we finally catch this person in the act because whoever it is does not do a good job of covering their tracks. Now, I don't care who hunts the parkland... It is open to all --- Just cover your holes. Simple enough.
 
I feel you man. Too many times I spend some of my hunt time cleaning up other lazy asses mess. I know of one guy that I caught a few times from the next town over and have told him about it.

Whoever originally was leaving the holes is back at it again. I have been hunting Monmouth Parkland for years now and this is the first time I have seen it to the extent that the OP posted about. For the past 2 months there has been someone digging 50+ holes on county land and leaving them uncovered in multiple parks. These holes range from small divots to over 12 inches deep and all are uncovered with garbage next to the holes. Whoever is doing this is NOT new to metal detecting because they really know where to hunt in the parks and are cherry picking signals. I was just out yesterday and I spend half of my time covering this person's holes.

Monmouth is one of the few counties that continues to allow detecting and they are gracious enough to allow us in a majority of their parks but whoever is leaving these holes is going to ruin it for the rest of us who have been hunting there for years. It is just a matter of time before someone complains about the open holes. Myself and the few other guys I hunt with have been lucky enough to catch the holes a few days after they are dug and we spend over 45 minutes covering them before the Ranger sees them. It is just a matter of time before we finally catch this person in the act because whoever it is does not do a good job of covering their tracks. Now, I don't care who hunts the parkland... It is open to all --- Just cover your holes. Simple enough.
 
I never tried hunting public land while I lived in NJ, except for the beaches. I knew enough farmers and homeowners to not make it worthwhile. I think all of the beaches are open EXCEPT for Sandy Hook (unexploded ordnance). Surf City is open again after they removed the ordnance, I found some cool drops there, nothing valuable. Never had luck in AC, but I think it's very seasonal, and a lot of people hunt there. Brigantine is fun if you don't mind pulling lots of whats-its and fishing tackle.
 
Old post but for any NJ people. You can hunt any beach except sandy hook. They will take your stuff and risk arrest. There are unexplored ordinance still on the beach. The rest is fair game. I've never had a problem at parks. Don't go to historic park areas like Washington rock they are illegal. In scotch plains there is an old place called the stage coach which I would love to detect but againoff limits. The watching mountains I have detected in with no issues. Find a historic site and search outside it say in the woods. You will find plenty. Your best bet is to just ask. Make a business card and a standard permission form to cover your butt. You would be surprised most people don't care as long as your respectful and leave the place as you found it. History is all around you just have to look. I will search online but also just driving around you can find historic private homes where you can just ask the owners. Most just wanna see what you found.
 
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