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Confused on Ohio laws?

IKnowMazin

New Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2018
Messages
1
Hi I just got a new metal detector for my birthday and am very excited to start! However I'm in Northeast Ohio and I'm confused where I'm allowed to metal detector and dig stuff up. I wanted to go to Minerva because of the lost French gold story however where am I even supposed to start and am I even allowed there? Sorry I am very new.
 
Welcome aboard from SW OH. I'm not sure on your area but you will need to research the local laws in your area. National parks are typically off limits with some exceptions. County Metro Parks in my county have specific rules against detecting in them but City Parks are fair game. The neighboring county allows detecting but by permit only (free to get) there are some rules based on time of the year at certain parks. Go online for the area you are interested in detecting and see what you pull up for that location. My rule of thumb is if not specifically disallowed at a public place than it is allowed. Research yourself, there is always the option of callling and asking which I'm not really into since whoever your talking to may not be aware of the laws around it as well. I'm sure Tom will be jumping in here shortly. Here's a link that may help but I'm not sure how accurate it is. http://www.ohiometaldetecting.com/ohio-detecting-laws.html
 
.... I'm sure Tom will be jumping in here shortly....

haha

.... there is always the option of callling and asking which I'm not really into since whoever your talking to may not be aware of the laws ....

Which is exactly the method used to come up with the data contained in silly compendiums like this:


And is exactly the reason why folks like the OP here get worried. Like having read of a shark attack story or warning . Doesn't matter that it's extremely rare. Doesn't matter that 1000's of people per day swim with no incident. If there's a SINGLE story of a "shark attack" worldwide, guess what the skittish person is thinking of the next time they go to swim at the beach ?

This link is utterly full of holes. And is 99% the function of "no one cared till you asked" phenomenon. Oh sure, avoid obvious historic sensitive monuments (NPS, etc..). But then this link attempts to go down to the county and city levels, and ... sure as heck, someone there (in answer to the "pressing question") will cite "alter" "disturb" and "harvest" verbiage. (Never mind that the issue never crossed their mind before, nor would they have cared less).

Iknow-mazin, let's turn your question around the other way, and ask: Where are you wanting to hunt ? So that we can hone down your question. There's state, fed, city, county, and private. And even within each of those categories can be multiple sub-categories.

Personally: I just pull out the detector and hunt anywhere I arrive at. Barring obvious historic sensitive monuments. And don't waltz over beach blankets at an archie convention. But beyond that: It's possible to overthink it. Because the 'shark attack' psychology going into effect.
 
I've been following posted signs, and the same laws as everyone else, what makes me different than any other hobby? That's all I'd expect from skateboarders, bicyclists, stamp collectors, people that ride horses, people that run on purpose, etc....

<°)))>{
 
haha



Which is exactly the method used to come up with the data contained in silly compendiums like this:



And is exactly the reason why folks like the OP here get worried. Like having read of a shark attack story or warning . Doesn't matter that it's extremely rare. Doesn't matter that 1000's of people per day swim with no incident. If there's a SINGLE story of a "shark attack" worldwide, guess what the skittish person is thinking of the next time they go to swim at the beach ?

This link is utterly full of holes. And is 99% the function of "no one cared till you asked" phenomenon. Oh sure, avoid obvious historic sensitive monuments (NPS, etc..). But then this link attempts to go down to the county and city levels, and ... sure as heck, someone there (in answer to the "pressing question") will cite "alter" "disturb" and "harvest" verbiage. (Never mind that the issue never crossed their mind before, nor would they have cared less).

Iknow-mazin, let's turn your question around the other way, and ask: Where are you wanting to hunt ? So that we can hone down your question. There's state, fed, city, county, and private. And even within each of those categories can be multiple sub-categories.

Personally: I just pull out the detector and hunt anywhere I arrive at. Barring obvious historic sensitive monuments. And don't waltz over beach blankets at an archie convention. But beyond that: It's possible to overthink it. Because the 'shark attack' psychology going into effect.

Just citing them as I see them. I have verified on the county website the specific verbiage stating no metal detecting in Metro Parks for my home county. Not the generic alter, deface removal jargon so in that regard the link I provided did contain accutate information. I have also verified the accuracy of the adjacent county. Not detected the rest of them so I'm not sure if it's right or wrong or anywhere in between. Hence do you're own research and use a little common sense and you should be fine. If a 5 minute search on google does not pull anything specificly telling me, no detecting allowed then I don't over think it.

Here is a direct quote citing it from the Metroparks website, pretty specific regarding it.

https://www.yourmetroparks.net/docs...-08-as-amended-10-18-16.pdf?sfvrsn=1d8149ea_2


1545.09 1h No person except an employee or agent of the Board shall operate a metal detector within the Park without a special permit from the Executive Director or his or her designee giving authorization to do so.

Due to that clause I stay out of the Metroparks, these are not to be confused with city parks though. I have seen the normal jargon about digging up plants and dogs pooping on flowers and I detect them all the time.
 
Hi I just got a new metal detector for my birthday and am very excited to start! However I'm in Northeast Ohio and I'm confused where I'm allowed to metal detector and dig stuff up. I wanted to go to Minerva because of the lost French gold story however where am I even supposed to start and am I even allowed there? Sorry I am very new.

So where are you at in NE Ohio? What kind of detector do you have? There’s the Lake Metro Parks. Cleveland Metro Parks. Free permits on both there sites. Do remember to have a copy of your permit on you when detecting, and please be neat and clean with your holes. And Welcome to your new life time of treasure hunting, it’s only one of the best addictions ! http://www.lakemetroparks.com/contact/permits https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com...ies-procedures/permits/metal-detecting-permit
 
....specific verbiage ...

Ok. Understood. And you deduced that by looking it up for yourself. And it's not catch-all grey verbiage. Ok. This just shows any fears of such verbiage can be looked up for oneself . Rather than eliciting a "safe" answers.
 
Ok. Understood. And you deduced that by looking it up for yourself. And it's not catch-all grey verbiage. Ok. This just shows any fears of such verbiage can be looked up for oneself . Rather than eliciting a "safe" answers.

Tom, you're slipping. :D If you saw the rule I quouted "1545.09 1h No person except an employee or agent of the Board shall operate a metal detector within the Park without a special permit from the Executive Director or his or her designee giving authorization to do so." You missed jumping on the "except an employee or agent of the Board" part. I think it's a large government conspiracy. They must detectorists themselves and can legaly dectect these park as often as they like since they are exempt of the rule. I assume this is how they keep all the goodies for themselves. I may need to apply for a part-time job to open up some new sites. :lol:
 
... No person except an employee or agent of the Board....

no need to apply for a job there. Notice it says "... or agent...". Ok, let's make this simple: I appoint you as an "agent". There you go. You are officially commissioned as a duly appointed agent now. Consider yourself deputized. :laughing:
 
Last I heard, the LEO's are so strapped in NE Ohio, theres only one guy patrolling all of Ashtabula County, and I doubt he has the time to dink around with you...:laughing:
 
...I doubt he has the time to dink around with you...:laughing:

You got a point there puppy-mud. When you get right down to it, police have BIGGER FISH to fry. I mean, seriously: They deal with robberies, rapists, murders, etc...

Reminds me of the time years ago that 7 or 8 of us were hunting an old town park demolition project (installing artificial turf , ripping out the old turf, etc...). And ... obviously ... we had to do it at night (can't detect during the day when the workers are working). This was in a blighted part of San Francisco.

One night we heard the sounds of gun-shots coming from somewhere @ the nearby street. A minute later, we heard the sounds of several sirens from multiple approaching cop cars. They were racing up and down the street, apparently looking for the shooter (we found out later there'd been a murder). But ... we paid it no mind, as we were hunkered down inside this dark fenced demolition site.

About a minute or two into this chaos erupting on the streets outside our demolition site, a cop came running through the fenced/closed park, with his gun drawn. He stopped at the first md'r and asked "did you see a man with a hooded pullover run through here ?". To which we answered "no, we didn't see anyone run through here". Then he paused, looked at us and said "what are you doing ?". We said "metal detecting". He just shook his head, took off running again, saying "I have bigger fish to fry", haha

However, park rangers might consider it an issue (if we're dealing with cultural heritage, blah blah). But cops on the other hand, seem like they have bigger problems to deal with.
 
You got a point there puppy-mud. When you get right down to it, police have BIGGER FISH to fry. I mean, seriously: They deal with robberies, rapists, murders, etc...

Then he paused, looked at us and said "what are you doing ?". We said "metal detecting". He just shook his head, took off running again, saying "I have bigger fish to fry", haha

:laughing::laughing: Outstanding! I especially like the whole "Then he paused, shook his head, and took off running" line! That sums it all up...Nobody in enforcement got no time to dink around with us! After all these years, I cant believe people even ask about this subject anymore!...

Well, for some reason, this particular Sport, unlike any other Outdoor Pursuit Oriented pasttime I've been involved in, seems to attract the more Cautious, Law Abiding Timid Quakers in our Society?...:laughing: I dont get it..I thought we were supposed to be Pirates!
 
However, park rangers might consider it an issue (if we're dealing with cultural heritage, blah blah). But cops on the other hand, seem like they have bigger problems to deal with.

The MetroParks around here it's the bored 20 something park rangers that I would be worried about. I was at a 4 year olds birthday party a few years back, little girl got lots of toys so her mother pulled her car up the the picnic shelter to load up. It was on the grass, it hand't rained in a month and the dirt was hard as a rock and grass was mostly brown already. Here comes little ranger boy in his pickup hooting and hollaring about parking on the grass and threatening to write her a ticket if it's not moved immediately. Now I could understand his reasoning if the ground had been soft and the car was sinking in leaving ruts in the turf but you could of drove a tank across that grass and not seen the treadmarks it was so hard. Needless to say that little girl did not have anymore brithday parties in that park. That ranger would of probably beat me with a rubber hose if I so much as popped a zincoln with a screwdriver there.
 
.... That ranger would of probably beat me with a rubber hose if I so much as popped a zincoln with a screwdriver there.

Which is exactly why 99% of my park turf hunting is done at night these days. Heaven forbid you drove a car on grass, or killed a brown grass blade :roll:

But seriously now: Such "overzealous" LEO behavior is rare. And not to be thought of as normal that "us should all fear" Ie.: someone who has WAY too much time on their hands.
 
I did get kicked out of the local soccer field the other night. It was courtesy boot though. The guy was locking up the park for the night and didn't want me running down the fence trying to get out. He could of cared less about me detecting the fields though.
 
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