Hello from GA/AL border

[twizzlerlord]

I have detected city parks in Ga and never had a problem. Same thing in the Phenix City area. Even had employees in one city park tell me of an area that they said was good. It was on Federal property. Didn't find much there but again No Problem.

Same, I have detected in parks with no problem even with cops nearby and they never said anything to me.

 

[just_curious]

Great. Well that's reassuring. Another issue I have is driving the old back roads, finding this AMAZING massive oak trees, chimney ruins, etc, but the property is owned by LLC's or just regular people, but nobody lives in the vicinity. There's gates and no trespassing signs everywhere. In Michigan, where I'm originally from, there's vacant land everywhere, and is essentially just public use state land for hunting, camping, etc. Not like these LLC purchased, lease to hunt lands all over. Given the native American history, civil war, and much much more, you just never really know who would come up and start accusing you of disturbing a historic site since technically it's on you to have a good indication of what would be a historical site (federal law says 50 years I believe). There's historic societies everywhere around here. I'll still hit up the local parks and what not now, but I sure wish there was some good public use woods that had old homesteads on them in the middle of nowhere lol. I did get the privilege of MDing an 1830's property without much success (my guess is the neighborhood was already picked over pretty good before it getting on the registry). But heck, I've even tried contacting property owners by tracking them down through GIS maps just to see if I could cross their lands to get to the creek (which is owned by a state trust for public use, but is landlocked) and they all told me hell no, and we're extremely rude. I even offered to do yard work or any other jobs they've been putting off to return the favor lol. Nothing really seemed to matter to them. It's just a different world in the south. .especially when you start getting up in the northern areas of the state, or in the middle of nowhere. People don't take too kind to others trying to get permission to get on their properties. In other words, the struggle is real! Haha

 

[cellrdwellr]

Welcome from central MA!

 

[Cherry Picker]

Welcome from Dodge City

 

[Tom_in_CA]

.... But in reference to the laws, there is no PUBLIC land in Georgia. It is all either Private property, or state/federal/DNR property. A while back, GA passed a law that requires all metal detectorists to have written permission/permit. So, let's say there is a "public school". Well, that school is actually owned by the state, and you actually have to get a permit. But, GA will only issue permits to Archeologists that meet specific criteria......

just-curious, me thinks you are over-thinking this. As several other Georgia hunters have chimed in: There's no shortage of md'ing going on in GA. At public schools, parks, forests, beaches. And no, they don't need a "permit" or "permission" blah blah.

The problem with the mdhtalk link you found, is several-fold:

a) I think you're confusing stuff said about federal and state parks, with lower level entities. Like county and city level. If your city & county parks and schools are silent on the subject, then presto, it's not dis-allowed . The average city and county level schools, parks, etc.... are silent on the subject. Hence not disallowed (just don't stick out like a sore thumb begging for someone to think you're gonna leave holes).

b) To the extent that mdhtalk link MIGHT seem to imply that fed. or state level laws "subrogate down". Or to the extent you've seen something dire there on that link: You have to understand the background of such compendium lists. How do you think they got assembled ? Someone, way-back-when went and asked. The "pressing question" gets bandied around and lands on the desk of a state archie. Who, in turn spouts off something dire sounding. But what did you expect to come from a purist archie ? Sure: Avoid obvious historic sensitive monuments. But beyond that, don't over think it.

Humorously, when such compendiums first got written (pre-internet era with a book called "Treasure laws of the United States"), this psychology was very evident. The author (bless his little heart) compiled the information by merely sending a xeroxed letter to all 50 states state park's dept. headquarters, asking "what are the laws regarding the use of metal detectors in your state parks?". And then sat back and waited for 50 replies to put into his book. Genius idea, right ? After all, who better to ask than the states themselves, eh ?

A few replies did indeed point, perhaps, to a law that truly said "no md'ing". Ok, that's fine. And a few others wrote back and said "we have nothing addressing that, so you're fine". Ok. But oddly, the majority sent back odd answers like "no disturbing the geologic features & wildlife". Or "no because of cultural heritage". Or "no because of alter and deface", etc.... Strangely, some of those were coming from states where the state parks were, quite frankly, never a problem. So you had old-timers scratching their heads saying "since when ?". See how that works ? It's the "pressing question" getting a "safe answer". Probably from some pencil pusher who, quite frankly, never gave the matter a moment's thought (nor would ever have cared).

So sometimes you have to read between the lines. And/or go with "actual reality" .

 

[Detector Nut]

aboard!