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Places To Hunt Dwindling Due To Thuggery


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My usual places are being eliminated one by one. Most of my places are public in nature. One of my favorite places I tried to hunt today and there was a police car sitting there. A bad sign.

So I pulled around the back like normal and notice everything locked up and new cameras installed... So he comes back there and I speak to him. I told him we had been metal detecting that place over a year and now notice it locked up. As he put it, "fighting and stuff".  In other words either drug related, gang related, or general hoodlum behavior. This has happened a lot to me lately, good places being off limits now for nothing I've done.

I went to another place where a known idiot has been that likes to dig craters. I had hoped he would have moved on by now but no. Instead it looks like a mine field now over the entire area. That moron has dug so many holes it is unreal. Always the same, dirt left on the ground and a non packed remnant of the plug in the hole. That was enough for me today and another place permanently marked off my list.

I'm starting to get frustrated more and more and today I even told my wife "Between the hoodlums and idiots messing things up, I may as well just sell all my equipment and give this hobby up."  Anybody else feeling this way? I enjoy metal detecting but here lately it's peeved me off about how other people's behavior can impact my hunting grounds..

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Sorry to hear about your situation. Look, I think we all encounter things like this, You have to stay on the positive side of the problem. Start thinking about property's you would like to hunt and just drive right up and ask!!! The worst they can say is no, now move on to the next maybe they will allow you to detect. In your profile you say you like to meet people, use that to your advantage. Offer help around an old property to gain permissions. There are tons of ways to find new places you just have to take a chance. I'll bet in no time your problems will be which place to hunt next. Good luck Rob!!!!

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    I'm very sad for your situation Rob!! But as dog said, don't give up!!

  I personally, would take it a step farther with the known "hole" offender! If I observed him in the act, i would report him, and his vehicle tag number, to the police! And a little "eye witness" phone video to prove your complaint couldn't hurt! He's giving a bad reputation for us all, and should be taken to task for it! (but not by you in person; too risky!!) The beach is somewhat harder to challange an offender, and make it stick! But parks, schools, etc.. are an absolute no-no for hole's left behind!! Even if appearing vacant, or abandoned! 

  I'm dealing with two county's that have banned "digging", but not metal detecting! This is how the official's think they can circumvent actually banning detecting (thus legal challenges) around here! Thank's to people like this individual! And over zealous archeologists, thinking that we are all "stealing" precious pre 1970  coins, etc... (The 50 year rule!) And other "ancient artifacts" that are no longer "in situ" for  preservation, and study! (Ex. Plowed farm fields, etc...)👍👍

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Dog,

Thank you for the positive words. I've tried the asking thing too and get the no treatment. I realize that is always a possibility. With the heat right now it isn't helping my mood, haha. I will not outright give up at this point but may take a break for a bit. My work is going to get unbearable for the next few months and had hoped I would have this outlet before and maybe during that time. It is a let-down.

Joe,

The place he is destroying is an old closed school. I know where the guy lives, who he works for (hoodlums), etc. He even spoke to us one day and talked about how he had snuck in places and been ran out. I told him to his face that "some idiot is digging craters and leaving a damn mess and that puts a black eye on all people who metal detect." What did he do? Lie and try to blame it on someone else. But when I seen his shovel I knew it was his holes. After he left I checked where he was and sure enough, the proof was there even though he had made a weak attempt at covering it up. 3 years of past experience working in a prison helps me sort truth from crapola and call a piece of dung fairly accurately. The guy is just a rotten apple all the way around. Dang shame the idiot uses an Equinox too.

Yes the "no digging" thing is in effect in all the surrounding counties near here as well. One has nerve enough to be blunt and say no metal detecting also. It's downright hostile against metal detecting these days.

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    As Steve, and many others have said before! "We" have done this to ourselves! And while i know this to be mostly true! I feel it is also true that we can help cut down on the offenders! By making sure the powers that be, and law enforcement, are; when necessary; notified! And made to realize that most all of us do a service in many ways! And that they should not punish us all, for the mistakes of a few bad actors!

In many ways, we are some of the best "eyes and ears" of law enforcement, by being mostly lone hunters in some frequently opportune environments to witness possibly "shady" thing's going on! And reporting them!! 

Stay safe! And keep "plugging" away!👍👍

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   Yes Sven, that's where it's headed, unfortunately! It's hard for us as individuals to counteract this!  But i know that there are groups, and clubs that carry a bigger voice that may be helpful, at some point!

    But i also know that many of us older, (and wiser??!!) who detect, may no longer have the desire, time, or ability, to fight the good fight! And think if the pot is "stirred" that the restriction's will get much worse!

    I can only say that, in my opinion, that worse is already here in my area!! Except between the high and low tide area's of many beaches! Which is, no doubt, in the crosshairs, by some! 

     I would love to see the detector companies take a more assertive role in promoting all the good things we do with their products!!   Each company could create, and provide a quality video; for very little cost;  for an individual to take to their municipality officials, and show what we do, and how we do it!  And that there are a "few" bad actors going against what we believe is a very "low impact" hobby! And what little "disturbances" we may make, are small in comparson to the trash, and dangerous objects we dispose of! And that we are another set of "eyes and ears" for a safer Community!!  We aren't asking for anything in return from anybody; but the right to enjoy a hobby, like anyone else! 👍👍

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5 hours ago, Joe D. said:

I personally, would take it a step farther with the known "hole" offender!

I fully agree with you Joe and more of us need to step up and let these type know that they are causing for the rest of us.

Then if he gets smart with me I will just turn over the video to our local police and file a complaint myself since I am a tax payer.

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Hey Rob,

     I forgot to say that i hope you, and yours, stay safe with this approaching storm! We got lucky again here! It will unfortunately be in your locale shortly!!👍👍

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  • 2 weeks later...

While living in Dallas, Ga, we took a drive up Snote Jones Rd., off Carterville Rd. Dirt sand road at the top was a quarry, off to the side was a cemetery dating into the 1800's, can't remember if there was a foundation or not. Didn't look into the history of this out of the way place. Moved back north, never got back there. Just to the side was a body of water Black Lake. No access at the time gated off. Might be someplace some one may want to check out

 

Attached are google screenshots.

 

Just did some quick checking on line, some info: This is the family cemetery of Wiley and Nancy Jones from the 1800's. The Cemetery contains mostly the immediate children and the some grand children of Wiley Jones Jr. and his wife Jane.  Found a picture

 

snote2.png

snote1.png

snote 3.png

snoot4.png

CEM2431261_1428171319.jpg

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