Virgin Civil War Campsite

The campsite is located around a small pond in the middle of a pasture. A railroad track isn't too far away. Someone told me a few years ago about an owner of a large piece of property being able to pick up civil war bullets and relics laying on the surface of the ground. A few days ago I met and talked with the person who is the groundskeeper for the man who owns the property. We hit it off good and talked a long time about metal detecting. He says it all true about the campsite because he has found grey bullets around the pond laying right on top of the ground. I'm not into Civil War relic hunting in a big way, but I bet this site would be fun to detect. The groundskeeper said that the owner doesn't really want anyone detecting his land, but told me that the owner is out of town for 10 days and it would be OK with him if I wanted to detect the property. I told him that I wouldn't be comfortable doing that. lol

tabman

Maybe you should take the indirect approach by first asking the owner if you can do some kind of work for him around there, get to know him first. Then ask later. Maybe somebody detected on his property before and left holes or the gate open. That’s to good to pass up without trying.

TARSACCI - “Digging deeper, BEHIND the competition!”
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Yes, most would just jump right in as greed takes over. Good for you as nice to see someone around today who still has some morals.

See if you can work it out for my next visit and we will rear it up.

Welgund Wrote:
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> See if you can work it out for my next visit and w
> e will rear it up.

This permission isn't going to be an easy one to get. The owner lives in a huge expensive house, has lots of money, and buys up all the land and homes around his so that no one can be near him and his family. I need to find out more about this man, what he does, who his friends are and what he likes to do before I even meet him. I need a connection because just outright asking him to detect his property isn't going to work. It's going to take more than just a sack full of homegrown tomatoes and my charm to get this permission. Yes Lance, if I get the permission we'll hunt it together.

tabman

Harold,ILL. Wrote:
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> Yes, most would just jump right in as greed takes
> over. Good for you as nice to see someone around t
> oday who still has some morals.

Hmmm, someone gives you permission, and that's immoral ? Seems to me that if you got any flack, it would be falling on the groundskeeper's shoulders. Not yours.

If I'm out scouting detecting sites, and someone with any degree of authority "gives me permission", I don't argue with it. Eg.: the janitor, the caretaker, the groundskeeper, etc....

Tom this is 'private property'
not 'public property'. Big difference.

Gerald did the right thing. As he mentioned, the owner really didn't want anyone to hunt the spot and the fact is, he owns the land, not the groundskeeper. Why hang the groundskeeper out to dry, so to speak? HH jim tn

jim tn Wrote:
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> Gerald did the right thing. As he mentioned, the o
> wner really didn't want anyone to hunt the spot an
> d the fact is, he owns the land, not the groundske
> eper. Why hang the groundskeeper out to dry, so to
> speak? HH jim tn

Jim that's right! I take a LOT of latitude in deciding where I can detect and not detect, especially on public property. In this case, I didn't want to put the grounds keeper's job in jeopardy.

Happy 4th everyone. Now if Nike would just put the Flag shoes back in the stores. HH jim tn

jim tn Wrote:
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> Happy 4th everyone. Now if Nike would just put the
> Flag shoes back in the stores. HH jim tn

To Hell with Nike! There are better tennis shoes out there at lower prices than Nike. You're paying bigtime for those endorsements. I love my Saucony and New Balance tennis shoes

Everyone have a great Independence Day!

tabman

Harold,ILL. Wrote:
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> Tom this is 'private property'
> not 'public property'. Big difference.

Right. Private property with permission. The issue here is: Was/is the permission giver "authorized enough" to be giving that permission ?

And ... given the context (the "wink wink" given by the "permission giver") it's certainly debatable as to whether you can proceed.

Here's an example: I was once at a southern CA ghost town. Some dude on an ATV came out and tried to "scram" us. After some pleasant chit-chat, he told us he was only the caretaker, and that the owners were away for the weekend. He took interest in the various nicknack and coin-or-two we had up to that time. So .... with a "wink wink", he said : "I get off at 5pm. What I don't see doesn't bother me. Good luck". And he drove away in his ATV.

Hmmmm, what to do , what to do .

Tabman -- You are doing the right thing IMO. A caretaker isn't the owner. We run into this a little bit here where the farms are big enough to need a farm manager. One thing I keep in mind is that the manager is an employee of the owner. And if put in a position of losing their job by telling the truth of giving you the go ahead to hunt...vs flat out lying to keep their job...which do you reckon they are gonna do? If they are already shady enough to go behind the owners back and tell you when they are gonna be gone...that kinda person wouldn't think twice about throwing you under the bus if it meant saving their job.They may even add a little salt to their story and say that they already told you NO once and that you came back anyway. It's your word against theirs at that point, and who do you think the owner is going to believe?

Also, not to be a Debbie Downer with your story but if I had a nickel for every time I've been told the "minie balls just laying on top of the ground" story, I could have retired at 30, bought an RV and took a long tour of the US. Out of the many many times I've heard that, I always find nothing at all on the property. If you ask to see some of them that they have found, they will clamshell up and offer up some excuse. That's just been my experience. I'm sure there are exceptions and just as many success stories to such places but in my experience, I feel confident in just saying thank you and going to another property without even getting my detector out of the truck. LOL

Tabman, I've never met you and have not idea where or even what state you are talking about. But I do admire and applaud you for your ethics. There's far too many people in this hobby who put finding a coin or relic ahead of doing what is right, and by doing so cause those of us who do try to do the right thing to be denied permission. You are welcome to relic hunt with me anytime. I won't promise that we'll find a sack full of relics, but I will promise wherever we go, I will have permission from the landowner to be there.

Daniel Tn Wrote:
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>..... A caretaker isn't the owner....

Agreed. The for point-of-discussion : I'm assuming that nothing-but-the-absolute owner, is sufficient enough to grant a "yes". Correct ?

Ok, then .... curious.... what do you do if someone who "answers the door" is the wife ? Or the "son or daughter" ?

Or how about for public locations ? I've heard of persons who got "yes" from some landscaper they saw. Yet ... worried that that "wasn't authoritative" enough. So they asked hither and yonder, higher up at city hall, till they finally got a "no". Ok, so was the rank-&-file person at-the-park not authoritative enough ?

And I've heard of persons who got a "yes" at old-town demolition sites. Yet .... worried and fretted that it wasn't "authoritative enough". After all, that's only some tractor driver or contractor. So they find some out-of-state developer .... who tells them "no".

At what point does it stop ? I guess I'm not arguing with enough yes's :/



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2019 08:40PM by Tom_in_CA.

Tom - I can tell you straight up, 100%. You are wasting your time trying to engage me now and in any future posts because this is the last post I will ever acknowledge you as being in existence. I know you always have to have the last word in every thing you post about, however silly/stupid it may be. In this case, you are wrong and trying to spin it your direction. We've all seen your never ending rants on subjects like this for years and they go on and on and on. There is no more discussion with me. I've not got the time nor patience to waste any more time on you. Hunters like Tabman, are welcome to hunt with me any time. Hunters like you, I despise.

You did right Tabman.
If this gent (actual owner) owns a lot of other land why risk pissing them off. You may indeed become better acquainted with the owner and you may get even more places to hunt.

Side note.
California must do bad things to folks minds.
Such a simple discussion turns into a psycho analytical discussion.


Cheers hope everyone had a great 4 th,

I think Ole Cal was on the debate team in school.

Easy to figure out. Put yourself in the owners place. You, as the owner, doesn't want anybody roaming your property, you are the boss. How would you react if your employee went against you? You'd be pissed all around.

The old put yourself in the other position or treat others how you would like to be treated is an easy equation to substitute to get a good honest answer. You did the right thing tabman. You know the feeling you get when you know you are doing something off kilter. That's your conscience kicking in. Be glad you have one that operates correctly. WTG!