White’s Electronics Spectra VX3 - Manual (Page 27)

Page 2-9
Spectra VX 3 User’s Guide
Permission
This is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT! Over the years, a small
minority of inconsiderate detectorists have, in some places, cre-
ated a negative image for the hobby (see the Treasure Hunter’s
Code of Ethics on the back cover of this manual). Do your part
to maintain a positive image: ask permission.
Private property always requires permission. Approach the
owner in a professional manner; some detectorists even make
up business cards. Be willing to offer the property owner a por-
tion of the finds, especially if it’s a really choice site you’re
dying to hunt.
In many cities, homes have easements (the grass strip
between a sidewalk and street) which technically belong to the
city but are kept up by the homeowner. Assume it belongs to the
homeowner, and don’t hunt these areas without their permis-
sion.
Public lands have mixed access. National Parks are abso-
lutely OFF LIMITS to metal detecting, and Park Rangers can
confiscate your detector and even your vehicle. Don’t even try!
State parks vary considerably, depending on the state and/or the
type of park. The best approach is to check with the Ranger Sta-
tion responsible for the park.
Local parks and schools are usually open to detecting,
though some localities may require you to register. Find out
what the local laws are.
Detecting fundamentals
When you arrive at a hunt site, use your best intuition (and,
hopefully, research) to identify the most likely areas for good
finds. Often a site will be too large to cover 100% so you need
to narrow it down. If you are just learning, don’t be concerned
with patterns, just walk around and hunt. As you get proficient
with your detector and want to improve efficiency, you can
mentally grid off areas and hunt them in a back-and-forth pat-
tern.