Metal Detecting CODE OF ETHICS

Well, the good thing about me is, since I'm invisible, and leave No Trace of my ransackings, Nobody really knows if I was ever here in the first place!.....:laughing:

Correct. If a tree fell in the woods, when no one was around to hear it, then it didn't make a sound. Right ? So too is a coin, that no one ever knew-was-there, when it was removed, then ....... nothing went missing. Right ? :cool3:
 
Correct. If a tree fell in the woods, when no one was around to hear it, then it didn't make a sound. Right ? So too is a coin, that no one ever knew-was-there, when it was removed, then ....... nothing went missing. Right ? :cool3:

Yeah..agreed...thats right...If a skunk got into the dumpster and ate some pizza crusts but nobody was there to see it happen, did the skunk ever even exist and was there ever any pizza crusts in the dumpster?...

Just like what we do..we get the dumpster pizza that nobody knows was even there in the first place...so no harm to nobody...Its a Win-Win...being small fast and quiet is a good way to go through this Life....getting some pizza crusts nobody cares about unless you bother to ask...Being able to quickly stink up the joint is also helpful upon occasion...
 
.......Its a Win-Win.......

Yes, a coin in someone's pocket, or on their night-stand, "exists". But the coin they drop on the ground ...... a year or 25 yrs. later .... has ceased-to-exist.

I suppose the only ones who object to this logic is archies. Because ..... How do YOU know that ......... 2000 yrs. from now ..... some future archie might not come along, and decide to dig a pit, in the EXACT SPOT where you removed that buffalo nickel in 2019 ?? You will have thus-deprived future generations from learning about their past. How can you be so evil mud-puppy ? :?:
 
Yes, a coin in someone's pocket, or on their night-stand, "exists". But the coin they drop on the ground ...... a year or 25 yrs. later .... has ceased-to-exist.

I suppose the only ones who object to this logic is archies. Because ..... How do YOU know that ......... 2000 yrs. from now ..... some future archie might not come along, and decide to dig a pit, in the EXACT SPOT where you removed that buffalo nickel in 2019 ?? You will have thus-deprived future generations from learning about their past. How can you be so evil mud-puppy ? :?:

You are missing the point! Are skunks evil for digging up grubs in a guys yard or eating pizza crusts out of the dumpster? Especially if they are never seen by anybody doing this? Who gets to determine who is evil anyway? Opossums?

No Sir! If I have to be tried in a court of Law for all the earthly digging transgressions I've committed on this Planet, Please have the jury box stuffed with Nile Crocodiles, a Serengeti Bull Elephant as the presiding judge, and an Okovango Delta Hippopotamus for the bailiff...."He did what?" "Case dismissed! Get the fuss outta here!" :laughing::laughing:
 
If you make a deal regarding finds and splits with landowners/individuals authorized to grant permission, keep it. If you get caught lying, cheating, hiding finds in hidden pockets(stealing) you've probably killed that permission for yourself and all other hunters who value their word and reputation. keep your word, if not for your own reputation, but for the other members of the hobby with integrity.
 
.... keep it. ...

And this "intuitive reality" is probably the BEST indicator of "objective reality" that can be put forth. Ie.: versus "subjective" reality. If it's merely *subjective* then .... gee ... it's better for me to put that rare coin in my sock. It's better for me to "get my genes into the next generation" if I cheat, right ? And it's totally subjective as to my own personal opinion as to what is right or wrong, eh ?

On the contrary : There ARE behaviors that we all, intuitively know that is OUTSIDE of our personal beneficial pay-outs. Eh ? Ok, then ... ooops, this is getting mighty intrusive on other debates. And heaven forbid we go there. Eh ?
 
And this "intuitive reality" is probably the BEST indicator of "objective reality" that can be put forth. Ie.: versus "subjective" reality. If it's merely *subjective* then .... gee ... it's better for me to put that rare coin in my sock. It's better for me to "get my genes into the next generation" if I cheat, right ? And it's totally subjective as to my own personal opinion as to what is right or wrong, eh ?

On the contrary : There ARE behaviors that we all, intuitively know that is OUTSIDE of our personal beneficial pay-outs. Eh ? Ok, then ... ooops, this is getting mighty intrusive on other debates. And heaven forbid we go there. Eh ?

To keep it, or not to keep it.

That is the question.
 
To keep it, or not to keep it.

That is the question.

If objective moral values exist (ie.: real right and wrong, that is not "relative" to societies, cultures, and individuals) exist, then no, don't stuff the coin in your sock. But if moral values are subjective and relative (to the individual and societies and cultures) , then by all means, stuff the coin into your sock.

And if you are on the side of saying that "morals are relative", then you're going to bump into reality mighty quickly, when having to admit the Hitler and holocaust wasn't actually objectively *wrong*. It was just their cultural norms, and who are we to push our morals on them . Eh ?

ON THE CONTRARY, we all KNOW that morals are objectively rooted. And not subjective. It is something OUTSIDE of personal views, opinions, laws, etc... Even if the entire society voted that "murder of jews in gas chambers is good", yet there is something outside of them (ie.: objectively) that over-rides those view points. A scoring card, so-to-speak, that is objectively outside of what we people think.
 
So far, I have pretty much only detected on Florida beaches ( and Martha’s Vineyard once). I always have a plastic bag with me to not only put in trash I dig, but also general garbage I find. Most of those rules are pretty much no-brainers.
WOULD be interested to know to what lengths you guys go to return any gold/ diamond jewelry you might find. If there’s a code for that. Have not had to worry about it as yet!
 
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WOULD be interested to know to what lengths you guys go to return any gold/ diamond jewelry you might find. If there’s a code for that. Have not had to worry about it as yet!

Welcome to FMDF.

Good question about what attempts to track down owners. It comes up a lot on md'ing forums. Typically with class rings (which, theoretically, you can often track down an owner). And also comes up because some more expensive rings might have identifying insurance #s in them (in micro-code, or microscopically engraved on the diamond, etc...)

And to make matters more complicated, there's lost & found laws in all 50 states (that have a dollar value $100 , or whatever, depending on the state) that require you to turn in valuables to the police. EVEN if there's NO IDENTIFYING markings in it. And no matter when YOU think it was lost.

And .... let's be honest: None of us are doing that. I guess that makes us all lawless miscreants, right ?

Some guys have had bad experiences in tracking down owners (like class rings). Because if it were lost decades ago, then the owner has long since forgotten about it, written it off, and often time will have NO IDEA what you are talking about. You are treated as if you're a phone salesman . Or if you finally convince them: "I have your ring", then ... you're told "mail it to me" or some such !!!! like that (not the fun Sherlock Holmes reunion repatriation you envisioned).

I know another guy who .... when he attempted to call the person's house (once he'd tracked down a phone #), he only got their voicemail. So he left a voicemail saying "I have your ring. Give me a call and we can discuss getting it to you". Guess who showed up at his doorstep that evening ? THE POLICE ! (it's a long story, that I won't bore you with).

Others, yes, are fun returns. But ... just sayin', ... you can hardly fault the others in md'ing circles who make zero attempt to repatriate.

Oh sure, if you're on a commissioned posse hunt, then , sure, you give it to them when you find it. NO one here is questioning that.
 
Lots of great points and rules to follow.

I've been deducting off and on for about 35 years. Back then it was a novelty that would attract curious kids. Fast forward to today and people look at you like your doing something wrong.

I've had more people ask me to leave or tell me its not allowed than ever in the previous 35 years.
 
..... Fast forward to today and people look at you like your doing something wrong.

I've had more people ask me to leave or tell me its not allowed than ever in the previous 35 years.


You don't mean casual passerbys, do you ? You only mean authority/ranger/official types, right ?

If you mean "casual passerbys" types of persons as well, then I have a theory (based on 45+ yrs. of this), of how this evolved. They are no doubt influenced by sentiments/opinions of archie-minded official types. And I have a theory of why/how that evolved. And gets passed-down to John-Q-public types.

In my opinion, the average passer-by John-Q-public type doesn't give 2 sh#ts about an md'r. If he's just passing you by on the beach or in the park. In fact, it's often the opposite : People come up to me asking "what's the best thing you've ever found" and "how deep does it go" type questions. No one is casting any notions of disdain my way.

So it might be tempting to think that "people in general think this way" if only a single incident occurred. Or to read about it on a forum post (that someone got a stink-eye), then you might start to think "oh no, people are watching me". But that's all just the trick of selective memory. Or the psychology of "projection", just based on something you read, or a single stink-eye you got.

But to whatever extent your observation is true (35 yr. ago vs Now), I have a theory as to how that has evolved.
 
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