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Illinois park permits

deezdrama

Junior Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2017
Messages
40
Just got into detecting again and got myself a Tesoro Vaquero, and my son a Compadre.

We went to a nearby park last weekend and found lots of pulltabs, clad, a bullet, keys, a token , and my first silver dime.

After my first silver Im excited to find more but dont want to get in trouble since Illinois requires permit for medal detecting.

I have a couple questions I hope some fellow Illinois-ians have experience with.

Can I email the dnr to get permissions or do I have to call?
If I was granted a permit.... how long will it be valid?
What about schools? They are public and paid with my tax dollars...am I allowed there?

Its sad.... theres nothing productive for kids to do anymore, Im trying to get my 10 year old son out of the house doing a hobby with me we both enjoy and all the regulations dont even allow it.

Any advice is appreciated!
 
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Well, I did some digging and found the local parks near me are city and not state parks.

Ive contacted the city park district and asked about metal detecting policies. I mentioned me and my son dont use shovels- that we use handheld tools and never leave any open holes behind and that we collect all trash found for later disposal.

I also contacted the DNR with a similar message and asked what state parks in the county allowed metal detecting and what I would need to do to get a permit.

Its funny, the one state park near me lists metal detecting on there webpage as an activity, then when you click the metal detecting link it just goes to a generic page about the park being a nature reserve.

I wonder how a printout of that page with metal detecting listed right there as activities allowed would hold up to scrutiny if a park ranger stopped me?
 
Dee...this is what I would do. It's not what everyone would do. If you can locate ordinances that say SPECIFICALLY NO METAL DETECTING for the area those rules cover,don't detect there.
Smaller towns tend to be more lax,IME. I've really had no trouble anywhere though to speak of. Go at off times,not when a lot of people will be around. If you see the groundskeeper or police/sheriff....smile big and WAVE. Don't be obnoxious,just acknowledge their presence. YOU making the first contact with the acknowledgement tells them that you know they're there and you're not running to hide behind a tree. They like that. A lot. Do NOT in any way try to be evasive. If you see a patrol sitting in the park,don't get all jittery and weird,just go about your business. Lots of cops sit in parks because they tend to be central and they're waiting for something to happen. If they see you acting strangely they will actually be more inclined to see why...
Don't be afraid to make a couple obvious trips to the garbage can or dumpster. Don't get crazy with it,just make it look like that's what you do anyway. It IS what I do anyway,I hate carrying garbage around.
Think about it,and Tom in CA will tell you more...;) but the "safe" answer for a secretary or minion of the public works is going to be "NO" it's not allowed. That way they don't have any responsibility if something happens. They never cared before,but they don't have the authority to say "yes"....so they will likely say NO.
Try to hit up any friends and family who might have old houses and chat up co-workers without getting on their nerves. Just like sales,detecting has a network,and you're in charge of making that network strong or not.
If none of that works...there's always XBOX baby!:grin:
 
For state parks you just go into the office at the park and ask for a permit. Usually they are good for 1 year, sometimes 6 months depending on park and who issues it. They are free. Local parks around here are always free game with no permit, I've never had anyone ever say anything to me about detecting in the parks. Schools are usually fine too but you may have some nosey people confront you on it and tell you ya shouldn't be digging in the school yard, yadda yadda. Fairgrounds are a good spot too. I've found loads of silver at all the old fair grounds around here.
 
....Ive contacted the city park district and asked about metal detecting policies. I mentioned me and my son dont use shovels- that we use handheld tools and never leave any open holes ....

Deez, to go contacting any city pencil pusher, and start talking about "holes" (even if it's in the context that you aren't going to leave any), seems to be the FASTEST way to get a 'no'. The minute you start talking about "dig" and "tools", then .... you're going to conjure up images of geeks with shovels.

If you are skittish that their might be a law or rule, don't go "swatting hornet's nests" at bored pencil pusher's desks. Instead, look up the muni park codes , rules, laws, etc... for yourself. If you see nothing that says "no metal detecting", then presto, it's not dis-allowed.

BTW: You will ALWAYS see obligatory boiler plate language about "alter", "deface", "dig", etc... I/we do not consider those to apply to us. Here's why: If you cover, stomp, and fluff up your spot (leaving no trace), then presto: You have not alterED or defacED anything.

Just do as IDX monster says: Pick low traffic times . Because, let's face it: Md'ing has connotations. Like nose-picking: Not necessarily illegal (nor do you "seek permission"), but ... we all pick discreet times so as not to offend the squeemish.

As for state and DNR, I'll for-go input on that :)
 
Just looked it up in park ordinance pdf...

"E. The practice known as “Metal Detecting” is prohibited on all Park District Property."

What a bunch of bleeping bleep
 
Just looked it up in park ordinance pdf...

"E. The practice known as “Metal Detecting” is prohibited on all Park District Property."

What a bunch of bleeping bleep

What entity is that ? Some city ? county? State ? Fed ? or ?

If that's on the city or county level, that's EXTREMELY rare (and often times minutia that rank and file park workers don't know or care about). But in the rare occasions when cities or counties HAVE dreamed this up: Believe it or not, the origin genesis of it was when md'rs went asking "can I?".

Yes I suppose sometimes it's "people who left holes". But in other cases, it's rules written "to address a pressing issue" that came across their desk.

In fact, even an entire state's park system even came right out and said as much: The state of Utah state parks, when they went to introduce the wording one year to their state parks, EVEN SAID something to the effect: "In answer to the multiple inquiries we get each year".. .blah blah . See ? The "Pressing issue" that gets met with a "let's make a new rule" response.

There's nothing you can do about that location now, if it's a true rule and actually enforced. But for other entities you go to: Look it up.

Heck, I'd even be more wreckless than that: Barring any sign to the contrary, I just go. Then the worst you'd get is a warning or scram. But that's just me.
 
BTW: Even if you arrive at some new place, and satisfy yourself that there's nothing that says "no metal detecting" : Still pick low traffic times. Because anyone can still gripe on the grounds that you are "altering" or "taking/removing", or "harming earthworms", etc....

In fact: It's gotten to where I do 90% of my turfed park hunting at night. So peaceful. So serene :D
 
Just got into detecting again and got myself a Tesoro Vaquero, and my son a Compadre.

We went to a nearby park last weekend and found lots of pulltabs, clad, a bullet, keys, a token , and my first silver dime.

After my first silver Im excited to find more but dont want to get in trouble since Illinois requires permit for medal detecting.

I have a couple questions I hope some fellow Illinois-ians have experience with.

Can I email the dnr to get permissions or do I have to call?
If I was granted a permit.... how long will it be valid?
What about schools? They are public and paid with my tax dollars...am I allowed there?

Its sad.... theres nothing productive for kids to do anymore, Im trying to get my 10 year old son out of the house doing a hobby with me we both enjoy and all the regulations dont even allow it.

Any advice is appreciated!

On the weekend school is cool.:yes:
 
Tom... it was quoted from my city park districts ordinance pdf.

The DNR wasnt much help, they replied and just said "some state parks allow it and some do not", told me to call the park I want to detect and ask the site superintendent.

I like the park at night idea but afraid it would make it look more suspicious and even a cop possibly thinking it was a rifle or something.
Guess i can just go to the park during the day and just play dumb if they ask me questions, if they give me a warning or something ill have to stop.

I will have to do some research on old schools in the area.
 
Just got a reply from the city park district....

"Thanks for contacting the Park District to request permission to use your metal detectors in Decatur parks. This is prohibited by ordinance, so the answer is no. We very much appreciate you asking beforehand and wish you all the best!"

What a joke. I need to move to the country or better yet a free state
 
Just got a reply from the city park district....

"Thanks for contacting the Park District to request permission to use your metal detectors in Decatur parks. This is prohibited by ordinance, so the answer is no.

Is this the same " city park districts ordinance pdf." you are referring to in your post #10 ?

Have you seen what they are referring to ? Does it actually *say* "no metal detecting " ? Or are they basing on boiler plate stuff like "alter" or "take/remove", etc... ?

If it truly says "no metal detecting", then could you have availed yourself of that , on your own looking up ? Ie.: are the muni park codes and such available on-online somewhere ?
 
Just got a reply from the city park district....

"Thanks for contacting the Park District to request permission to use your metal detectors in Decatur parks. This is prohibited by ordinance, so the answer is no. We very much appreciate you asking beforehand and wish you all the best!"

What a joke. I need to move to the country or better yet a free state

3 hours from you near Marion, IL and all the parks here are ok to detect. I have permits for 4 different state parks here and found silver at all of them. Nobody ever says anything to me at all, even at the local city parks. One of them a few years ago we found an old CCC camp area that was there and pulled 30+ silvers out of it. I think the ccc barracks were later used by the military during ww2 era.
 
I am a new new detectorist in the Chicago area and I drive out to Rockford where you can get a permit for $25 a year and detect more parks and creeks than you could do in 10 years. Maybe some of the bureaucrats will see this on realize they are losing out on potential revenue. Not ideal to be driving that far but you don't have to sneak around like you are doing something wrong. I had one guy ask me what I was doing and I explained and told him that I was mostly digging up trash, some of which could potentially hurt people he asked me if I was being paid by the city to clean up the parks. hope this helps
 
I am a new new detectorist in the Chicago area and I drive out to Rockford where you can get a permit for $25 a year and detect more parks and creeks than you could do in 10 years. Maybe some of the bureaucrats will see this on realize they are losing out on potential revenue. Not ideal to be driving that far but you don't have to sneak around like you are doing something wrong. I had one guy ask me what I was doing and I explained and told him that I was mostly digging up trash, some of which could potentially hurt people he asked me if I was being paid by the city to clean up the parks. hope this helps

Brad... this post is 5 years old... guy stopped posting same year. The detector probably was sold within a few months... Worst thing to be new and run around telling people you are going to be digging holes! Especially contacting and giving these townships a chance to say no...

Or I got a big shovel too! For most we detect quietly...do not made a scene... answer questions politely... cover our holes with care and hopefully live to dig another day...

This is turning into a nightmare with new people running around making more and more people aware... with big shovels... and being shocked when someone walks up to them...it happens... had a lady exit church and come pray to me for 20 minutes today... thats fine too...then she said ok sir I will let you work... a quick thumbs up and she was gone... the other day a guy from Africa... asked if my Equinox..was good for gold..I simply explained to him it has a gold mode and he took a pic of my Minelab finds bag... and left...

I have NEVER had to sneak anywhere... and simply tell the truth when they walk up... 40 years of detecting have been asked to leave how many places/ Drum roll...1...

Saw your other post... it's no big deal when someone walks up to you... and we get new people that never leave their yard... let's all be part of NOT killing a hobby I have done over 40 years...thank you.

Most people that walk up are just curious and might just need 5 minutes of friendly conversation... When I detect I have never worried about anyone walking up to me... relax enjoy the hobby... no need to worry about bureaucrats... or explaining to people there are sharp objects... Tell them I am out here enjoying my hobby... If they ask you to leave they should have a star and gun...No sneaking around required..enjoy!
 
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