Mastering Getting Permission to Detect

I think this post should be a sticky. This is timeless, will never be out-of-date or style and just makes sense to help our hobby, no matter where we are in the world.

Sincerely,
Mike
 
Total newb here. I've been looking at threads for first time detector purchases and where to swing while I should have been looking for this thread all along. Great advice. Thank you.
 
Total newb here. I've been looking at threads for first time detector purchases and where to swing while I should have been looking for this thread all along. Great advice. Thank you.

Lots of great people and lots of helpful information here.

my advice with permissions - never, ever "Sage Grouse" someone you've made an agreement with.
 
Lots of great people and lots of helpful information here.

my advice with permissions - never, ever "Sage Grouse" someone you've made an agreement with.

So far I've definitely found the members here to be incredibly helpful.

Now, with the threat of ridicule and public embarassment looming over my head, what does it mean to 'Sage Grouse' someone? Never heard that one before.
 
Means to make an agreement over finds with the land owner/permission giver, with no intent of honoring it; putting good/valuable targets in one pocket/pouch and only showing the trash/junk/no value items to the land owner/permission giver.
 
I got one of my best permissions that will take me many months to cover. It resulted from a casual conversation with a clerk in a store that suggested I speak with the landowner who turned out to be very receptive. I have offered and provided some finds with the landowner who seems agreeable to many future hunts.
 
What is the typical offer to a land owner for granting permission to swing their property? I wouldn't want to be insulting with the initial offer. I'm guessing there'll be some negotiation before settling on a mutually agreeable split.
 
I think that ANY discussion about "splits", is a recipe for a "no" to the permission.

Think of it : The moment that a total stranger begins talking about "splits" with a landowner, all this does, in the mind of the homeowner/landowner, is conjur up images of :

1) Wealth/goodies/treasure. I mean ... why else would you be talking about percentages & splits, if you weren't going to be finding goodies. Eh ? So the mere fact that you think you have to talk about that, merely conjurs up images financial gains.

2) The moment you start talking about percentages and splits (especially if you're putting a contract in front of them to sign), is the moment that you conjur up legal hassles. I mean, ... C'mon, what would YOU DO if a total stranger comes to you with a contract to sign ??

3) This whole discussion of "splits" is rather silly in the first place. Because, .... think of it: Anything on their land is 100% theirs, IN THE FIRST PLACE. So ... in the mind of the person you're talking to ... it could seem rather odd that some stranger is negotiating to "give the landowner" xx% of some finds. Oh sure, we md'rs know that the stuff will rot forever, if it weren't found by an md'r. But to a non-md'r, they don't necessarily envision it that way.


I've never done anything more than a casual handshake. And if any discussion comes up on who-gets-finds, I always tell them: "You're welcome to anything I find" . And I have never had any landowner exercise that option.
 
Tom, thanks for the helpful insight. I'm still researching my first detector and learing about the etiquette and protocols. I haven't ventured into the hobby any more than some very basic and cursory questions here. There's a lot to learn and I've been reading a ton. Your writeup was certainly enlightening. Thanks again.
 
Awesome advice, GREAT READ!

This was so enlightening and encouraging to read! So many good tips and interesting ways to consider the whole concept of asking for permission. I also read every single comment...lots of extremely good points as well as even more good ideas.

In short, this thread is totally golden! So glad I found it!

I am very new to the hobby and have only been hunting on my property as of yet, but will soon be stepping out into the cold, cruel world to try my luck in promising spots in nearby locations.

Thanks for the fantastic post! I'll definitely keep all of these ideas in mind when the time comes for me to ask for permission to MD on someone's property.
 
Mhm... Any ideas on how I could get permission would be appreciated.
I'm 15 and I want to go to this old house near where I live but I have no 0 connection to the owners. I'm worried i'm just going to sound like a fool and be told no!
 
Try these

Santa Mt.:
1. Be pleasant/polite - "Yes Sir", "No Sir", etc.
2. Smile - a lot :D
3. Explain you will CAREFULLY replace all plugs (probably no larger than your fist)
4. Ask if they've lost anything (keys, rings, etc.) and offer to hunt for it first
5. State you will avoid their plants, garden, etc.
6. Remember...a polite "Thank You", especially if they refuse. :D
 
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I'm still a detecting newbie, and I tried my first permission request yesterday. Unfortunately it was a disappointing no. The place in question was a 20-acre plot of land that has been worked as a farm since the mid 1830s. The woman just recently sold 19 of the 20 acres, which contains an old house, old barns, numerous fields, etc. She was very pleasant and called the new land owner, who is going to develop the farm area and put in some athletic fields. His response, over the phone was 'absolutely not', he would not let anyone onto the property for liability concerns, and because the old house was dilapidated, and planned for tear down in the next week. I tried numerous times to get the new owner to let me just check the fields, and stay clear of the house, but no go on several attempts. Aside from the big let down of not being able to look here, is the fact that this old farm has nearly 200 years of working history, and in a matter of months, it will be bull dozed and stripped away...seems like a huge shame to me...
 
I'm still a detecting newbie, and I tried my first permission request yesterday. Unfortunately it was a disappointing no. The place in question was a 20-acre plot of land that has been worked as a farm since the mid 1830s. The woman just recently sold 19 of the 20 acres, which contains an old house, old barns, numerous fields, etc. She was very pleasant and called the new land owner, who is going to develop the farm area and put in some athletic fields. His response, over the phone was 'absolutely not', he would not let anyone onto the property for liability concerns, and because the old house was dilapidated, and planned for tear down in the next week. I tried numerous times to get the new owner to let me just check the fields, and stay clear of the house, but no go on several attempts. Aside from the big let down of not being able to look here, is the fact that this old farm has nearly 200 years of working history, and in a matter of months, it will be bull dozed and stripped away...seems like a huge shame to me...

While it's certainly understandable to be disappointed, don't worry about it. There's more opportunities, and at least it seems like you actually had a pretty decent 1st experience.


You must have done something right for the woman to call on your behalf. Sounds like a confidence builder. Did you think to ask the her if she knew anyone else who might ask?

You can't win 'em all, and you just need to find the next one to ask. Better yet, try and scout-out 2-3-4 places, and if you get a no, simply move to the next.
 
Same thing happened to me. There is an 1863 farm house that they are building a development around.

Called the development company since they are on the deed, no home owner anymore. Asked to detect around the house after the construction crew left. Crew is not near the house. Was told no, that there are cameras all over the place and I better not tresspass. All I was going to do was search around the house, no more than 50ft out.

Shame to see this house probably demolished. Would have liked to have seen what I would have found.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk
 
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.... there are cameras all over the place ....

You do realize the dirty-little-secret about those cameras, don't you ? No one is live-time monitoring. They would only review footage if something were amiss the next morning.

And even the motion-sensor option (where they can review just-the-portions where motion set it off) is almost never used. The reason is : Every moth that passes by the lens, every stray cat, every tree branch blowing in the wind, etc... set those things off. So no one bothers to review that footage each morning either.

Thus ... no one is watching or reviewing those cameras, unless something were amiss the next morning. (So cover your holes, and leave no trace of your presence :laughing:)
 
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