Lets weigh in on Cemetary Detecting

This has been a quandry for me since I started detecting years ago. I have found some real nice silver coins and some decent clad along with jewelry and the always wonderful "mystery" metals. I don't bring full sized gardening implements with me. Just a pick or the "coring" knife. I like to employ the 8 inch to 10 inch max on depth. We've had Cops ask us to "please leave"... which we did.  Elderly women have stopped and complimented us doing such a great job with our " new fangled weed whackers" .... We've gotten raised brows from people who should raise the brow at themselves... We encountered fascinated older retired Military Vets that follow us around and show great enthusiasm at every "ding". I've gotten some of my best pieces ever in the old graveyards. I guess the issue is some areas are still used but we avoid them. That's only decent.  The secluded boneyards make me more comfy.... whereas the ones on a main street make me feel like a poster child for a potential grave robber. And just for the record my friends and I are not interested in robbing but are interested in highly productive metal detection sites. Remember the 8 - 10 inch rule with no shovels. None of the places have signs against it. I dunno.... What's the take you people have on this issue or am I just being too sensitive? 

Never did it.
Always figured they would pinch me for grave robbery or whatever.
I'll watch this to see what others have to say.

I agree with some very good finds around grave yards. I have looked around about 6 or 8 of them but only on the outskirts of them and along the roads that lead through them. I imagine a lot of people would not act kindly if someone were caught around a headstone with a metal detector though. I don't see anything wrong with the way I've been doing but I'll listen to the comments that are posted here. Have a good one, DANGLANGLEY

The only 2 silver coins i have ever found were from an old cemetary..


xstevenx

My brother and I have dug around an old back road cemetery once. 
I have to admit that in the beginning of our hunt I felt a little weird...like I was
doing something wrong but....after the fear subsided of being yelled at by a sentimental relative,
grounds keeper or even a sheriff ....the calmness and the peaceful serenity of the
area was very relaxing to me. Almost like the buried folks were happy to have
company. We always dig with the utmost respect for the ground and follow all of the
"ettiquet digging rules" as to cause no damage or for that matter...even allow anyone to
recognize that we were there.
I believe the more frequently visited cemeteries run higher risks of running into a halted hunt
therefore I dont think that I will attempt one.
Although we didnt find anything worth keeping that day....I wont let that discourage me from
attempting to detect at another old back road cemetary. 

I'm thinking about getting a White Econoline Van with the good ole' "ACME SOIL TESTER" magnetic sign on the sides.

Then a nice pair of white work clothes or a Jump Suit with the friendly name of "Hank Hill" embroidered on it.

A few orange road cones ( maybe flares), with a swirling orange safety light on top and a white or orange hard hat with big leather gloves.

Black horn rim glasses.... Pocket Pencil Protector...And some other obscure electronic equipment.

Nah... Maybe the re-edging of all headstones and driveways is a more honest way... do it legit for big pay and truck

the old sod home to detect at your liesure.

No,I would not detect a cemetary or consecrated ground.Just my belief.But in addition to that,whether or not it is in my makeup,I would not detect where so many non-detectorists might look upon it as invasion or disturbance of a place of holiness.I think it would harm our hobby.Come on guys,there is always many other places.I for one,would not be interested in any posted finds from a cemetary.Just my opinion,to each his own. (maybe it has to do with my senior yrs.I recognize that things we were taught to believe are not necessarily what the younger generation was raised with.)One question,why limit your dig to 8 - 10" max?Why not a foot,2 foot,3 foot or more?

tokenfinder,

Not only would it give you a bad image, but metal detecting in a cemetery is against the law. If caught in a cemetery with a metal detector without permission is a class 4 misdemeanor. If you are caught digging or disturbing graves is a class 1 misdemeanor-------which has a stiff find and time in jail,
most likely six months. If you disturb a grave and willfully dig into
remains is a felony and carries a 4 year sentence. Just to be in a cemetery without visiting a departed love one, you can be charged for a class 4 misdemeanor.

I believe the metal detector should stay outside of cemeteries, but you can do as you wish. It is a free country, until someone says you are violating their rights and put you in jail.

I heard of this before.
My mother-in-laws friend runs a old, old cemetary at a small church and told me to go in and detect it.
I never took her up on the offer.
Paranoid, I guess.
But, I also wonder how I would feel if I saw someone with a detector around the grave of one of my relatives?

 Haven't done it. Probably wouldn't. There are too many other areas that are a) more productive and b) less likely to get me in trouble.

 Then there's the whole "respect for the dead" thing.

 Not to mention what others have already stated, it casts a negative perception on the hobby as a whole.

 All in all, I'd say there is more wrong with it than justifies the effort. For a couple silver coins? The risks outweigh the benefits in this scenario. 

I was digging a very secluded one last weekend, certainly not deep and avoided a good signal near one that had a large tree poetruding from it (who knows what we could of unearthed) It was very private property surronded and overgrown, also quite fancy in its day.
 If you want to talk about entrusion, I dug more old shotgun shells and saw stones that were very likley vandalized, one was undoubtedly SHOT, so please forgive me if I dont consider my 10" hole (that I refill) offensive. Of Course I would not do this in a public open place, I dont consider it offensive, but since others would I of course would avoid doing it in the open.   

What did you find ?

I found a dozen or more  shotgun shells, a great old Canning jar, (unbroken with glass lid), a silver war nickle (1943 s), a old brass concho (or something), brass picture frame locket type thingy (pretty deteriated) and a few unreadable but buried grave markers,That type of spot makes you wonder and makes you say alot of prayers while detecting, these are undoubtadly forgotten lives, who may have had great influnce on the outcome of your community or your very life. Always makes you wonder doesent it??

I have found a couple of great dump sites on the back side of old cemeteries, But even cutting through to them makes me feel a little weird. I don't think I could get up the nerve to MD them. May be a personal hang up ( not the first, lol )Bongo

*yawn* rehashed topic for the last 6 months this is the 15 post in 6 minths about this

How would you feel if you saw someone digging on your parents grave,I would go ballistic.

I recant my replies.  Find a better place to hunt.....

Same here.  There are other places to hunt with out being disrespectful.  Besides, you need to look at areas that held a lot of public outings where kids ran amok.  The amount of visitors to a final resting place is rather low and your time could be better spent elsewhere.

*yawn* rehashed topic for the last 6 months this is the 15 post in 6 minths about this

DeKalb,

 ;)   now lets be open minded on this subject.
We should never say we have all the information
or opinions we need. ;)

For those more open minded on the board ;)
and those looking for an evening of reading   :

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,61363.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,64213.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,71897.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,52824.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,35096.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,52327.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,6911.0.html

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,70182.0.html


 

all have a good un......................

I am split 50/50 part of me says yes, part of me says no. I use to go and take pics of old graves cause I thought they were cool.  I think I could adopt a graveyard, set the stones right again, clean it up, and I probably wouldn't feel bad about hunting it at a couple inches and not on graves. But I can see why people would get testy if you are distrubing their loved ones.