Sometimes they say no ... but sometimes they say yes!

Detecting parks and schools is great. They have a lot of activity and people drop a lot of coins and relics there. This year alone, I found 2 Barbers, several Mercs, and well over $100 in clad from school yards, and the Civil War era heel plate I wrote about in my previous blog was dug at a city park. The problem with schools and parks, though, is that in most cases they have already been hammered by other detectorists. While no site is ever hunted out, sometimes you want to search a property that no one has ever detected before.

That's where private permissions come in. There's nothing like hunting an old, virgin property that's never been touched. A place where every hole has the potential to produce something old and interesting. But where do you find these properties?

Start by speaking to the people that you know. If you have a friend who owns an old property, talk to them about letting you hunt it. And old doesn't necessarily mean 1700s or 1800s properties. While it's great to secure a permission that dates back two or three hundred years, even a property from the 1940s or 1950s is likely to have silver on it. And if there were children living there back then you're apt to find all kinds of cool toys. Then, when you've gone through your friends list, it's time to talk to strangers.

It's not as easy to ask permission from strangers as it is friends, but doing so will greatly increase your odds of landing great properties to hunt. Before approaching a land owner you don't know, however, I recommend you ask yourself several questions.

How will I contact them? You can drop them a letter or, if you have a phone number, you can call or text them, but you're probably setting yourself up for a hard no if you do one of those. The best way, and the one that is more likely to land you a yes, is to talk to them in person. That leads to the next question.

How should I dress? You want to be as non-threatening as possible. I know a lot of detectorists, myself included, who dress for comfort when we hunt. I don't wear my nicest clothes. I know what I'm wearing is going to get dirty and sometimes torn so I'm not going to wear my best. The people I detect with don't care, they've dressed for the hunt as well. But if I'm going to meet someone for the first time, I want to make a bit of a better impression. So when I meet a potential permission for the first time I want to look a little nicer. And I definitely don't want to approach them with a sharp, heavy shovel in my hand.

When should I contact them? I have friends who don't mind me showing up any time of the day or night, but when meeting someone new, I want to be a little more considerate. I don't want to show up at dinner time and interrupt their meal. I don't want to pound on their door after dark when it's harder for them to see who is knocking. If possible, I don't want to knock on their door at all. It's a lot more comfortable for them if I approach them during the afternoon while they are outside, where they can see me coming from a distance and I can begin the conversation as I get close. And whether I'm walking up to them as they are outside or I'm knocking on their door, I want to make sure that I always leave plenty of space between us. A person standing ten feet from you is a lot less threatening than a person right on top of you. And as I write this in the middle of the Covid pandemic, social distancing is more important than ever.

Should I rehearse how I introduce myself? Some people are natural speakers and are comfortable winging it. Others, like me, tend to stutter at times, occasionally forgetting words, and often walk away from a conversation thinking, "I wish I had said this instead of that." You know which group you fit into. If you're a people person, by all means jump right in. But if you're someone like me, it doesn't hurt to rehearse because you don't get a second chance at making a first impression.

Should I get it in writing? This is a tough one. I know people who argue on both sides of this. Getting a permission in writing can make you feel more comfortable when you are on a stranger's property. It can also make the property owner feel more comfortable if they have it in writing that you aren't going to sue them if you hurt yourself while on their property. My personal opinion is that verbal permission is fine in most cases, but you should always carry a written form on you and have it ready when needed. If you have questions as to what a written permission should look like, check out the one we use.

And the final question, Should I expect her or him to say yes? No. Rejection can be tough. If you go in expecting the land owner to say no, you won't be as disappointed when they do. But if you ask yourself these questions and do your best to make an excellent first impression, you'll be surprised at how often they say yes.