METAL DETECTING CODE

rings animation The metal detecting code of ethics is supported and up held by members of the Lancaster Research & Recovery Club. As a part of our commitment to recreational metal detecting, our club encourages the following principles when metal detecting anywhere. Service to historic societies, law enforcement agencies, and charitable organizations, is also an integral part of a metal detectorists code of ethics.

The LRRC, recognizing the need for an organization of treasure hunting enthusiasts, prescribe and uphold a common philosophy and take pride in the organization it has become. Please adhere to the following "Code of Ethics" as we share in a commitment to preserve the wonderful hobby/sport of metal detecting.

Never Trespass - Respect Property and Always Get Permission.

Dig Properly - Fill All Holes. Leave the Area Cleaner and Better Than When You Arrived.

If you discover any item of significant historical interest, notify the local historian or museum.

If you discover any lethal object, do not touch, notify the police.

Dispose of litter or trash in proper containers.

Obey all laws and ordinances that may pertain to a site.

Protect our heritage of natural resources, wildlife, and private property.

Be courteous to all, you are a representative of our hobby/sport.

HOW TO DIG

The following is a step-by-step instructional on how to properly extract an item from the soil. It is just one method that is suited for digging up items from grass, fields or lawns. It is wise for a beginner to learn and is widely used by many detectorists in the field. It is vital to anyone who metal detects on private land or public land that they practice clean and neat digging habits so that "non-metal detectorists" do not tarnish our reputation because of careless and reckless digging techniques.

Tecniques In Digging

1. This is how the ground looks before you dig a hole or "plug".

2. Push the digging tool into the ground about 4 inches deep, this way you will get all the roots to the grass and prevent damage. Cut a plug of grass in a semi-circle and pry it upward with the tool causing a hinge on the uncut side of the circled plug of grass. Note: If you do not do this properly, you will cause the grass to turn brown in that spot and it could take weeks for it to recover. If you have been given permission to hunt a site and you do not do this properly, chances are you will not be welcomed back.

3. Now use a cloth (called a "drop cloth") to pile your soil on. This keeps the dirt from soiling the neat grass around the hole and you can also grab the corners of the drop cloth and pass the dirt over top of your coil to see if the item was in the dirt you extracted from the hole. Your item may be a deep target and this method allows you to dig very deep while keeping everything neat and orderly. Now you can also sweep your coil over the hole and the pile of dirt separately to better locate the item.

4. After you find your item, take the cloth to the edge of the hole and dump the dirt back in and pack it down. Now you should flip over the plug back into the hole (grass side up of course!). Then lightly stomp or press the plug of grass so that it is level or even with the the surrounding surface. You may even want to take your fingers and run them through the grass to groom it like you would with a comb or brush. No one should be able to tell that you just disturbed that area.

Recycling is an important environmental care practice a metal detectorist can participate in. Aluminum cans, aluminum pull-tabs, and bottles are found regularly and should be carried along until they can be disposed of. At the Lancaster Research & Recovery Club, we collect all of the pull-tabs that are found and donate them for a special cause which in turn are recycled. Last year our club alone found over 00,000 pull-tabs... That's a lot of pull-tabs!