| Metal Detecting Permits For Boise Public Parks and School Grounds |
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Why do we have a permit system for treasure hunting in the Boise area?
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away…..
Whoops! Wrong beginning….to make a long story short: When metal detecting started in the Boise area, there were no restrictions. People used everything from trowels and shovels, to bowie knives, to extract their treasures from the earth. Groundskeepers of several very nice Boise area parks grew wroth at the yellowing patches of lawn! Even worse, a young girl, running across her school’s playground, stepped into a hole and tore ligaments in her leg. A person with a metal detector had been seen in the playground over the weekend. That was enough for Parks and Recreation, and the Boise School System, to ban metal detectors from their areas. Signs went up, groundskeepers and school custodians were notified, and everywhere fun, was suddenly off limits! The ban lasted two years, until Conn’s Wampum Hut, along with a horde of dedicated treasure hunters, managed to convince the Boise School Board that education, and a permit system, would work. Classes were taught through community education, permits were issued, and a new era of responsible metal detecting had begun. Parks and Recreation soon approved the method, and Conn’s Wampum Hut has issued the permits (At our own cost I might add! Ain’t nobody getting rich here!) and educated people on how to be responsible Treasure Hunters in the Boise area, for the last 40 years!
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| Why Do YOU Need A Permit? |
Permits are required when coin-shooting on Boise Parks and recreation grounds, or on Boise school grounds. That little badge with your name and number lets groundskeepers know that you know what you're doing. If you're not behaving yourself, they will take your number, and the Wampum Hut will be contacted. Then we contact you. Or, the police may issue a ticket! We're talking court fines here, and that's not cheap! Just get the permit, it lets people know you're a professional, and, it's less trouble in the long run.
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| Where, And How Much For The Permit? |
O.K. this one is easy. Come to Conn's Wampum Hut, or call and make an appointment. Our address and hours are on the website. If you're a first-timer for the permit, bring your metal detector, retrieval tool, and set aside at least a half-hour. If the weather's bad, or the ground is frozen, we will not administer a test! It needs to be a sunny day with diggable earth to properly learn how to retrieve. The test consists of three retrievals, learning how to "roll the turf", and some basic instruction. Even if you're an old hand at metal detecting, if this is your first time for a permit, we will take you through all the steps! Once you receive your permit, you're expected to wear the badge in plain sight whenever you metal detect in Boise parks or schools. Cost for the first-time permit is ten dollars. Renewal of permits after that is three dollars every year...if you can't find that much money with your metal detector, we'll be glad to help you with your machine until you can! (By the way, we give lessons...ten dollars an hour, ask DJ for more details!) Permits are issued from May 31st of one year, to May 31st of the following year. We start issuing permits for the new season starting April 1st. That's usually when the weather begins to cooperate.....Usually, sometimes......
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