I think a Game Warden just got the bug

[notoriouskelly]

South of Ajo, Arizona, went down Darby Bell rd til almost at Organ Pipe monument yesterday.

Was cooking breakfast when Game Warden rolled up. He didn't think you could prospect on BLM land so, while he ran my plate & i.d., I pulled up this screen shot saved for just such an occasion:

http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee287/notoriouskelly/Truck/Prospector/?action=view&current=BLMdetectingAllowed.jpg

When my i.d. somehow came back clean, his questions turned more to someone curious about our pursuit:

Is Arizona a good place to find gold?

Do you find much?

etc

You could see the wheels turning in his head and I think he just got bit by The Bug

If I'da been on the ball I'da handed him one of Rob's cards (sorry, Rob- I'll be better prepared next time)

So, if you notice another one of Arizona's Finest in our midst, be nice to him!

(p.s.- he wasn't a dick at all. 30 minutes later Border Patrol crawled by while I was up on a hill detecting. No quartz, just bullets. Lotta interest in the Box close to the border).

Then had a nice visit with Gilaoro's friends in Why, Leon and Adair.

Next up to Morristown to see Gilaoro, his lovely wife, and some of y'all at the Stanton shindig.

Have fun in the dirt!

[clay]

Did you show the Warden some gold Kelly? You keep that up and we will have the policed placers in the world!

Say Hi! to Max and Polly. Stop by and see us when you come up to Stanton- we are in #49 on the upper loop. We've been prospecting every day so if we miss you at Stanton we'll see the KK on the corner and we'll stop by.

clay

MinerDiggins

[Paseclipse]

The same thing happen to a friend and I a few years back. We were checking out an old placer area and a ranger came to see what we were doing. We had detectors in hand and explained to him that we were looking for gold. He said "you mean to tell me you can find gold with a metal detector?", we told him "yeah" then showed him a 3/4 ounce nugget and his eyes lit up like you wouldn't believe! The look on their faces says it all and you can almost pick the exact second the gold bug bites! Needless to day I'm willing to bet that Ranger probably went out and bought a metal detector the next day.

[nuggethunting]

Hey Guys,

It's great to hear a story like that, cause the last two I heard were just the opposite. I guess it just depends on where you are, but this guy was hunting a area that probably wasn't open to metal detecting. The Game Ranger pulled up, questioned the person, and the person said he was metal detecting for nuggets. The Ranger asked if he found anything, he replied "Yes, and showed him the gold." Long story short, the Ranger took the nuggets, Minelab detector and cited him with a ticket and said do not return!

If you're one of the guys on open BLM ground and such, then I doubt you have anything to worry about. That being said, if you're one of the guys that sneaks around where you shouldn't be, like this individual did for years, you will get caught! I remember this guy bragging about what he used to find and I told him it would catch up with him. His famous words were always, "they won't catch me, I'm too smart."

Take care,

Rob Allison

[notoriouskelly]

"Did you show the Warden some gold Kelly?"

No, I had kinda mixed feelings about law enforcement being at my front door and doing background check, so I didn't treat him like a regular person.

Hope to catch you at Stanton, Clay!

______________

Paseclipse,

I bet that guy DID buy a detector and have some adventures with it

______________

"but this guy was hunting a area that probably wasn't open to metal detecting."

Ya Rob,

I make sure I'm in a legal area. I saw Organ Pipe monument coming up on my GPS, so I veered off that road to the right to cook breakfast and detect.

Then worked my way back out. Found a little junk; didn't see any quartz. Lotta lava-lookin rock. Had to use Enhance because of all the hot rocks.

I'm sure people who abuse the hobby make it worse for the rest, so I'm trying to be responsible.

[Azoverland]

Hey Guys,

It's great to hear a story like that, cause the last two I heard were just the opposite. I guess it just depends on where you are, but this guy was hunting a area that probably wasn't open to metal detecting. The Game Ranger pulled up, questioned the person, and the person said he was metal detecting for nuggets. The Ranger asked if he found anything, he replied "Yes, and showed him the gold." Long story short, the Ranger took the nuggets, Minelab detector and cited him with a ticket and said do not return!

If you're one of the guys on open BLM ground and such, then I doubt you have anything to worry about. That being said, if you're one of the guys that sneaks around where you shouldn't be, like this individual did for years, you will get caught! I remember this guy bragging about what he used to find and I told him it would catch up with him. His famous words were always, "they won't catch me, I'm too smart."

Take care,

Rob Allison

I wonder if he ever got his goods back???

[JimGilmore]

I wonder if he ever got his goods back???

Not all rangers are tools.

When I got stuck in Jawbone canyon a few years back. I was given a lift back to my rv by the ranger I nice older woman. Told her how I got a flat tire when I arrived and that I needed to wait till the 3rd to get my tire fixed...

SSI money goes in on the third. She said no problem after all it is your land...