Metal detecting: healthy hobby, or one step removed from tinfoil hats?
We’ve all seen the guys (and they’re always men) wielding their instruments at Compo Beach. What are they looking for? What do they actually find?
Outdoor writer Wesley Littlefield has some answers. He says:
Most Westporters don’t give much thought to the ground below their feet.
However, that ground is a rich trove containing artifacts from pivotal moments in our nation’s history. Every year, modern “treasure hunters” comb this ground with metal detectors, hoping to uncover buried relics and bring pieces of history to light.
Some “metal detectorists” are motivated by profit. They hope to unearth lost valuables like jewelry.
For many, it’s simply a rewarding hobby that gets them outdoors. It is made more enjoyable by the possibility of finding a long-lost relic.
Thanks to its rich Colonial-era history, Connecticut is considered a prime place for metal detecting.
The Westport shoreline was strategically important for the military during the Revolutionary War, with Compo Beach serving as the landing site for British forces during the Danbury Raid of April 1777.
Metal detectorists can still find military relics from the early American militias at Compo, such as musket balls, bullets and military buttons.
A Confederate button.
Metal detecting is legal on state beaches in Connecticut, including Compo.
You don’t need a permit, but there are restrictions. You cannot dig in vegetated or dune areas, and you can only dig by hand.
If you want to dig at other historical sites in Westport or other areas of Connecticut though, the rules are more complicated.
For example, you can use a metal detector on Bureau of Land Management property, but you are not allowed to dig.
Basically, you are limited to anything you find on the surface. In the rare chance you do find a historical or cultural artifact on the surface, you are not allowed to keep it.
Historical sites are completely off-limits for metal detecting. Archeological sites on state lands are also off-limits — unless you have a permit from the Connecticut Historical Commission (which is hard to get, unless you have a graduate degree in archeology or related field). Most sites are off-limits to metal detectorists.
So aside from Compo Beach, where can you legally use a metal detector in Westport? The answer is private property— but only with permission from the owner.
As Westport metal detectorist David Ader told “06880,” areas around old homes are prime detecting spots. He uses historical maps to locate the foundations of old structures that are hidden or buried in the woods.
David Ader, at work.
With a group of fellow metal detectors, Ader has found a Confederate States of America button, an iron tomahawk likely from the Revolution or French and Indian War, and coins from as far back as the 1600s.
Getting permission from the landowner is crucial. Some worry their land will be dug up or damaged. There’s also the issue of liability, if a detectorist is injured while on their property.
To assure property owners, many detectorists sign legal waivers. It’s also considered good practice to always fill your holes, and offer to share any finds with the property owners.
To get started with metal detecting, the Westport Library has great books and resources (click here).
There are numerous places in Connecticut to rent a metal detector, usually for $25 per day or $100 per week.
And remember: If you aren’t sure whether it’s legal to detect, dig or take an artifact, ask first!
After digging, the hole will be filled back in.
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