David, Your ethics are beyond reproach but in an one hour old strewn field it would be such a waste to delay recovery waiting for permission to look in a K-Mart parking lot. I know I would never get a reply. This is a pretty unique situation. I doubt if anyone walked away from a fresh rock because they were concerned about ownership. Don't forget about the rule of public domain as well.
Bill Kieskowski > Dear Bill, Marcia, List; > I would like to add to the thread a bit more. I found my meteorite on > public land. It was on a checkerboard mixed with Anadarko (company that > owns the land that the Union Pacific Railroad was granted to them in > 1865 to encourage RR development), there are also private land parcels > very near by, and a great big old interstate system which the federal > government owns but the state of Wyoming maintains the surface of the > ground on. All of this is with in 1/2 mile of my find. My GPS and map > skills led me to believe it was located on one property, the maps were > in error by a hundred yards, it was truly on BLM lands, and the long > story made short is that the integrity of the finder is truly the big > question. I could have SAID that I found it about anywhere, including > my own back yard 10 miles away from the real location and no one would > know the difference. I have integrity, and would "do the right thing" > right down to inniating contact four years ago with all of the major > land owners asking advance permission to hunt. One very major private > land owner asked for 10% of any profits from my searching, and I have > unlimited access to about a million acres, sealed with a good old > fashioned hand shake. The second private land owner says hunt his lands > for free, keep all that I find, and remember him if I find a Mars, or > Moon rock. Other parties have eluded to hunt all that I want and > contact them if I find a million dollar rock but not to bother them with > "ordinary meteorites"; the paperwork would cost the company a number of > thousand of dollars to get started. > I can not stress enough the importance of contacting the land owner > early, in a very polite and honest way, share information, offer your > wisdom, honesty, sincerity, and the road to hunting meteorites is very > rewarding, especially knowing that you are genuinely welcomed to > trespass because you were honest and on the front end...instead of the > wrong end of a boot due to not contacting the land owner. Law > enforcement frowns out here when they have to come out and arrest > trespassers. Fines for trespass locally can be a few hundred dollars > and forfeiture of any finds, or future ability to hunt those properties > or friends of the property owners that hear about that "no good low down > scoundrel trespasser". Such is the West. > Hope I have offered some "western" insight. > Best, > Dave Freeman > Successful meteorite hunter, and honest story teller. > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > >Hi Marcia, > > > >Property varies so much from one juristiction to another. Public domain has > >been outlined by the Supreme Court in cases of lost or discarded artifacts. > >The FBI felt the need to set these precidents so they could dig through trash > >on parkways for evidence in court. I read an old thread that said if I find > >it, it's going in my pocket and that's all the validation I need. I think > >that's the general rule although it may not sound appropriate. > > > >Bill Kieskowski > > > >>Hello Warren and List, > >>Warren your question about property locale ownership, brought to mind a > >>question of my own that I would appreciate an answer to, on or off-list, > >>by yourself or other list members. > >>I understand that when hunting on private property, you are supposed to > >>get (written?) permission. I know that different Countries have > >>different rules on whether or not a meteorite is property of finder or > >>confiscated by government, or percentage of it taken for identification > >>and record and display at museum, ect. > >>My questions are regarding meteorites found in USA. What EXACTLY are > >>the rules to guarentee that if you find one, say on public land ( State > >>Park, lakeshore, river-bed, dry-lake, abandoned gravil pit, ect.) you > >>can claim it without fear of confiscation, by State or Local > >>authorities? I know this was an issue with the F.P. that supposedly > >>"bounced" off the public sidewalk before hitting a home and was > >>confiscated by local authorities ( Sorry to bring that unfortunate issue > >> > > > >>up), and there have been other instances. Is it the amount of money ( > >>it's worth) that determimes whether or not a counter-claim is laid on it > >>by local, state, or is it the classification of the fall or find that > >>again,makes it confiscatable? To be classed, especially if it were > >>something really significant, you do have to say where it was found > >>right ? > >>How does this work? When something is found on private property, after > >>having been given permission to look, what is the obligation of the > >>collector in regards to payment to land- owner, should a possible > >>meteorite, or a meteorite be found, or land owners right to > >>counterclaim pwnership rights? I would truly appreciate guideline > >>answers on some of these questions please, or reference reading > >>material? Thank-you and Best Regards, Marcie > >> > > > > > >______________________________________________ > >Meteorite-list mailing list > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________ > Meteorite-list mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
