An LEO Experience on the way to Sapulpa Oklahoma.

Howdy Folks!
The wife and I stopped in Burlington Colorado at a local city park so the dog could do his thing. Gator (our Jack Russell) went off to investigate some trees and shrubbery while I wandered over to the corner to read a historical sign. I am somewhat of a history geek, so I usually will read historical signs like that one.

While I was reading the sign, a police car appeared and was approaching me from the west. My XDm was clearly visible, hostered at my right side. He could not possibly have missed it. I looked over and smiled as I waved at the officer. To my surprise, he waved back before passing me to turn at the corner, going in the direction of my parked car.

I hefted Gator back into the Subaru and walked around to driver's side door, and the officer who had turned around at the end of the block passed me again, and waved as he drove by. Again, he certainly must have seen my hardware, but respected my rights and never gave me a second glance. I thought "that's how an LEO should behave when seeing an armed citizen exercising his constitutional rights. Good on him!!! I was impressed with that officer in Burlington, and thought how great it would be if all LEO encounters were so respectful of the citizen's rights to keep and bear arms.

We headed back toward I-70 to continue our trip to Sapulpa Oklahoma. The first day of competition at the Indian Territory Treasure Hunter's annual metal detecting competition hunt (talk about a run-on sentence!!!!) has gone pretty good for me, and I am looking forward to rounding up more booty tomorrow.

Temperature here was low to mid 90's today, and the humidity... OMG! I surely ain't used to that. I ain't been dry all day. It really takes a lot out of a guy!

While here, I've talked with quite a few folks about open carry, especially those expecting to visit Colorado in the near future. I've told them about how we have open carry here, and advised them about Denver.

So, I've been out there preaching the gospel of Open Carry, and tomorrow expect to invite some folks to check Open Carry.org. Oklahoma ain't open carry. Neither are large chunks of Kansas.

Will see ya'll soon, and hope to be headed back to Colorado by around 3:00pm tomorrow.

Oh, and if anybody is curious.... I have scored a ton of wheat pennies, 1 Mercury dime, 3 tokens worth $2.50 each, 2 Morgan silver dollars dated 1921, and a gold dos peso coin from Mexico. I'll take gold any old day!!!!

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

Those Morgans are likely worth more than their silver value. IMSM, that is 1 troy ounce each.

Sounds like a nice haul. BTW if one of those wheat heads or other coins is 1953, drop me a line.

M-Taliesin said:

While I was reading the sign, a police car appeared and was approaching me from the west. My XDm was clearly visible, hostered at my right side. He could not possibly have missed it. I looked over and smiled as I waved at the officer. To my surprise, he waved back before passing me to turn at the corner, going in the direction of my parked car.

<snip>
Again, he certainly must have seen my hardware, but respected my rights and never gave me a second glance. I thought "that's how an LEO should behave when seeing an armed citizen exercising his constitutional rights. Good on him!!! I was impressed with that officer in Burlington, and thought how great it would be if all LEO encounters were so respectful of the citizen's rights to keep and bear arms.

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It's your fault. You started it.

mahkagari said:

It's your fault. You started it.

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Howdy Mahkagari!
I believe I missed something somewhere along the line.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

M-Taliesin said:

I believe I missed something somewhere along the line.

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You initiated the courtesy. If we treat eachother more courteously, we're more apt to receive it in return. There are many on these boards who will demand to be treated the way you were by LEOs but refuse to do anything but glare when they encounter one.

M-Taliesin said:

Howdy Mahkagari!
I believe I missed something somewhere along the line.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

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I believe he meant that you started it by smiling and waving. This forced the LEO to respond with the same attitude.....

Dang man. That is a nice gathering of old coins. I have yet to find anything older than a 1944(I think) 20 centavo piece and no silver or gold coins. Best was a small .925 ring. I guess that's the problem with Washington, we don't have anywhere too historical to hunt at.

By the way, I have a Headhunter Pirate.

GvdM said:

I believe he meant that you started it by smiling and waving. This forced the LEO to respond with the same attitude.....

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Howdy!
Thanks for clearing that one up! Pardon my density, but I just didn't get it at the time.
Much obiged for explaining it to me. What else can I say aside from.... DUH!!!

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

xxx.jakk.xxx said:

By the way, I have a Headhunter Pirate.

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Howdy Pard!
Well sir, I got more interested in carrying a handgun after I got into metal detecting. I often hunt at odd hours, and even after dark. I've often wondered what I'd do if somebody came along who thought he deserved my detector more than me and decided to relieve me of my machine.

I have a White's MXT Pro, a V3i, and an MXT 300. Each of them would cost plenty to replace. That's not to mention the gold and silver I often find and may be carrying on my person. Now my detecting kit includes my Springfield XDm compact .40 cal to ensure my finds remain in my possession. And I find lots of gold and silver, BTW.

What bothered me about Oklahoma (and Kansas for that matter) is they aren't nearly so friendly about open carry as Colorado. Hence, I was without my weapon after crossing the border out of Colorado. On the way back, I had it back on my hip before we hit the state line back into Colorado.

You can see what I found in Oklahoma here:

[video=youtube;DuZS66ZTpZU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuZS66ZTpZU[/video]

Anyhow, while some guys already are carriers before they got interested in metal detecting, my case was the other way around. After 3 years of detecting, I felt I needed to be armed for my own defense.

Funny now that I think about it, but I've had many more LEO encounters while detecting than since I started openly carrying my pistol. Usually a police officer will check me out to ensure that I am not doing something nefarious then engage in talking about metal detectors and stuff I've found. I haven't yet spoken with an LEO about carrying my sidearm, but expect after they decide I'm relatively harmless, maybe we'll chat about pistols with equal fervor.

Thanks for your post.

Blessings,
M-Taliesin

I am really enjoying this thread. Thanks for keeping us updated. Good video.....

My shift supervisor is a metal detector hound. He has repeatedly voiced his frustration about every local target area he's visited being hit by someone else first -- and he knows this, because the other guy is a "slob hunter", who leaves open holes and doesn't bother to fill anything in.

Then he told me about a great weekend he had, at the local Boy Scout camp. He picked up a lot of coins, and had a great time covering virgin territory.

I asked him, "So, I guess you met Lxxxx Rxxx, eh?" He seemed a little shocked and said he had, then I grinned and said, "That's my first cousin!"

We live across town from one another, but never see each other except at family gathering a hundred miles away. But it was as cool "six degrees" moment.

M-Taliesin said:

Howdy Pard!
Well sir, I got more interested in carrying a handgun after I got into metal detecting. I often hunt at odd hours, and even after dark. I've often wondered what I'd do if somebody came along who thought he deserved my detector more than me and decided to relieve me of my machine.

I have a White's MXT Pro, a V3i, and an MXT 300. Each of them would cost plenty to replace. That's not to mention the gold and silver I often find and may be carrying on my person. Now my detecting kit includes my Springfield XDm compact .40 cal to ensure my finds remain in my possession.

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See, I'd be less worried about losing my expensive equipment, or my gold/silver for that matter, than having a bad hunt and a thug just SURE that I'm lying about not having pockets of treasure that he feels the need to relieve me of by force.