[meteorite-list] Treasure Hunter Code of Ethics

From: Galactic Stone & Ironworks <meteoritemike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:14:24 -0400
Message-ID: <e51421551003231214n1aa8af66w4c3e77250631fbdd_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Adam and List,

Well said, and I couldn't agree more.

When I first saw Meteorite Men, I had very mixed feelings. I knew
this exposure would bring in a ton of new collectors, a ton of new
hunters, a few new dealers, and a ton of regular folk who think
grandpa's rock is a meteorite. All of that fresh blood would be good
for the hobby as a whole. I was thrilled with this aspect of the
show.

When I discovered that dollar values was going to play a prominent
role in the show, I cringed. I cried. I ranted. I went outside, lit
a cigar and paced around. (you get the idea). Because I knew all of
those dollar signs (and Sonny's Ka-Jillion Dollar Rock) was going to
bring out the greed elements surrounding any valuable or rare
collectible (commodity) - the government is going to want it's palm
stroked, land owners were going to see dollar signs, and scammers
would crawl out of the woodworks. Any time there is a buck to be
made, it brings out the best and worst in people (and institutions) -
and now the genie is out of the bottle and the mainstream public knows
that gold falls from the sky in the form of meteorites. And the
government bureaucrats want to get involved now and make themselves
feel important. God help us all. LOL

In all seriousness though, the Treasure Hunter COE is a good thing and
everyone should familiarize themselves with it. And above all -
RESPECT NATURE. When you are out hunting or hiking, please LEAVE NO
TRACE. No trash, no cigarette butts, no waste, no holes, and no
disrespect. Treat the great outdoors like your grandmother's living
room - be respectful.

Best regards and happy huntings,

MikeG




On 3/23/10, Adam Hupe <raremeteorites at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dear List Members,
>
> One of the reasons Meteor Crater was closed to hunting was due to a few
> meteorite hunters disrespecting land owners wishes. Holes and excavations
> were left behind without being back-filled and I read that a steer was
> injured. The BAR T ranch complained that cattle gates were being left open
> and trash left behind. ...and you wonder why it is now off limits.
>
> If meteorite hunting is going to be portrayed as a form of treasure hunting
> on TV, then maybe the treasure hunter's Code of Ethics should be brought up.
> It may help to preserve a portion of this hobby which is in grave danger
> right now. A disturbing recent development is that two states felt the need
> to protect federal lands from meteorite hunting even though none have been
> found on federal land in these two states as far as I can tell. What
> prompted this? You publicly treat meteorites like treasure and so will state
> and federal governments. You attach mega dollar price tags and you
> sometimes garner the wrong attention.
>
> Everything you say or do has a backlash that needs to be considered. What is
> good for TV ratings may not be good for the hobby.
>
> Treasure Hunters have been around for a long time and learned their lessons
> the hard way. Perhaps, we could learn something from them.
>
> Here is a link to a good interpretation of the Treasure Hunters Code of
> Ethics:
>
> http://www.threeforkstreasurehunters.org/ethicscode.html
>
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Adam
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-- 
------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Gilmer - Galactic Stone & Ironworks Meteorites
http://www.galactic-stone.com
http://www.facebook.com/galacticstone
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Received on Tue 23 Mar 2010 03:14:24 PM PDT