That is still a pretty standard practice in the military today, it's easier to teach not to touch it than it is to teach safe/not safe UXO recognition.
There is always souvenir hunting but the risk is life and limb in some circumstances.
Some explosive devices get very unstable with age, while others are somewhat benign.
And then is the Master Corporal D*****l observed idley kicking an old unexploded 2" Mortar bomb he found partially buried in the dirt. Camp Aldershot (Kentville NS) used to have a mortar range during the war, and the impact zone was re-classed as dry training area years after...