Kevin, could this be a way to get up to Lost Dutchman status and if so why not write a post and push the submit button 300 times or have Mr. Johnson, Knight you Sir Lost Dutchman?

     Okay, all kidding aside, the way I see it is if someone is on here posting all the time, they are not out there in the field getting as much gold as they could be.

     It is a good thing that you and the club are helping the new as well as the older members with their questions on mining / prospecting techniques and I don't mind giving some advise from time to time also, when not in the field.

     Having started doing the gold thing back in the early 70s paying my dues and learning most of what I know the hard way, keep in mind that those like myself are not likely to give up our best kept secrets to the masses. Anyone who has spent countless hours researching and spending money on books, maps, equipment, and fuel to explore areas should not be expected to share this proprietary information because someone else thinks they should, for this activity is not an entitlement, one has to earn it.

     I will put this out there, the " GOLD DOES NOT KNOW THE RULES " as to where it should be found, thus the saying gold is where you find it. Look in places where others would not that follow the old rules, like digging behind a big boulder. Everyone digs behind the big boulder and the first person that did it over 100 years ago did dam good assuming gold was moving in the area and if your the first person in after a huge flood you will find some color but not as much as the first lucky SOB did.

     Think about it, if your digging in the same places that have been dug into over and over again you are getting the crumbs that were left behind and of coarse it is possible that one could hit a spot that was overlooked and hit a nice little gold nest.

     If when digging down you start finding sticks, leaves, and other plant material ( Not Roots ) this is a good indicator that someone has already dug there.

     There is still plenty of gold out there because no one gets it all. Most of the club claims have what I call hot spots on them that produce great hobby gold. Hobby gold is having fun finding a few grains or more a day, it is not get rich gold. It can take up to 3 or more days of sampling to find one of these hot spots on the larger claims and the color count is worth it.

     Again Kevin, glad to see you plumbing up the membership and good gold to all.     Ron

     Kevin, are other questions allowed on this forum such as on dry camping, preparing for an outing, putting together a check list, safety, using maps, etc., besides just mining and prospecting.

     Here is one for the metal detector and relic hunters. When one comes across out of place plant life that should not be growing in that area, like fruit trees, this is a good indicator that you have stumbled on an old mining camp or homestead. The buildings and the people might be gone but the plant life lives on.             Ron

Hi Ron,

Speaking of  "come across out of place" it's a good spot to start really looking. For example, about 1976 I'm driving on hwy 299 in Trinity Co., Ca., along this creek. I stop in a wide spot to take a leak. Go behind a row of willow trees and standing there looking up the bank about 12 feet I see this piece of metal banding sticking out of the dirt about 1 foot below the top of the bank. "Welllll" I'm thinking. I go around and climb up the bank and pull out the metal band. It was like one of the bands around a wooden keg for nails or whatever. I start looking around and see this trench dug into the bank just up the hill a little. I go in there to the end, about 20 feet, and I'm just kicking around at the end of the trench in the leaves and I'm kicking out old rotten pieces of limbs. I notice that they are all leaning up against the end of the trench. Now I'm really interested. I pull all the limbs and leaves and fallen dirt back and now there are rocks stacked up. OH CARP!!! I'm thinking... I pull back the rocks and there is a cast iron stove taken apart and stacked up against the end of the trench. It's all there. Beautiful designs all around. About 14 inches wide, two round plates on top, about 30 inches long and about 2 feet high. I take it home and buy new rods, bolts etc. cuz they were all rusted beyond use. Gave it to my mom and she had it in her yard in a flower bed.  It was a beautiful stove.  Someone stole it!!  That stove musta been hid there for over 50 years. Would like to know the story behind it.

Posted By RONALD PETERSON on 07 Dec 2015 12:28 PM

     Kevin, are other questions allowed on this forum such as on dry camping, preparing for an outing, putting together a check list, safety, using maps, etc., besides just mining and prospecting.

 

     Here is one for the metal detector and relic hunters. When one comes across out of place plant life that should not be growing in that area, like fruit trees, this is a good indicator that you have stumbled on an old mining camp or homestead. The buildings and the people might be gone but the plant life lives on.             Ron

Hi Kevin ... Great idea to have a separate sub forum ... always willing to learn a bit more from others and hopefully I will be able to add a few tidbits of my own from time to time. Really looking forward to the new season playing with my GPZ7000 and SDC2300 ... Not much time on the GPZ yet but I think I have the SDC figured out until it throws a curve at me!

Mike

hello kevin, missed you at burnt river, they made me do the detecting class, i have me 2300 now, when i was trying one in az last winter i was not picking up hot rocks, i am picking them up here at home, havent worked much off of 2, should i go up or down to help, have found one nugget with it already, going to az mid febuary to meet up with allen trees for a couple of weeks, cant wait, dave billings

Mike,

I have only found one spot that I lowered the timing to one. It cleared up all of the ground noise instantly and I found a couple of little nuggets. For the most part it handles everything I throw at it and I found that I spend more tine moving the SDC up into the normal range for most of my detecting. Hunting in 4 a few days ago at Rich Hill in a hot but consistent area with the threshold up a bit. Just takes me back to the days of the SD-2000. Little noise but finding good gold. 

Always feel free to jump in.

 

 

 

Posted By MICHAEL FURNESS on 10 Dec 2015 05:59 PM

Hi Kevin ... Great idea to have a separate sub forum ... always willing to learn a bit more from others and hopefully I will be able to add a few tidbits of my own from time to time. Really looking forward to the new season playing with my GPZ7000 and SDC2300 ... Not much time on the GPZ yet but I think I have the SDC figured out until it throws a curve at me!

Mike

     Stan, I know how you feel about dowsing for I once felt that way also years ago.  After seeing some people that were good at dowsing and buying some books on the subject my way of thinking changed and in 1987 I bought a Carl Anderson dowsing rod.

     The Catholic Church researched dowsing in the 14 Hundreds and give us Bishop's Rule.  Dowsing go's back hundreds of years and was used by the Spaniards and the Chinese.

     I see no harm in someone buying a dowsing rod if they want one.  Not everyone can master the dowsing rod or a metal detector for that matter.

     Keep in mind that there are those that feel that any form of mining should be outlawed, so live and let live comes to mind here.  Happy Holidays         Ron

Posted By Len Solarz on 07 Jan 2016 02:21 PM
Hi Kevin, might you have a form or letter you use to approach a land owner to gain permission to their land to prospect? Friendly but also business like in tone.How do you finesse a good arrangement concerning sharing information? Springs just around the bend here in Minnesota and maybe/maybe not PGE IN them that hills.

Len,
Sorry I do not have a letter that I use. I will find the owners information and if they are anywhere within a travel distance I will call or just knock on a door.
Frankly a unannounced appearances at a door with a introduction card that has my full name, address, phone and email has gotten me onto more property than anything I have even done in the past.
Out of the gate, I never offer any percentage. I share that I am prospecting or relic hunting and would like permission to prospect their property or claim assuring them that I will show them everything I find and if I feel that it is a good enough prospect that I would like to continue working, I would like to sit and discuss a percentage agreement.
Be firm with the owner and NEVER negotiate a deal for property before you have prospected. It sets a expectation with the owner that there is something there of value and could be a complete waste of your time if the land is a bust.
If you hit a Motherload or even if you don't and you still want to work the property, put on the poker face before sitting down at the table. If you are overly excited about what you found the owner will want a higher percentage or they may decide to "shop" your offer with others.
When you come to an agreement on a percentage basis always do the split with the owner present and always be calm. The more excited you are the more the owner will question his deal.

It is business pure and simple. Keep it that way and have fun.

hey Kevin, how about coming to michigan for an Upper Penninsula weekend of gold mining on the shores of lake superior? the cadillac chapter would love to see and hang out with you!! getting the fine gold here in michigan is a very tough challenge, you game!!??

Posted By Jonathan Sever on 19 Jan 2016 09:39 AM

hey Kevin, how about coming to michigan for an Upper Penninsula weekend of gold mining on the shores of lake superior? the cadillac chapter would love to see and hang out with you!! getting the fine gold here in michigan is a very tough challenge, you game!!??

It is a matter of scheduling for me. I'll talk it over with the group and see if I can make something work out this season.

Best regards,

Kevin

Kevin, that would be awesome! And if you make it happen , i will def. be there. what an experience it would be.!! thank you for all you do for us prospectors!!