I've been a member for about 9 years in the GPAA and a member of LDMA for about 2 years. My wife and I have only been to the claims in Kern county Ca. and the claims in the southern part of Gold country, Columbia, Sonora and Stanislaus river. We have found gold in all of them, but just like everyone else, we didn't find OZS. What we did find was beautiful country, great exercise, nice people and some gold! We always say... "It's more than we had, but less than we wanted." We have found enough gold to make to make us happy and had a Damn good time doing it. I have a friend that I take with me on some of the trips to the Keysville area. When he started he use to scoop up the dirt by the bucket full and want me to run it in my recirculating sluice. I explained that it's not how much dirt you move, but what dirt you move. Keep trying, get better at reading dry washes, creeks and rivers, improve your panning, set your sluice up correctly and last but not least ask some of these old timers for info and help.

Why don't you get with a chapter and talk to one of their mentors they can make the learning easier. The ones I know are always helping people learn where to find gold

I have been to three Claims in Southern California this year, and I always find some color. Not sure where you are prospecting. You can always choose to find your own claims or purchase one, I have done both, and yes the claims that I own produce more gold than GPAA shared claims. I do not believe any recreational miner can make any money at this hobby. I really only joined to support our love of the hobby, and this club.

My wife and I always always find gold on the claims if I metal detecting three or four hours and come up dry we get out the dry washer and start shoveling buckets classify classify classify run the buckets run the buckets run the buckets then we take it home and clean up are concentrates always always always find gold. May not be detectable with a metal detector or too much trash in the area dry wash if you come up empty but make sure you have the knowledge of where to dry wash where to dig education of geology is a very very big thing in this recreational sport if you don't have the knowledge you're going to come up empty every time

I've been a member of GPAA for many years, in fact, I was originally the 486th member of GPAA. I was friends with George Massey from when our children were youngsters. I think you dropped your end of the stick if you did not get a Mining Guide. I have had several over the years and kept them all until my home burned. I have a current one and have found many properties to be good places to go and do small scale mining. Perhaps you have had bad luck or maybe you just have not learned how to do gold recovery yet. I do know that I have never had a deaf ear turned towards me anytime that I have ever contacted the GPAA home office, they have always been very courteous and prompt to respond to any request. As for the claims not only have I found gold on the claims in the MG I have used the guide to point me in the right direction to develop my own places to mine from private landowners who allowed me to pan on their property. I've made some new friends that way as well as gotten some new folks into our ranks. So all in all you are either really unlucky or you want to be spoon-fed, Be a man step up to the plate and call the home office when there is a problem and let them know so that they can rectify the problem, as for the mining, team up with someone and see if they can give you a few pointers. Remember it's like fishing, In fishing, it's called fishing not CATCHING! Likewise, it is Panning, Not Gold Grabbing! There is not gold in every pan, but if you don't get water and dirt in your pan you'll never get any gold in there. I do not know of your proficiency at panning gold, I do know it takes some people more practice than it does others to become proficient. I have taught many folks both old and young to pan, the easiest way I know to learn to be proficient is to get a small tub fill it 3/4 full of water, get a bag of play sand from Home Depot or similar, buy a pack of lead or steel shot or BB's put about a cup of sand into your pan add 10 or 12 BBs or shot start panning in your tub you should be able to recover 80 to 90% of the BBs or Shot the first time keep at it until you are able to get them all as easily and as quickly as possible. Since Gold is at least 19 times heavier than these shot or BBs it won't take long to get good at recovering all of the shot or BBs and you can be sure that if you are getting all of them then you will be getting Gold if it is there! In fact, more than once while teaching someone to pan there has been both black sand and even a few pieces of Gold in the pan that came right out of that play sand from the Home Depot. So keep trying, or consider that maybe Gold panning is not for you and find something else that you can do in the great outdoors because that's what it is all about anyways is getting out and enjoying ourselves, and even getting some exercise while we enjoy the great outdoors. Laurin "Swamp~Fox"

I also worked a few claims and found some gold but most times if there a road or easy entry it will be worked also by non members that sneak in
So try looking for new areas to work
Do the research and test then if it passes your gold requirements then tell us to check it out
This is how we all can add new claims to the group
With our members looking for new claims we can add
We can keep good grounds for our club

Out here in western Colorado the majority of what we have is "flour" gold, our streams and washes have a decent supply of gold, silver, platinum, lead, zinc, and tin among other base metals, and they are not hard to find IF your not looking for the stuff you see on TV. And it takes a lot of practice to recover it, our club was doing panning demos/classes at a historical day at one of the local museum sites using claim dirt, one smartass brat challenged me as to where the gold came from, I told him that "you are walking on $20 worth with every step you take anywhere", well he insisted I prove it to him, sooo I took a mortar trowel and a finish pan out to the driveway, did a quick dowse, and scooped up about a cup full of dirt, took it back and panned out about 100 small flakes, his eyes got big, he was with me so he knew I hadn't put any in there to start, he apologized for doubting what I told him. One little gal said she would like to go panning while dad was fishing but they couldn't buy any pans or screens, I smiled and told her the Good Lord gave her 2 pans to sample with, reached down into a tub and pulled up handful of material and showed her how to hand-pan, big eyes and smiles were everywhere, including some of our old hands, when I rolled off the dirt and the palm of my hand just glistened a rainbow of color.
As I tell people, "gather up the wife, kids, cat, dog, and camper and go out for a weekend, if you find a few flakes then "WOW we found some gold", if not then "WOW we had a great weekend of good family time together" . A win-win situation no matter what". Just my 2 cents worth of humble opinion.
Chuck S

I went out to my first GPAA claim a week ago. Isolated and not a soul to be seen. Saw very small specks in the pan but so small it would not spearate in the pan from the sand. Needless to say the GF and I enjoyed the peace and quiet as much as the panning. No complaints here.

Agree with you. The only thing I really got out of any of this is a gold pan. I found gold lots of other places but never on a claim from this group

What are some of the claims that people are getting skunked at?

There might be a member who has found gold on them that can guide where to look.

Sorry to hear your so disappointed!
I’m a greenhorn, been out 3 times on the GPAA claims. I found gold all 3 times!!
I studied a lot before my first outing and used my new knowledge to find the shiny.

The gold is out there.
Like others have said, there’s hard work involved, it’s not just sitting there.
Good luck on your future outings

I was in Stanton About 5 months ago in slaughter creek and found gold. I don’t know many other places that have been more panned over than that little patch of desert. It’s all about knowing where the gold isn’t that helps find where it is. Kevin H is constantly doing articles about where to look.

Like others I have always found the GPAA/LDMA staff in the office very accommodating and helpful. Hopefully you can give them a call to get a book. I don’t doubt they will lend a hand.

I’d even suggest attending a couple chapter meetings if that’s possible. I was on a GPAA claim finding nothing and attended a meeting asked a couple local guys who been around a while. They gave me very insightful information which lead me to to a spot I worked for quite a while. I go back every once in a while it’s been worked over but I still managed to find gold.

Hopefully this helps
CS

I don't know about crappy I have been skunked on a claim or two but I have found some color It is work and doesn't come easy..

You have to remember this could be the Chris Kelley from Bering Sea Gold that has a bad attitude guys? LOL!!!

LMAO
If it is Chris, I hope he left his dad and brother in AK
What a dirt bag his dad is

Bill

You know for the small annual fee to be a member, not sure how anyone can complain, I found gold on three of the claims in So Cal, never a lot but great practice. If your expecting to retire on GPAA claims your delusional. I own two claims of my own and they produce. This is hobby-club, I am happy with my membership.

I think weve all been places and found little or no gold. My favorite place to prospect has yet to yield a spec. But i did find a old penny..... other interesting bits. Caught tons of fish and enjoy being out there...

I guess my point is that you shouldnt get discouraged. Ive never been to a GPAA claim as we dont currently have any in PA.. i hope we get a claim even if it doesnt have much gold... just for the camping... meeting others. Seeing various equipment and techniques..

The GPAA doesnt and shouldnt put gold in the creeks for us to find.. but they provide properties for camping.. prospecting.. resources.. .

Best of luck to you and I hope you dont give up. Im sure there is gold out there just waiting for you to find it.

Stuart,
When Members reach out to me saying they have continually been skunked on a claim the first place I go, the Online Mining Guide.
Now, not every claim has reviews on prospecting but it is surprising that the vast majority of the claims that do have reviews are the ones that others are having a hard time finding gold on.
Most will admit that they saw a good review or photos of gold and headed out the door. Mostly without reading the particulars about the area that the members are sharing.
i.e. I got a call from a member that was livid after going out to the Vulture Bait Claims here in AZ. He had read parts of the reviews but not the details and looked at the photos of the gold and was angry at everyone of us that had posted gold when he had been there a number of times with NOTHING TO SHOW FOR IT. (yes he was yelling at me.)
I asked his where he was working and the response was "In the wash!" I then asked him to log onto the Online and we went through the prospecting reviews in detail starting with mine that simply said "Stay out of the wash" and others that said the same thing and why. The next time he went out (after reading every word of every report) GOLD in the poke.
Prospecting is prospecting open the tool box and use all the tools needed to fix the skunk.

No member is alone in this, there are:
10's of 1,000's of other GPAA Members,
GPAA Chapters,
2 mining guides (print and online),
Forums,
2 publications
Hundreds of videos and,
GPAA staff
All with members helping members, become better prospectors.





Stuart Brough on 28 Aug 2019 10:05 AM
What are some of the claims that people are getting skunked at?

There might be a member who has found gold on them that can guide where to look.

In my family, we all grew up motorcycling. I started at 4. I remember my grandpa telling me and the other grandkids, “if you cry, you don’t ride.”

Now 50, I’ve only been prospecting since January. As you’d imagine I get skunked or close to it pretty often.

But it reminds me of learning to ride. Sure there were some spills. Some even hurt. Eventually though it all came together. Now riding is as easy as, or easier than walking.

I expect prospecting will prove to be the same.

Suck it up prospectors. If you cry, you don’t ride.

Well, I’ve been associated with GPAA since 89 when I met Buzzard in Ramona Ca. . As a ex- underground miner and gold panner by then we had an enjoyable talk. I’ve visited many of the guide claims in Ca, Az, AK, CO, SD and Wy.. All had some gold, some had been highly worked, some had been barely worked, like the SD claims. All gave me a chance to try somewhere new while visiting other places. Since I moved back to CO from AK., I find my own locations, hence prospecting, to do serious work but I enjoy the guide and appreciate the people who let us play on their land for a chance when traveling or just to get the lay of the land. The GPAA claim on the Arkansas always has gold, depending on storms and high water you never know what you can find, especially since none of us really tell each other the exact amount we find anywhere- the code of the west!