That’s a great question. I think there are very few honest claim salespeople out there. I have been doing the same and I just joined landmatters.org and researching it. For an older person like myself I can’t afford to be ripped off. I think the best way is put on some boots to start and go for some hikes.

Thanks-I agree that many could be scammers. But I keep reading the forum where the coordinates don't match on claims, the directions are wrong, etc etc. I'm older now also and just dont want to deal with a lot of hassle. I just want want to swing a few and have some fun. Good luck

Last fall, my cousin leased claims in AZ sight unseen. We went to verify them. We tested them all as a favor. No gold on any.
This year we have been in Montana testing more that he bought sight unseen. No gold on these either, & one of them has been sold to 2 other people. All were very difficult to get to, as well. We have one left to finish testing here, but so far, nothing. He paid $65,000 for this one.
Advice, recreational prospect on BLM, club claims or stake your own.

Has anyone had a long hard talk with the cousin to wake him up from this behavior? Any claim being advertised for sale should be treated as "suspect", as there is no valid reason to sell a claim which has good gold on it. Only exception if it was from a prospector selling due to hardship or similiar issue which can be vetted. There is a guy in Ohio selling claims who happens to be a school teacher, never a prospector, selling claims in CA and NV.

Got my answer in spades--thanks guys. I just joined a club in Tuson to supplement my GPAA claims. I'll save my money.

Rick T

I finally got it thru my thick skull. Lol. I’ll be traveling to GPAA claims. I almost bit but my wife just came down with a bad illness that’s cut me down to earth and I will be spending all the time I can with her while I can. A few prayers out there to help would be appreciated. Always going to be someone out there to take your money but friends like you and then something to grab you by the seat of your pants and slap you around a little is a hard way to wake up. Thanks folks.

Yes. Our prayers are with you & your wife. We use a GPS to make sure we are on BLM land. A quick phone call to the BLM & they can tell you what claims are closed (available to hunt) in the area you want to hunt.

If the BLM in AZ is anything like CA
I would suggest more research than just "a quick call to BLM"
They are very far behind posting claim information
I dont know, but would bet you wont get good information from BLM
If you do contact BLM and speak to a live person, get names, badge numbers, offices they work, time of calls
I have experienced BLM speaking with forked tongue

Just sayin

Bill

I was under the impression staked and active claims must be properly marked and staked/signed in order to deemed valid and enforceable to trespassing/claim jumping?

Is this true? Also can you even still stake your own claims anymore? If so how much of a hassle is it?

I know of some people here in Nebraska that travel to South Dakota and Colorado and mine wherever is not visibly staked/signed and swear as long as they are on BLM or National Forest land its all on the up and up but they cannot provide me anymore detail then that?

Also when buying or considering buying a claim, what research and due diligence should be done to verify the claim?

I assume alot of the ones online and on eBay are speculators moreso in to turn a quick buck but that doesn't mean they are all terrible..... I think alot of people see 20acre mining claim and buy it thinking they can build on that claim and then end up dumping them cheap when they get with the reality that they are not buildable liveable property. Moreso just mineral rights to a piece of otherwise public land.

Matt-
It can depend on which state you are in. Here in Oregon, if the claim boundary follows "legal survey lines", ie., the SW 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 5, you are not required to put up corner markers. However it can still be a good idea to do so. You should also put up the claim signs in visible locations that have at least the claim name and filing #, ie. the 2 letter state abrevation and MC, for me, ORMC. Try to put them out of reach, sometimes they can disapper faster than you can put them up.

You can still file claims if the ground has not been "withdrawn to mineral entry", and the Fed's hold the mineral rights. Also be aware that in some cases that the Fed's might hold the mineral rights and another entity can hold the surface rights. One of my claims is in that status, half is on USFS ground and half is private timber company. That can add a layer of complexity you might have to work through. You need to have one person for each 20 acres or portion of, up to 8 people/160 acres maximum per claim. Currently the BLM fee is $165.00 per 20 acres or portion thereof for a placer claim, plus a $40.00 processing fee. Every year you either pay the acreage fee or file that you did the assessment work required. You can get a "small miner exemption" if you have 10 claiims or less, and do the assessment work. If you have over 10 claims, you pay the fees. You also have to pay the local county recording fee for the initial filing and for you assessment filings every year. The county recorder is the final word on legality, if not current with the county, not valid. BLM will happily take the $$.

As you noted, a claim only gives you the mineral rights, the public can still camp, hunt, fish, hike, etc. And you are still bound by the nominal 14 day camp period on public land imposed by both USFS and BLM.
There is still ground out there that has gold in some amount that has not been filed. In those cases you or anyone else can legally prospect on it, even if it has been withdrawn. Withdrawn just means that you can't file a claim on it. There are withdrawn areas such as Wilderness that it might not be prudent to do so though.

There are "file and sell" folks out there. If the owner won't allow you to go out and sample the claim in several spots, run fast and far. You have to do your homework and be sure that there are not current claims on what you want, BLM will take the overfile, than tell you it's a civil matter that you have to straighten out.