Gold: Panning, Prospecting, Treasure Hunting
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AladainAF
Best Rabbit
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Tuco
I got Tuco'd!
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Why gold? Why not copper? And if you're getting copper, why take it raw from the earth like a caveman?
The real panning is urban panning where you go to abandoned (or temporarily abandoned, 5 minutes of abandonment is enough in Ricky's book) buildings and pull copper pipes and cables from the wall. And you don't need more equipment than a shopping cart, sledgehammer, crowbar and bolt cutters. Plus there are frequently expert pan-handlers near the dig sites that will help you for a box of wine and other similar supplies.
The real panning is urban panning where you go to abandoned (or temporarily abandoned, 5 minutes of abandonment is enough in Ricky's book) buildings and pull copper pipes and cables from the wall. And you don't need more equipment than a shopping cart, sledgehammer, crowbar and bolt cutters. Plus there are frequently expert pan-handlers near the dig sites that will help you for a box of wine and other similar supplies.
Adebisi
Clump of Cells
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Adebisi
Clump of Cells
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Is that because Canada no longer uses pennies and all the old copper pennies now have been re-purposed to copper pipes?
nyuk nyuk nyuk
tad10
Elisha Dushku
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I'm semi-retired from the law-talking business these days and one thing I've started doing in my spare time is prospecting for gold or silver in Nevada and California.
It's a great way to spend a two-week 'vacation' - lovely country (especially if you like deserts, and I do) - there are lots of places to look, it is decent exercise and bonus there actually is gold and silver still to be found on public lands in those two states.
The best beginning book I've found is 'Stake your Claim' by Mark Silva it's not great but it is one of the few books that properly explains the 'township system'. The most difficult part of prospecting isn't going out and digging for ore with a pick and shovel, it's figuring out your location so you can stake a legal claim. There is an entirely separate system for locating position (the township system) that is used for mining claims, and if you don't use that system in your claim notice then your claim notice is void.
If for some reason you are ignorant of US Mining Law, under a still valid 1872 statute, any US Citizen has the right to prospect for valuable minerals (gold, silver, copper, etc - but not oil or gas or sand) on government land as long as that land is not being used (so military bases and GSA property is out), and if you find a valuable mineral you can stake a claim to that mineral lode, though your claim is limited to about 20 acres However, you can link up with other people to get control of up to 160 acres.(there are variations and nuances to all this but this is a good thumbnail).
Here's an example of a BLM township map for an area in Nevada:
Nevada Bureau of Land Management
All that area with nothing on it is open to prospecting for this particular quad.
As Mark Twain says: every man should prospect once in life. On the chance that one of you yokels has prospected more than I have, I'd be interested in an pointers.
It's a great way to spend a two-week 'vacation' - lovely country (especially if you like deserts, and I do) - there are lots of places to look, it is decent exercise and bonus there actually is gold and silver still to be found on public lands in those two states.
The best beginning book I've found is 'Stake your Claim' by Mark Silva it's not great but it is one of the few books that properly explains the 'township system'. The most difficult part of prospecting isn't going out and digging for ore with a pick and shovel, it's figuring out your location so you can stake a legal claim. There is an entirely separate system for locating position (the township system) that is used for mining claims, and if you don't use that system in your claim notice then your claim notice is void.
If for some reason you are ignorant of US Mining Law, under a still valid 1872 statute, any US Citizen has the right to prospect for valuable minerals (gold, silver, copper, etc - but not oil or gas or sand) on government land as long as that land is not being used (so military bases and GSA property is out), and if you find a valuable mineral you can stake a claim to that mineral lode, though your claim is limited to about 20 acres However, you can link up with other people to get control of up to 160 acres.(there are variations and nuances to all this but this is a good thumbnail).
Here's an example of a BLM township map for an area in Nevada:
Nevada Bureau of Land Management
All that area with nothing on it is open to prospecting for this particular quad.
As Mark Twain says: every man should prospect once in life. On the chance that one of you yokels has prospected more than I have, I'd be interested in an pointers.
Kiroy
Marine Biologist
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I looked into this a bit a couple years ago in California and figured out pretty quickly all the remotely decent spots are staked, but there is a lot of state /fed park land you can prospect on and if your fit you have a pretty big leg up. Most panners I see on state lands are pretty old and fat and stay near their car / camp. If you can hike up/downstream a good ways you can find some good spots. I've done it a few times and had fun finding little flakes, nothing big but I wasn't really trying hard and don't know what I'm doing.
Now if you can figure out how to get a claim, or buy one out, then you can bring in real equipment, but I gotta imagine Nevada is way less regulated than California on what equipment you can use.
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tad10
Elisha Dushku
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Yes, I primarily prospect in Nevada way, way less regulated, and the state has a much better website for downloading standard forms and etc. I lode prospect, so I don't pan (not that NV is known for its rivers) or otherwise look for placer gold. Basically Nevada has historically had huge lode finds (both the largest and second largest silver strikes in history were in Nevada, and it's not bad for gold either) and has a lot of completely unexplored land, so....
With respect to tools, you can't use heavy equipment in National Parks or Forests but Pick and Shovel are legal under the statute (they aren't considered to 'disturb the environment' or whatever the exact language is).
Even if you don't do it seriously, you should know the law surrounding it and how to stake a proper claim, so if you ever do find something on a backroads hiking trip in the West you can do something about it.
tad10
Elisha Dushku
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Nevada is very, very large - Nye County alone is roughly the size of Massachusetts . And while parts of it have been completely explored, I can't imagine others getting more than glances.
However, it is very much Minecraft-In-Real-Life. Per your point, I assume that the surface has been cursorily surveyed so I pick a spot and dig and see what's up. I only prospect in areas close to previous finds so I'm not wandering the desert with a donkey and randomly picking at rocks.
