Prospecting & Detecting
Becoming a Successful Detectorist
May 2017 by Rod Fitzhugh
During my adventures I’ve learned a few key best practices that help me to consistently find gold nuggets with my detectors. You can apply many of these best practices to any type of prospecting. These best practices are really common sense; however, they are easy to neglect.
Prospecting Research
These are just some of the ways I have been able to find new spots to metal detect for gold.
Using Geologic Publications to Discover Collecting Sites
I understand that a person without geological knowledge could be daunted reading a geological publication. You can pick out the good stuff from a geological publication without a lot of geological knowledge.
Prospecting and Mining Old Mine Sites
In some places valuable ores can be found within the waste material of mine dumps, sorted ore piles, and detrital vein matter at the surface. Though many of these old mine sites can be an excellent source of gold, not all are created equal.
Detecting My Way Across Australia—Pt II
It was round and I thought it was a dirty piece of lead shot, but after feeling the weight and giving it a spit-cleaning I knew I had one! Small as the nugget was, I felt happy and gratified for my little success
Advantages of Modern Prospectors
Modern-day placer miners have many advantages over the prospectors of the gold rush days. Our prospectors can reap many benefits from accumulated knowledge of the last 100 to 150 years, which is a long and impressive list.
Who Jumped Whose Claim First?
At this point, stress raised my blood pressure and I was figuring out escape routes through the brush, but thought it best to continue the conversation.
Scams, Scammers and Schemes
Gold mining has received many black eyes from many scams, scammers and schemes throughout the years. Unscrupulous scammers have swindled naive people for millions of dollars in the past and will, no doubt, continue into the future.
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• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Ask The Experts: How many claims can I file in Arizona?
• Ask The Experts: What should I do with a large amount of old placer concentrates?
• Shaker Tables for Processing Hard Rock Ores
• Hand Panning Micro-Fine Gold
• Sampling, Hydro-Shocking & Cleaning Quartz-Gold Specimens
• My Lucky Thirteen Nuggets
• Crushing, Grinding and Pulverizing
• A Break in the Weather
• From the Editor
• Prospecting Knowledge -- Pass It On!
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• Over The Divide: Miles John Mitchell
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