Prospecting & Detecting
Cherry-Picking for Gold Nuggets
November 2021 by Ray Mills
We have a location where nuggets over an ounce have been detected over the past twenty years. This location is a small hilltop on which an ancient river channel once flowed.
Twenty Minutes on a Five-inch Dredge
The first thing I realized was this was not a toy—this thing had power and I needed to really pay attention. I got into position, took a deep breath, and pushed that monster into the hard pack.
Butte County: Another Mother Lode Favorite
There are so many places in this region to discuss that one article won’t be enough to cover it all, so I’ll focus on a couple of places that we found interesting while searching for gold.
On the Road
Heading to the sierra for another adventure! On The Road Again..
Successful Rally for Suction Dredge Miners in Idaho
Representative Paul Shepherd stopped by, and Idaho County Commissioner Jim Chmelik dove with one of the dredgers so he could see for himself that no harm was being done to fish or their habitat.
Divide and Conquer—Detecting Old Placer Grounds with Friends
He no sooner had turned around and started moving when I hollered again that I had another nice one.
Drywashing for Desert Gold—Part I
If you have a bad case of gold fever like me, then it’s nice to know that you can get some of that pretty yellow metal almost any time of the year, wet or dry.
Ophir—Possibly the Best Kept Secret in Alaska—Part II
I knew the nuggets got into the nugget patch somehow, I just had to figure out how and from what direction they came.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - What is “flotation” and what type of assay do I need?
• Ask The Experts - Easier way to break down compacted clays?
• Ask The Experts - Where can I get geological maps?
• Ask The Experts - Is there gold under the old cobble piles?
• Ask The Experts - Can you help me understand the gold deposition in this area of Wyoming?
• Building A Portable Gold Mill
• Using A Blasting Machine in Rock Breaking
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Tangling With A Desert Monster
• Another Prospecting Adventure: Coulterville
• Seven Important Attitudes for the Successful Prospector
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices