Prospecting & Detecting
Cold Water Gold
December 2011 by Tom Leftwich
It was June 2011, and my wife Fran and I with Grandson Lucas and good friend Ernie Cruz were attempting to get to our gold mining claim on the Middle Fork of the Feather River about ten miles from Quincy, California. Rain had poured down in the previous few days and the road in a large number of low places was under water. Following two hours of slugging through the mud...Becoming a Successful Detectorist
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.
Turning Hobby Mining into Business Mining
The first thing a person should do is seriously consider whether they want to go mining as a hobby or a business, and the tax implications of the choice.
An Interview with Minelab Engineer Mark Lawrie
The design of metal detectors well-suited for prospecting is an interesting process and not necessarily an easy one to achieve. It is a combination that blends the desires of what prospectors would like, the requirements of sales people and dealers, with the science and physics of what the electronics can achieve.
The PIGMI—a DIY Crevice Tool
I’ve had great success using it to gather gold from crevices. I’d like to share the design with all of you gold miners reading this article and hope that you get as much satisfaction building and using it as I did.
Detecting: Small Creek Yields Good Gold
Most of our gold recoveries have been in the cracks of the bedrock. Hot rocks in the form of dikes cross the creek at various locations, causing us to skip those areas.
Nevada's Lithium Boom
When prospecting for lithium, after confirming for macro attributes through research and field work, including examination of surface geology, the main tool is an accurate lithium assay.
Secrets of Successful Prospecting
Winter is the time for research, and if you haven’t already done some research to find new places to prospect, now is the time to cram in some last minute research before the good weather arrives.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Our Readers Say
• Ask the Experts—Looking up mining claims on the Internet
• Ask the Experts—Access to mining claim across private land
• Ask the Experts—Best way to identify calaverite and sylvanite
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• WSGS Releases New Geologic Maps
• Prospecting on the North Yuba
• Yesterday's Gold—Today's Mine
• Where to Find Gold in Indiana
• Prospecting Australia—Part III Anatomy of a Nugget Patch in Western Australia
• Nevada Miners: Check Your Claim Markers
• Managers at Fault for Two Deaths at Meikle Mine
• River Dredging vs. Creek Dredging—Part I
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
Free:
Ask the Experts—How do you determine how far a piece of gold has traveled in a stream?
• Testing Ores for Free Gold
