Prospecting & Detecting
Following Man-Made Ditches to Recover More Gold
February 2020 by Ray Mills
Because of multiple take-out points along a ditch line, the ditches themselves become a wealth of knowledge to us present-day miners.
Gold Dredging on Oregon's South Umpqua
Familiarizing oneself with an unfamiliar part of the country is often a requirement of successful gold prospecting. In the pursuit of gold, it may become necessary for a prospector to branch out into new hunting grounds.
Coprolite—A Prospector's Tale
Gold nuggets come in all forms, but I never expected that dinosaur nuggets would too, and at a decent price.
Return to Chicken, Alaska
I figured it would be quite conservative of me to shoot for about four ounces of gold instead of the twelve ounces I had found in 2013.
Looking for that Hidden Placer
I detect in a wide array of situations. I like to search for places that no one has been to. I really like to find areas that have never been worked at all.
A Few Methods for Sampling Hardrock Deposits
With a little homework and a methodical approach to sampling, a prospector can determine if a deposit is worthy of more of an investment...
Drywashing for Fine Gold
When working fine gold placers with a drywasher, there are some natural variables that can be beneficial as well as others that can be a hindrance to achieving good recovery.
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.
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The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - Can you explain how caliche forms?
• Ask The Experts - How does gold form?
• Ask The Experts - Do you think it’s realistic for a detectorist to recover a couple of ounces per week if working full time?
• Ask The Experts - Can you suggest proper discrimination settings for my detector?
• Time to Stake Your Own Mining Claim
• A Day On The Yuba River
• Determining The Optimal Crushing Size for Gravity Recovery
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: The Pains of Prospecting
• To Foam or Not to Foam
• Sixteen to One Gold Mine: Going Underground - Pt II
• All About Native Silver
• Internet Forum Gold
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
