Prospecting & Detecting
Gold in Unlikely Places—And 'Eating Crow'
October 2020 by Don Robinson
The red dot on the diagram points out where the gravels there were also carrying, but not as much color. The gold was sparse below the point indicated.
A New Prospecting Spot
Once indicators start showing up along or below a contact I start to get excited. When I have shale, and outcroppings of diorite with iron-red, gritty soil and some clay thrown in, I really get lightheaded. I may be a mile away from the nearest diggings but that’s okay. I just found a spot that could provide some nice nugget hunting.
Gold Deposits of Montana
Historically, Montana has been an important gold producer, in terms of both lodes and placers, and it still produces gold for the prospector today.
The Heavy Minerals in Your Concentrates
The fact that mineral deposits can contribute specific types of heavy minerals is why the analysis of the heavy mineral concentrates in the streams of an area can be an important prospecting technique for finding undiscovered mineral deposits.
Using Favorable Rock Types to Find More Gold
The more experienced prospectors know these lesser known spots are the types of places where big finds are still made.
Revisiting an Old Mine in Idaho Reaps Rewards
Our research indicated this whole area had been claimed by Newmont mining company for several years, but when the price of gold dropped they let the claims expire, and we confirmed this with the local BLM office.
A High Country Patch
As he was working near the extreme low end of the ground sluicing, I heard a yell through my headphones. Making my way down to him I could see the smile from a long distance.
Fountain of Youth Gold
Across and downstream of our operation was a large pile of huge boulders. It was logical to think that water forces may have deposited gold in and around these boulders. We moved our dredge over and started pulling the rock pile apart.
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The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts - Too early to build the crusher?
• Ask The Experts - Time for small mine exemptions
• Ask The Experts - Should I be checking the culverts for gold?
• Sniping for Gold—The Next Best Thing to Dredging
• Hard Rock 101: Advanced Micro Blasting
• Now Is The Time For Exploration
• From Iowa to Alaska—How I Became A Gold Miner
• Jamestown and Our Mother Lode Gold Rush Adventures
• Why Assaying Placer Gold Deposits Doesn't Work
• Gold Prospecting for Better or Worse: Those Blasted Boulders!
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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