Prospecting & Detecting
Old Patch, New Detector
March 2017 by Ray Mills
I have been detecting the area on and off since I discovered it. Every time I bought a new detector it was the first place I went to.
Trying Out the New Highbanker
The 2011 gold season had finally got underway on the Middle Fork of the Feather River near Quincy, California. Cold weather and high water had pushed gold mining into mid-summer, but things were looking up.
The Black Diamond of the Forest
Hearty trees, shrubs and plants are a product of the soil conditions in which they grow, so it makes sense that roots near an ore deposit will take on nutrients containing metals if they are present.
Good Assays and Bad
The high prices for gold and silver are exciting and certainly have revolutionized the prospecting and mining scene. New interest in gold and silver mining is springing up from every corner, from individual prospectors armed with gold pans to exploration and mining companies working to set up multimillion dollar commercial operations producing hundreds of thousands of ounces per year. The idea of getting riches from rocks is one that motivates a lot of folks all over the globe. It’s an exciting time, but this excitement brings out another side...
Prospector's Guide to Rock Breaking and Blasting
The holes were overloaded with explosives, but I didn’t know it. I was just a green mining engineer fresh out of school and told to watch as the experienced miners set the charge.
Feather River Gold
I didn’t think too much of our dredge hole and we were both considering a move when we hit bedrock. There was a good quantity of flakes and fines, but no nuggets.
Volume is the Key to Success
While recovery rates are important, they must necessarily be secondary to the volume of material processed. Running more material at lower recovery rates is generally preferable to increasing the efficiency of the system.
Are There Any Good Prospects Left?
This type of thinking will get you discouraged pretty fast, and soon all of your mining equipment will be found gathering dust in your garage.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Ask The Experts: Can you review the differences in dry washers?
• Ask The Experts: Will this detector work for me?
• Ask The Experts: Nickel assays
• Ask The Experts: Potential for developing magnesite deposit
• Our Readers Say
• Selectable Frequency vs Multi Frequency Detectors
• All About Chalcopyrite
• Detecting Alluvial Bench Deposits -- Pt II
• The Goldfield Mining District -- Then and Now
• Nevada's Lithium Boom
• Over The Divide: James H Harrand & Daniel Yesberger
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
