Prospecting & Detecting
Procuring Mine Owner Permission at a Mine Site
October 2017 by Don Madore
The first experience involved an overgrown gold mine operated during the 1880s. A razed mill adjoined the mine and could be glimpsed from the isolated public dirt road I was traveling.
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...
Nome Offshore Dredging Creates Challenges
The Alaska state government has been trying to keep up with and maybe even stay on top of the situation by studying the problems associated with rapid growth and how to solve them.
Alaskan Gold Adventure
In Chicken I had my first experience with the famous Alaska blue clay, sometimes called the blue layer. The blue layer is where the best fine gold was to be found.
Gold Prospecting: For Better or Worse
We all love to see that first glimmer of gold when it peeks out from under the black sand in our pan, or feel the weight of a nugget in our scoop when we dig a good target. But sometimes things don’t go quite so smoothly.
The Winning Hand
The operation and techniques employed are highly successful in producing free gold with minimal work involved while maintaining an environment protection process through the use of recycled water and a settling pond.
Where Should I Start?
Digging in the right spots will produce excellent results, like this group of nuggets taken by the author while metal detecting during the last few months. The biggest nugget is over an ounce.
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.
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The Bawl Mill
• Legislative and Regulatory Update
• Ask The Experts - Where should I get my geology degree?
• Ask The Experts - How much rock shall I crush to determine the value?
• Placers Directly Associated with Lode Deposits
• Is It Time for a Change? New Ways to Find More Gold
• MMAC Update
• Silverton's Gold
• Champions Crowned at the California State Gold Panning Championships
• Drywashing for Fine Gold
• ICMJ Gold Prospecting and Mining Summit Postponed
• Kennecott Copper Mine, Kennecott, Alaska
• High Prices for Gold, Silver & Copper: What Does it Mean for Prospectors?
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
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Ask The Experts - Is there a standard percentage given to land owners who hold the mineral rights?
