The Birthday Nugget Patch

June 2017 by Fred Mason

Down around 10 or 12 inches I hit a large cobble that appeared to be one type of hot rock for this area. I thought bad things about the new technology until I checked the rock.

California to Allow Suction Dredging in 2019?

June 2018

There are a few questions you will need to ask yourself before you apply for a suction dredge permit from the State Water Resources Control Board.

Swing and a Miss

July 2014
A very good baseball hitter might get a hit roughly one time out of every three at-bats, but for prospectors often the results are much sparser and it may take many trips before the prospector hits a home run.

Digging It Dry

October 2016
I believe dry washing is an underappreciated prospecting method. There are plenty of places where there is some pretty decent gold to be had, but the spot is a long way from any water and dry processing may well be the best way to go.

Gold Deposits of Montana

March 2013
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 “Push” for Gold—The Great Nevada Adventure Continues

February 2018

I got a signal but knew it was small. Still, I was very happy to find something. I continued and got another signal. Yes! A bigger nugget! Then I got another signal.

Pros and Cons of Big Detector Coils

December 2016
Years later I returned with a new detector with a smaller coil and detector technology more sensitive to smaller nuggets. I found my first nugget within five minutes. I had a second five minutes after that.

Wild and Scenic River Prospecting—North Fork of the American River

September 2012
Today it is getting tougher and tougher to find a place to prospect. There is one significant haven left for the small miner...

Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill   • Ask The Experts: What indicator rocks should I be looking for in northern Nevada?   • Ask The Experts: What to do with scheelite   • Ask The Experts: Small-scale drilling   • Quartzsite Gives Up Some Big Gold   • Prospecting After Winter Storms   • How to Stake Your Own Claim—Researching Mining Claims   • MMAC Update   • The Goldfield Mining District, Nevada—Part I   • Volume is the Key to Success   • Getting Started   • Melman on Gold & Silver   • Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices

Free:
Legislative and Regulatory Update