Prospecting & Detecting
Tips for Detecting Nugget Patches
April 2015 by Fred Mason
Find of a Lifetime
My metal detecting hobby began about ten years ago when I bought a used metal detector for about $300. I got it specifically to look for meteorites. It was pretty much worthless, not user friendly, and I did not find anything with it.
Excavator Testing Wet Placer Ground
The excavator or backhoe has become the tool of choice for testing placer ground. These machines are the best way to explore and sample a placer deposit if the ground is not too wet or frozen and bedrock is not beyond the reach of the machine.
California State and US National Gold Panning Championships
This was two days of gold panning, with just over 250 gold panners trying to win a medal to show they were one of the best of the best.
Old Patch, New Detector
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.
Finding Gold in Tailing Piles
Old mine workings and tailing piles can represent opportunities on many levels, from the chance to simply find a nugget on up to the commercial reworking of the old tailings for profit.
The Fine Art of Panning Heavy Sands
The fine art of panning heavy sands requires a measure of patience. If you enjoy panning gold, you ought to enjoy this too, once you get the hang of it.
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.
Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill
• Our Readers Say
• Ask The Experts
• Ask The Experts
• Exploring Snakehead
• One of the Richest Beaches Ever Mined
• Prospecting for Gold in Baja California
• What's All This Talk About Mining Districts?
• The Power of Mining Districts
• What is a Mining Right?
• The Gold, Silver and Base Metal Mines of Eureka, Nevada
• Jadeite in California
• Mining Stock Quotes and Mineral & Metal Prices
• State Lends Help to County in Nevada Road Fight
• Melman on Gold & Silver
• Utah Approves funds to Fight Feds
