Trouble finding "pay-dirt", any help appreciated!

Huelten

Full Member
Nov 22, 2013
101
77
Oregon
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
This may seem like an extremely open ended question, and im sure it is without pictures or videos, but im having trouble finding gold bearing dirt. When the gold resides in the stream i can find it no problem, im fairly good at that and knowing what to look for IN the stream. But im in a new claim where there really is no considerable gold in the stream itself. I noticed an area about 20 feet above the waterline where people had been digging previously. (its a mining club claim) So i stuck my shovel in there Thursday morning and ran 8 buckets as a test. I pulled out about 4 nice pieces including my first ever picker, which ill attach a picture of. So i went back today to kill that spot. i ran 15 buckets and got one spec of flour gold out of it... :icon_scratch: So i moved up the stream and ran about 15 more buckets from a hillside, got about 10 specks. Test pans everywhere came up empty. I know there is good gold there im just not sure how to find it. So, to my question. If anyone can help me learn what to look for in these kinds of situations, anything that could help or links to good videos or articles explaining this type of prospecting. im attaching a picture of the area im in, not a great one but gives a little reference

picker.jpg Spot.jpg
 

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goldenIrishman

Silver Member
Feb 28, 2013
3,465
6,151
Golden Valley Arid-Zona
Detector(s) used
Fisher / Gold Bug AND the MK-VII eyeballs
Primary Interest:
Other
Huelten,

If possible, get up high and look down at the terrain. Satellite images will only go so far. Getting eyes on the land in person from above and then boots on the ground will go a long way towards helping you to find a/the pay streak. Try to see it as it WAS hundreds of years ago. Rivers and streams change their courses over time. Also do some research into the mining history of that area. Look for old tailings in strange places etc. Sometimes you really have to think outside the box.
 

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