need some help on my numbers

[KiddoTheMiner]

so in my time prospecting(not long)
ive been trying for a goal of 2.5 grams a day
today I made it out for 3 hours and probably dug a hole 1.5 yards in size with some good gold retention in my
homemade fluid trap
so if in 8 hours I can move maybe 4.5 yards of material 2.5 grams of gold is $100/4.5 yards
I need around $22, which I have had no success finding, ive spent entire days sampling gravel bars or working material
and I haven't even got a gram in my season count, so I have to be doing something wrong
ive already come to the assumption that the general area im working doesn't have much gold and I need to move
so I guess im asking what kind of gold do I need per pan or per bucket to reach my goal
also is $22 a yard common or rare in Georgia, do I have unrealistic expectations or is $22 a minimum

any help is appreciated, heavy pans

 

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[Armchair prospector]

Digging a hole doesn't guarantee gold to come out. You will get old real fast, bad back before your time. You got to be smarter than the dirt. You should get on with a trade company, like plumbing as they like to dig holes and trenches. Mc D's isn't going to sustain you forever. Learn a trade become your own boss, then hire someone to work for you while you prospect. That's what I'm doin'

 

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[KevinInColorado]

I can always try to work for that 2.5 grams a day, but thanks kev, but I wanna know your dirt values and material moveage because .12 is like $2(I think), if your shoveling half a yard an hour and getting $10 you should be getting more

Digging a hole doesn't guarantee gold to come out. You will get old real fast, bad back before your time. You got to be smarter than the dirt. You should get on with a trade company, like plumbing as they like to dig holes and trenches. Mc D's isn't going to sustain you forever. Learn a trade become your own boss, then hire someone to work for you while you prospect. That's what I'm doin'

A gram is worth about $40 so my 0.12 gram output is not quite $5...keeps me humble!

I dug ditches for my family's plumbing contracting company for all of my teen years. There are smart ways to swing a shovel and dumb ways - any job can be done well or poorly, safely or dangerously, even a humble thing like ditch digging! Learn how to work hard while respecting your joints/tendons/etc and you'll live to dig another day!

 

[Goodyguy]

Have you considered getting a dredge? Moves a whole lot more material per hour than shoveling plus no need to classify.
I know it's a lot of money for a 15 year old but where there's a will there's a way..........

Best wishes,
GG~

 

[KiddoTheMiner]

Have you considered getting a dredge? Moves a whole lot more material per hour than shoveling plus no need to classify.
I know it's a lot of money for a 15 year old but where there's a will there's a way..........

Best wishes,
GG~

i think dredges are cool, but not only is it a lot of money for a 15 year old

my family does not own a pickup truck to haul it

its pretty much out of the picture for me

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

2.5 grams a day is steep. If your goal is to have a single 2.5 gram day then your best bet is to snipe. As stated before $22 a yard dirt is out there but dirt that rich is not easy to find and a dredge would most likely be needed to get to it. Hit those cracks man. You don't even need a sluice just a pan. Your chances of finding $22 a yard stream gravels is just about 0. Your chances of finding dirt from crevices with values into the 100's and even $10,000s of dollars per yard are possible. Keep in mind you will work all day for one pail which might have 2.5 grams in it. Thats 1/40 ish of yard. Making it 3.3 ounces per yard. This is from one crack about 3/4" wide 10 feet long and 18" of impacted gravels. Trust me man if your in GA you WANT to start sniping and crevicing clay and bedrock. I guarantee you will find it much more gratifying.

 

[KiddoTheMiner]

2.5 grams a day is steep. If your goal is to have a single 2.5 gram day then your best bet is to snipe. As stated before $22 a yard dirt is out there but dirt that rich is not easy to find and a dredge would most likely be needed to get to it. Hit those cracks man. You don't even need a sluice just a pan. Your chances of finding $22 a yard stream gravels is just about 0. Your chances of finding dirt from crevices with values into the 100's and even $10,000s of dollars per yard are possible. Keep in mind you will work all day for one pail which might have 2.5 grams in it. Thats 1/40 ish of yard. Making it 3.3 ounces per yard. This is from one crack about 3/4" wide 10 feet long and 18" of impacted gravels. Trust me man if your in GA you WANT to start sniping and crevicing clay and bedrock. I guarantee you will find it much more gratifying.

I appreciate the comment but crevicing is not very feasible in the southeast
reason being we don't have major waterways,the creeks and streams here are always more slow moving than they are anywhere else in the world
so because of this gold is less likely to settle in crevices, rarely does
I myself have tried crevicing and had found flakes, gold but I was better of sluicing

also im quite sure $22 a yard is very possible in georgia

 

[huntsman53]

Kiddo,

I noticed that you stated that the nearest major veins of Gold near you, were in White County. I don't think that is true and you might want to research the Gold in Georgia more carefully. You actually live in the Georgia Gold Belt which I believe is not that much different than the Carolina Gold/Slate Belt. In that I mean that Gold has and still is pretty much found most anywhere in the Georgia Gold Belt, so in reality, there is probably veins of Gold in Quartz veins in the Slate below your' feet. The problem is, much of this Slate which contains the Gold bearing Quartz veins is way too deep for you to reach without a major mining operation. However, since you live on or very near the Chattahoochee River, I ask if you have taken samples from it. I am not too keen on it's history as far as Gold is concerned but know that the main river channel runs right through some of the best Gold producing areas of Northern Georgia. Even though there is now a Lake and a Dam that has stopped some of the flow of Gold down river, there has likely been Gold flowing down the Chattahoochee long before the Lake and the Dam and there should still be some down river below the Dam. I know that Gold has been found in the flood control channels and drains on the outskirts as well as in downtown Atlanta, so there is more than likely some decent Placer deposits close to where you live. Now, if you can talk the folks into a vacation to Clay and/or Cherokee County in North Carolina, you could try some spots out on the Valley River there. The Valley River has had Gold running down it for millions of years and I suspect that just about anywhere that you dig deep enough in the valley (dig in the ground not the river), you will eventually find Gold. Once you have traveled, seen and researched the Valley River and the valley itself in Clay and Cherokee Counties in North Carolina, then you will understand. Imagine that 10, 20 or even 100 million years ago, that the Valley River was then a major river flowing out of the mountains which at one time covered all of which is now the Valley River Valley and then you will truly understand. I used to travel there as one of my' duties with the National Weather Service as a Cooperative Program Manager to service Rain Gages and Temperature recording equipment. While working on the equipment at the WKRK Radio Station one time, the folks there told me about a boy that lived in the big white house across the river who got interested in Gold prospecting at about your age. They said that in the river in front of his' home and probably upstream and downstream, that in a fairly short time of panning and sniping, he managed to purchase a dredge and then within two years, he had made enough money off the Gold that he found to pay cash for a brand new pickup truck. I believe that he was only 17 years old when he purchased the truck. Now, do understand that if you do prospect on the Valley River in Clay and/or Cherokee Counties in North Carolina, it would be wise to do so in public access areas and/or get permission from as many property owners as possible that live beside and probably own that portion of the river. Also, I would advise to stay away from the upper reaches of the river and away from the Nantahala River across the mountain above Andrews as there have been a few folks shot in some of these areas because they were panning and/or dredging for Gold.

Good luck! With enough research, sampling and your attitude, you will one day find some significant deposits of Gold.


Frank

 

[KiddoTheMiner]

Kiddo,

I noticed that you stated that the nearest major veins of Gold near you, were in White County. I don't think that is true and you might want to research the Gold in Georgia more carefully. You actually live in the Georgia Gold Belt which I believe is not that much different than the Carolina Gold/Slate Belt. In that I mean that Gold has and still is pretty much found most anywhere in the Georgia Gold Belt, so in reality, there is probably veins of Gold in Quartz veins in the Slate below your' feet. The problem is, much of this Slate which contains the Gold bearing Quartz veins is way too deep for you to reach without a major mining operation. However, since you live on or very near the Chattahoochee River, I ask if you have taken samples from it. I am not too keen on it's history as far as Gold is concerned but know that the main river channel runs right through some of the best Gold producing areas of Northern Georgia. Even though there is now a Lake and a Dam that has stopped some of the flow of Gold down river, there has likely been Gold flowing down the Chattahoochee long before the Lake and the Dam and there should still be some down river below the Dam. I know that Gold has been found in the flood control channels and drains on the outskirts as well as in downtown Atlanta, so there is more than likely some decent Placer deposits close to where you live. Now, if you can talk the folks into a vacation to Clay and/or Cherokee County in North Carolina, you could try some spots out on the Valley River there. The Valley River has had Gold running down it for millions of years and I suspect that just about anywhere that you dig deep enough in the valley (dig in the ground not the river), you will eventually find Gold. Once you have traveled, seen and researched the Valley River and the valley itself in Clay and Cherokee Counties in North Carolina, then you will understand. Imagine that 10, 20 or even 100 million years ago, that the Valley River was then a major river flowing out of the mountains which at one time covered all of which is now the Valley River Valley and then you will truly understand. I used to travel there as one of my' duties with the National Weather Service as a Cooperative Program Manager to service Rain Gages and Temperature recording equipment. While working on the equipment at the WKRK Radio Station one time, the folks there told me about a boy that lived in the big white house across the river who got interested in Gold prospecting at about your age. They said that in the river in front of his' home and probably upstream and downstream, that in a fairly short time of panning and sniping, he managed to purchase a dredge and then within two years, he had made enough money off the Gold that he found to pay cash for a brand new pickup truck. I believe that he was only 17 years old when he purchased the truck. Now, do understand that if you do prospect on the Valley River in Clay and/or Cherokee Counties in North Carolina, it would be wise to do so in public access areas and/or get permission from as many property owners as possible that live beside and probably own that portion of the river. Also, I would advise to stay away from the upper reaches of the river and away from the Nantahala River across the mountain above Andrews as there have been a few folks shot in some of these areas because they were panning and/or dredging for Gold.

Good luck! With enough research, sampling and your attitude, you will one day find some significant deposits of Gold.


Frank

Well i would agree with you but ive been making it out
Literally every other day for the last 6 months looking
For gold anywhere within walking distance
And found little gold and the gold i find is not
The type of gold found in Georgia, its rounded and weathered
I have come to the conclusion there is little gold near me
As far as walking distance, ive only been over my walking distance from my home
And gold n gems in Cleveland, so i just need to try more areas

 

[Bonaro]

Kiddo, to answer your question about if you are doing it wrong, I will ask you a question.

1. Are you having fun?
If the answer is no then yes, you are doing it wrong
If the answer is yes then you are doing it perfectly correct

If you are just out to have fun then it really doesn't matter how much you get and daily quotas are irrelevant. If you are looking for wages, you need production and that means bigger equipment. Few places on this earth remain which will provide you with a living if you only have a shovel and a sluice.
There have been days when I have put 8 hours on the end of a 5" dredge nozzle and moved over 20 yards of rock and gravel only to clean up a pennyweight. You gotta decide to keep chasing the pay or pull stakes and move on.

All gold was once a lode deposit...

 

[KiddoTheMiner]

Kiddo, to answer your question about if you are doing it wrong, I will ask you a question.

1. Are you having fun?
If the answer is no then yes, you are doing it wrong
If the answer is yes then you are doing it perfectly correct

If you are just out to have fun then it really doesn't matter how much you get and daily quotas are irrelevant. If you are looking for wages, you need production and that means bigger equipment. Few places on this earth remain which will provide you with a living if you only have a shovel and a sluice.
There have been days when I have put 8 hours on the end of a 5" dredge nozzle and moved over 20 yards of rock and gravel only to clean up a pennyweight. You gotta decide to keep chasing the pay or pull stakes and move on.

All gold was once a lode deposit...

I do have fun but im more competitive with myself
I have a goal to work toward and im working at it

 

[huntsman53]

Well i would agree with you but ive been making it out
Literally every other day for the last 6 months looking
For gold anywhere within walking distance
And found little gold and the gold i find is not
The type of gold found in Georgia, its rounded and weathered
I have come to the conclusion there is little gold near me
As far as walking distance, ive only been over my walking distance from my home
And gold n gems in Cleveland, so i just need to try more areas

From your statement "The type of gold found in Georgia, its rounded and weathered. I have come to the conclusion there is little gold near me." it sounds as if you are particularly in a mind-set to find Lode Gold (i.e. veins). As I stated, much of the Slate layers that contain the Gold bearing Quartz are most often deeper but there are some places that are nearer the surface due to the upthrust during the upheaval when the Tectonic Plates collided and Volcanoes were formed along and East of the Appalachian chain. Just because the Gold that you find is rounded and weathered, does not mean that there is little Gold near you. It just means that there may be little Lode Gold near you. The Gold in the creeks, streams and rivers near you, has been erroding out of Lode Deposits for millions of years and carried down these same waterways for the same amount of time. I believe that your best choice for right now, would be to concentrate on finding significant deposits of Placer Gold within your walking area and then attempt to locate Lode Deposits later when you have the means to do so. To find the heavier deposits of Placer Gold will probably mean that you have to dig much deeper in the creeks, streams and/or rivers near you. If you are only digging down a foot or two, then you are not getting anywhere near the Gold that was deposited thousands, hundreds of thousands and even millions of years ago. You will likely know when you are digging deep enough to get the Gold that was deposited long, long ago as the flake, granular or even very small picker count will start to go up more and more. You will likely dig through 1 or 2 or even 3 layers of Clays of mixed colors, all of which will likely contain fair amounts of Gold in the first few inches of the layers, then it will peter out, then pickup again below each Clay layer. If you ever make it below the Clay layers to bedrock, then shazam, you will likely be on some good Gold amounts and there will likely be nuggets as well.

Good luck!


Frank

 

[KiddoTheMiner]

From your statement "The type of gold found in Georgia, its rounded and weathered. I have come to the conclusion there is little gold near me." it sounds as if you are particularly in a mind-set to find Lode Gold (i.e. veins). As I stated, much of the Slate layers that contain the Gold bearing Quartz are most often deeper but there are some places that are nearer the surface due to the upthrust during the upheaval when the Tectonic Plates collided and Volcanoes were formed along and East of the Appalachian chain. Just because the Gold that you find is rounded and weathered, does not mean that there is little Gold near you. It just means that there may be little Lode Gold near you. The Gold in the creeks, streams and rivers near you, has been erroding out of Lode Deposits for millions of years and carried down these same waterways for the same amount of time. I believe that your best choice for right now, would be to concentrate on finding significant deposits of Placer Gold within your walking area and then attempt to locate Lode Deposits later when you have the means to do so. To find the heavier deposits of Placer Gold will probably mean that you have to dig much deeper in the creeks, streams and/or rivers near you. If you are only digging down a foot or two, then you are not getting anywhere near the Gold that was deposited thousands, hundreds of thousands and even millions of years ago. You will likely know when you are digging deep enough to get the Gold that was deposited long, long ago as the flake, granular or even very small picker count will start to go up more and more. You will likely dig through 1 or 2 or even 3 layers of Clays of mixed colors, all of which will likely contain fair amounts of Gold in the first few inches of the layers, then it will peter out, then pickup again below each Clay layer. If you ever make it below the Clay layers to bedrock, then shazam, you will likely be on some good Gold amounts and there will likely be nuggets as well.

Good luck!


Frank

well you know how Georgia is renound for course gold, its for a reason, most of the placer gold found in Georgia is jagged and course because I came out of a vein fairly recently
this is because Georgia simply does not have as many fast moving major waterways as in any other state
ive talked to 2 experienced Georgia prospectors, one was at the crisson gold mine where my dad took me to buy a bag
f their cons(what got me into it originally) he brought it up when he was telling us about gold prospecing
the other prospector I've talked with is doc, its hard to argue with him on anything about gold prospecting
so just for my area I need to get closer to the source
even if your right I have thoroughly sampled my area with minimal success, im starting to hate these woods i kind of grew up in
I need to move

 

[Goldwasher]

The amount of flow in the river doesn't stop gold from settling into cracks and traps??...actually slower water would make it more likely as the gold has less of a chance to get moved downstream vs. moving deeper...once its on the bottom or on the clay or false bedrock it will stay there. It is a very rare circumstance that you would find gold in streambed and bank run material...and less in or on any of the bedrock in the same area. Your working every hard to prove there is no gold in your area even though you have found some two colors per shovel will get you at least 10 per bucket...or like mentioned you need to hi grade your area and snipe as many cracks as you can and don't neglect low pressure traps near the bank and boulders or obstructions that are just above the waterline. You might just find more gold out of the current watercourse...You need to find hard facts about the closest mines to you....the geology and likely hood of veins only means so much for your situation.

 

[KiddoTheMiner]

The amount of flow in the river doesn't stop gold from settling into cracks and traps??...actually slower water would make it more likely as the gold has less of a chance to get moved downstream vs. moving deeper...once its on the bottom or on the clay or false bedrock it will stay there. It is a very rare circumstance that you would find gold in streambed and bank run material...and less in or on any of the bedrock in the same area. Your working every hard to prove there is no gold in your area even though you have found some two colors per shovel will get you at least 10 per bucket...or like mentioned you need to hi grade your area and snipe as many cracks as you can and don't neglect low pressure traps near the bank and boulders or obstructions that are just above the waterline. You might just find more gold out of the current watercourse...You need to find hard facts about the closest mines to you....the geology and likely hood of veins only means so much for your situation.

ive tried everything in my area
and every Georgia prosector ive talked to has told me don't try crevicing here, id think theres a reason

 

[huntsman53]

ive tried everything in my area
and every Georgia prosector ive talked to has told me don't try crevicing here, id think theres a reason

Knowing that Gold will settle in crevices of rocks and bedrock, I wonder why they tell you this??!! Is it for your benefit or their benefit! One thing you will learn after many years of Gold prospecting and talking to other Gold Prospectors, is that many of the Gold Prospectors that you have and will talk to, will meek out little tidbits here and there but never truly tell you the whole story of where to find good Gold, as they are of the mindset that they will get to these locations someday and get the Gold themselves. The ones that are open and give you the whole story, are usually the Gold Prospectors that are at the end of their Gold prospecting days and are willing to pass on what they have learned over their many years of prospecting but understand, that these folks are really few and far between.

You are correct in saying that many of the creeks, streams and rivers in and around where you live are slow flowing! However, this is not always the case as Georgia has many Flood and Flash Flood events every year on the majority of the waterways in all of Georgia and especially so, in the North. With Floods and Flash Floods, Gold is going to be moved downstream. How far downstream, depends on the severity or strength of the Flood or Flash Flood, the way the creeks, streams or rivers flow (i.e mainly straight with few bends and curves or mainly a lot of bends and curves with few straight sections), also the elevation drops of the flow of these as well as turbidity of the waters are all factors that come into play. If any of the creeks, streams and/or rivers where you prospect have Gold in them and they also have layers of rock or bedrock that are visible or just below the surface of the stream bed and these contain crevices in them, then there should be Gold in those crevices unless someone already beat you to the Gold! Since you are bent on finding Lode Gold, start checking out all of the banks and outcroppings on the creeks, streams and rivers where you prospect and even the roads that you walk to get to the areas where you prospect. Also, check out banks and outcroppings where new road construction is going on. If you do so, then you might just find some Slate and Quartz that was thrust upwards during the upheaval that was exposed due to road construction, errosion, Floods and Flash Floods and maybe, just maybe, you will find that some of this Quartz contains Lode Gold.

Check out the link and maps below.


Frank

You will have to click on the link below and once the site loads, scroll down to the Georgia Placer Gold Map and click on it.
http://gpex.ca/smf/index.php?topic=387.0

 

[chlsbrns]

so in my time prospecting(not long)
ive been trying for a goal of 2.5 grams a day
today I made it out for 3 hours and probably dug a hole 1.5 yards in size with some good gold retention in my
homemade fluid trap
so if in 8 hours I can move maybe 4.5 yards of material 2.5 grams of gold is $100/4.5 yards
I need around $22, which I have had no success finding, ive spent entire days sampling gravel bars or working material
and I haven't even got a gram in my season count, so I have to be doing something wrong
ive already come to the assumption that the general area im working doesn't have much gold and I need to move
so I guess im asking what kind of gold do I need per pan or per bucket to reach my goal
also is $22 a yard common or rare in Georgia, do I have unrealistic expectations or is $22 a minimum

any help is appreciated, heavy pans

4.5 yards is roughly/approximately 15,000 pounds depending on the soil type. Roughly 7.5 short tons.

1 part per million would = 7.5 grams per 4.5 yards. There are plenty of places in GA with much more than 1ppm!

You really need to sample and find a better spot be it in the creek you are currently working or other creeks. You can also sample ground that is not in the creek. Sample sample sample all over until you find the right spots!

 

[KiddoTheMiner]

Knowing that Gold will settle in crevices of rocks and bedrock, I wonder why they tell you this??!! Is it for your benefit or their benefit! One thing you will learn after many years of Gold prospecting and talking to other Gold Prospectors, is that many of the Gold Prospectors that you have and will talk to, will meek out little tidbits here and there but never truly tell you the whole story of where to find good Gold, as they are of the mindset that they will get to these locations someday and get the Gold themselves. The ones that are open and give you the whole story, are usually the Gold Prospectors that are at the end of their Gold prospecting days and are willing to pass on what they have learned over their many years of prospecting but understand, that these folks are really few and far between.

You are correct in saying that many of the creeks, streams and rivers in and around where you live are slow flowing! However, this is not always the case as Georgia has many Flood and Flash Flood events every year on the majority of the waterways in all of Georgia and especially so, in the North. With Floods and Flash Floods, Gold is going to be moved downstream. How far downstream, depends on the severity or strength of the Flood or Flash Flood, the way the creeks, streams or rivers flow (i.e mainly straight with few bends and curves or mainly a lot of bends and curves with few straight sections), also the elevation drops of the flow of these as well as turbidity of the waters are all factors that come into play. If any of the creeks, streams and/or rivers where you prospect have Gold in them and they also have layers of rock or bedrock that are visible or just below the surface of the stream bed and these contain crevices in them, then there should be Gold in those crevices unless someone already beat you to the Gold! Since you are bent on finding Lode Gold, start checking out all of the banks and outcroppings on the creeks, streams and rivers where you prospect and even the roads that you walk to get to the areas where you prospect. Also, check out banks and outcroppings where new road construction is going on. If you do so, then you might just find some Slate and Quartz that was thrust upwards during the upheaval that was exposed due to road construction, errosion, Floods and Flash Floods and maybe, just maybe, you will find that some of this Quartz contains Lode Gold.

Check out the link and maps below.


Frank

You will have to click on the link below and once the site loads, scroll down to the Georgia Placer Gold Map and click on it.
GEORGIA PLACER MAP



View attachment 1031355 View attachment 1031356

if one prospector told me that yes I wouldn't belive it
but ive has many prospectors tell me don't try and i have tried, maybe 2 fly poops per pan

 

[Goldwasher]

ive tried everything in my area
and every Georgia prosector ive talked to has told me don't try crevicing here, id think theres a reason

So what did they tell you? And did it help?....Funny thing is gold doesn't care what state it is in as far as its relationship with physics and hydrology.....I'm starting to think that I would never listen to a Georgia prospector

 

[KiddoTheMiner]

So what did they tell you? And did it help?....Funny thing is gold doesn't care what state it is in as far as its relationship with physics and hydrology.....I'm starting to think that I would never listen to a Georgia prospector

this video explains Georgia prospecting well skip to 3:55

the video overall explains Georgia prospecting well

 

[goldog]

I just went through the entire thread Kiddo. I am enjoying the discussion as well as your spirit. While I am all for setting goals and challenging yourself its important to be realistic too. In all honesty your arbitrary 2.5g per day goal is unrealistic at this time. I'd suggest the double up method; Get your 1st gram then see how soon you get the 2nd. Then 4, 8 etc... Looking at the video even the100+ peices of gold Doc was all excited about was around a dollars worth.

Maybe $$$/day should be less important while challenging yourself to achieve other (non-monetary) goals be more of your focus. Learning to read a stream, test an area and get the most our of your equipment are some. Researching land status and regulations then safely executing a prospecting day trip to an area where you haven't been before. You may also pat yourself on the back for learning alternate methods for the specific areas you visit, for example pans only areas or even sniping.

Good luck to you and don't be discouraged. You aren't doing it wrong.