Gold mining question

[Nitric]

This may sound really dumb! And I know everyone has been down the road of answering these kind of questions often! lol

Just because I'm curious....Ok, for the guys that are at prospecting and mining pretty hard, what would be a realistic gram per hour or gram per day average? I'm meaning this question for the guys that hit it hard. Small scale 1 to 3 person group. How rare would it be to find a place that produces a gram or a gram in a half an hour? Is this almost non existent, common,etc...? What do you look for in claims? I hear all kinds of different things...

Do you or know anyone averaging this or better, consistently?

 

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[Jeff95531]

I posted a similar question a while ago.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/gold-prospecting/438066-how-rich-rich.html

Here is another similar thread...

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/g...ently-getting-out-every-4-5-buckets-cons.html

For me, it's a one man hobby. And it's a good thing too cuz it can disappear quick no matter how long it took to find "good" ground. Learning what to do once on good ground is a learning experience as well!

 

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[DizzyDigger]

Guess we all look at it differently. I chase gold because
it's in my blood. Call it what you want, but it's an addiction.
If it's high grade stuff I'm diggin', then all the better, but if I
can't find high grade ground I'll still dig the best I can find.

Never found much to speak of, but there's no amount
of money that could replace the multitude of hours
spent enjoying the outdoors and doing something I
have a love for. If gold was $5 an ounce, I'd probably
go anyway..

If I ever hit a big deposit guess I'd have to consider it from an
accounting standpoint, but until that time I'm not holding my breath.

 

[joncutt87]

I'm starting out as a hobbyist, so right now whatever I can find is good. If I find s great place, I'll build my high banker and go from there.

 

[63bkpkr]

If you think you are doing this as a hobby then your thinking is off as it is a lot of hard work that requires you to spend your money for equipment, use up gasoline to drive to your location, hike in if you are fit enough and expose yourself to the dangers of the out of doors like overheating from the sun, falling, being trapped in or under water, crushed by boulders or attacked and maybe eaten by animals. Usually a prospector is not molested by people however that also happens.

How much one finds depends on a vast number of "things" including the capriciousness of how gold has been deposited, as in a placer deposit (one moved by and deposited by water) can be most anywhere and have a little to offer, a little more, some more, even more and etc. of gold being in any particular location. The deposit locations have a finite amount there so it will not last forever and then you move on to TRY to Find another deposit. All of this takes time and expense, how much depends on the individual and a vast number of "things".

First you might want to consider if you like the out of doors as if you don't then this is the wrong job for you! Bugs, snakes, animals of various kinds and Ma Nature herself will do their best to insult you while you are participating in this prospecting adventure. I myself have had many small injuries (simple cuts, bruises, pokes, scratches, burns) while "out there" up to and including a broken leg. Let me tell you a broken anything means the fun is over and now it is time to Get Out! A broken leg takes a long time to hike out on, like many hours, even if you are only 15 minutes away from your parked vehicle. Trust me you do not want to experience this type of difficulty.

Now to throw you a loop - I was at a flood plain and scraped some dirt off the top panned it and I had many colors in the pan. It was just that easy to find "float gold". It is not always that easy and of course the amount there was likely not that great. [easy - you are panning out a sample, bent over some water for a period of time, your back and muscles are being strained and the water is likely cold = easy]

Good luck with your research.......................63bkpkr

 

[Nitric]

If you think you are doing this as a hobby then your thinking is off as it is a lot of hard work that requires you to spend your money for equipment, use up gasoline to drive to your location, hike in if you are fit enough and expose yourself to the dangers of the out of doors like overheating from the sun, falling, being trapped in or under water, crushed by boulders or attacked and maybe eaten by animals. Usually a prospector is not molested by people however that also happens.

Good luck with your research.......................63bkpkr

Yes!! This is what I want! Except the molestation part! By a bear,moose, or a human! Not, wanting that! I don't want to end up as bear poop either.

I would love to take a backpack and head into remote areas. That is not a scary thing to me. The dangers you just mentioned are common with many jobs that I have worked. With the exception of bears and human molestation. lol

I may never leave the state, I'm just in dream land I guess.. I do want to know everything I can. I've pretty much done everything I've ever wanted to do within reason, with hard work and determination. This is something I've always thought about and would like to try in life. If I had one choice of something to try full force this would be it! I just don't want to be too irrational in thinking it's possible.

The money part of it is important because you do have costs and have to survive. That's not my drive. independence, making your own choices, being outdoors,working hard, the challenge all are the driving force for me. I can go work for someone day in and day out and come home, sit down watch tv and do it all over again till I die(hopefully 50+years from now).I don't want to spend my life that way! I refuse to! So, mining was one thought, as a possibility.

 

[azblackbird]

If gold was $5 an ounce, I'd probably
go anyway..

I hear ya... I ride one of these when out prospecting. This bike is a blast to explore the back country on. I go places I wouldn't even dream of taking my Rhino or a qwad.



Sometimes I have to remind myself if I'm out for the ride and the scenery, or if I'm out to prospect for gold. Either way it's a good time.

 

[Bonaro]

I'm starting out as a hobbyist, so right now whatever I can find is good. If I find s great place, I'll build my high banker and go from there.

It's not a hobby. The left insists on labeling what we do as a hobby so it seem less important and easier to ban.
We are small scale miners. Some of us operate on a smaller scale than others but we all use the same method for the same goal.

 

[Jeff95531]

Well stated Bonaro

 

[joncutt87]

It's not a hobby. The left insists on labeling what we do as a hobby so it seem less important and easier to ban.
We are small scale miners. Some of us operate on a smaller scale than others but we all use the same method for the same goal.

Rather I have two pans and a shovel.

 

[Nitric]

It's not a hobby. The left insists on labeling what we do as a hobby so it seem less important and easier to ban.
We are small scale miners. Some of us operate on a smaller scale than others but we all use the same method for the same goal.

I also have used the term.....They, have done that with a lot of things! 2nd amendment being another one.......

I'm not anywhere near the left.. I think there are some differences though!

Outside of the legal or other uses of the word, it helps in some area's to use the word hobbyist. In many different subjects or activities. I understand where both of your uses can help or destroy a subject.

I repaired watches as a hobby. It still had all the skill and has all the tools of a watchmaker that did it for a living. Because, I didn't want to make it a full time job,it stayed a hobby. To take it to non hobby level, would have been way, way more work.I couldn't sit in one spot long enough, for one thing!! lol At one point I was actually better than some that were doing it for a living. I could never sit at a bench day in and day out. I could do it for an hour or a weekend if I wanted, or walk away from it for a year.

I play around in the water, dig a little here or there. For me it is a hobby right now. One thing, If I walk up to someone and ask for permission to look on their land. I'm using the word hobby! Imagine telling a guy you want to mine his land? If I say, " I pan for gold as a hobby, can I play in your stream?" sounds a little better.

 

[goldenIrishman]

You don't have to have a huge investment in equipment to be able to move dirt efficiently Nitric. A good used Kabota tractor with a small hoe and a scoop will do ya. I'm pretty much a solo miner most of the time and on a tight budget all the time. Would I like to have the big boy toys? Of course I would!!! HOWEVER.... Most of the areas I work you couldn't get that kind of equipment in without cutting a road and in that terrain it wouldn't be easy or cheap. I'm looking at getting 8-9 claims once I get moved but that's going to depend on what my research and testing shows. With my luck they will turn out to be 20 acres here and another 20 acres there all across the county. For the most part the terrain is very rough and most off roaders would look at it and say "No way!!! You nuts or something?" Something like the Rokon (?) bike in Azblackbirds' post is perfect for going up those narrow washes to get to the gold. Oh who am I kidding here? I'll just sell the truck and get me a couple of burros to drag behind me as I wander the desert wastelands....

 

[KevinInColorado]

On someone else's land it's a hobby or recreational activity? Only until you find a big deposit...then you suddenly turn into a miner and get rich? I don't think so. I suggest the term "casual prospector"...you can tell yourself and others it's for fun but that would quickly change for most of us if we found a really rich deposit. I'd go from casual to full time pretty darn quick!

 

[KevinInColorado]

You don't have to have a huge investment in equipment to be able to move dirt efficiently Nitric. A good used Kabota tractor with a small hoe and a scoop will do ya. I'm pretty much a solo miner most of the time and on a tight budget all the time. Would I like to have the big boy toys? Of course I would!!! HOWEVER.... Most of the areas I work you couldn't get that kind of equipment in without cutting a road and in that terrain it wouldn't be easy or cheap. I'm looking at getting 8-9 claims once I get moved but that's going to depend on what my research and testing shows. With my luck they will turn out to be 20 acres here and another 20 acres there all across the county. For the most part the terrain is very rough and most off roaders would look at it and say "No way!!! You nuts or something?" Something like the Rokon (?) bike in Azblackbirds' post is perfect for going up those narrow washes to get to the gold. Oh who am I kidding here? I'll just sell the truck and get me a couple of burros to drag behind me as I wander the desert wastelands....

I'd love to see you with a couple burros!

 

[Nitric]

You don't have to have a huge investment in equipment to be able to move dirt efficiently Nitric. A good used Kabota tractor with a small hoe and a scoop will do ya. I'm pretty much a solo miner most of the time and on a tight budget all the time. Would I like to have the big boy toys? Of course I would!!! HOWEVER.... Most of the areas I work you couldn't get that kind of equipment in without cutting a road and in that terrain it wouldn't be easy or cheap. I'm looking at getting 8-9 claims once I get moved but that's going to depend on what my research and testing shows. With my luck they will turn out to be 20 acres here and another 20 acres there all across the county. For the most part the terrain is very rough and most off roaders would look at it and say "No way!!! You nuts or something?" Something like the Rokon (?) bike in Azblackbirds' post is perfect for going up those narrow washes to get to the gold. Oh who am I kidding here? I'll just sell the truck and get me a couple of burros to drag behind me as I wander the desert wastelands....

I would think the rougher the terrain the better. For a few reasons. What your doing is what I think would be fun. Not that, fun is easy! I don't want anyone to confuse what my use of the word fun is. lol

 

[Doc Arey]

Sarcasm is what was foolish here.

 

[Nitric]

On someone else's land it's a hobby or recreational activity? Only until you find a big deposit...then you suddenly turn into a miner and get rich? I don't think so. I suggest the term "casual prospector"...you can tell yourself and others it's for fun but that would quickly change for most of us if we found a really rich deposit. I'd go from casual to full time pretty darn quick!

Ok, I understand where you guys are coming from then...East, and west, the term is used differently? maybe?

It has to be a hobby in some areas of the east coast. The word mining scares a lot of people, And is not really allowed in some places. If you move more than a certain amount of material, it is considered mining in some states. If it's less, then it's a hobby. So, yes, it is the same! But how it's worded, whether I agree or not, does matter with laws,permits,etc...

as an example....
http://minerals.ohiodnr.gov/citizen-resources/hobby-prospecting-panning



But, saying the guy that is playing with a shovel and pan or sluice,high banker(like I do) is a real prospector or miner? I'm not sure....Casual prospector does sound better. lol

Oh, and some places in the east? You will never find enough to go full time. No offense to the guys from Ohio. Some people will never realize the work to get what those guys are showing in the threads. I know! I moved tons and tons of dirt(well felt like it). Every weekend for a summer, long days, to get almost a Gram all summer. So, they won't have to worry about finding a rich deposit. I have heard of a few guys that did pretty good considering the area though.

That's where I bought A high banker cheap! Used maybe twice. The guy thought he was going to make money. Told me he didn't find a thing. When I got it home, i thought, just for fun I'm going to clean the carpet into a bucket. It was loaded(for ohio) with real fine gold. He found it, and didn't even realize, It didn't show up in the sluice like it does on TV. lol

 

[Nitric]

Sarcasm is what was foolish here.

I don't understand?

 

[Reed Lukens]

I repaired watches as a hobby. It still had all the skill and has all the tools of a watchmaker that did it for a living. Because, I didn't want to make it a full time job,it stayed a hobby. To take it to non hobby level, would have been way, way more work.I couldn't sit in one spot long enough, for one thing!! lol At one point I was actually better than some that were doing it for a living. I could never sit at a bench day in and day out. I could do it for an hour or a weekend if I wanted, or walk away from it for a year.

I Love watches myself, got started collecting old pocket watches as a kid and it grew from there. I still have watches and pocket watches from my great Grand Parents and maybe earlier, then I have my favorites
The 7751's

 

[Nitric]

I Love watches myself, got started collecting old pocket watches as a kid and it grew from there. I still have watches and pocket watches from my great Grand Parents and maybe earlier, then I have my favorites
The 7751's

View attachment 1090458

I got into it for the challenge..Then a few years later, had tools,parts, stuff everywhere.It became a disease! lol The more complicated the better. I really don't have the room for it anymore, everything is in boxes and all my parts are unorganized now. I had big cabinets full of parts. When I moved I couldn't bring the cabinets, so I dumped the parts into boxes. That was a huge mistake! I may never get it sorted out. But sometimes it just happens that way. lol

The watches you have are cool! That's a good movement! I use to look for all the valjoux movements. I liked working on them.

 

[Goodyguy]

Hi Nitric,

I like this thread, hope your questions are getting answered to your satisfaction.

Will give you my take on your question.



First....... "Prospecting" is the act of searching for gold and sampling areas to see how much and what type of gold is available in a particular spot. At the same time you must determine if the values will support your time, effort, and energy by using the formulas presented by Clay Diggins in his post above.

If so, that's when the process of "mining" begins by whatever means that will support your profit/loss scenario. Which typically could be as little as 1/4 gram a yard on up.
And yes, there is plenty of placer ground out there capable of producing a profit provided you adhere to those profit /loss formulas.

*NOTE: Figuring Au per ton of material is common for Lode Mining and Au per yard of material is common for placer mining.


Go for the Gold,
GG~