Uwharrie National Forest area sluicing

[Ole Tim]

It has been a while since I have been up there. Does anyone have any current information about sluicing areas?
I am especially interested in Big Creek, Low Water Bridge, and Hwy 109 bridge. Does anyone have any recent experiences. I generally try to stay out of sight.
I have a black majic sluice with an electric pump to aeriate the gold trap well. Would like to use it.

 

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[bcfromfl]

Unless another manufacturer has come out with a sluice and calling it black magic, your sluice is not a production sluice for the field. It's for processing fine concentrates, similar to a Miller table, in your garage. It's a low-flow device, that you basically feed with a spoon. You'll not recover any appreciable gold in the field that way.

I'd recommend a workhorse sluice you can toss around, and really wash a lot of yards through. There is a range of prices, from around $100 to upwards of $400. I'd highly recommend the Gold Hog stream sluice.

Good luck!

 

[winners58]

are you talking about the original Schmidt Bazooka Black Magic sluice.
if so would be cool to see a photo to compare it to the BGT and the new grizzly gold trap

 

[Ole Tim]

are you talking about the original Schmidt Bazooka Black Magic sluice.
if so would be cool to see a photo to compare it to the BGT and the new grizzly gold trap

Yes sir, it is the original model. I hope to be able to use it tomorrow. It can run for long periods without cleanup. This design is optimum for waterways with h avy black sand like the Uwharrie River. Otherwise the sluice would have to be cleaned out often since the heavy concentrates would fill up a conventional sluice.
If I use it, I will film it and share it.

 

[Ole Tim]

Here are pics of my sluice.

 

[bcfromfl]

My mistake -- there IS another "black magic sluice" with a battery-operated pump.

 

[Ole Tim]

there IS another "black magic sluice" with a battery-operated pump.

With the optimum water flow it is supposed to recover 99.9% of the gold, even the microscopic gold. It can run for a day or longer without cleanup.
I just hope to be able to use without legal hassles.

 

[bcfromfl]

Hopefully you can find something helpful in this old thread: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/panning-gold/160117-uwharrie-national-forest-gold.html

 

[Bobbyfreedom]

I have found gold in at least one of the areas you mentioned, however, the Forest Service enforces "Primitive methods only" that would mean only sluices and pans allowed, any pumps, even electric are prohibited. I would love to take my Highbanker or Gold Cube down there, but just like they have a "No Alcohol rule" in the campgrounds there (other than primitive sites) you are rolling the dice on a fine. Federal areas are way different from other spots in North Carolina, you can dredge on private land, but anything mechanical in Uwharrie, you are taking a chance. Heavy pans...