Claim Robbers

[IMAUDIGGER]

Dad drove 2 hours to his river claim in order to scratch up a little extra cash. Got to his favorite bedrock cracks, only to find out someone had beat him to it a couple weeks ago. POS people.
They have no self respect, parking along the road right next to a claim sign.

I'm going to be making a few surprise visits this summer, maybe in the middle of the week...maybe on the weekend.
Maybe I'll confront them...maybe I'll just figure out who it is and what vehicle they drive. It's a small county.

 

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[Garrote Gold]

Wow, maybe time to trail cam and post note on your markers video survailance is being done. Got to be proactive, people abuse the freedoms of this wonderful country.

 

[mendoAu]

A while back I read a story about a claim owner with a similar problem. After using a game cam he captured the man and womans image several times hauling material out but didn't know who they were, got a bucket of course, heavy black rock and spray painted them with gold leaf type paint, carefully scooped them into easy spots to locate on his claim, posted a "CLAIM FOR SALE" sign with his contact info and guess what...that couple called all excited and jumpy about buying his claim within days.....busted!!!!

 

[russau]

That was some VERY GOOD THINKING on this mans part! CONGRATULATIONS TO HIM!!!

 

[Hoser John]

Got same garbage in trinity, sheriff kicked off claim jumpers who posted false papers but still waiting for report to file charges.Too darn slow as they are trying to sell but no posted signs just word a mouth-John

 

[mikep691]

My claim is highgraded on a regular basis. We believe it is Quincy locals that know when we are not there, and just don't give a sh!t about laws and theft. Game cams are going to be installed very soon to cover the parking and camping area, as well as some spots on the creek. It just takes one clear picture "in the act" and one of the license plate to file charges. It's more important to put the locals on notice that you are more than willing to throw half the town in jail. Post pictures of te individual and plate in the bars in the local town. When they see you know who visits and camps versus who camps and steals, it will stop quickly.

 

[beekbuster]

claims are just a posted sign to show the thieves a good place to go. a few spots ive been eyeballing have been claimed up the wazoo this year, i have plenty of other spots to venture to, but i know there are plenty o people who wait for these new claims and go to clean them out. its a shame. my dad is dealing with a local thief, a client of mine, his house got ran sacked, so did his neighbor. sheriffs say unless theres a body there will be no recourse. of course if its the thieves body there will be recourse. rats, i hate rats! sss

 

[cliff162]

Make sure you post your claim. If you see someone prospecting, take pictures of them, the signs. their car and license. I have this problem on my claim. If you get a trail cam, don't put it on a tree, it will be gone. Get some sniper cloth, wrap the trail cam in it, stick the camera in the brush, with the cloth over the lense, it does not show up in the picture. attached link for example of the sniper cloth.
I had warned a guy one day, he told me to F off, but it was during a big fire near by so I wasn't going to bother the sheriff with it. But I later got him on the trail cam on the claim with his gear. Then I caught him with his head down in a hole digging, scared the crap out of him, took pictures of him. No cell service where I am, and since I was in law enforcement, I went home typed my own report, included photo, claim map, photos of signs, and marked on the map where I found him. I took the report to the sheriff's office, and told them to put a face page on it, and assign a case number. I contacted the DA's office and request prosecution. Which they did. Since it is a Felony in the State of California. He must have had prior theft convictions, he plead out to a misdemeanor, but got 30 days county jail.
I have no mercy on these idiots, if they don't have a claim they can join the GPAA. or find open land. Also the gold craft paint from walmart is good, I like to put it on 30 pound chunks of quarts and leave some around the claim, the idiots then end up humping up the hill , then feel foolish when they try to sell it. I get them on camera......pretty funny. In the photo you can see one guy, ducked by the side of the trail to stick some quartz with "gold" he found in his back pack. He was about 4' from the camera, but it was in the rocks covered with the sniper cloth....... All of the photos were with the trail cam wrapped in the sniper cloth.


https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Arm...7681&sr=8-52&keywords=camouflage+sniper+cloth

 

[cliff162]

Here is a nice piece of walmart gold that disappeared from my claim in one day. Sucker.

 

[gldguy1]

Here is a nice piece of walmart gold that disappeared from my claim in one day. Sucker.



View attachment 1469959

Haha that's a awesome piece of Walmart gold

 

[russau]

You probly ought to send Walmart a thank you note with a explaination about the recipients theft from your claim! Maybe they will send you a entire box of rocks!

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I won't be able to do much legally because my name is not on the claim. However - they probably enjoy spending time on this river and have been for years.
I wouldn't want to be in their shoes with the claim owner being able to recognize their vehicle any time it's parked along the road.

 

[Goldwasher]

maybe they were just looking for coins and relics

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Get over it. Your just picking an argument.
Tell you what, I'm the kind of guy that would rather offer to share a day prospecting on my claims or private property or follow up on a good lead than pick a fight and being nasty.
You find a nice nugget - great - here's a pat on the back, piece of jerky, and a cold beer. Good to spend the day with a fellow miner...I'm not a scum bag (the type of person that would steal from others).

Any sane person can differentiate between someone down on the river bedrock with a pan, single jack, sucker bottle, pry bar..ect cleaning out crevices from someone detecting a cabin burned down in 1986.
This is a stupid waste of time being that we have never met face to face. That's just my opinion, not sure about you?

 

[Goldwasher]

Just making a point...you didn't like showing up and finding holes...

you didn't really know why the people dug the holes.

If the claim owner doesn't know and hasn't given permission you shouldn't go digging holes on his claim

Not a mind reader...but, I'm pretty sure that's what was running through your mind when you didn't like seeing holes.

It's pretty straight forward. Your post proves it.

You say argument...I say Illustration.

Then again maybe they were just digging for relics and coins.

My principles are much stronger than my opinions

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Just making a point...you didn't like showing up and finding holes...

you didn't really know why the people dug the holes.

If the claim owner doesn't know and hasn't given permission you shouldn't go digging holes on his claim

Not a mind reader...but, I'm pretty sure that's what was running through your mind when you didn't like seeing holes.

It's pretty straight forward. Your post proves it.

You say argument...I say Illustration.

Then again maybe they were just digging for relics and coins.

My principles are much stronger than my opinions

OK.