Anyone have info on Kodiak Island, AK. prospecting?

[wpareig]

I have been prospecting for many years and love trying new areas and new things. I read an article in one of my GPAA magizines earlier this year (or toward the end of last year) about prospecting for gold on the beaches of Kodiak Island - I think it was called "Black Sands" or something like that (sorry, I lent out the mag. and never got it back, so I don't know if the name is correct or who the author was).

Any way, I was wondering if any of you prospect in Kodiak and, if so, can you help me with locations that produce, restrictions on equipment and things to watch out for.....

I have NO false hopes of finding pounds of gold, I just want to try out some new equipment I designed after I hopefully get the bugs worked out down here in the lower 48 and have some fun. Here in PA. most of what I find is flour gold and from what I understand it's that fine and finer on the beaches of kodiak. I modified my equipment to see if I could do well under these conditions (been working on the modifications for months) and am excited about trying the area before the weather gets too bad up there.

Also, if anyone knows what article I was talking about, what was the name of the article & who was the author?

Thank you for your help in advance.

Jim

 

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[Hoser John]

Too late already for any new operations-John

 

[wpareig]

Hi John,
Are you saying it's too late for this year or did they stop allowing beach prospecting on Kodiak?

I'm hoping you mean it's too late for this year.
Jim

 

[alaskamanusa]

god...where to start? i lived on kodiak for many years...i have heard all the stories and seen some of the gold. when i was there, i didn't have as much interest as i should have...especially because i had already seen and gotten much gold previous to this on the south fork of the forty mile river system....i guess because of my life style, that i have taken too much for granted. there is alot of gold on kodiak island, and i would be glad to direct you to certain locations based on experience and second hand knowledge,..alot of it...
morgan

 

[wpareig]

Hi Morgan,
Thank you for the reply, I would greatly appreciate ANY info you can give me on locations and any info about the politics of the island.... Are the authorities (state, fed, local) friendly toward prospectors there? How about the locals? Most of the people I meet in Ak are pretty friendly and most of the prospectors I come across are a good bunck (with a few exceptions), but, I've never visted on Kodiak so I have no idea how the people there are toward strangers.....

One of the things I was wondering about is equipment.... Are you allowed to use powered equipment on the beach and are you allowed to drive vehicles on the beach?

Are the Bears as much a problem on the beaches as they are in the interior? I've heard lots of rumors over the years, but don't put much stock into things like that till I get it straight from people who live in the area and actually know what they are talking about....

My intention is to take the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry from Homer AK. to Kodiak, but where to go once I get there? I have no idea.... Do you know of any storage places on the island (that store vehicles and trailers)? I figure on taking the extra truck and just leaving it there if possable at a storage unit instead of traveling back and forth. That way I can take it over on my first trip and bring it back on my last trip of the year next year.....

There are tons of questions I have, but i'll stop here for now. Thank you for your help & info..

Jim

 

[Rowdy]

I'm just throwing my $.02 in here, since I've never been to Alaska! I remember seeing a show on the History or one of the other "learning" channels about several fatal bear attacks in the Kodiak archipelago recently. Not sure if it was a rogue, or what, but if you do go there, I'd take SERIOUS precautions!!!

 

[wpareig]

Hi Rowdy,
I didn't see that show, but I have heard quite a few horror stories about bear attacks on the island. I always take percausions (and some serious protection) when out anywhere in AK. I've had some close calls before, but so far have never had to shoot one and hope I never do. I've taken chances going into the interior by my self (and my dog), but would never concider going into the interior of Kodiak for days at a time without a buddy (and my dog).

It's good to have all 3 types of Bear protection in an area like that: #1. A BIG DOG..... #2. A BIG GUN and #3. A BUDDY I CAN RUN FASTER THAN.....

Good luck out there & have fun...

Jim

 

[Rowdy]

Jim,

Bears and sharks, are two things in this world that scare the beans out of me! We only have black bears here, but I still don't go into the woods without a 45 colt, and some stout loads!

From what I've read, the fire extinguisher type pepper sprays are way more effective on a big bear than shooting it. From talking to hunters, my understanding is that you can hit a big bear in the heart, and kill it, but it probably won't figure out it's dead for a minute or two!

Then again, they did some studies and discovered that after the burn wears off, the carrier in some of the sprays tastes good to a bear. Because of that, some of them apparently learned to associate the smell of the pepper spray, with food!

The one scene in that show that REALLY struck home, was a grizzly running down a caribou! It was chasing it across a slope at a full gallop, AND GAINING! Looked like the bears feet were touching the ground every 10 feet or so!

After a few hundred yards, the deer stopped and took a look over it's shoulder. Big mistake, as the bear hit it like a freight train!!! 2000 lbs. or so of teeth, claws, and a really bad attitude!!!!

 

[wpareig]

Hi Rowdy,
I'm the same way. I never go into Bear teritory without a gun. I either carry my 454 Casull or my 480 S&W Mag. Both expand to nearly the size of a quarter with 95%+ weight retention and both give me much better penitration than a 44mag. or 12ga. shot gun. The brown bears on the main land in Ak never bothered me as much as the black bears, they just seem a lot more interested than the browns did. Here in PA. when I see a black bear in the 280 to 300 pound class it's huge for this area, imagine my supprise the first time I ran into a very LARGE black bear in AK that easly exceeded 500lb. Talk about supprised (smile), I never went out again without my dog and a much bigger gun than the 357mag. I had been carrying at the time (why the 357mag.? I was stupid enough to listen to someone who knew nothing about what he was talking about and told me that was all I needed in that area, there were no bears and about the worst thing I might run into was a wild dog..... Now I make sure I get my advice from people who actually know the area and know what they are talking about).

I've heard the Browns on Kodiak are a special breed, a lot more agressive than what I've delt with before, but until I hear that from a local I'll just give them a wide berth and show them the same respect as I do on the main land.

Jim.

 

[wpareig]

Hi, thanks for getting back to me with more info..... Ok, I'll try to keep it to a specific question at a time..... By the way, how's the Salmon Fishing going?

One last thing on Bears. That's why I said in my ealier post that I wait till I hear from people who actually live in an area before I worry too much about things like that. What you said about the bears on Kodiak is what I would have figured, not monsters like they are portraid, maybee bigger than most on the main land, but pretty much the same. A wounderful creature that needs to be respected (after all that is HIS world, we just share it with them) and precautions need to be taken around, not some blood thirsty killer that needs to be feared or destroyed...... Sorry to hear about your goat though, but you're right IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE, thank god it was a goat and not a child......

Your comments about Kodiak not being an easy place to find Gold don't disuade me, I didn't figure it would be an easy place to find gold, that's why I chose that place..... If I first tried out my equipment and perfected it in an area like Nome that has LOTS of gold on it's beaches I wouldn't learn much about the problems beach prospectors have with ultra fine gold recovery (-100mesh) in areas I want to Beach Prospect..... Spending 8-10 grand (for a learning trip or 2 to Kodiak) for a better education than you could get on the subject in ANY college is a fantastic deal (smile). If it helps my recovery (teaking equipment and way I prospect) for gold in areas with plenty more gold, I'll make that back 10 times more over the years.... Experience is a great teacher and if it's too easy, you get lazy and learn nothing.......

Ok, back on subject, is there any limitations to the equipment that can be used on the beaches and are vehicles allowed on the beach?

One of the peices of equipment I made is a beach vac.... It is a 1/4 yard capacity ATV mounted vac that will be used to vac the black sands instead of digging and chasing the gold. We tried it on a few sand swimming beaches around here (lake beaches) and have increased the suction to where we are able to vac wet and dry sand theough 15' of hose. Imagine just crusing the beach, sampling as you go and vaccuming up heavy concentrates that are located w/ a 3" hose then moving on to the next spot and doing the same..... You never have to move your beach box (or other equipment), just set it up centrail to where you will be working, when your load is full drive back, open the discharge gate and have someone shovel the rich sands while you go find more. You can also set up your equipment near a fresh water source and just bring the rich sands to the equipment.....

The Vac isn't the recovery equipment I am working on, just a way of making my job easier.....

Thanks again for all the useful info,

Jim.