Is anyone still looking for gold in Western New York?

[Butcher78]

I Just recently started panning and sluicing for gold here in Springville, NY.
If anyone in the area is still prospecting pls share here. I would love to see what is being found, how your finding it, where you are looking and how much you have found.
I am running a Royal Manufacturing 30” sluice box. I’m still learning how to pan and I want to start crevicing for gold if I can find some exposed bedrock in my area.

 

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[Butcher78]

Tiny flat gold can ride on the surface of the water due to surface tension. A few drops of a surfactant such as dishwasher Jet Dri or even dawn or some other dish soap will break or decrease the surface tension of your panning water causing the gold to sink and settle. Warm water helps too. You are on the right track by panning in small quantities when trying to recover the last little speck of micro gold.

Have you done the proven, pretty much fail safe, visual test on what you see as gold? Gold does not lose it's color when viewed in shaded light. If the gold color disappears in the shaded light then it is most likely not gold but may be mica or some other reflective mineral. Your statement that the "gold" rises to the top is the reason I ask this since that is the way mica particles act in a pan.

Good luck.

Now I feel like a fool with the fools gold or Mika. I looked up a video showing the difference. I was sitting out in the sun when I did all this today. I’m still not comfortable panning down that much material at on time in such a big pan. So I will wait for my new pan and try again ignoring the stuff that is on top. It moves around way to much. Thank you.

 

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[Butcher78]

Oh I forgot to mention this. I am using Jet Dry in my water. I’m not exactly sure on the measurements per gallons but I try to use about 1/2 tsp pre gallon.

 

[arizau]

You are not the first one.......I doubt there are many or any beginning gold panners who have not been fooled by mica or whatever mineral that shines gold in full light especially if they have not first been shown gold in a pan by a more experienced panner. I was fortunate to be shown how to pan and identify gold but I still always do the light test on micro gold when I am not already absolutely sure of what I am seeing and that will come to you too in time.

Excess Jet Dri, etc. tends to foam when agitated so you will know if you have used too much.

Good luck.

 

[Butcher78]

I might either buy a bag of paydirt for real gold or just buy a small quantity of gold so I can see for myself what gold does and how it acts in the pan.

 

[Butcher78]

I’ve got a few new things in the mail to help me on my adventures lol. As you have read I have a new smaller gold pan coming. I also went ahead and got myself a Jewelers Loop, a digital scale and a 2lb bag of paydirt from a claim on the Yukon river. I am fairly positive I will not recover the $$ spent but I should still find actual gold in my pan so I can tell the difference between what is fake and real. Seeing it on TV or through a video on YouTube is one thing,I want to see it in person.

 

[Butcher78]

I also found out that when running my 30in Sluice box, I was running the recommended 1in per foot angle. That’s 2 1/2 in roughly for 30” and with the 1200 gph pump that came with the sluice box, it doesn’t have enough flow rate to clear the pay off of the first mat. I had to increase the angle to near 3 inches to get the pay to clear off the mat.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Order some pay dirt so you have a handle on what Gold looks like and how it acts in the pan. Either that or buy some gold and add it to whatever you got.
Either way, your not going to learn how to pan with just a couple specks of gold or possibly mica.

 

[RTR]

Buy,or build a Miller table,It catches All the gold,all day long

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

View attachment 1714969
Buy,or build a Miller table,It catches All the gold,all day long

How many buckets of screened material did you spoon onto the miller table for that gold, or was it crevice material?
Miller table is made for concentrates..cannot imagine running bank material over it.

 

[Tpmetal]

Dont want to burst your bubble but all we have here in western ny is glacial gold. That being said though 3cylbill told me of a story of someone around here finding a nugget in their chickens gullet or gizzard or whatever you call that rock pouch that grinds their food.

 

[No gold in NY]

Dont want to burst your bubble but all we have here in western ny is glacial gold. That being said though 3cylbill told me of a story of someone around here finding a nugget in their chickens gullet or gizzard or whatever you call that rock pouch that grinds their food.

That's funny. Of all the chicken and turkey gizzards I have eaten in my 76 years, I never encountered a stone, pebble or sand.

 

[Butcher78]

For those that say their is no gold in NYS. Here is a video for you. Lol

It may not be a lot of gold but is worth looking for. Just my opinion.

 

[Butcher78]

If anyone is still interested in my thread that is interested in prospecting in Western NY. I am planing to make a day and take the family to a nice little spot I only found out about today. I might just have to take my pans with me. It’s called Valentine Flats Creek in Gowanda, NY. It’s a beautiful spot on the Cattaraugus Creek. Nice big bends in the creek, a waterfall, lots of exposed bedrock deep in a gorge. Just stunning.
If you have been their before let me know. I can’t wait to take my kids and see their faces.

 

[gold tramp]

The az guys laugh at me also. I to only find small bit of gold sure have much fun doin it youguys go for it.

Dont always have to be about gettin rich.
Gt..

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Let's not get into a pissing match showing off who can find more gold.
Truthfully there are people here that could blow some socks off if they started posting up pictures of their actual recoveries. Not purchased gold, but actual finds.

I can tell you none of my trips are a waste of time. Even when I come home empty handed.

A day on the water with the kids is priceless.
They can spend hours chasing crawfish and frogs while dad chases his crazy gold.

 

[Butcher78]

Let's not get into a pissing match showing off who can find more gold.
Truthfully there are people here that could blow some socks off if they started posting up pictures of their actual recoveries. Not purchased gold, but actual finds.

I can tell you none of my trips are a waste of time. Even when I come home empty handed.

A day on the water with the kids is priceless.
They can spend hours chasing crawfish and frogs while dad chases his crazy gold.

I can assure you I’m not looking to get into a pissing match with anyone. Just looking for people in my area that is like minded. Yes I bought a bag of paydirt but only so I can see real gold in my pan for the first time so I know exactly what I am looking for, and how it moves in my pan.
I may plan on taking trips to look elsewhere myself, but I would never down someone on what they believe in.
My kids run around here pretending to find gold and that’s amazing to see. I know they will grow up with this passion as well. If I can put just one pice in front of them I know they will all be hooked.
I wish I could buy a claim and start a family run business working side by side with my kids when they grow up and leave them with something to remember me by. I’ll start that off with 1 bag of paydirt.

 

[SvenS]

My friend gold prospects in WNY with his 84 year old friend who has energy of a 25 year old. Actuallt finds the yellow stuff. PM me if you want to contact him.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Please post by our rules, no insults and that includes calling a member a troll.

 

[Tnmountains]

yeah what Treasure hunter says, I am in Tn and carry a gold pan with me on every adventure always in my truck..

 

[Butcher78]

Have a Happy Memorial Day everyone!