Please Help Nugget Hunting. Bounty Hunter Tracker IV Desert Gold

[JHArizona]

Hello. I am in a prime area for hunting Picker Gold and small nuggets in the High Mohave Desert of Arizona. Lots of people here hunt gold with metal detectors. (and meteorite) I recently purchased a Bounty Hunter Tracker IV detector with an 8" Coil. It says in the book it is good for finding gold, and can penetrate into black sand which is ideal for this desert area.

I know the gold is out here, and I have read great reviews about this detector, but I am starting to have doubts. It will pick up on a gold ring and sound loudly, and even a gold nugget necklace from Alaska, however, The necklace has 18 carrot gold hasp soldered onto the nugget, and ring is all 18 carat gold. That means there is a nickle hardener....Does it sound on the nickle and not the gold? I am running with high sensitivity in all metal mode. No discrimination...

I was able to test on a little 1/2 pennyweight picker nugget found in the desert that has been glued to a poker chip. No response at all, yet this was found with a metal detector to begin with right here near my home by a friend....

It appears that either the Tracker IV Bounty Hunter, Or it's 8" coil will not detect 24 carrot small gold? Could this be? The way my manual reads, I should be able to detect the gold and go nugget hunting.

I am thinking of purchasing the 4" Nugget coil and feel that may be my problem, but don't want to spend the extra 40 bucks if it is the machine itself. I don't know what to try. I cannot afford an expensive unit like a whites or mine lab. This was the best deal for the amount of money I had to work with. Any help with my Tracker 4 and nugget shooting will be greatly appreciated. Please point a newbie in the right direction...

Thanks.

 

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[MD Dog]

Although not the Ideal detector for this type of gold hunting it should serve the purpose to a degree. The BH Mark IV AKA Pioneer 101 and other names are all capable of finding gold, but are limited in depth and by not having manual ground balance. If you hunt in black sand deposits and your machine doesn't false (Go off for no reason) like mad, then you'd be very lucky. Part of the problem your seeing is a trade off with a machines ability to get depth vs size of target. Even the best detectors some times have a hard time balancing this and end up going deeper but missing small targets in the trade off. A standard 8" coil will pick up a gold target as small as say a child's 14k ring or it may even pick up a 14k earring backer. But at some point smaller targets won't be picked up because of the larger coil size. I've had people tell me see My machine picks up even the smallest targets, and that can be true but usually they are very shallow or even surface finds I have yet to see a modern, NON PI, detectors pick up small targets, deeper than say 2-3inches.

So to answer your question, yes the BH Mark IV will work and yes a smaller coil would help find smaller targets but you'll be trading depth as well. For gold hunting of the kind you describe your best bet would be a PI detector designed for the task, but your right they can be pricey. So My suggestion would be learn to use the Mark IV and it will find larger gold for you if you stick to it. Then save that gold up till you have enough to purchase a dedicated Gold MD machine.

 

[Hoser John]

Going to a drag race with a vw is a good comparison. Try to save a bit more cash and buy a "used but not abused" goldbug 2/tesoro lobo/whites-tons a au 2 u 2-John

 

[7oz]

Hi, For starters your in the right place in Arizona to find some nice gold nuggets. If you want to try nuggetshooting without spending much money, for $40 a smaller coil is a good investment. So outside of getting a better nuggetshooter I'd suggest you try the 4" coil. I had some 4" BH coils but they sold fast (so that probably tells you something). For nuggetshooting I've tried a lot of detectors Vlf / PI with all types and sizes 1" and up 17" UFO. Small coils like a 4"-6" detect small shallow gold nugget sized targets the best and are much easier to use for a beginner. You need to use them in tight spots where 5" x 10" or 8" coil can not hunt effectively. It not a coil made for covering a lot of ground or finding patches, so keep that in mind. If you in gold country and finding small bits of lead frags your heading in the right direction.
HH,
Allen T.

 

[JHArizona]

I appreciate all the help. I think I will look into the 4" Nugget Coils. This seems like my best be for the money I have to work with. There is no way I can buy a PI detector just yet. Way out of my price range. I guess I luck out with the black sand. My detector penetrates black sand just fine. With the 8" coil I have been able to achieve a 3' (yep....3 foot) depth on an object the size of a quarter here in the looser dry desert sands. I guess that is pretty good? From what I hear, my little Tracker IV has out performed some of the PI Detectors being used in the area and I got a really good deal for such an inexpensive piece of machinery. I am satisfied for now, and Looking forward to learning with it.

Anything smaller than a standard eraser from the back of a pencil.....pea size, is just undetectable when it comes to gold though. It will still find iron with ease. If I have to sacrifice depth for the small objects with the 4" coil than so be it. Where I am looking, most gold is found on a detrital fan that is layered in loos sands and gravel atop a caliche layer. The depth will range on average from 1 foot to 5 foot at the deepest parts. If I play around in the shallow areas, and can achieve a depth of 3 to 4 inches with the 4" nugget coil, It should be sufficent for learning. Just as long as it cna detect the raw gold. That is where I am in doubt....I shall see. Only one way to find out.

Going to a drag race with a vw is a very good comparison of what I am up to. No disagreeing there, but it is all I can afford. I will have to look at the prighter side of things, and just be thankful My vw is still bigger than a moped.....For learning I thin I will be all right. Like the tortise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race. Right now I am learning and is very new to me. If I keep plugging along at a steady pace, I know in the end I will come out smelling like a white mushroom!

The way I see it...If i am able to find large objects with this Tracker IV, and I come across a nugget larger than a bottle cap, than the money I saved by going with the inexpensive model paid off. More profit, and more earned. I dont need the PI detector to find such a large item.

If I go with a more expensive detector PI, and don't find anything, it is money down the tubes. It would be hard for me to find enough to make it worth the investment. If I can achieve a shallow depth with the Tracker IV and find enough to pay for it, than later on, I may also find enough to buy the PI. Maybe it is an ignorant way of thinking, but it is the best of my logic for now.

Another wonder I had was the meteorites......Can this Tracker IV find em? I never seen one. I know they are out here. I wonder what my odds are.

 

[JHArizona]

"If you in gold country and finding small bits of lead frags your heading in the right direction."

What does this meen? I never heard of this before. There are a lot of old gold mines here and there is lead strewn about all over the place. I found some 'Babbitt' from some old machinery that felt and looked like lead. I also find lots of old bullets. Back in those days was lots of lead flying around....matter of fact, still a bunch in the air... Not much for gun control here either..

Is it a lead piece I should be looking for that belongs to something, Or a lead from a shotgun shell? Maybe a chunk of lead pipe? Not really sure.....

 

[truckinbutch]

You are on the right track with your attitude of learning to use what you have . If you are finding small lead you are bound to find some small gold . That's when you start training your machine and your ear to work together .

 

[MD Dog]

yep, you can find meteorites as well as the lead bits as well as gold. They all are pretty much the same as far as your detector is concerned. It won't differentiate between these metals nor aluminum, they are all so close your particular detector will sound the same usually a solid low tone for nickle (in many meteorites) or iron or gold or aluminum or lead all have low tones. The high tones will be Silver or copper. The mixed dead duck sound is mixed metals like zincolns.

 

[JHArizona]

Glad I am on the right track. I went ahead and purchased the 4" coil online. Brand new from Canada, and free shipping for 30.00. Should be here in a week or 2. Looking forward to it. I also purchased a 3 pound bag of concentrates from a man in Prescott AZ. He said it will have some "Pickers" in it, and I think this should be good for testing the coil out. Will also allow me to practice panning and I get to keep whatever gold is in the bag. Typically I wouldn't do this.

I dont think that bagged concentrate thing is a really good investment, but It will at least give me a little to learn the detector with before I head out to the desert and cook.

I am still not sure I am understanding the lead thing correctly. Do I use little bits of lead like fishing sinkers or bullets to practice with? If it finds little bits, it will find the gold and meteorites? Or is it that the lead will occur naturally where the gold does. If lead in the area I am searching than bond to find gold there too?

I am also thinking about a book. Book is a bit Pricey though. around $22.95 area. 15.00 used at amazon. It is called "Where to find Arizona Placer gold" by Delos toole. Can find it at www.delostooleauthor.com

I am not sure this is a wise investment, but it said it has maps and information that can be very helpful for me....

Overall I am up to $65.00 for Tracker IV Metal Detector, $30.00 for 4" Coil, and $43.00 for a 3 lbs bag of dirt with some pickers in it, 33.00 for a Garette Gold Pan set....

I have a $200.00 limit to get everything I need. If I get that book It will put me very close. Maybe there is something that would be better than a book. I will wait on that one and think it through..

 

[truckinbutch]

Consider these things :
Spend a lot of time coin shooting with your detector to learn it .
Research all you can in the area you wish to detect in the field .
Do you really feel that someone in the business for profit is going to ship you 3 pounds of dirt containing over the $43 initial investment , if that , because he is such a good fellow ?
I think I would invest the same momey in some verified nuggets or other raw gold and put it in my test garden and then keep working with my machine until I had found it all .
My humble opinion only

 

[JHArizona]

I understand where you are coming from. I know that someone in the business for profit would not sell me a bag of concentrates with the 43 worth of gold. The whole point of that was, It is from a man south of me in Prescott AZ, It was also 3 lbs of his concentrates at 35.00 plus shipping. I offer you to find a 3 lbs sample bag at that price online....

I know it is not a wise investment for the gold, But it is just what I will be looking for in the field. Mostly placers, and some little pickers. Is also Arizona gold that has the same characteristics as the gold in the field I intend to search....There is no place to coin shooting here....I am in the desert....Wide open. No civilization for miles.

The whole point is, it is the perfect gold for me to work with, for that is what will be available in the field. The overall confusion is....

What does the lead have to do with gold?

 

[ivan salis]

ok dirty tricks time --- you got two knobs and a 3 way switch -- left knob is power / sensitivy / depth --- right knob is discrimation / what to "ignore" ---to increase finding small gold items with a tracker IV --you want to run a much power / senstivity as possible (without the machine become unstable -- false beeping all the dang time ) with as little discrimation as possible --- the three way switch has 3 modes -- to the left is all metal-- it is the most powerful but you WILL find ANY and ALL metal --plus its the most sensitive so you can get a bit of falsing sometimes if you run too hot for the ground (too much power)--there is only one tone "beep" for all medals ---next mode is the tone-- in the middle --it too picks up all metals but gives 3 tones instead of only 1 -- a iron tone (fart grunt sound)--- a gold /aluminum tone and a copper/ silver tone --think of it a a semi discrimation mode --be aware that many metals have similar "conductivity" and thus ring up alike-- and lastly a discrimantion mode -- that the higher up you turn the discrimation knob in this mode go the less metals its finds -- the first to drop out i\s iron -- then small gold / foil -- then --pulltabs / small gold rings -- then nickles / big rings --- for hunting tiny"natural" gold -- in fairly clean areas --all metal mode or tone mode with as much sensitivity and as little discrimation as [ossible would be a good bet -- a smaller 4 inch coil will of course pick up the shallower small stuff better * I hope this helped. --- of course a big better machine is ideal but often we gotta work with the tools we have --so one needs to learn how to get the most from em.---- good luck--- Ivan

some folks run only a small amount of power / sen to keep the machine "running" shallower in depth and not punch past the small shallow stuff -- you can try it if you like--

often old gold mining camp sites have lead - tin cans and such about -- find the old miners camp sites often you'll find gold as well.

 

[JHArizona]

I see I see. Making more sense now. Thanks Ivan. I been playing with these switches all day long and had no idea what they did. I also chopped up a .22 cal bullet and was trying to get it to beeb on just the lead. Wasnt really following. Makes perfect sense now. Big big help! Described my machine to a T too!

I know the campsites. I can think of several I have already been to with Old tools and Cans all over the place....I actually know right where the mine shafts are too. Now I have a good idea how to run this thing, I would bet I can find some lead out there.. Good to know what I am looking for Thanks a million!

 

[ivan salis]

that cuz long ago I used to have one (and thus know it by heart )-- the meter thingy is worse than useless --ignore it .

to fine tune its discrimation mode -- set it up in discrimation mode -- use a smalll bit of iron and a small bit of gold on some metal free ground check before setting them on the ground)--- start at "0" all the way left on the discrimation knob--- wave it over them --, listen to the tone differance --see how one is differant than the other? --- now very slowly up the discrimation wjile waving it over the iron until it no longer picks up the iron --- now check the gold hopefully it still picks up -- if not lower the duscrimation till it does -- if you can't split the two apart discrimation wize --then use the tonal sound to assist you .--- gold should sound "clean" --the iron not so good ---use thids factor to assist on figgering out A from B

 

[JHArizona]

I noticed that about the little meter. Moves so quick I cant even see what it is reading half the time. It just jumps around. I did find it hand on a couple occasions playing around with it out in the yard though. Sometimes I will get a slight beep that sounds more like a click. Can't hardly hear that, but the meter will jump and I can see what I didn't hear. Other than that, I have no idea what it is good for other than appearances...

When it clicks though, It is usually a pull tab from a beer can or something, and is down deep, and not really worth digging. I wont ignore anything though. Dont want to miss something. One time it clicked out there and I found a old rusty key that looks to be from the old sardine or corned beef cans. Pretty neat looking anyway. Worthless but neat. Another time it did that I was much more fortunate and found something of some value! It was a copper coin of some sort that looks like it is from 1760. Very hard to make out. I shined it up, but it is very warn down now. Has kind George on it and says "George Rules" and some sort of coat of arms on the back side. About the size of a kenedy half dollar. I kept it. I thought 1760 was very old for Arizona ground..

 

[ivan salis]

due to similar "metal conductivity" levels -- gold depending on its size will come in like --foil (very small stuff / natural gold often ) -- pulltabs (say womens rings) and nickles (bigger gold items mens rings /class rings) --- one must be aware of that or in a effort to cull out pulltabs you will cut out the small gold you seek . --- if hunting small gold one must be in a dig it all mindset

if one cuts out pull tabs being they are higher up the scale than the foil / natural gold ==the small stuff will quite simply not be found --==since you've cut it out , discrimating anything above small iron rums a high risk of losing gold -- in clean areas --most use "0" disc and dig it all --- learn the three tones using differant items -- and the differance between a clear signal and a crackly or broken signal .

 

[JHArizona]

Good to know. I think I will run in all metal mode. Sensitivity all the way up, and discrimination off. Will probably sound on a speck of fly turd but I will dig it up anyway

Did you ever run into trouble with Airplane and Helicopters with yours? It is a funny thing I noticed, but some reason when they fly over when it is running, The Tracker IV anyway will sometimes give the same click style beeps....I think it picks up the aircrafts above....Maybe it is my imagination.

 

[ivan salis]

the machine puts out a "electronic" feild out under its coil --as it gets close to metal --the electric feild "reacts" with the metal -----some metals are more "conductive / reactive" than others --thus the three tones -- a little -- more --a lot ----that is also why the signal gets stronger as the item gets closer to the coil --- anything that makes electric signals can mess with the detectors "electric feild" --its just "outside" electrical interferance messing with its feild --those airplanes and helicopters are constantly broadcasting electrical data --the detector is just picking up on those signals -- because they mess with its electrical feild

 

[JHArizona]

That makes sense.....I guess Its not my imagination. It isn't much of an iterferance but enough to make me wonder if I should dig or not. Getting used to it now though. Have been seeing a pattern to it.. I suppose is nothing I can do to block it out either....FCC sticker on machine says it has to accept any interference it picks up...This must be what that meens

 

[ivan salis]

yep -- its locked into a certain electronic freq range -- FCC says you got interferance tough no midifying the machine as it might mess with other more important equiptment (like airplane equiptment -- crash and burn)