Newbie greetings

[osirus]

Good afternoon all, i live here in denver and just purchased my first metal detector from Big boys hobbies- bart was/is great, he is shipping my unit tonight. I picked up a Gold bug II and plan on going out as soon as possible. Im excited to get my unit and start hunting, i plan on taking some hikes this year over by fairplay and over to white river national forest to mississippi/fancy pass, maybe even over to forgotten valley in RMNP. good luck to all. I hope i have some pictures and stories soon for you all.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A History of Mining on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska - Grab it through Amazon!

[joe_dirt]

Welcome and good luck! No matter what you find I'm sure you'll have fun.

 

[63bkpkr]

osirus, Welcome! A new machine on its way sure gets the adrenaline pumping. You've listed quite a few areas you desire to detect, I'm guessing these are all known gold producing areas and if so then you are started in the right direction as the gold will be there. If possible before reaching each area try to learn in what type of ground the gold was found in and what type of gold was found that is, solid rock & lode gold or various types of placer deposits and nuggets, etc. Then try to understand where you should begin your search, old hard rock mine dumps, piles of move river boulders, along old gullies, if you are working rivers then the down river side of obstructions to the water flow. Once you are out in one spot give yourself a chance to work the area before moving on and before you arrive there check with the BLM to learn if there are any claims in the area to be sure you are not on an active claim and also this is another good place to learn where gold was once mined.

Before you leave your home learn your detector, you've a good machine on its way so now you need to learn what it is telling you and how to adjust it. Detect your yard or some piece of open ground to locate and remove any targets that might be there. Once the ground no longer gives off a signal use small lead shot to 'salt' the ground ( on the surface first and later a few inches down ) and now re-detect your test garden. This will also give you a chance to learn how to separate the sample from the dirt around it with the plastic cup/scoop method. Good hunting...........63bkpkr

 

[Goodyguy]

One thing ......if you find a big nugget just don't holler BOOM BABY!





I know the vid has been out awhile, but yesterday was the first time I saw it.

 

[63bkpkr]

goodguy,
This morning was the first time I saw it. At first I was confused kinda like "what he heck has hitler got to do with metal detecting", as I watched the confusion turned to good natured laughing and I needed that! Thank your for a good morning chuckle..........63bkpkr

 

[Oakview2]

One thing ......if you find a big nugget just don't holler BOOM BABY!





I know the vid has been out awhile, but yesterday was the first time I saw it.

Never seen before. Can't stop laughing..Excellent GoodGuy

 

[osirus]

thanks for the pointers 63bkpkr, i seen that vid on other topics too, always a good laugh. I have some lead and some gold to use for testing before i go out. I also go to school for welding and talked my teacher into letting me building a sluice box in the future, so im looking for plans for that, should be fun. I also made my own pick/hoe head for diggin.

whats the potential for gold in a man made canal that gets all the water flow runoff out on the eastern plains?

 

[63bkpkr]

Canals can be fun and canals can be dangerous and all sorts of things can be thrown into them depending on how close to "civilization" the canal is. They can be dangerous as if the water is swift one does not dare to loose their footing. If the side walls are steep and the water is deep then it becomes very hard to get out. Deep, swift & steep are not to be played with.

The above having been said, I've played in an irrigation canal in Arizona. The water was not that deep and the sides were easy to climb but the water was fast and made for a great ride sitting on top of a palm branch, guessing it was ~ 3' wide.

Back to your canal: canals are usually made cement smooth so I would guess that most things would keep moving as long as the water had some push to it. I would guess that at some point there could be sediment. There could be fish in it. IF there were some rough spots, joints, steps acting like riffles then that is where I would try first. Is there any gold way back up stream where the water originally comes from? There are a large number of variables involved with this consideration but if there is gold in the main stream where this water is taken from then I would guess there is a possibility of some gold being in the canal. IF there was an area along the route of the canal where there was a lot of fine gold on the surface of the ground then it might be blown into the canal by high winds. My gut feel tells me that I would not expect gold to be in it but any obstruction in the canal would acquire heavies and like I said above that is where I would look for signs. Canals are an unusual water supply not usually associated with gold but if it is a dirt canal, not cement, then it is just like any other water source, look for the obstructions and check there. Were people using the canal for hauling goods back and forth like on some supply boat pulled along by oxen?? If so then there will be human 'stuff' on the bottom. Short answer, maybe but bring along a fishing pole with a license...............63bkpkr

 

[nuggetshooter323]

While your in Fairplay, you can go across Mosquito Pass to Leadville and detect the mine tailing piles right above the town. Of course, It might be easier to go the long way and just drive around the mountains to the otherside.

Good afternoon all, i live here in denver and just purchased my first metal detector from Big boys hobbies- bart was/is great, he is shipping my unit tonight. I picked up a Gold bug II and plan on going out as soon as possible. Im excited to get my unit and start hunting, i plan on taking some hikes this year over by fairplay and over to white river national forest to mississippi/fancy pass, maybe even over to forgotten valley in RMNP. good luck to all. I hope i have some pictures and stories soon for you all.

 

[osirus]

good stuff, since the weather hasn't been very nice ive just been searching for maps and information.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Welcome to the passionate golden pursuit!

All the best,

Lanny