Metal detecting in Wilcox AZ

[Captain Kirk]

Hey guys, I'm headed to Wilcox for a couple of days (5-6 of Jan). Wondering if anyone knows of any good (legal too!) spots where I could hit. Not looking for anyone's honey hole, just want to be pointed in the right direction. Also would be interested in meeting up with anyone who lives in the area. Thanks.

 

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[Captain Kirk]

I've been heading up Happy Camp trail on the NE side of the range, in the BLM land. I'd be happy to talk with someone who knows the area better than me, I'm not finding anything on my own.

 

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[Clay Diggins]

Try at the head of Turkey creek on the SW side. In and above the FS campgrounds you can find some color in the creek. Don't know if there are detectable nuggets there. Downstream some pretty good sized chunks have been found but it's all private property and off limits.

Just outside of Gleeson there is a placer deposit but that's claimed and being worked commercially now.

Never heard of anybody detecting a nugget at Dos Cabezos but several have found good gold drywashing. The placers there are very small and scattered.

Gold Gulch just outside of Bisbee has detectable nuggets and a LOT of trash. There are some club claims there, you might consider joining because it looks like the rest is all claimed up.

Ash Canyon outside Sierra Vista has good gold but the area is heavily claimed. I think there may be some club claims there.

Many if not most of John B's legendary big nugget finds were from the Greaterville open area. The biggest nuggets in the Southwest are still found there. Well worth your time to visit there. Beautiful area with easy access. You will want to go soon though because once the monsoons start the chiggers, humidity and the grass growth will cut way down on your productive beeping time.

Heavy Pans

 

[Captain Kirk]

Wow, thanks for all the information. That's great. I only get down there for work and don't always have time to get out, but hopefully I'll be down again soon and check out some of those places.

 

[G.I.B.]

I'm the guy you met in KBGR- Still here.

I've got some 60's and 70's stuff so far, nothing as good as that 1744 coin, still looking.

 

[GreyGhost]

Try at the head of Turkey creek on the SW side. In and above the FS campgrounds you can find some color in the creek. Don't know if there are detectable nuggets there. Downstream some pretty good sized chunks have been found but it's all private property and off limits.

Just outside of Gleeson there is a placer deposit but that's claimed and being worked commercially now.

Never heard of anybody detecting a nugget at Dos Cabezos but several have found good gold drywashing. The placers there are very small and scattered.

Gold Gulch just outside of Bisbee has detectable nuggets and a LOT of trash. There are some club claims there, you might consider joining because it looks like the rest is all claimed up.

Ash Canyon outside Sierra Vista has good gold but the area is heavily claimed. I think there may be some club claims there.

Many if not most of John B's legendary big nugget finds were from the Greaterville open area. The biggest nuggets in the Southwest are still found there. Well worth your time to visit there. Beautiful area with easy access. You will want to go soon though because once the monsoons start the chiggers, humidity and the grass growth will cut way down on your productive beeping time.

Heavy Pans

We've exchanged messages in the past on other forums (my handle on the other ones is "Tortuga") and I really like your Footprints software on Greatervile.
I didn't know there was gold placers around Bisbee. I'm always trying to find new places to prospect around southern Arizona. One of the biggest eggs I haven't cracked yet it the old placers in the Canyon del Oro, northwest of Tucson. Just haven't heard of anyone detecting any nuggets up there before.
I'm also keenly interested in gold placers around Pearce and Gleeson, like you mentioned. My family owns a little land west of Pearce and I've read in some of the old mining journals about "rich placers gravels east and west of Pearce Hill" but I've been unable to locate anything else about them. Didn't know there was gold in Turkey Creek either, I've camped there a few times in the past.