Gold Bug nugget hunting practice

[atomicscott]

Got out yesterday to an old gold mine about 3 miles from me. I know the ground is pretty hot here so I figure it would be a good test/practice grounds. I got her ground balanced quickly, but this ground can change a lot in 3-4 ft, so I really had to pay attention. the first zip I got was a piece of shot so small, it was difficult to find in my scoop. It was about 2-3" deep. Ended up with a couple BB's and some shot. One piece of lead shot was broken to about 1/2 it's usual size, it had to be under 1 grain! Anyway, I think the machine will work great and find the good stuff if I get the coil over it. Now to research & find some productive sites...

 

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[Terry Soloman]

Get some yella baby!

 

[meMiner]

You bought a Lead Bug? LOL
I have found lots of lead shot too. You have to dig it, because it sounds the same as gold with any detector. Getting such small pieces is great practice and demonstrates you are doing things correctly and the machine is working.

 

[Hoser John]

Good going as you must first learn to walk before you fly like a eagle-tons a au 2 u 2-John

 

[atomicscott]

Good going as you must first learn to walk before you fly like a eagle-tons a au 2 u 2-John

Thanks John, Much appreciated. That was my thinking in going on some 'lead hunts' in the hot ground. Hate to get 100 miles into the desert and not have a handle on the machine. I imagine small gold may settle in the same areas as lead will also.

 

[Maxlfty]

Lead bug! That made me laugh!
I have quite a few square nails and bullets.
Good luck!

 

[Lanny in AB]

I dug lots of lead before I found my first nugget, and if you're finding tiny lead and you have the machine carefully ground balanced all of the time, you'll have a great chance at capturing the gold when you get your coil over it.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Hoser John]

I've found so much lead I have made quite a few dive weights from the pieces. Especially the trinity river as salmon/steelhead fishermen trash the place continuously with lead draped snagging rigs. Nothing to get 20-30 lbs a day sic sic sic-John

 

[californiagold]

You have to be careful using a scoop with a vlf detector. If a target is in the dirt in the scoop and your detector dont hear it when you wave it over the coil, you might throw it out. Best way is scrape the ground until you move the target, then you know it is in your scraped off pile of dirt, then detect the pile from scrape and get an idea about where it is. Then just take small pinches of dirt from pile and sprinkle it on the coil. When the target falls on your coil, youll hear it beep. Then you know its on the coil. Then use one finger and poke around at the dirt on your coil. When you move the target on your coil youll hear it beepin. Then tap on the area where you heard it beep and youll find the target. Works very well with tiny targets. After retrieving your target make sure to check your scrape pile and original hole for more signals. Sometimes there is more. Good luck

 

[Lanny in AB]

You have to be careful using a scoop with a vlf detector. If a target is in the dirt in the scoop and your detector dont hear it when you wave it over the coil, you might throw it out. Best way is scrape the ground until you move the target, then you know it is in your scraped off pile of dirt, then detect the pile from scrape and get an idea about where it is. Then just take small pinches of dirt from pile and sprinkle it on the coil. When the target falls on your coil, youll hear it beep. Then you know its on the coil. Then use one finger and poke around at the dirt on your coil. When you move the target on your coil youll hear it beepin. Then tap on the area where you heard it beep and youll find the target. Works very well with tiny targets. After retrieving your target make sure to check your scrape pile and original hole for more signals. Sometimes there is more. Good luck

Excellent advice! Nice write-up on exactly how to do it.

All the best,


Lanny

 

[meMiner]

Great advise, but don't try it with a spider coil (too many holes). ;-)

 

[atomicscott]

You have to be careful using a scoop with a vlf detector. If a target is in the dirt in the scoop and your detector dont hear it when you wave it over the coil, you might throw it out. Best way is scrape the ground until you move the target, then you know it is in your scraped off pile of dirt, then detect the pile from scrape and get an idea about where it is. Then just take small pinches of dirt from pile and sprinkle it on the coil. When the target falls on your coil, youll hear it beep. Then you know its on the coil. Then use one finger and poke around at the dirt on your coil. When you move the target on your coil youll hear it beepin. Then tap on the area where you heard it beep and youll find the target. Works very well with tiny targets. After retrieving your target make sure to check your scrape pile and original hole for more signals. Sometimes there is more. Good luck

Yep thats how I've been doing it! Thanks, I appreciate any help. I learned quickly that the scoop is not great if the target is so tiny, just too much dirt. That method of dropping onto coil is the same method from the 'Advanced Nugget Hunting with Fisher Gold Bug' book I read. I have good success with the 'passing from hand to hand' method.

 

[Bumpstick]

When I first started using my Gold Bug I was digging up pieces of double 00 buck shot. I have a 5 gal bucket half full of led.
What really helped my hunting and recovery was a used pin pointer. I can locate a small shard in a fraction of the time.
More targets recovered the better chance of scoring some gold. I have a small piece taped to a poker chip for reference in the field.

 

[Zip Zip]

If you are finding small lead, you are doing good, I hope you get that coil over some gold soon

 

[Lanny in AB]

If you are finding small lead, you are doing good, I hope you get that coil over some gold soon

I heartily agree with this!

All the best,

Lanny