Any Nugget Shooters in WA?

[Kilika]

If there are any Washington residents prospecting with detectors, what kind of detector do you use and why? I'm looking to upgrade from an Ace 250 to some kind of gold machine, but having a hard time deciding.
I know... I know... the Gold Bug ll is the popular one at the moment, but I worry the high mineralization in western WA will give too much interference. What say you?
What do you use and how is it working for you?

(Oh, yeah - feel free to post pic's of your nuggets)
(the gold ones, I mean)

Thanks

Kilika

[lgadbois]

You will have a tough time finding any nuggets in Washington State. Your best chance for nuggets is around the historic town of Liberty, and up the old stream bed of Swauk Creek. Large nuggets have been found in this area in the past. A lot of the land is private or claimed.

The nuggets are pretty small in most of the areas of the state that have been placer mined, and will not be found by metal detector.

[lasttoknow (Tim)]

I contacted the fish and wildlife about Swauk creek. There is a season. However when I talked to him on the phone if you use a metal detector to go through tailings than it is year round because you are not disrupting fish habitat. If the claim isn't posted in plain view than you should be ok. There were reports of people going through the tailings right off hwy 97 that runs adjacent to Swauk creek and finding nuggets. According to a book I had read. Who knows. I would like to go up there sometime but really don't want to go by myself. Besides if I got shot by some prospector there'd be witnesses that way...lol...

[juju]

I have a buddy with a claim on Swauk creek, and prospect there quite often. There is gold there for sure. Although it is mostly placer deposits. My largest nugget is only slightly over a gram. Most of what we dredge up is flour gold, with some small wire nuggets. Most of the area is posted in plain view. There are also a few active load mines near the creek. So if ya do head up there make sure to look for the signs. And last but not least good luck with the hunt.

[Kilika]

Thanks for the replies, guys!

Anybody using a detector at Swauk creek? I see Juju has an MXT... how is it for gold? That was one I was considering.

I read that book about the tailings along 97 and went there to check it out, but since I couldn't tell which spots were claimed, didn't do any prospecting. If someone has access to the area, I'd love to go with. (I'm off Mon., Tues., Wed.)

In fact, if anyone is willing to have a rookie tag along, I'd really like to go with someone to learn what I'm looking at. I spent last summer panning by myself, and did find some (tiny) gold. And I took my little Ace 250 to Ryepatch NV, but I knew I didn't have the right kind of detector. It was a great trip, but no gold.

So, if anyone has used a detector for gold in WA, what kind of detector? How is it working for you? Pros and cons?
And if anyone wants some company on your next outing, I'm willing to travel (weekdays, in WA).

Thanks

[Ray in CA]

For small gold the MXT is a perfect machine. Very sensitive to small nuggets. I've used on in the past and had good results with small gold nuggets. Now I use a Minelab 2100v2 but have had very little time to use it. I'm moving to Washington soon and would like to try it out but I might not get the chance to do so till late spring since.

Ray

[DanBrunner]

I picked up a Whites GMT a little over a month ago. I've been crawling around the new washes created by the January floods. I have found a couple of really small flakes with it. One that I could pick up with tweezers. What I like about the GMT is the ability to see how much mineralization is in the ground. I use it to track the black sands. I still dig more nails, tinfoil, and other iron bits than I'd like but I think that will be the case with anywhere that has so much human activity. I still haven't really figured out the sound of Gold .vs Tin or other non-iron based metals, but I'm sure that will come with time. BTW, if you're planning on digging around up there, be sure to get the permission of the claim owners. I've been shot at (in the air, not at me personally) up there. They're real particular about their claims. Most of them are very nice once you get to know them, but be sure you talk before you walk. Also, the ground is still frozen almost an inch thick in places, so if you do dig, you'll have to dig in the creek where its wet and thawed.

[Tank69]

I can Back up JuJu on this since hes a brother an we do know the claim up there an everyone involved yes there is gold there if you are willing to work for it.