DO YOU or CAN YOU make a living from gold prospecting with a sluice/dredge/detector?

[keepmehumblelord]

Does a person or can a person make a living from gold prospecting w/sluice/detector?

Hi everyone! I wanted to start this thread to see if anyone is doing this for a living or knows someone. Also this would be good motivation for those that have no jobs and need a little extra cash. I understand if you have a family it would be difficult but lets make this thread if you are a single man or woman not wanting to work at fast food or retail and want to work hard long days 5 days a week or more. The question is how hard can this be? This is for mining only in the US or Canada. I know AU you can because ive read many articles so lets assume you can only go within US or Canada.

 

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[419GottaMinute]

Unless hunting cans is your other optiin, no you cant make a libving prospecting. I live in a very rich area and hang out at the mining shop a lot of days. So I see the homeless come in selling their gold. The best you can hope to average is about an ounce a month, and thats 50+ hours a week. If you got no other ties and prospecing is fun foe tou, then it iant that bad (weather aside). But if you actually got bills (electric, morgage, gas and food) prospecting public land will not pay all your bills. And leased land is a crap shoot with dredgeing ban.
Find a part time job and prospect in your down time. Remember that it takes millions of dollars to turn this hobby into something to retire off of

 

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[austin]

keepmehumblelord, Load up the car, van, RV, burro or whatever and hit it. Go west young man, do it. Then come back in 6 months and you will fully understand and oh, what a great life experience you will have had. Count your millions, post your finds, fill your tummy again, pay your doctor bills, finally get warm, drink coffee with no grounds, not have to watch your back, take a bath daily if you wish. I asked your question once, never again.

 

[KevinInColorado]

It is done by some. I know one guy who did it for about 5 years but he lived in a genuine miners cabin with no electricity. Another guy is a third generation Colorado placer miner who does great and makes a real living at it just as his father and grandfather did before him...cool right?!! Maybe you've heard of him - Freddy Dodge...he got hired by The Discovery Channel to help the Hoffmans because he is the real deal. Of course he uses heavy equipment and a serious wash plant to support his family...no hand tool silliness. You won't see him posting on a forum though...this place is for amateurs like you and me!

Mine it and recycle it!

 

[TerryC]

Can you "make a living" mining for gold? Sure, if you like sleeping under the stars (homeless). If you enjoy eating at the fireplace, by candle light (no elecricity and heat). Eating out of a can.... mostly cold food. Seriously, a rare few CAN make a living. Do you really think they would admit it here(taxes)? Many, many have tried and failed. My uncle was the best left-handed bowler in the country (Dayton, Bowling with the Champs). He said maybe 12 bowlers could do it for a living. The same analogy can be applied here. If they say they are, they are not. I'll just keep it recreational.... when I have the time! TTC

 

[TerryC]

Case in point.... have you ever met a proffesional prospector that was fat!? TTC

 

[KevinInColorado]

LOL, good point Terry (other than Todd Hoffman of course ;-) )

Mine it and recycle it!

 

[Jason in Enid]

LOL, good point Terry (other than Todd Hoffman of course ;-) )

Mine it and recycle it!

He's an actor, not a miner.

 

[KevinInColorado]

So true! And more than a bit of a fool.

Mine it and recycle it!

 

[keepmehumblelord]

I voted no -simply cause there is a difference between a Livin and Surviving... Some could, can, and do- but gold being money- and money being so much like women- and women can never be satisfied---- I can therefore deduce that you can Never find Enough Gold.... Sure I'd find a little then buy a bigger dredge, find more and drive to the dredge in a new hotshot truck, etc ,etc, then one day not find enough....
But I hope you all do! Good Luck
PEACE

Hey 1more4me yes you have some good points there, but it sounds like if you can go and by a dredge and then a truck that one could actually make a living. Its just like any job. Some make $2 a day like in africa and provide for there family and some make $200 a day at a normal job i am saying. So how can the one that only makes $2 a day survive and the one that makes $200 barely survive? Its simple the more money you have the more you want to spend but if you can get the self control thing down then you may go much further. I know alot of people that make lots of money but are in debt. Its sad. Anyways thanks for everyone tips tricks advice n more! Good day!

 

[keepmehumblelord]

This thread has had some interesting things to read! Its great to hear all the stories and such. I have no mortgage, no car payment, only college loans, a few hospital bills, and of course the stupid credit card that i have. So I would like to work my butt off work all day! small gold or lots i still enjoy the hard work.

 

[Fullpan]

Bottom line, I will admit - its more an adventure than career.

 

[Jason in Enid]

..... Some make $2 a day like in africa and provide for there family and some make $200 a day at a normal job i am saying. So how can the one that only makes $2 a day survive and the one that makes $200 barely survive? ....

simple, the ones surviving on $2 a day live in mud and grass huts and eat very little more than rice. That's not "living" in my book, and I don't plan to ever be barely surviving.

Show me someone who "bare survives" on $200 a day. Or is that gross gold finds before fuel, labor and equipment eat 90% of it?

 

[Oakview2]

This thread has had some interesting things to read! Its great to hear all the stories and such. I have no mortgage, no car payment, only college loans, a few hospital bills, and of course the stupid credit card that i have. So I would like to work my butt off work all day! small gold or lots i still enjoy the hard work.

I would think that if you are going to do your prospecting in Michigan, you are going to have a pretty rough go. There are many on this board who can find the gold, the hardest part is having accessible places to prospect, that have a economically viable source that can be harvested....JMHO

 

[keepmehumblelord]

I would think that if you are going to do your prospecting in Michigan, you are going to have a pretty rough go. There are many on this board who can find the gold, the hardest part is having accessible places to prospect, that have a economically viable source that can be harvested....JMHO

Hahaha yes prospecting in michigan you might as well looks for $1 in cans as your goal for the day. Here there is only flour gold. The biggest piece found was a pea size on a LDMA claim in michigan and that goes to say is it even a michigan piece? I think it was not a michigan piece but who knows. Metal detecting you can find some cool things but even here you are only gonna get $2-$5 of clad on a good day. This year im up to about $11 in change, 2 1800s axe heads, tons of garbage and some pendants that are no good as far as silver and gold go. Last summer I found a gold ring which was awsome. I went out for a few hours tonight to a local school and came in with 52 cents. Didnt even cover my rip it energy drink haha. We do have some great lakes to prospect but to cold as of now to go in the water. There are all sorts of arrow heads and such to find around my area i just found out. IF i was trying to make it by with gold prospecting I would consider AZ. CA. AK. I know a hard working 6 days a week all day prospecting could bring in around $250 a week which isnt to bad for someone that has no job. Anyways michigan stinks for any type of prospecting. My best test pan here was like 17 pieces of fine fine glacial gold. SUpposidly the grand river here has some gold in it but you would need a dredge and i dont think it would be worth the time. I have heard stories of upper michigan containing gold in the huron mountains but i went up there and only found flour gold. One guy got a ounce in one year but that isnt anything probably the gas and time that went into it.

 

[French Creek hunter]

Just watch the show "Gold Rush". I think you will find your answers.

 

[Fermion]

I should wonder if each time one were to think about purchasing some gold prospecting equipment that instead you buy the equivalent money in grams of gold from a place like Apmex, you would at the end of a decade have a lot more gold to show for your efforts.

I know personally that I have about $1500 invested in equipment...that is at least 28 grams of gold I could have purchased. If we count gasoline and club memberships, I would be well over an ounce. In total I have found less than 2 grams.

This has me thinking that the best thing to do if you like prospecting is to invest no more than $6 or so in a gold pan. Ride your bike to the nearest stream...it doesn't matter if it is a gold bearing stream as you are not going to find much anyway. Use the remaining money you saved to buy gold online. You still get the exercise and being out in nature, but you come out way ahead.

 

[G.I.B.]

ahhhhhhhhhh nope.

 

[Sportsman]

You mention a few medical bills, credit card, and student loan. At the minimum you need to get a job flipping burgers and pay off the medical and cc. If you are as good at living on nothing, that won't take long. No debt, no family, go have an adventure for a year. Ignore debt payments and you will return to a harsh reality. Frankly it's a much easier adventure if you start with at least a few grand in the bank. It's called planning and even single dudes out for adventure need to do it.

 

[Hoser John]

You've come to the dance 20+++ years too late as now way tooo many insane,arcane and assinine rules,regs,seasons,exclusion,plans and delusions to wrest a decent living from mining. Might be a few hid waaaaaay out in the boonies but not to darn many . Raised four kids mining in the past 40+ years but not in todays insipid world-John

 

[MadMarshall]

I understand the pusuit of gold is not a very smiled upon course of action, Just becouse I am trying to prospect fulltime doesn't mean I live by a fire and eat out of a can. And I guess it depends on what you consider making a living..Personally I do not put no stock in anything that doesn't have a pratical use and alot the things I buy are used. And my part of the rent/utilities and all of my personal habits are paid for by gold. and even in the spring summer where I will be living 90 percent outside I still responsable for these. There are many way to exploit gold for profit. And that is where the majority of my income comes from.. If you think it's a matter of finding an the selling then ya I suspect you may have rough times and it will be more of an adventure. Alot of my time is spent with a hammer or shovel in my hand but equally spent in figuring out how to get the most money for my gold.. Does me no good if I sell it at 70 percent of it's value. I am always looking and taking advantage of ways to profit from gold. And you would be suprised..I feel the reason the majority of people who can't make it as a fulltime prospector would have little sucsess at anything they would try to do on their own. If I chose to open a small business the challenges are generally the same as I face in prospecting. I am just learning how to make it work and as profitable as I can.. I am willing to take on the extra work/responsability becouse I don't like working while someone else while captilizes on me. my family and I will be the only one to proifit from my work. lets face it sucsess has really nothing to do with it. alot of small business try and fail and hopefully they try again. I am challenged daily and I am costantly rewarded and discouraged and some days I want to cry/give up. But I remberer how unhappy and unchallenged I was when employed and working for a two bit raise. The truth is Most PEOPLE FAIL becouse they just never really wanted to make it work and they are unrealistic in their expections and are not truly commited and easly discouraged.
I have no fear of failing becouse I am dedicated to making it work. THAT SIMPLE. And not only am I looking at now I am looking at 5-10 years from now. As you may think I have visions of prospecting for a living in 5-10 years now I will be prospecting and hiking but my source of income will somewhat have evolved allowing me to spend my time as I see fit.