Its hard not to be discouraged

[MadMarshall]

I spent the last 6 days by myself clearing the trail to the area I intend to prospect.. the trail is only like 1700 feet in Elevation change over a 3 mile course..All this just to be able to move my camp..And now I get to look forward to a day of carrying all my crap and setting it up again.Thankfully My brother and 2 good freinds have agreed to help me today so it should be done today..But anyway Tuesday and wedsnday I did a little prospecting and both days were a bust..It's not so bad but I have almost went thru my winter funds and I know That I need to start makin wage here pretty soon or I may not only have a rough season but that means a rough winter as well..Truthfully I am confidfent that all will be well as I have back up plans, But my point is that multiple times a day and even more so when I see hardly any gold I wonder why the hell I aint working a steady job et ect..I am always dealing with something! whether it deal with gold or the vehicle breaking down ect ect.. I figure this is with all men in all jobs to a certian point. But with a prospector I think we litarally Day to Day so to speak..And I am always and I mean always trying to exploit my dollar in any way I can.As the gold can be a basterd..But I think for all you people considering Prospecting as a job might want to consider just how inconsistant gold can be and consider other way to help one along in their pursuit.. For me All day everyday is the same pursuit to make what I enjoy payable! and it takes alot of work and money.Tools break, weather is bad,Food (I eat allot) my own stupidity or ignorance all these things cost me money that I have yet to FIND! And its not just about digging and finding gold Today one must be aware of Laws and allot of regional rules and regulations..So much to know and learn.... Why is it I don't get a dam job?? I did fencing when I was younger for a few years and that was hard work but I don't ever remember being this sore and tired all the time..And I always had a paycheck..Anyway I figured I throw in my couple cents as it seems it is all I have right now. I will be back for one day on the April 28 and will try to chime in again..


Sorry no gold to be proud of but luckly I am of a confident nature and maybe a touch of arrogance( or is it the other way around?) so I will have some decent gold producing in the next few weeks.. Good hunting to all

 

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[Jeff95531]

I respect that you have the ability to live the dream we all share. But even a dream job is still, well a job. And yes, days in a row of no color are discouraging. When those times happen, I sit and think and research my way out of it. Works for me anyway.

I suggest once your camp is set up, take a pen, pad and 5 gallon bucket and go to the middle of your site. Sit on the bucket for at least 30 minutes and observe everything around you. I use the spiral method...start with where you are, focus on a 1-3 foot wide path using your eyes and search in a clockwise circle . Jot down notes and give them a rank..5 stars, etc.

The newbie hobbyist telling the FT prospector what to do? Nope, just what I do to break out of the slump.

 

[Oldyoungtimer]

MadMarshal i hope you get back into the gold soon. I'm just a weekend warrior for prospecting. I can only imagine what it's like to have to find your paycheck out of the ground. Just have to stay positive and keep on truckin. One thing i always do mentally is have an idea of what my next step is going to be. It helps me stay focused on the task at hand and looking at the big picture sometimes can be overwhelming. Having that plan is something to hold that gives a sense of security. I think this could be applied to other things in life as well. Just wanted to share some of my thoughts on staying positive. I'm sure the gold will be jumping into your pan soon! Good luck and find some chunkers!

 

[DizzyDigger]

Marshall, you have taken advantage of an opportunity to truly experience the "ups and
downs" of prospecting for a living; something a few of us gray-haired guys would love
to have undertaken in our earlier years.

Couple things you might consider:

I spent many years of my working career as a Sales Rep. for a dozen or more
manufacturers, and all were involved in a rather specialized, technical field of
electronics. A sales rep. is paid commission after the sale, and generally after
the customer has paid the bill in-full, and in my case that often meant 6-8 mos.
of waiting after the sale to get paid. The commissions were high, and sales were
few, but with the equipment often selling for $1M ++, a couple sales a year was all
that was required to make a decent living.

Many times I worked with clients for 12-18 mos. prior to their purchase, and
more than once some corporate mucky-muck changed the PO to another vendor,
meaning all that work (and expenses!) amounted to bupkis. Often spent $2k
(or more) in travel, food, car rentals, etc., and every time that happened it made
a big dent in my enthusiasm

Sounds a lot like mining, don't it? Constant effort, had to know as much as
possible about the product itself (in your case, the gold) and also a LOT of
"prospecting" by constantly keeping in touch with clients worldwide.

A living can be made, but the "paydays" can be few and far between, just like
mining.

Two secrets to success:

A. See my signature line.

B. As my dad used to always say: "Ya just gotta live long enough!"

A friend of the families was also a rep. in the same field (my dads former business
partner), and John had the best attitude you could imagine. Things would be going awful,
and John would call me up and say: "Ya know, I've found that I make one sale about every
10 calls I make, and so far today I've made 9 calls with no sale, so the next call is
guaranteed to result in a sale!"

Yer doing the right things: Learn your territory like the back of your hand, get to know how
the gold in that area worked down the river (or wherever) and keep prospecting 'cause it's
a fact that the more you know about what you do, and the more you use that knowledge
to prospect your area, you're gonna find the gold, and more of it...it's just a matter of when.

FWIW...sometimes it takes time, but if you're persistent the payoff will come!