Newbie on the hunt for nugs

[Dr. Goldfever]

Hello everyone!
I just purchased a Garret AT Gold and have been having a blast! I have been prospecting for a couple years with the standard traditional equipment, dredge, sluices, ect. However I have never had as much fun looking for gold as I have detecting and I still have not found any gold yet lol. Being new to detecting I'm a little overwhelmed by where to look for gold. I live in the Siskiyou Mountains of Nor Cal/Southern Oregon so my area has a history steeped in gold mining and gold is in the area. So far I have just been detecting riverbank/creekbank bedrock. I think out of habit because that's where I have always mined.

Would it be a bad idea to just take off on the hillsides above mountain streams/rivers detecting for gold? I know much of the gold in my area comes from the mountains before it eventually gets washed downhill and concentrated in the waterways. Would the eluvial gold that has not yet made it to the water be too sparse or deep to make hunting it with a detector worthwhile? Seems like intercepting it before it reaches areas that get worked over heavily would be a good tactic to pick up some gold. I want to hit the hills but seem to be reluctant to prospect outside my comfort zone. Any advice is much appreciated! Thanks guys.

 

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[eric91m]

Not sure if its possible but head up Eddy Gulch or Whites gulch... you wouldn't be disappointed there. Just be sure to check the claim statuses. I know the heads have Lode claims and the tops of the gulches have had placer claims at one point, not sure if the placer claims are still active.

Avoid the very top of eddy gulch, its been mined out already.

 

[Dr. Goldfever]

Doesn't sound familiar but i'll do some research online and check it out. Thanks for the info, it is much appreciated!

 

[eric91m]

No problem I'll make it easier for you, just south and south east of Sawyers Bar, on the North Fork of the Salmon River. Good luck.

Be sure to check for claims though, its still a producing area

 

[63bkpkr]

Dr. Gold Fever,
I so appreciate someone new with a metal detector chasing the gold with it!

Have you practiced at home on a piece of a Nickel or on a small piece of lead? Or better yet a small chunk off of a gold ring? The size of a #6 or #4 lead pellet would be fine, either flat or round or one of each but glued to something like a poker chip so it can be easily found.


The testing of the machine before getting out into the mountains is quite helpful so you learn what sound to listen for. Then once you've tested and are out in the hill be sure to bring the test targets with you as they are still useful in the hills.

Then where to hunt? Hunting in an area where gold has been found in before is best however, that does not mean there is not gold where it has not been found before, just more likely to find it in a known gold area. Then again where? Small washes 'sample' a hillside from the top to the bottom and are good as the gulch samples large sections of land. If you just want to head out across a hillside first consider what is in front of you: weathered rock, solid rock, dirt over the ground with a few rocks sticking out, scattered placer deposit rocks in the area and other possibilities I'm sure. Each of these situations will pose different detecting styles or equipment or gear and hiking style and 'shoes'.

If you have a gulch close to home well try it out as one does not necessarily need to go far from home to have a good time out learning new things.

Be careful of Ma Nature as winter is her most uniquely dangerous time of year!..........................63bkpkr

 

[Dr. Goldfever]

I've tested the detector and actually put in quite a few hours with it so far. I have a few pickers ranging from small to large I taped onto some cardboard I use for testing. So far I've found a TON of lead sinkers, hooks, even a sterling silver wedding band in a creek! I seem to be finding and retrieving targets sufficiently however I still need a lot more practice. I'm thinking this weekend I will head out and hit some deep and steep gulches and see whats found it's way into the bottom . Appreciate the advice 63bk!

 

[H-2 CHARLIE]

virgin areas

 

[63bkpkr]

Dr. G,
Sounds to me like you do indeed have a good feeling for your machine as that is quite a list of "have founds" of items that will ring up just like gold will on any detector. Have fun out there and be careful of slippery rocks as the State of Jefferson area is now cold and icy with some snow............................63bkpkr

 

[Dr. Goldfever]

It's icy for sure!! Kept me home last weekend from detecting . Good thing Jefferson is known for it's long summers to make up for it.