2 guys serious about mining

[mchlmacdonald]

Hello all, new to the forums and to the gold fever that seems to be spreading like a wildfire.

My father and I are pretty serious in wanting to start mining. We're researching like crazy, trying to cram as much gold knowledge as possible. We're looking at doing this as a good source of income in addition to a serious stress reliever/father-son bonding/fun time. With all the bs going around, is it still possible to make some good money mining in California, or are we reaching a little too high in our aspirations? We know California is getting hit hard by the greenies, dredging is banned (hopefully the Brandon Rinehart case can be won), and numerous other BS hitting the mining community, but is there still enough freedom to make a profit here in the Golden State?

 

[goldenIrishman]

My pops is getting up there in age (pushin' 60).

Now here's a guy that knows how to really make someone feel OLD!!!! Mac... Any more comments about age here and we'll all get together and beat you with our canes! Some of us can still mine circles around you young whipper snappers!!! Pushing 60?!? INDEED!

 

[mchlmacdonald]

My pops is getting up there in age (pushin' 60).

Now here's a guy that knows how to really make someone feel OLD!!!! Mac... Any more comments about age here and we'll all get together and beat you with our canes! Some of us can still mine circles around you young whipper snappers!!! Pushing 60?!? INDEED!

oh boy...stirred up the hornets nest i see haha. there's no doubt in my mind most of you will run circles around me when it comes to mining.

 

[goldenIrishman]

ROFLMAO. Don't worry about it Mac. I was just giving ya some grief in fun.

As you're new to this, I'm going to give you the best advise you can get when it comes to mining. Don't EVER think you know it all! I've been doing this for years now and I'm STILL learning new things. Keep an open mind (and ears) and keep learning everything you can. Study the forum here and I'm sure you'll learn a lot.

Now... I'm going to grab my cane and get back to getting equipment ready for the next trip out to the claim.

 

[Hoser John]

I wish I was still 60.....hahahaha.......

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

Hey Mac, im a young gun like yourself. As far as making money dont let anyone tell you that its not possible. It is!
Using wealth as your primary motivation will eventually fail. It takes a love of it. Seeing that yellow show up in your pan is unexplainable!
For California forget it. Unless you opperate above the law you CANT use motorized equip in Cali.
My best advice is just to get out and pan. Shovel, cassifier, bucket, and prybar. Nuff said. Go bust up some bedrock and learn to pan very well.
Dont jump too high in your first season. The basics, like sampling, finding where gold is in a river, and proper panning stay with you forever. It kills me when i see dredgers 20 feet from their car, no gold, and cant pan their cons.
REMEMBER! You find the gold!!! Your equipment recovers it. Just because you can run alot of material doesnt mean the dude panning wont have 10x as much gold 100' from you.
Before you equip up find a legal spot to operate said equipment. Pan the area and determine if bigger equipment can be operated at a profit with the values in the ground.
Serious mining is mostly logistics.
With all this being set in place there is still safe bets.
Its what makes this so fun!

 

[Fullpan]

I wish I was still 60.....hahahaha.......

When I did most of my dredging, I was in my late 40's. One of my partners was "old Bill" in his early 60's. I used to worry, in the beginning, that he might
not be able to hold up to the rigors. I was a "balls to the walls" kinda guy. Old Bill knew how to pace himself. He got more done in a day with steady pace than I ever did. On top of that, he was always pushing his HERNIA back in place, lol.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Welcome to the passion for the hunt, the keenness for the chase, the fun of the find. It's a great experience, getting out and finding some gold.

A lot of people are cautioning you to start small to learn the basics, and that's good advice. I like what Hoser said as well as he's talking about things that are easy to pack around to boot!

There's nothing else like prospecting for gold, and after you find a prospect, there's nothing like mining it out either. The pursuit of the yellow metal comes with its own rewards, and it comes with its own challenges.

So, as you start small while you learn the ropes, you'll learn a lot of things that will stick with you as you move up the mining ladder.

Find a club. Ask lots of questions. Find some buddies that have some experience that can help you shorten your learning time. Get out in the areas where gold is being found, and don't be afraid to ask questions. Make connections with people that take the time to answer your questions and you may just learn how to make other connections. Don't ever be afraid to invest some time to listen while an old gold miner starts to talk. It may be a round about discussion, but if you're patient, you'll most likely walk away with some golden nuggets of knowledge before he or she's done.

Read everything you can on the subject, and then go read some more. Watch lots of videos. And when you're ready to get out there to go for it, remember one critical thing--have fun!

Some of the richest golden strikes for me have been the people I've met while chasing the gold.

All the best,

Lanny

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html

 

[mchlmacdonald]

thank you grizzly and lanny for the great advice.

i will definitely pick up all the hand stuff before the big equipment. my pop's already got most of the stuff, i'll just have to pick up some of my own. we're lookin' at buying a gold cube for cleanup at home as well.

lanny...i looked over that thread of yours and...wow. frothing at the mouth would be a vast understatement.

 

[Lanny in AB]

thank you grizzly and lanny for the great advice.

i will definitely pick up all the hand stuff before the big equipment. my pop's already got most of the stuff, i'll just have to pick up some of my own. we're lookin' at buying a gold cube for cleanup at home as well.

lanny...i looked over that thread of yours and...wow. frothing at the mouth would be a vast understatement.

Keep at it and the gold will come. It's out there. . . .

Learn all you can before you go.

All the best,

Lanny

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/metal-detecting-gold/69-bedrock-gold-mysteries.html

 

[Jwoot]

Addressing the "social aspects", I was like you in searching for a way to avoid workin for the man. I hated the bosses telling me to do stuff that I knew was
wrong. I also drank a lot (beeraholic). After throwing in the towel, and spending 2 years in the woods at my (leased) dredge camp, I found there was no need to get wasted. In short, I found myself. Did I make a profit? - barely, but when I returned to society, I was a much more tolerant, mellow guy. - in my mind, at least - hahaha !

I would be extremely interested in hearing about this a little bit if you can find the time. This sounds like something I would do.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Hey Mac, (edit) It kills me when i see dredgers 20 feet from their car, no gold, and cant pan their cons. (Edit)

so true! Wait, if they're not on the gold, then they don't need to pan do they?! LoL