A Holes or Jerks take your pick.

[Mine Shaft]

Well went to my claim today to do a little Sluicing. I usually take the same path to the river and noticed a couple deep test holes I usually don't give it a thought because most holes are just a little shovel full but these holes were deep about 1 1/2' deep and wide so I continued to the River where I have pulled most of my Gold out and first thing I see are 2 very large holes that looked like a Badger dug out lol then a 3rd place where they dislodged a large Boulder and dug a deep hole, but looked more like a small tunnel, at that point I'am cussing up and down. My Claim is posted where people can clearly see my sign and my monument marker stands out like a sore thumb and these A$$ holes walked right past it on there way to where they dug. Anyway I guess I will set my trail cam up and see who shows up lol. First pic is where someone was digging Jerks. I will post some pics after I pan my con's.

 

[Mine Shaft]

There are a lot of Claims in California and I mean a lot Thousands. If I want to test pan a certain areas around Southern Ca, I will check "Land Matters" before I even leave my house. Its a detailed map of all the claims in Ca, once you go on land matters you can see the 20 acre in detail you can pin point exactly where you can and cannot prospect. Are there sings most likely not but its up to the prospector to research that area to make sure your not prospecting on someones active Claim.

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

This is what the sign says I have posted on the USFS board. ? say your metal detecting for relics and you get a good hit dig it up and in your hand is a 4-5-6 Gram nugget what are you going to do put it back ? be honest with your answer lol. One more edit as far as tiny goes my claim has more then tiny Gold on it lol.

That sign is interesting. It has a condition for activities to be not allowed. Namely ' that result in the removal of minerals'. What does it really say legally?

 

[cudamark]

That sign is interesting. It has a condition for activities to be not allowed. Namely ' that result in the removal of minerals'. What does it really say legally?

Good question as just walking through the site would probably result in minerals sticking to your boots.

 

[Mine Shaft]

That sign is interesting. It has a condition for activities to be not allowed. Namely ' that result in the removal of minerals'. What does it really say legally?

I know exactly what it means and so do ppl looking for Gold, but to your regular Joe it don't mean squat lol. @cudamark And as far as dirt sticking to your boots no I don't think that counts as prospecting lol.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

There are a lot of Claims in California and I mean a lot Thousands. If I want to test pan a certain areas around Southern Ca, I will check "Land Matters" before I even leave my house. It’s a detailed map of all the claims in Ca, once you go on land matters you can see the 20 acre in detail you can pin point exactly where you can and cannot prospect. Are there sings most likely not but its up to the prospector to research that area to make sure your not prospecting on someone’s active Claim.

Not to hijack the topic.. but actually don’t you have to go to the county to see the claim papers to see the location of the claim? I thought the outlines shown on LandMatters only shows what aliquot part the claim is located in? So a claim could not necessarily encompass the entire aliquot part completely. Claims in unsurveyed townships and creek claims would be an example where this could happen. It’s been awhile since I have been to LandMatters website, but I remember the outlines being only a representation of the database index of the PLSS

 

[Mine Shaft]

@Tesorodeoro I would say the lines on land matters are very close. Part of my Claim lies within a State Recreation Area colored in purple. There is a State Recreation road going to a group campground and the road ends exactly where a dirt USFS Road starts and that's where the West part of the park ends, its within feet where I park so I would say the lines on land matters are very close.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Land Matters just marks one section, that's 640 acres. Then it marks the number of claims in that section. Depending on where you're looking, the state recorder comes next. Here in my area, the recorder has everything online, but most places don't.
Land Matters does not have the individual claim lines marked... never has.

 

[Mine Shaft]

Thank you Reed. Your correct i wondered about that I'am in section 2 and my claim is the only one in that area. I will check the the recorder. Within those 640 acre's i do see my 20 acre claim outlined on land matters and my copy of the "MT PLAT" from BLM, it is very close.

 

[Swaveab]

Mine Shaft,
Be sure to get good pics of their faces and license plates. I did catch some in the act here and the police did basically nothing except take a report and I do have a camera. It's not good enough for positive IDs unless they are right in front of the camera and the angle is no good to catch a plate number for me. Car ID as in make, model, and color are more difficult too, but is impossible at night even with infrared. Those LEDs could also give away your camera positions as they are slightly visible to the human eye. In some cases they even steal the cameras, but mounting out of reach can mean a bad angle on the face. Be sure the batteries are going to last at the intervals you get to the place.
I'm thinking your best bet is to hide there somehow without them seeing a car parked there and snagging them in the act. Hit or miss on that and very boring I'm sure. Try the boards with nails idea, but in the parking area too seeing as how you should be the only one there.

 

[Mine Shaft]

I will set the camera up where they park, there are good spots to put it they wont even see it lol and maybe catch them taking there equipment out of the Car/Truck.

 

[Swaveab]

I will set the camera up where they park, there are good spots to put it they wont even see it lol and maybe catch them taking there equipment out of the Car/Truck.

Check it yourself to see how well it'll catch your face or car details like license plate numbers. Don't rule out the board and nails.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Check it yourself to see how well it'll catch your face or car details like license plate numbers. Don't rule out the board and nails.

That’s a bunch of chicken shit antics. “Put boards with nails in parking turnouts along public roads because you’re the only one that’s supposed to be there”! That SCREAMS I’m the kind of guy that files a practically free mining claim notice and treats public ground as if I own it personally. Likely nailing up signs obnoxiously that warn people they are on camera on public ground. The tweakers around here pull that kind of sht. Just keeping it real. Hopefully that’s not interpreted as an attack. I’m just encouraging you to rethink your advice in line with good morals that represent us miners well.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Mineshaft, a thumbs up on my comment calling it out doesn’t mean much to me when you thumbs up the second suggestion of putting mails in the parking area on public ground. Just saying bud.

If my suggestion wasn’t taken as a joke. I apologize.

 

[Mine Shaft]

I know what you mean lol but yes that is never a good idea to set a trap of any kind you could find yourself in jail or a hefty fine.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I know what you mean lol but yes that is never a good idea to set a trap of any kind you could find yourself in jail or a hefty fine.

Not only that. It’s chicken cht. I’ve found that there are MANY reasons people End up parked along the road near a claim.

Some are as simple as someone walking their dog.

One time my brother and I noticed someone parked in a turnout at my dad’s claim. We initially pulled in to see if they had mining equipment laying around and give them the “what for”. They didn’t belong there unless they were mining. That was our thought, but we were not going to jump to conclusions and be jerks about it.

Turned out this couple invited us to sit down in the shade and converse. The wife offered a beer and eventually explained that she had been raised on this ground and that her dad was a miner. She pointed to where their house had stood (prior to being burned by the USFS in the 1980’s. This quickly took the air out of our balloon.

After our second beer, she asked if I wanted to see something interesting and I said yes. She opened the trunk of her car and showed me a cigar box full of the largest nuggets I had seen. We are talking 1/4 and 1/2 ounce nuggets. “These were my Daddy’s keepers from this creek”. I thanked her for sharing and warned her that it was a lot of $$ and to be careful. That was at $1000/oz gold. She said she always carried this treasure with her and would continue as long as she lived. It’s worth adding that their car was kind of a beater and had worn tires.

I stopped by the next year when I saw them camped there and again enjoyed her treasure.

I’m awful glad I didn’t treat her like an arse by sabotaging her tires as if she had no business parking on my dad’s claim. Worse yet, blasting their secretly taken photos and suggesting they were claim jumping by being there.

 

[russau]

Not only that. It’s chicken cht. I’ve found that there are MANY reasons people End up parked along the road near a claim.

Some are as simple as someone walking their dog.

One time my brother and I noticed someone parked in a turnout at my dad’s claim. We initially pulled in to see if they had mining equipment laying around and give them the “what for”. They didn’t belong there unless they were mining. That was our thought, but we were not going to jump to conclusions and be jerks about it.

Turned out this couple invited us to sit down in the shade and converse. The wife offered a beer and eventually explained that she had been raised on this ground and that her dad was a miner. She pointed to where their house had stood (prior to being burned by the USFS in the 1980’s. This quickly took the air out of our balloon.

After our second beer, she asked if I wanted to see something interesting and I said yes. She opened the trunk of her car and showed me a cigar box full of the largest nuggets I had seen. We are talking 1/4 and 1/2 ounce nuggets. “These were my Daddy’s keepers from this creek”. I thanked her for sharing and warned her that it was a lot of $$ and to be careful. That was at $1000/oz gold. She said she always carried this treasure with her and would continue as long as she lived. It’s worth adding that their car was kind of a beater and had worn tires.

I stopped by the next year when I saw them camped there and again enjoyed her treasure.

I’m awful glad I didn’t treat her like an arse by sabotaging her tires as if she had no business parking on my dad’s claim. Worse yet, blasting their secretly taken photos and suggesting they were claim jumping by being there.

My SALUTE to you for walking the high road ! What a treasure to meet these people !

 

[Mine Shaft]

@Tesorodeoro The State Park put up no parking sign's 2 years ago and I,am glad they did I was tired of picking up peoples trash on my claim from Beer bottles to toilet paper diapers you name it they dumped it there so as I mentioned I have permission to park in the no parking area and if I see someone parked there on my way out I stop by the ranger and let them know if they want to park on the Forest service Road which is 10ft from the no parking signs have at it.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

@Tesorodeoro The State Park put up no parking sign's 2 years ago and I,am glad they did I was tired of picking up peoples trash on my claim from Beer bottles to toilet paper diapers you name it they dumped it there so as I mentioned I have permission to park in the no parking area and if I see someone parked there on my way out I stop by the ranger and let them know if they want to park on the Forest service Road which is 10ft from the no parking signs have at it.

Unfortunately many people treat public land as if it’s their own land. The same people dumping trash, likely have trashy yards. Good for you picking it up, that way it isn’t blamed on you. Hopefully if it’s a state park, you can dump it in one of their dumpsters. Being adjacent to a state park adds a million reasons someone might park and walk around on your claim.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

My SALUTE to you for walking the high road ! What a treasure to meet these people !

Thank you Russ. As you are well aware, we get wiser and more appreciative of things that matter the older we get.

 

[russau]

@Tesorodeoro The State Park put up no parking sign's 2 years ago and I,am glad they did I was tired of picking up peoples trash on my claim from Beer bottles to toilet paper diapers you name it they dumped it there so as I mentioned I have permission to park in the no parking area and if I see someone parked there on my way out I stop by the ranger and let them know if they want to park on the Forest service Road which is 10ft from the no parking signs have at it.

Mine Shaft have you made any progress with the thrives from on your claim yet