Better than nothing

[mike(swWash)]

High 90's last week but the creek felt nice and cool. Dredged about 3 hrs then ran the cons on my cleanup sluice at home.
We did ok for Waddell cr. standards.
2.5" dredge, 3 hrs. running and got maybe .25 gram

 

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[davin]

good job mike looks nice.

 

[N-Lionberger]

Looks great, cant wait to get my machine wet.

 

[nh.nugget]

You got color! I had to recharge the man card for next week end! LOL!

 

[mike(swWash)]

We literally just scratched the surface and we will be back!(insert terminator accent here)
It's far enough off the beaten trail that I doubt anyone has ever done anything but maybe pan or highbank a little. So far it's been hard packed ground and the cobbles are getting bigger as we go down.
Good sign

 

[AimSmMissSm]

That is a great sign at Waddell Creek. Look for signs of an old stump in the water I've always found the most gold cleaning out old stumps at Waddell.

Sent from my SM-N910T using TreasureNet.com mobile app

 

[mike(swWash)]

I know the stump you're talking about. High and dry now that the river changed course, don't have to worry about the disturbing in river woody debris law anymore....dig baby dig

 

[pink_flagging_tape]

Hi! I am new here, and I realize this is an old thread. I live near the Waddell Creek area and am just curious if anyone suggests I can pan for gold for fun as a hobby. Not necessarily for prospecting. I don't have equipment except for the pan. I don't have a metal detector. what do you think about the tributaries feeding Waddell? thanks!

 

[Clay Diggins]

Hi! I am new here, and I realize this is an old thread. I live near the Waddell Creek area and am just curious if anyone suggests I can pan for gold for fun as a hobby. Not necessarily for prospecting. I don't have equipment except for the pan. I don't have a metal detector. what do you think about the tributaries feeding Waddell? thanks!

Welcome.

You can hobby pan all you want, it's a free country. I suggest your bathtub or maybe a wash tub in the back yard.

On the other hand if you would like to pan where you hope to find gold, well that's prospecting. If you are looking for gold you are by definition prospecting.

The vast majority of public lands are open to prospecting. The exceptions to that are where the government has withdrawn the land from prospecting and where other prospectors have already made a claim. Once a prospector makes a claim they own the gold.

The tricky part is that although there are huge areas to prospect, to prospect where there is known to be gold (like Waddell Creek) there will be many mining claims (other people's gold - as in not yours).

Your task should you choose to pan where you might find gold is to figure out where those claims are - and more importantly aren't. Then you you will have a place you can pan for gold, but please don't call it a hobby. I'm sure one of our kinder miners will explain why if you ask.

Good Luck and
Heavy Pans

 

[HeavyMetalThunder]

THIS POST HAS BEEN EDIT...PROSPECTING ON STATE FOREST LAND IS A NO-GO

Nothings ever cut and dry in these times...First and foremost, you need to down load, read and reread about 15 times from front to back, Washington state's "fish and gold pamphlet" it's 42-44 pages.... some areas and certain activities will require certain "permit/s" having a copy of the pamphlet on hand is the basic "permit" for panning or sluicing/non-motorized non-gravitational fed high banking/rocker box use with equipment having a rifle area under 3 sq. ft.

THE 'FISH AND GOLD PAMPHLET STATES NO GOLD PANNING/PROSPECTING ON STATE FORESTS

A knowledge and understanding of types of land and their land managers is warranted...Waddell creek is mostly within the "Capitol forest" which is- state trust land, and administrated/ managed by the state of Washington DNR.

Washington is liberal with their state land trusts in/with access and recreation for the public compared to a host of other states land trusts...That said the state land trusts main purpose is to have those state lands make a PROFIT/MONEY, of which then said profits goes to schools, certain organizations and communities...

"recreational prospecting" is VERBOTTEN-A NO GO on state trust lands!...small scale placer mining is verbotten...not enough profit in it for the state, so no (small/ little guy) claims on state trust lands...washington has a 11% royalty on mineral resources produced on state land...large scale mining is allowed with a slew of bonds and permits...They want the big guns mining for the big money...the small scale stuff isn't worth their time and effort!

If your going to park a vehicle at any or the slightest amount of time on State trust land you'll need a "Discovery Pass"...

from the Cascades west is mostly glacial till from the Cascades so the gold is spread out and ground down, don't expect nuggets, pickers will be far and few... the gold will be fine/small and spread out, so any creek could likely produce.

Washington has a slew of gold mining/prospecting clubs I'd recommend joining one or (two) usually there yearly dues are dirt cheap!


One can "rock hound" on state land, with certain restrictions such as, not near a creek,

or in it, with the possibility of finding a gold nugget/ picker...

One can metal detect state forests even...

gold panning is not allowed.



One can metal detect





HH to you.

 

[N-Lionberger]

Looking for gold isn’t a hobby, it is a job. The powers that be would like to classify us small operators as hobbyists so they can regulate us to death. If you look for gold you are a prospector, if you find a spot that is worthwhile and you go at it you are a miner.

 

[Assembler]

With in "The State of Oregon" code the phrase "recreation prospecting" is not defined.

 

[Assembler]

Looking for gold isn’t a hobby, it is a job. The powers that be would like to classify us small operators as hobbyists so they can regulate us to death. If you look for gold you are a prospector, if you find a spot that is worthwhile and you go at it you are a miner.

With in "The State of Oregon" code the words and phrases "Operate", "Operation", "Operation area" all have only one definition each.

The word "Operator" can have up to four definitions.

The word hobby is not even defined.

Due diligence.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

High 90's last week but the creek felt nice and cool. Dredged about 3 hrs then ran the cons on my cleanup sluice at home.
We did ok for Waddell cr. standards.
2.5" dredge, 3 hrs. running and got maybe .25 gram

View attachment 1479797

Whoa…!
That’s a good line of gold fines…! 👍

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

Whoa…!
That’s a good line of gold fines…! 👍

I have a Fisher Gold Bug Pro and always wanted to find that stuff someday….
Sigh…!

 

[Assembler]

I have a Fisher Gold Bug Pro and always wanted to find that stuff someday….
Sigh…!

When one can start to see values with there own eyes first the metal detector can have some chance of spotting more a little deeper within the same rocks. After all the eye's only see the surface exposed however the metal detector can spot a little deeper if there is enough values there to react / hot spot to.

Some have been surprised at what has been tossed aside using both there eye's and of course the good old metal detector. This is where the sigh goes away and the fun factor starts to kick in. The gold bug pro is a great tool and your eye's are to. You may find that your eye's can spot even the smallest specks that the detector can't as your eye's have no issues with the prominent mineral of iron compounds making it easy to spot the smallest specks of values that are not in lock up compounds.

Think of a bread crumb trail of the smallest specks that will lead to a source flow of material that the specks came from. The metal detector as a rule can't spot the bread crumbs unless it is a pin pointer type (falcon etc.) just only a hot spot target with only enough as a target.

Some can use there eyes in good strong light and walk along watching the bread crumb trail to the point where the good old metal detector can start to pick up and zip - zip along. After all the rushes in the past most where not using a metal detector and used just there eye's. Not much has changed.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

When one can start to see values with there own eyes first the metal detector can have some chance of spotting more a little deeper within the same rocks. After all the eye's only see the surface exposed however the metal detector can spot a little deeper if there is enough values there to react / hot spot to.

Some have been surprised at what has been tossed aside using both there eye's and of course the good old metal detector. This is where the sigh goes away and the fun factor starts to kick in. The gold bug pro is a great tool and your eye's are to. You may find that your eye's can spot even the smallest specks that the detector can't as your eye's have no issues with the prominent mineral of iron compounds making it easy to spot the smallest specks of values that are not in lock up compounds.

Think of a bread crumb trail of the smallest specks that will lead to a source flow of material that the specks came from. The metal detector as a rule can't spot the bread crumbs unless it is a pin pointer type (falcon etc.) just only a hot spot target with only enough as a target.

Some can use there eyes in good strong light and walk along watching the bread crumb trail to the point where the good old metal detector can start to pick up and zip - zip along. After all the rushes in the past most where not using a metal detector and used just there eye's. Not much has changed.

Yeah, my eyes have spotted the smallest of glass, obsidian and metals - I get paid for that too!

 

[Assembler]

Yeah, my eyes have spotted the smallest of glass, obsidian and metals - I get paid for that too!

Well you all ready have a head start over a lot of others good for you. Since you are accustom to use your eyes first why not as a general rule don't get out the metal detector until you can what I like to call you spot a 'swarm of colors' first then as a second step get out the detector to see if you can look a little deeper with the target sample way off the ground (background iron) as you already know the sample is going to make some signal / noise with the metal detector. The question to ask your self is how is this target making a signal that is different then the normal background (mineral signal) such as a gradual shift or change compared to a better zip - zip signal. You know the iron is still there however can you spot any other signal there are questions to ask.

This will save you days or longer of just listening to a sea of singing wales as I like to call it that the background iron will be singing to you all day long. Why not use the metal detector to look just a little deeper when you already know the sample is going to signal something.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

Well you all ready have a head start over a lot of others good for you. Since you are accustom to use your eyes first why not as a general rule don't get out the metal detector until you can what I like to call you spot a 'swarm of colors' first then as a second step get out the detector to see if you can look a little deeper with the target sample way off the ground (background iron) as you already know the sample is going to make some signal / noise with the metal detector. The question to ask your self is how is this target making a signal that is different then the normal background (mineral signal) such as a gradual shift or change compared to a better zip - zip signal. You know the iron is still there however can you spot any other signal there are questions to ask.

This will save you days or longer of just listening to a sea of singing wales as I like to call it that the background iron will be singing to you all day long. Why not use the metal detector to look just a little deeper when you already know the sample is going to signal something.

I’m an archaeologist-type and get paid to find old stuff.
It’s those little clues, like you say, that lead to the real stuff!
Unfortunately, my boss hasn’t found a loophole in his contract that allows recovery below surface, altho he wants to confirm the location of a bunkhouse of the sawmill we are working on….

 

[Assembler]

I’m an archaeologist-type and get paid to find old stuff.
It’s those little clues, like you say, that lead to the real stuff!
Unfortunately, my boss hasn’t found a loophole in his contract that allows recovery below surface, altho he wants to confirm the location of a bunkhouse of the sawmill we are working on….

Excellent for you as using the eye's as the first tool is second nature to you and you don't need to be distracted all day long with a singing detector. Just have the detector handy when you start to see a swarm of colors in any out crop / rocks etc.