Claims

[starsplitter]

Greetings Old Hands:

Excuse my ignorance... but, even if it is public land, a person cannot grab his MD, find a likely stream and go hunting? I know, I know, a simplistic question. Well, then how does someone find out where it is permissable to search?

Thanks.

Mark

 

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[bakergeol]

Yes you can if the public land you are on is open to prospecting. Public lands such as BLM and National Forest land are open to metal detecting if YOU ARE PROSPECTING. Just don't metal detect on someone's claim.To locate claims in the area you are prospecting in- go to the BLM office and see if any claims are located in your area of search. The BLM also has land ownership maps for your area which tell you what type of land you are on- Private, BLM, National forest, wilderness etc. Here in Colorado I rarely venture out without these as there may be a hodgepodge of land ownership in the area you are looking at. Typically you can see claim markers in the area. Unfortunately a lot of people ignore claims and just detect. When I was active I had purchased the microfiche for all claims in my state from the BLM and bought a used microfiche reader. I then could spend my time at home examining claims instead of down at the BLM. You of course would have to know the exact location of your search with a Topo map as claims were listed by Township, Range, Section. A lot of claims listed were not renewed.

Probably a gold metal detecting club would know of local claims in the area you are searching.


George

 

[starsplitter]

George and B... thanks for the info. Good luck to ya'll (it sounds as if both of you do quite a lot of hunting).

 

[Nitro 54]

Public land being claimed does not close it off to public use. Anybody can still use that land as long as your not removing placer minerals if it is a placer claim or rough specimens if it is a hard rock claim (lode gold claim). If you want to camp, swim, picnic, metal detect for old coins, ect. ect. You can use the public land the same as if it didn't have a claim as long as you DON'T remove any minerals. If anybody tells you different, they haven't read the mining laws. If their is active mining going on, you can't do anything to interfere with the operations. I know claim owners don't like people on their claims, just because. If the public leaves a mess the claim owner is responsible for the cleanup. If your using a active claim, be responsible and respect the mining laws or you could be arrested or worse. A lot of people don't even know you can have 2 over lapping legal claim's with different owners, 1 being a placer and the other being a lode claim. I know their would be confict, but still legal.

Now go have fun on your public land

 

[starsplitter]

Nitro... thanks.

 

[bakergeol]

When you are detecting on public lands you have antiquity laws to deal with. Showing a federal employee your neato relics or just telling him that you are relic hunting may turn your day into a nightmare.

So I doubt your defense would be that I was relic hunting. If you are detecting on public lands you are NUGGET HUNTING which is legal.


George

 

[aarthrj3811]

Right on Mrs Oroblanco and bakergeol....When you own a clain you are paying property taxes on it. You also have a lot of expensive equipment laying around. I never stopped anyone from walking through but I would have to stop working to make sure that they didn't steal some of my stuff. I had to make an instant judgement on fishermen and I didn't like to do that. It all comes down to protecting what I have...Sorry people...I chose what ever is best for me...Art

 

[starsplitter]

Relics or nuggets?

I was writing about nuggets. I thought perhaps in more difficult to get to areas (gulches, etc, with swifter water) that with the proper safety equipment, one might be able to find nuggets lodged in crevices, or just underneath the gravel against the hardpan.

The idea was prompted by hikes out west (I saw countless streams in the mountains that would be the devil to reach... I imagined nuggets wedged here and there underneath that water... nuggets nobody ever searched for because it would be a royal pain in the ass to reach).

I have never done the above, but it entails getting out in nature, a good workout, and possible rewards. My initial question was prompted by the desire to keep it simple/avoid complications. My theories might be pretty far off the mark anyways.

Any thoughts?

 

[aarthrj3811]

Hey starsplitter....You have a good idea. Don't give it up. BLM used to have a web site where you could get the claims information. I don't know if it is still on the net. I could never get it to work for me. BLM has all the information and if you understand Townships, ranges and sections it is easy. If you do not know these things they have books that explain it. I have not been to BLM for a few years but they had some of the records on a computer. Being a gentleman and telling the truth will be of big help when talking to claim owners, There is still alot of un claimed land out there and claims are losted and claimed more often than you would think...Art

 

[bakergeol]

Relics or nuggets?

I was writing about nuggets. I thought perhaps in more difficult to get to areas (gulches, etc, with swifter water) that with the proper safety equipment, one might be able to find nuggets lodged in crevices, or just underneath the gravel against the hardpan.

The idea was prompted by hikes out west (I saw countless streams in the mountains that would be the devil to reach... I imagined nuggets wedged here and there underneath that water... nuggets nobody ever searched for because it would be a royal pain in the ass to reach).

I have never done the above, but it entails getting out in nature, a good workout, and possible rewards. My initial question was prompted by the desire to keep it simple/avoid complications. My theories might be pretty far off the mark anyways.

Any thoughts?

Kind of reminds me of a young dredger who came to Alaska who announced that he was going to dredge the deep pools that were not accessible to the old timers. Well the old timers told me that the old prospectors just waited until the river froze up and simply hacked down the ice to reach the goodies. The guy never unpacked his gear just went home.

Seriously your idea does has merit as people in Az do this all the time in dry streambeds.I would recommend that the areas you look at are proven old gold producing areas. Depth of bedrock would be important.
This would be the most difficult of gold detecting-working in the water- waterproof coil or detector. Would you need a- small dredge for retrieval or removal of overburden.

Good luck
George

 

[starsplitter]

Thanks George.

 

[starsplitter]

George,

Can you recommend a book that might help me? Also, in your opinion, how realistic is prospecting deep pools or swift, rocky, mountainous waters? Thanks.

Mark

 

[drygulch]

Howdy ever body
Ya got the old DRYGULCH here.
I personally don't have a claim, But hope to in the future. I am getting real tired of all of the snow and cold and long winters up here in Utah. We had temps of 45 below with wind chill this year. So am making plans to move to Ariz.
Any way the reason I am doing this reply is to say that with the experiences Mr. and Mrs. Oroblanco have described, and I am sure all you others with claims have had the same things happen to you. It is a wonder any of you would let anyone go out with you. Mr. Oroblanco has told me that if I get down there he would show me the ropes to finding gold and after reading this topic I really do appreciate the fact that he would even think about helping me out like that.
GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE
DRYGULCH

 

[bakergeol]

George,

Can you recommend a book that might help me? Also, in your opinion, how realistic is prospecting deep pools or swift, rocky, mountainous waters? Thanks.

Mark

Well we may be thinking two different things. When one is discussing prospecting deep pools- I am thinking dredging equipment not metal detecting. Bedrock may be 20 feet out of the range of detectors. There is a point I have to go over again. There are plenty of great looking pools out there in the back country the problem is that they contain no gold. You have to be in a known gold area and have access to ground open to prospecting. I spent many a night going over claims in an area trying to find some ground available. You will find in good areas the ground is heavily claimed. A lot of the private land out there are old patented mining claims. Their aren't any virgin deposits out there. Mrs O's solution is the best. Find an old mining claim which the owner has let go and refile on it. Gee that is what I look for when I examine the BLMs microfiche of mining claims.

My viewpoint is to find the ground first- There are of course prospecting clubs as well as the GPAA.

For dredging Dave McCracken's books were the best even with a shallow bedrock slant.

George

 

[starsplitter]

Thanks George and B.

 

[starsplitter]

Mrs. Oroblanco:

Thanks for the input on claims. No, I don't want to get shot. It was sad to hear that not only did someone usurp your claim, but made a mess of it too.

Mark

 

[djui5]

Nice posts Mrs. Sums it up nicely.

I think people can abuse the right to be on public land, and misunderstand what a claim owner actually is.

 

[starsplitter]

Old Hands:

Okay, this is most likely a dumb newbie question: do claim holders "sublet" their claims? In other words, can I get permission to mine a claim based on percentage? Thanks.

Mark