Along this line.
Let's say you found a very large nugget of gold, just under the surface. When you and your dog were out in the woods.
But the nugget was too big for you to lift up and carry it back to the car. Just too heavy.
First, how can you get it out of the woods? About a mile or so in maybe more.
Without everyone knowing what you are doing.
Second, how can you get it on the market to sell it without the government try to take it?
Purely Hypothetical Question.
But something I'm trying to solve in my head.
For a small fee I'll rent you an axe.
I won't experience a nugget of any size to make it a challenge.
Like moving game mentioned by another member after a successful hunt; I have options. An oversized snatch block I made in a shop for one. 2 , 200 foot spools of rope. Minus several feet. Plus other rope. Plus a boat winch.
Oh there have been some challenges. And slow recoveries. Getting to be where I'm picky about what to poke at based on truck access.
First try on your nugget might be a sled. Where rope attaches needs a plate or stout round of strong wood to not tear it if it's plastic. And unbalanced weight (you mentioned low ground ( needs netted/harnessed in to secure.
I have a couple heavy black plastic of which the smaller has dragged a lot of things. Lately stones.
For ice fishing there are options to attach as wear bars on the bottom. Hyfax for one.
Scratches and wear create resistance and while my small sled shows both bad and many scratches from hauling atop gravel and dirt it works fine still.
To be prepared to haul a mega gold or old coin find (ha ha haha) I have a personal (me) source for cut off strong not worn thin denim pant legs. A good canvas would be better but I'm cheap until I find a big gold hoard.
A half inch strip is removed from the cut end. Cut it any width you want after you know what it is for.
I sew the cut end double row/stitch when inside out. Feel free to use waxed dental floss or a waxed linen or something strong. Turn the material right side out after and you are literally holding the bag.
Now cut so it's no longer a loop and tack the strip you removed prior near center of it's length ; about three inches below the open edge of your bag. Or leave it loose and put it inside the bag until you want to tie the end off.
(Find a pile of gold coins and I'd get excited and put them in the bag forgetting to remove the tie from the bottom first and then leave a trail of coins with which the angry Leprechauns could track me by.) .)
Roll up your empty gold hauling bag and one won't take up too much room in your pack. For bigger nuggets a canvas firewood hauler might suffice. Or a sling to rescue horses in the mud whatever they might resemble. Or a cattle "hip lifter". Yes cattle lifters exist and are used. For cattle not nuggets.
One could be carried I suppose. And rope and a way to secure a rope above the mega nugget.
You might want a clean flattened can you folded opposing corners on. And waterproof note pad and pencil stub in the a bag. Opposing corners you folded prior or any deliberate unusual modification that will withstand the rigor; up the odds it's your marker upon recovery if you send me to recover it and not a random can.( The odds being better with two corners you folded than my finding 200 lbs. of gold.)
If you have to hide your hundreds of pounds of gold you'll have a can reference marker you can bury or cover. Don't have it near enough your gold that the gold can be detected from your markers position.
Or?
