Digging holes on the Bear River?

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n01d3x

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Apr 24, 2015
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I am new to gold mining, been at it for a little over a month. I think I've done ok, I have a few grams to show for busting my butt out there for a few 8 to 10 hour days. I've seen these big circles in the river made from rocks. I assumed they were some type of dams. Last trip out I talked to a guy working on one and it turns out they are just moving the rocks and digging holes in the river. These circles are generally in random places, not behind bolders etc. I have a few questions about this method.
1. Are these guys just picking random spots and digging holes?
2. For those that mine this way, how long does it take to start mining the hole?
3. Do you generally work the same hole a few trips worth?
4. Is it bad etiquette to dig in a hole that someone else started?
5. Is there material to run all the way down or are you just moving rocks forever until you reach finer gravel to run.

Thanks!
 

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I'm not an active miner, so I cannot answer most of your questions. If the land in question is public land and has no claim, then you can freely work any open hole you run across. If it looks like someone has been there recently (like within a day or two), then you might choose to be considerate and skip that spot. However, without staking a claim, the land would be first-come, first serve.

I would think that most often, this kind of mining would be done using a dredge. I looked up Bear River and see there is one in Utah. Have no idea if dredging is still allowed there, but I think so. Utah isn't as wacked as Cali when it comes to mining.

Now for your last question - it depends. Gold will work its way down until it cannot go down anymore. This usually means bedrock or a clay layer. When you hit bedrock, that's it - unless you find a promising seam, you're not going further. Clay layers are different, in that they may be fairly new or they may be very old layers. You may have a clay layer on top that holds good gold, while the 1 or more layers underneath have none, or maybe there's gold on the bottom - or the 2nd layer. There's absolutely NO WAY to know without sampling, or working down as far as you can.

Another thing is that you may find gold in one spot, while not finding a speck only 2' away. Again, you have to sample.

There's an old saying, "Gold is where you find it". There's a mountain in California where early prospectors found large gold nuggets (like softball size!!) just sitting on top of the mountain. How could that be? Well, the mountain may have eroded down, leaving the gold stuck there on, essentially, bedrock. When you hunt creeks and rivers, gold may or may not be in the water, while it may be in the bank of the river, even several hundred feet above the water!

Therefore, there's another old saying when it comes to gold, "Sample, sample, sample". As you are just starting out, let me include in that to research, research, research. There are a number of great prospecting websites and forums, and pretty much any question that could be asked, has been. There are still always new discoveries, and there's still a good amount of gold out there to be found. Hope this helps some. ...And welcome to Tnet! :hello:
 

If your around auburn california. I recommend talking to gary shaver or heather willis in pioneer mining. They both are very familiar with the bear river.
 

Have at it! Ive heard many have been doing very well in those bear river holes. Feel free to continue someones hole if nobody is around. Look for the "peanut butter layer" at the bear, its where you should find the best gold. Good luck!
 

Yea, I'm talking about the the Bear River in CA. The guys at pioneer mining are actually the ones who told me about the Bear River. Thanks, I think I'll start working some of those holes. I have a bazooka gold trap and envision setting up on the downstream side of the hole and shoveling right on to the trap. Hauling 5 gallon buckets from the bank is killing me!!.
 

I have worked the bear a few times. Some years there are many wing dams and holes. As SOHR states there are layers in the river and the bedrock is sometimes very shallow. As for hijacking a hole, the area is overrun with miners in the summer and some people mine for a day or weekend and some for a week or longer. Some holes extend 50' upstream and are 20' wide. I have no problem jumping in one that looks abandoned and have never encountered anyone claiming I was in there spot. I usually push a hole in the wings dam and set my Bazooka in it and then shovel from upside of the dam. I always test pan first but have never had a bad pan yet from one. If you can get to bedrock there are lots of nooks and crannies. Good luck.
 

I like the rocky section! IMAG0804.jpgIMAG0666.jpg
 

Thanks for all the info, I can't wait to get back up there and try my luck.
 

n01d3x said:
Yea, I'm talking about the the Bear River in CA. The guys at pioneer mining are actually the ones who told me about the Bear River. Thanks, I think I'll start working some of those holes. I have a bazooka gold trap and envision setting up on the downstream side of the hole and shoveling right on to the trap. Hauling 5 gallon buckets from the bank is killing me!!.
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Look on the bright side - If the poop gets too deep and the eco-nuts start fighting us, you'll already have strong muscles, while they'll be worthless wimps. :laughing7:
 

The gold on the Brrrrrr River is most always on a clay layer! It used to wash down from the sand and gravel operation upstream years ago. Now, none of it washes down anymore. I gave up on the river years ago.Twenty or thirty years ago, you could come out of there with some good poke. NO MORE! And too many druggies and losers haunt the campground.
 

I still get good gold on the bear every time I go out... Here's how to make a hole and a tool -
I have quite a few movies shot at the Bear...






A lot more then I thought :)
 

And the list goes on...





... And on... I've spent a lot of years down here and I use to dredge upstream with many other people before I started making movies :)
 

Here is a shot of the Bear and the custom 4'sniper that the great guys at Bazooka Gold Trap built for me. Thanks to Todd and Chris. This was November of last year.
 

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That's not motivating. That's intimidating. It is also bordering on abusive (in a language-sense of the word), and in a forum environment with this being your first post, is also disrespectful.

In the event you wish to start something, let me end it now by saying that I've said my peace - I have nothing more to say on the matter. I will be unsubscribing from this thread and will refer it to the Moderators for observation. So even if you reply to me, I will never know.
 

kcm said:
That's not motivating. That's intimidating. It is also bordering on abusive (in a language-sense of the word), and in a forum environment with this being your first post, is also disrespectful.

In the event you wish to start something, let me end it now by saying that I've said my peace - I have nothing more to say on the matter. I will be unsubscribing from this thread and will refer it to the Moderators for observation. So even if you reply to me, I will never know.
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That was far from intimidation brother. Besides that, even if it was, some of man's best prospecting was a result of fear and intimidation. Fear of not being able to provide for one's family. Intimidated by other prospectors, thieves and competition. If he wants to find serious gold, he must harness this negative energy and use it to destroy the mine fields. The fruits of his labor then, and only then, will be bounties o' plenty. The reward will be heavenly and he will find me and thank me. No offense, but some of the help others have offered him is quite useless. He may as well stay home, as I previously stated
 

Which help do you consider worthless?
 

I'm sorry, I meant in comparison to my advice. Your advice was ok. Some of these new guys need to hear the truth and need to be broken down and rebuilt to find good gold. Like boot camp if you will. I've found my best gold after extreme times of low self-esteem and feeling really worthless. My advice will turn any frown upside down! HH!
 

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