Gold/Quartzs and a little gold

[omnicron]

Gold/Quartz's and a little gold

Thought I would share my first gold/quartz find. It almost got tossed as it was in the oversized material that I usually just visually search but for some reason I spent more time looking this time

The gold is what I found in 3 1/2 days of dredging. I was trying to get up on Wednesday morning but didn't make it till that evening. I shut down and cleaned up on Sunday around noon. I'm really happy with what I ended up recovering




22 grams

 

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[loco oro]

nice , good nugget, and very good amount man! what size dredge you run ? awesome, go ahead and quit you day job,hell your pics have me ready to quit mine, well just getn up and i am ready to quit mine ,lol.

 

[omnicron]

I'm running a 4" dredge with a homebuilt 3 stage keene style sluice. No need to quit my day job as I lost it a month or so ago. This is my day job now, just wish it was closer to home but I have to drive 60 miles (1.5 hours) to get there. I have to leave my wife and 3 kids home and well I feel real bad about that. If I don't find a job by the time snow falls I don't know what i'm going to do...I'm thinking about trying the Snake River and it's flour gold being my sluice is designed for fine gold recovery...

 

[loco oro]

very cool that you are resourceful enough to do what it takes to make a buck for your family, now that is american, hats off to you man. i respect that!

 

[Sick4gold]

Damn nice work.
1000 bucks for 3 1/2 days of doing something you love.
Not gonna lie, kinda jealous.
Let me know if you need some cheap labor, u buy the plane ticket ill give you a full summers hard work for food, shelter, and a 15% cut
Lets say 1000 bucks a week, figure 52 weeks a year you should easily clear 52K which isn't great money but should pay the bills.
Here in the Midwest we dredge in the snow for a quarter of that take so don't let winter scare ya, just knock the ice off the floats once in a while.
I remember last winter I had to break 2 inches of ice to dredge. Some say its crazy but I don't think it's that bad. Get yourself a dry suit or a 7mm wetsuit and you won't care about the cold. In fact I have to stay in the water if its over 40 degrees out or I get very hot.
I guess it all depends how serious you are and how many screws you have loose.
Btw, good luck on the job search

 

[omnicron]

I thought about dredging in the winter at my spot BUT there is no way for me to get there after the snow flies due to over 5' of snow and I don't want to pack my dredge in piece by piece over a 1/4 mile. I already have 5 wetsuits from a vest style to full body with hood. The water is already so cold that my full body 7mm suit isn't cutting it, I had to double up with the vest below the full suit till I can get my suit heater built.

Thanks

 

[panningjack]

If you make that heater be sure to put a filter on it. I had a clog in my first homemade heater and got burned when it let go. This last spring I invested in some 7mm bogs boots instead of the normal scuba boots. I have zip up legs on my 2 piece 7mm suit so I put the suit over top of the boots. My feet stayed toasty warm in the freezing spring run off. When it's Really cold I also wear a 3mm one piece and 3mm socks under the normal getup. Good luck the rest of the season

 

[Hoser John]

Wetsuit heaters work great when made right and cook ya like a lobster when not. Know when to hold'm and when to fold'm and walk away as hypothermia is indeed a nasty adventure. A tent with a propane heater sure helps but 5' a snow by by by-John

 

[rodoconnor]

OC , there are plenty of spots on the Snake with a lot of fine gold, but it can drive you crazy trying to catch it ! Good luck

 

[omnicron]

Wetsuit heaters work great when made right and cook ya like a lobster when not. Know when to hold'm and when to fold'm and walk away as hypothermia is indeed a nasty adventure. A tent with a propane heater sure helps but 5' a snow by by by-John

I agree, to much snow when it flies! I've been researching heaters and am close to finalizing getting pieces and parts...just waiting for payment of the gold I just sold.

 

[omnicron]

OC , there are plenty of spots on the Snake with a lot of fine gold, but it can drive you crazy trying to catch it ! Good luck

I have read that, I'm hoping that my sluice on my dredge will catch it as it is designed for fine gold recovery. Take that 22 grams I recovered, 21.5 grams was all -30's (the smallest I classify to) but I think most of what I am recovering is -50's, I'm going to buy a -50 screen and find out. I just hope that there is a location on the snake by me that I can dredge.

 

[kuger]

I agree, to much snow when it flies! I've been researching heaters and am close to finalizing getting pieces and parts...just waiting for payment of the gold I just sold.

...as hoser said ....make ya claw out of your own skin if things go bad....make sure you built it right....been there done that and its no fun....at all

 

[GrizzlyGremlin]

Screeech!! #holycrap #drool #cleanmydrawers

Wow dude thats what im talking about! Thats being a BOSS. What is your your recommendation for a dredge?

 

[omnicron]

Screeech!! #holycrap #drool #cleanmydrawers

Wow dude thats what im talking about! Thats being a BOSS. What is your your recommendation for a dredge?

4" or bigger!!!

 

[panningjack]

4" or bigger!!!

Agreed! With a 4" a guy can handle the dredge fine on his own, move a lot of dirt, and have a chance at making a little dough