How often do you give up on all-metal and go to disc mode?

[bcfromfl]

I just returned a few days ago from a rugged, three-week trip to northern California searching for gold, using mostly my Gold Bug Pro. (Was doing some sampling, too.) Required months of planning, supplying, etc. I checked out several mining claims, some of them known for rewarding electronic prospectors with nuggets, and probably covered 50-60 miles on foot. Some bedrock/riverbank, some old diggings, some bucketline dredge tailings, some hydraulic mining areas. I’m very experienced with detectors, but not gold machines. Before I left, I did a considerable amount of training in my backyard, using various targets, and tiny pieces of lead. Since I was expecting to use all-metal, that’s what I familiarized myself using.

However, when I got there and turned the machine on, I discovered that it was basically futile to use all-metal. I worked banks along a major river known for its gold, but the serpentine bedrock was surprisingly mineralized…with hot rocks galore. No matter how I tuned the ground balance (usually somewhere between 81 and 87), I would get multiple “targets” on each sweep, where there were no cracks or other indications that gold might be present and/or hiding. I had to switch to discrimination, which was a huge disappointment because I knew how much I was reducing sensitivity and depth. Unnerving to search silently, too.

I did locate some tiny bits of metal trash (along with the usual nails, cans, wire, foil, etc.), so I know the machine was still doing its job even with the limitations. I had it set at “38” and was watching for repeatable targets between about 40 and 60.

Because of the distance involved (I live in the Florida panhandle), this was basically the “trip of a lifetime” for me. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to do this again, because of the expense. (I lived in the back of a U-Haul cargo van to save a few dollars.) As you might imagine, since I turned up a big goose-egg, I’m completely demoralized. I know nuggets are hard to come by, but I was very thorough in my research, and was working areas where large gold had been recovered previously.

Just to ease my mind a little, and for the sake of conversation, for those of you who use VLFs: how many times do you have to throw up your hands and go to disc mode?

Thanks for your input!

-Bruce

 

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[Tony_agr]

I have to say,I feel your pain, I live in an area extremely rich in gold history,my property sits right on top of gold rush era rich claim. I to have given up on all metals and have gone to discriminate mode, but I set mine at 20... Square nails,old barb wire, even an ore cart is just a few things in the ground.. I have gotten pretty good at recognizing the "hot rock"tone, but I do check occasionally.. my issue is lead..dang it sounds really good,but its lead.. I think I found an area where a possible gun fight?? dont know for sure, found very old .25 cal and .30 cal bullets.. If I use all metals and dig every time I get a signal, I'd be 2 weeks in a couple of square yards, and a very sore back. With that being said "no" that is my answer to "Have you found any nuggets by metal detecting" I have a Fisher Gold bug. It has a "pump"type" type ground balance so I will GB every 3-5 min depending on what the readings on the display are.. Good luck in the future,dont give up, I keep plugging away and hope that some day the MD will pay off, for now,I dig,classify,sluice,pan and blue bowl..

 

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[eyemustdigtreasure]

Bruce,
As a GBPro user myself, I know exactly what you mean.
In fact, I hunt in the discrim mode most of the time. But have tried All Metal, but to me, all metals sound same, so it would be the numbers that would interest me.
Did you use a small coil, to snipe among the boulders and large rocks, of the dredge tailings...?
However, sounds like you knew what you were doing, and in highly mineralized
environment, a high balance is expected, and the numbers you were looking for are the ones that gold (should) fall in...!
You just weren't over the good stuff, it is just way things work out. Don't worry, next time....
The expectation factor was your problem, I guess. Sorry.
But, did you enjoy the trip across our Country...??

 

[bcfromfl]

Thanks very much to everyone for your thoughts and suggestions! I enjoyed being in a part of this country I'd never been in before, and it was exciting to climb around in the rugged terrain...wondering what was around the next corner.

But there were some rough experiences, too. As I mentioned, I was living out of the back of a U-Haul cargo van. This allowed me to stay mobile, and not have to mess with setting up and breaking down a tent, etc., as I moved from claim to claim. I got in a terrible predicament once, however, when I got stuck just inches from a dirt road...that no one traveled upon while I was there. No cell service for miles. There isn't any weight in the back of a big van like that, and the rear wheels just spun, because the grade was just a little too steep for it to push forward. It took me sixteen hours, working through the night, to get myself free! I tore both rotator cuffs digging and chopping into the hardpan and wrassling with a wrecking bar, and for a few days, couldn't even use my right arm. If I ever do something like this again, a pair of those snow/sand tracks will be in my emergency kit. I could've driven right out if I'd had them.

Another thing that might be helpful to those of you planning a similar trip, are some shortcomings with Google Earth. I used GE extensively beforehand, mapping out where I planned to go, looking for bedrock and other unusual features, etc. The first thing is the date you notice in the bottom of the aerial images. Many of the spots I identified were clear of trees and brush on the images, which had dates either from 2014 or 2015. However, when I got there, it was very clear that more than a year or two had passed since the photos were taken. I couldn't get to many places because the brush was simply too thick. My guess is that the photos come up for periodic review, and if nothing major has changed, they just get a new date stamp instead of replacing them with newer images. The other thing is a flattening effect of the photos onto a computer monitor. What looked like easy hiking was, in fact, too steep to attempt. More areas I had identified were not places I could get to.

Did you use a small coil, to snipe among the boulders and large rocks, of the dredge tailings...?

I had the smaller coil with me, but I didn't really come across many situations where it would've been useful. So, I didn't spend the time switching coils back and forth.

...for now,I dig,classify,sluice,pan and blue bowl..

I think if I go back someday, sluicing will be my main focus. I would love to find a good claim to swing a coil, as that's what I enjoy most, but if I want to come out with something to show for my efforts, I'll be using a shovel. I did spend some time sampling here and there, but didn't find anything worth digging into on the banks, despite the red dirt that's supposed to indicate good gold material. I had a brush in my bedrock kit, and swept off rocks, dug into crevices, etc. (Useless information: I timed myself on a full pan of dry material...19 minutes. Six minutes on wet material.) Most of the gold is simply deeper under cobbles and gravel in the creeks and rivers. I know there must be some great nuggets sitting along the banks somewhere, but as I mentioned, I couldn't get to the best spots I thought I could.

I staged all my gear at my brother's place in Reno, so I wouldn't have to pay the highway robbery fees the airlines charge for extra bags/boxes. That way I could fly there, pick up the van, and drive the rest of the way. Don't know when/if I'll be able to do this again, but I want you all to know how much I enjoy this messageboard, and everyone's helpfulness!

-Bruce

 

[Lanny in AB]

Thanks very much to everyone for your thoughts and suggestions! I enjoyed being in a part of this country I'd never been in before, and it was exciting to climb around in the rugged terrain...wondering what was around the next corner.

But there were some rough experiences, too. As I mentioned, I was living out of the back of a U-Haul cargo van. This allowed me to stay mobile, and not have to mess with setting up and breaking down a tent, etc., as I moved from claim to claim. I got in a terrible predicament once, however, when I got stuck just inches from a dirt road...that no one traveled upon while I was there. No cell service for miles. There isn't any weight in the back of a big van like that, and the rear wheels just spun, because the grade was just a little too steep for it to push forward. It took me sixteen hours, working through the night, to get myself free! I tore both rotator cuffs digging and chopping into the hardpan and wrassling with a wrecking bar, and for a few days, couldn't even use my right arm. If I ever do something like this again, a pair of those snow/sand tracks will be in my emergency kit. I could've driven right out if I'd had them.

Another thing that might be helpful to those of you planning a similar trip, are some shortcomings with Google Earth. I used GE extensively beforehand, mapping out where I planned to go, looking for bedrock and other unusual features, etc. The first thing is the date you notice in the bottom of the aerial images. Many of the spots I identified were clear of trees and brush on the images, which had dates either from 2014 or 2015. However, when I got there, it was very clear that more than a year or two had passed since the photos were taken. I couldn't get to many places because the brush was simply too thick. My guess is that the photos come up for periodic review, and if nothing major has changed, they just get a new date stamp instead of replacing them with newer images. The other thing is a flattening effect of the photos onto a computer monitor. What looked like easy hiking was, in fact, too steep to attempt. More areas I had identified were not places I could get to.



I had the smaller coil with me, but I didn't really come across many situations where it would've been useful. So, I didn't spend the time switching coils back and forth.



I think if I go back someday, sluicing will be my main focus. I would love to find a good claim to swing a coil, as that's what I enjoy most, but if I want to come out with something to show for my efforts, I'll be using a shovel. I did spend some time sampling here and there, but didn't find anything worth digging into on the banks, despite the red dirt that's supposed to indicate good gold material. I had a brush in my bedrock kit, and swept off rocks, dug into crevices, etc. (Useless information: I timed myself on a full pan of dry material...19 minutes. Six minutes on wet material.) Most of the gold is simply deeper under cobbles and gravel in the creeks and rivers. I know there must be some great nuggets sitting along the banks somewhere, but as I mentioned, I couldn't get to the best spots I thought I could.

I staged all my gear at my brother's place in Reno, so I wouldn't have to pay the highway robbery fees the airlines charge for extra bags/boxes. That way I could fly there, pick up the van, and drive the rest of the way. Don't know when/if I'll be able to do this again, but I want you all to know how much I enjoy this messageboard, and everyone's helpfulness!

-Bruce

Wow! So sorry to hear about all of your struggles, and about ruining your rotator cuffs getting your vehicle out. You really headed out with the true spirit of the adventurers of old and have initiated yourself into the brotherhood of prospecting the hard way.

If it's too painful to detect right now, then hopefully one day you'll be able to swing a coil again and get some practice in.

I'm sorry your research didn't pan out, and I feel badly that Google Earth was a disappointment. You really did put heart and soul into your expedition, and it's just not fair that the gold escaped you. Mother Nature can be an elusive and wily lass, that's for sure.

The next time you hit the road on an adventure, I really believe you should join a local club or get in touch with a local nugget hunter that will take you out for a day or two to show you the ropes. There are a lot of good people on this forum that haunt the California gold fields, and other gold fields as well that might be willing, but don't expect them to take you to their best honey holes; however, they might just take you to a spot where you've at least got a fighting chance.

In the meantime, keep asking questions, keep reading everything you can on the subject, and keep visiting the forums. There's always something more to learn. It amazes me how every year I learn something else that somehow escaped me on earlier outings but that now lets me find more gold.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[bcfromfl]

Thanks, Lanny!

 

[bc5391]

I usually get tired of hearing nothing, so after an hour of hunting I go to all metal mode. Last week I cleared an area of bullets and brass.