If you could move where would it be work/prospecting "not prospecting for a living"

[Toecutter]

If you could move where would it be work/prospecting "not prospecting for a living"

So If you could move to a place to work 8 hours a day and prospect after work or on weekends where would it be....In the USA lower 48

 

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[mikep691]

Reno, Nevada can provide employment year round in nearly any field. Within a few hours of there are plenty of open spaces for prospecting. Do your due diligence and you could have a weekend claim anywhere from the northern Cal. Sierras to Rye Patch to opal digging in far Northern Nevada.

 

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[brianc053]

I notice that no one is naming states in the East - Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia. Do you think that’s because there’s less gold (relatively speaking) or because there’s no BLM/similar public lands as everything is private?

I’m looking to move away from the NYC metro area in about 5 years and was seriously considering NC because I have family there, but I’m interested in what you have to say about the East vs West.

 

[bedrock bubba]

I can't imagine how you could have the energy to still prospect after working 8 hours a day 5 days a week, are you guys superhuman?? Digging for gold is the most exhausting, physically damaging and most life threatening hobby I've ever done!

Yes! It is! My best bud does great at it, because; He is built like a bull, very strong, and smart as a whip. And has been doing it since he was a boy, Dad was a dredger on the N. Yuba. He works at it full time, winter and summer!And he has done a lot of research on it too.

He has fallen off of cliffs, been mauled by a bear, bitten by rattlers, guns pulled on him, you name it!It is the only thing he really loves to do; its the adventure!

 

[bedrock bubba]

The West is the best for gold! And you just can't beat California for gold!

 

[A#1]

The West is the best for gold! And you just can't beat California for gold!

Even gold will never take me to that state. Just a damn shame.

 

[N-Lionberger]

More gold for us Californians. I'm planning on moving to Weaverville in Trinity Co in a few years.

 

[mike(swWash)]

Idaho in 4.1 years.
Retired at least 8hrs a day to fix and make things, then I want to run a backhoe to feed a small wash plant I'm going to build on my own claim for as long as I live

 

[KevinInColorado]

I’m on an old placer claim (patented in 1899) in Summit County Colorado. Life is good!

 

[gold tramp]

Yes! It is! My best bud does great at it, because; He is built like a bull, very strong, and smart as a whip. And has been doing it since he was a boy, Dad was a dredger on the N. Yuba. He works at it full time, winter and summer!And he has done a lot of research on it too.

He has fallen off of cliffs, been mauled by a bear, bitten by rattlers, guns pulled on him, you name it!It is the only thing he really loves to do; its the adventure!

Never been mauled by bear or bit by rattler. Got slabbed by large boulder, fell down a shaft also fell off cliff, got heat stroke mile from truck had to crawl back, chased on foot by chinese, harrased by low flyin helicpter, been shot at, claim jumped, but the worse thing has to beee the dadgum bees !
I agree much Adventure, i cant wait to see whats over the next ridge.
Gt....

 

[Goldwasher]

More gold for us Californians. I'm planning on moving to Weaverville in Trinity Co in a few years.

Would move but dug in with a mortgage and my wife loves her Job. But even she hates whats happening to this state. She knows were most likely outta here when she retires. But, who knows what will happen. Were on another Power shut of notice. It was supposed to go off at 7am. The kids have missed like two weeks of school over them. Running a generator costs about twelve bucks a day. we have solar panels but no battery (yet) so PG&E isn't buying power from us during the shut offs.

Everyone is getting their fire insurance cancelled we're forced to join the state managed "pool" at triple our previous annual premium.

I guarantee as this progresses we'll see new rules and regulations on personal generators. Lol maybe they just issue Dredging without a permit tickets

I've traveled most of The country. I've lived in Brooklyn of all places. Like I said hard to try to talk up Ca. positives but if you keep your head down. It's not that bad. If you are paying attention and live in a more rural area. It can be pretty tolerable.

There's no way in hell I would live anywhere east of the Rockies again.

 

[mikep691]

I moved to Reno from San Jose in 1997, mainly because it was becoming increasingly unaffordable to live there. Even then a $1000 a week job struggled to make ends meet. In 2001, I moved back across the border and settled for the next 18 years on 45 acres. As GW stated , rural parts of the state is the best. The farther north and east is the most tolerable. Now I'm still in that area that's rural yet only 30 miles to Reno. I'm lucky enough that Plumas County is mining friendly, and mostly rural and forest lands. My claim is a short hour drive away, and close enough to Quincy for an emergency beer run if needed. Live is good in the northeastern Sierras.

 

[Goldwasher]

I moved to Reno from San Jose in 1997, mainly because it was becoming increasingly unaffordable to live there. Even then a $1000 a week job struggled to make ends meet. In 2001, I moved back across the border and settled for the next 18 years on 45 acres. As GW stated , rural parts of the state is the best. The farther north and east is the most tolerable. Now I'm still in that area that's rural yet only 30 miles to Reno. I'm lucky enough that Plumas County is mining friendly, and mostly rural and forest lands. My claim is a short hour drive away, and close enough to Quincy for an emergency beer run if needed. Live is good in the northeastern Sierras.

Was in Plumas County early October. Stayed in Crescent Mills. It was our anniversary trip so I didn't even try to pan.

Did catch some trout though. Took a few really nice drives. $( back home I'd never taken that particular section.

 

[mike(swWash)]

Eastern states have been settled for so long there are almost no open areas to claim...... there's a lot of gold to this day but the land is all owned!
Out west is the best..........for now?

 

[firebird]

Eastern states have been settled for so long there are almost no open areas to claim...... there's a lot of gold to this day but the land is all owned!
Out west is the best..........for now?

Yeah but with dredging and using motorized equipment in California illegal, it sucks here as far as prospecting goes.

 

[Goldwasher]

Yeah but with dredging and using motorized equipment in California illegal, it sucks here as far as prospecting goes.

Motorized equipment is not illegal in Ca.

Stop listening to listening to people who like to talk themselves out of prospecting.

 

[firebird]

Motorized equipment is not illegal in Ca.

Stop listening to listening to people who like to talk themselves out of prospecting.

The laws get so confusing here, I've heard so many conflicting info on different people about prospecting laws here. When I went to a GPAA show a while back they even told me you aren't even allowed to prospect for gold here anymore.

 

[Goldwasher]

The laws get so confusing here, I've heard so many conflicting info on different people about prospecting laws here. When I went to a GPAA show a while back they even told me you aren't even allowed to prospect for gold here anymore.

yea at this point listening to the GPAA is pointless. They are not what they used to be. The membership has lost all its knowledge base . Because more serious prospectors want nothing to do with them.

Once I became a dealer it became really obvious that they were pointless. I really really used to stand up for them. But, the way they share misinformation just for the sort of members who join to virtue signal ruined it.

There is no law that has banned motors. Even with the way the new dredge law was written vaguely. It just doesn't stick legally to all motorized equipment.

They cant make a law that only pertains to one segment of public land user . That are using motors . But, not others.

 

[N-Lionberger]

I seem to remember some blowhard at the last GPAA show I went to that swore high and low it was all hands and pans now no sluicing anywhere what a farce, new people eating it up. GPAA shows can be weird haven't been to one in a few years I can't imagine what they are like now. It's a shame the first few I went to were really a happening time but it seemed to go downhill pretty dang fast.

 

[russau]

One thing to know is: Know your facts and NOT someone's opinion! The mining laws are complicated for most of us and don't know which laws to read next. Clay Diggin's does a great job explaining or pointing out the true fact's! It's the indiviiduals job/responsibility to know these laws and have copies in their folder for when the people (F.S. , BLM , F&W , DNR C.O.E. etc and don't forget BUSY BODY'S)come and try to tell your "their version" of the law ! And I agree that gpaa has LOST most of the GOOD PEOPLE that helped build the gpaa to what it was BUT that was then. I'm very disappointed in them now! And that's from a long time EX-MEMBER !

 

[hunterbill]

I've been daydreaming of North Carolina. There were some Huge nuggets found out there. 28, 25, 17, 15 pounds! When gold was discovered in CA, NC was mostly forgotten about. Best of all, it's mostly private, so there haven't been the hoards of public beating it to death for the last 170 years. I think dredging is AOK too. Find an old farm that has been in one family since forever, with a creek or river running through it, and work for them. Only need to find one 25 pound speck every once in a while. If the farm doesn't pay well enough, just go out and catch a couple of them Giant Bluefin Tuna for 10-20k apiece.