GioTheGreek said:
Haha awesome stuff guys.
Im still laughing at Functionals description....
Im in Saint John, NB Functional hehe.
I've been prospecting a bit this summer... and havent really gotten into sluicing and all of that.
I don't know what the laws are in NB, but here in BC, you can't sluice without a claim and permission to use one. About the only thing you can use outside of a claim involves recirculating systems that don't disturb the fishies.
Im trying to learn more about the minerals and rocks... basic geology stuff. I definitely know where there is exposed bedrock. We have a handy tool, a mineral occurence database at our provincial site.
It gives you all of the locations where gold occurences have been found.... and GPS coordinates. That's a start but... placer gold is one thing, finding that nugget is another.
Gold is here.... and I must find it
Rule # 1. If you find black sand, there
may be gold.
Rule # 2. If there is no black sand, there is no gold. (If you don't believe this rule, or choose to ignore it, go back and review Rule # 1.)
What are some quirky spots you find nuggets in your area? Aside from exposed bedrock.... or is that the best place to look, always?
I know I know, gold is where you find it
Gold, like most things on the planet, share a common tendency to obey the laws of physics. But, be you a nature lover, a physicist, or prospector, sometimes people don't pay attention to the laws of nature and its little quirks. For instance. Being heavy, one would naturally expect gold to stay at the bottom of a river, but I've scrapped the moss off of the sides of boulders to rinse out the moss and pan out the concentrate, (nature did most of the work for me). High dry old creek beds and other mineral deposits at higher altitude thrust up by volcanic, glacial, or actions involving plate tectonics are other examples. Don't be afraid to look up. Or down, or side to side.....
Once you find some of that shiny yellow stuff, you might want to check out this webpage and others on the site:
http://prospecting.50webs.com/meltingsmelting1.html
And if you live near the the ocean, you might try some nugget shooting on the beach if you have a good MD. Salt water messes with detectors, but some more than others.
F.
Clubs--be they gold/gem mineral/ or detecting. Newbie learning curve is murder. Clubs are full of great retired folks with claims, expertise, and time to address the issues that you need to know. Think local yokels with smaller being much better. Outings, cookouts and family values will enhance your life and make learning much more pleasant-tons a au 2 u 2 -John 
work slow
These are the precursor of summertime discoveries, (and sometimes major injuries if your not careful). 
