Panning on Turkey Creek near Black Canyon City, Arizona

[TheNewCatfish]

Has anyone in the forum panned at this location ? How did you do ? Any trouble with access.. like gun toting crazies defending imaginary claims and running people off land they don't own ? I've run into these type of whackos in both New Mexico and Colorado. In a remote area, it can be pretty unnerving to run into one of these guys, even if you are yourself well armed.

 

[2cmorau]

Sounds like deliverance but in Colorado ?

 

[TheNewCatfish]

That's right. Deliverence in Colorado. Happened at the Point bar Recreational site east of Salida at the Wellsville turnoff. First day i'm there camping right next to the public restrooms, this red pickup truck drives up into my camp. The driver informs me he is armed and is patrolling the GPAA Claim a mile to the east and warns me i will be fired on for tresspassing if i venture any further than the curve in the river. The guy asks, "How long you been here" ? "What equipement are you using" ? "What have you found" ? Just like he's a BLM officer or something. I suggested he go find someone with a smaller gun than his to intimidate. He also pulled into my camp and others nearby after dark on two occassions and sat there for several minutes with his engine running and headlights on. I spoke to several neighboring campers and i wasn't the only one thinking about putting a few holes in this guys pickup the next time he shows up. I even reported these incidents to the real BLM ranger and he just shrugged it off and said, "Well whackos and gold sort'a go together, don't they ?" Finally i went to the BLM headquarters in Salida and spoke to the rangers supervisor who also dismissed my complaint with a grin and a shrug.

Apparantly this "Whacko" is well known by these park officers and is being ignored because he hasn't actually crossed the line by assaulting anyone yet.. and hasn't gotten himself shot at either. I also learned from the regional office, the GPAA Claim this nut says he patrols is in reality located around a mile beyond the bend in the river. Sooner or later, Billy Bob in his red pickup is going to run into somebody with a gun who already knows where the claim markers are and ain't gonna back down. And these "do nuthin" BLM rangers are gonna have one heck of a bloody mess on their hands.

 

[Gramps43]

Ya know the real chuckler in this is that I believe both the BLM and USFS go armed and consider themselves as Law Enforcement Osifers. Yet when they have a case of a nut job threatening people they won't do anything about it, real brave those seeds and weeds cops.

Gramps

 

[russau]

theres another one of these wackjobs that lives about 10 miles above Buena Vista Colorado on the Arkansa River. a friend of mine bought another claim and this waco lives next to it and he claims its his claim.he tries to run you off.you cant leave anything there cause he will either cut it lose or destroy it. hes also been reported only to get the same reaction from the BLM!dont you think the BLM people are putting themselves in a libelious situation if/when someone does get hurt by these wacos?

 

[TheNewCatfish]

I believe these officials WON'T be held accountable when something serious happens. In neither case was a "written" report taken. No report, no liability. IT NEVER HAPPENED. This sort of thing took place in my hometown about a year ago. A fifteen foot alligator living in a large pond behind a subdivision full of children who swam in the pond all summer finally killed a teenage boy. Every agency in the county recieved hundreds of calls about the monster gator. But the gator hadn't ever attacked anyone before and either no report was filed, or, the complaint was passed along to another useless agency which also didn't take any action or make a report. A lawsuit was filed against the county, but without any documentation the county was aware of the danger, it's unlikely the parents of the boy will ever recieve one red cent. My guess is, every county officer who FAILED to take a report about this dangerous animal will probably be PROMOTED in the next tweleve months just to make sure they don't say anything incriminating in a legal deposition. I can also imagine what would have happened if some adult living in Kingspoint Subdivision had walked out to the pond with a rifle and put a bullet into this gators head. There would have been criminal charges, mountains of paperwork and reports. Probably for years and years.

If anyone doubts this horrible story could possibly be true. Just check on line for the Slidell Sentry News Paper for a story around September 2010 with the rediculous title "Who Could Have Known" ? You see, the gator known locally as "Ole Grampa" was very well known by everyone. So the paper had to go the extra mile in print to make it sound like no one was aware this dangerous animal had been there for decades.

 

[TheNewCatfish]

Camping and prospecting "alone" can be very dangerous, even if you are well armed and acting completely within your legal rights, especially in a remote location. I wonder if prospectors are still being "bushwhacked" on their way out ? That's why i always try to partner up with someone else. Safety in numbers.

 

[PROSPECTORMIKEL]

THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO TAKE A STAND ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT...
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE A SHOVEL TO A GUNFIGHT!

I'VE BEEN RUN OFF AT GUNPOINT ONCE. THE NEXT TIME SOMEBODY TRIES THAT, THE SHOVEL
MIGHT BE FOR DIGGIN A GRAVE, IN STEAD OF USIN' IT FOR A SHIELD!!!

AND IT IS COMFORTING TO HAVE ONE WHEN THERE ARE BEAR SIGNS CLOSE BY. I LEARNED
THAT, FIRST HAND.... HECK EVEN WITH A PISTOL, BEARS GET KINDA UN-NERVIN'!!

 

[RGINN]

Dang, that's good to know, catfish. We camp at Rincon a lot a little farther east of there and pan 'recreationally'. There is an active placer claim in that area and I've seen the markers, but I believe it's a little upriver from that spot. Whatever I do ain't much of a threat to em and probably helps as I remove a whole bunch of black sand from the river. Never seen that guy, but will keep an eye out. I suppose if he shows up in my camp carryin on like you said, we will break him from suckin eggs. Somebody bucks up and shuts him down that crap won't take place no more.

 

[tapoutking]

Take his gun and curb stomp him. He'll leave the next guy alone.

 

[rick.ther]

yep, been down on those claims before. might want to carry.
be looking for illegals more than crazies. been some shootin in that area before.
good area for color though.

 

[kuger]

If he is representing the GPAA,wouldnt ya think maybe they should know how he is actingSounds like a lawsuit to me and def. not good press??

 

[petrie]

hey catfish i am looking for places near canon city, and wetmore do you know of any right around there that may be good.

 

[TheNewCatfish]

I had no luck near Canon City, but didn't invest much time there. Spent about six weeks checking out the Arkansas River and Red Canyon (a spot where one fella said there was definately gold in a creek under a huge rock over-hang). Every lead turned out to be a fish tale. Grape Creek was also unproductive, except for very tiny microscopic gold. Sorry.

The problem with "throwing down" on one of these local fruitcakes, is they are the "local" guy and we are the tourists. The local authorities know who these weirdoes are and how they act. But refuse to do anything about it. If it came down to a confrontation, i'm sure the authorites would view the local guy as the victim and the outta-towner would end up in handcuffs. Don't make the mistake of thinking these National Park rangers arn't local "good ole boys" themselves. It ain't right, but it's just the way it is.

 

[menotomymaps]

It's always best to be panning with at least one other partner in my experience, for about 10 reasons.

I've got some ol AZ mining district maps on my site which might be of use, btw:

http://menotomymaps.com/gold_claim_maps.asp

 

[TerryC]

Catfish. This area should be good for color. I have not personaly been to the BC City but have been to many sites just to the west, Wickenburg up to Presscot. You will do good there. C'mon down to AZ!! TTC

 

[idowa]

Catfish. This area should be good for color. I have not personaly been to the BC City but have been to many sites just to the west, Wickenburg up to Presscot. You will do good there. C'mon down to AZ!! TTC

I've been puttering around in the area NW of Mayer on my ATV and in my Suburban and there are a couple of RVs back in there belonging to some miners. They are working the dredging piles of an old operation and must be doing fairly well... I don't go sniffing around their area and just wave when I go by, and they wave back...

I carry a S&W M&P40 fullsize w/ 15rds and spent a few years in the military, and a few more as a federal park ranger. I can see any vehicles or people coming for a mile where I am, so not too concerned about being bushwacked.

 

[mcurran123]

any luck

hey Petrie was wondering if u had any luck? was thinking of going to the same area and was wondering are there places easy to get to with sedan access. Any help you could give would be awesome.