Prospecting a lost art..

[MadMarshall]

Prospector: the definition is "One who explores an area for a mineral deposit " It seems to me that most are content throwing in a sluice and panning in the river or creeks without giving much thought to the origin of the gold they are finding. I rarely come across an person who will be following gold up a hillside or even 100 feet from the water line. I wonder sometimes how many people actually still prospect. Now a days there are alot of different ways to get gold, dredging, underwater sniping ect. Are they considered prospectors? Or in a class all their own? I do not reconize gravel bars as deposits. More like a homeless camp of gold working its way to become new deposit somewhere. I'm curious as to what a Prospector is to some you? Also do all gold prospectors end up as miners??

 

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[johnnysau]

I agree with your comment, i for one believe in the LODE part of prospecting, its coming from somewhere, thousands and thousands of ozs came from somewhere
especially in the CA mother lode reading some of these books are unbelieveable in the amounts they describe, even though they hydraulicked or turned riverbeds to get at the gold. But i still believe in big veins of the stuff, waiting to be found. Ive gotten myself into a poor financial situation otherwise id be out there hunting au veins, getting older aint helping either.

johnnysau

 

[Terry Soloman]

Prospector: the definition is "One who explores an area for a mineral deposit " It seems to me that most are content throwing in a sluice and panning in the river or creeks without giving much thought to the origin of the gold they are finding. I rarely come across an person who will be following gold up a hillside or even 100 feet from the water line. I wonder sometimes how many people actually still prospect. Now a days there are alot of different ways to get gold, dredging, underwater sniping ect. Are they considered prospectors? Or in a class all their own? I do not reconize gravel bars as deposits. More like a homeless camp of gold working its way to become new deposit somewhere. I'm curious as to what a Prospector is to some you? Also do all gold prospectors end up as miners??

To the contrary, I believe the “art” of gold prospecting has been refined and is thriving in the new age of gold mining and discovery. And yes, all gold “prospectors” become placer gold “miners,” once the discovery is made.

 

[NeoTokyo]

Whelp I just started this past summer and I was always thinking about where the gold was coming from.
I know the two area's that I have worked have great gold but a short ways above the first spot there is nothing, now I dont know if that is due to dredging or if I have passed that lode up.
I have ran by with my metal detector on the hill/cliffsides and have only found trash so I have to think that this lode is somewhere in the creek.
It is also possible that it is gone and I am finding leftovers.

I research google earth maps as well to find area's that might hold gold, I know a lot of people do this and there are more everyday.

So I do not think it is a lost art.

 

[B H Prospector]

Ithink wat is happening is that most aren't that interested in lode gold aymore. There is so much red tape , government bs etc. that it isn't worth the hassel and expense for small miners. Prospectors are content to find a good paying spot and sink roots there and mine. I would say yes all prosectors do become at least placer miners.

B H Prospector

 

[TerryC]

Yes, placer mining (which includes gravel bars) IS "deposit" mining, commonly known as placer mining. It is called "alluvial" deposits..... down in the bottoms (rivers, gulches). On the hillside is elluvial deposits. And ore, etc. Mining on or in the hillside is very labor intensive and expensive..... usually beyond the scope of recreational prospecting. To be considered ore mining, the rock being mined must be economically feasable. Indeed, the definition of "ore" is any collectable mineral in concentrations large enough to turn a profit when mined. TTC

 

[MadMarshall]

I just don't know. For me once I started using big machines and dumptrucks it would become a job. Their would be no more smacking my hand with the hammer no more sounds of the river running. I'd have to listen to sounds of the "Tahoe National Forest" on my IPOD just to keep sane!! NO WAy !! I'm a Prospector I mine for a hobby>

 

[MadMarshall]

Went to the NF American river with my stepdad and came across a nice little pocket of dirty gold in a crack wish I had vid of the crack before I entered it. All the gold was found in the area where I am doin the pointing. Before I busted it up I noticed a small depression covered in moss . After peeling of the moss it revealed a little bit of fractured rock and then I went to work I soon realized the primary deposit was directly beneath the fracture and quality dirt went down for 3 inches and I suspect by how the rock was fracturing in that part of the crack that more dirt can be had. But I've already had my talks about what hand tools are appropriate,so I just made due.. total pull for that pocket was only 1.8 grams only took about 2 hours to beat that rock up.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Marshall...great work and pretty gold. Time to buy a new pan I think!

 

[NeoTokyo]

Was that a Garrett Gravity drop pan? Those have lifetime warranties, replace it if it gets works but right now it looks like its still going strong.

 

[TerryC]

Marshall...great work and pretty gold. Time to buy a new pan I think!

Naw! That pan is still gettin' broke in! Nice video, Mad .... nice tune! TTC

 

[MadMarshall]

It's a Garrett's Gravity Trap, and even after the tragic attack of the angry boulder in 2010 the pan is still everything it was before and more!! I'm not sure what is is but I don't like using other pan's or people using mine. Its definitly more than a pan It's my dinner plate, I drink out of it and also use it for a rolling tray its been good to me. I think like me my pan has lot's of character..

 

[KevinInColorado]

LOL, I stand corrected! LOL!