so much gold, so little time?

[mattisdell1983]

hey guys, just another quick one. Say hypothetically I went panning and sluicing(30" sluice) and a really rich mineral river, every weekend for about 5 hours a day and each time you go out you get a few small flakes but the rest fine gold. How long do you think it would take to get 4 to 5 ounces of gold Months? Years Thanks for the input, I'm just wondering how long it may take. I know there are many factors but I'm just looking for a general time frame, thanks, matt

 

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[TarheelPanner]

My buddy figured the same exact thing for us and if I remember correctly it would take us about 20 days to find enough to melt down to the size of a gold dollar.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Totally depends on where you are. Go out for a well measured amount of time and then weigh the result. You can get a cheap digital scale at a prospecting shop or 'head' shop. Where I am you do well to get 1/10 gram per hour in the river - $5 per hour, ignoring the cleanup time at home, is no way to get rich or even make a living BUT a heck of a lot of fun.

At that rate it takes 300+ hours in the river to get an ounce with a shovel and sluice. Now you know why some guys buy dredges!

 

[TerryC]

The amount of gold recovered is a direct result of the amount of sweat expended. After 10 or 20 5gal buckets, do the math. TTC

 

[TimC]

Hi Matt, The others failed to mention that the more you know where to dig the better return you will have. Vacuming in a dry wash isn't the same as dredging, but works much the same way. I vac a dig site before I wrap things up. It makes a big difference. TKC

 

[TAKODA]

Hell man , you could pull 10 ounces or more in a single day .
All you have to do is figure out where it piled up at .

 

[freddy williams]

To be honest gold is where you find it and if you get into a paystreak you could end up with Ounces in just a few hours, Like Takoda said you could pill out 10 ounces in a sigle day maybe more. Research is the key to finding the gold. If it was found in your area before you will find it today. Remember to cook your black sand and pour them into cold water it fractures the gold from the sands and you get alot of flour gold this way. Everything adds up in the end. The bigger the gold the more money it commands on the market. Private collectors pay more than anyone else. HH and may the dirt in your pan be gold...

 

[mattisdell1983]

hey guys, hanks for all the help... I have been sluicing for 3 straight days now with only 2 tiny specs of gold in a very gold rich river! Either Im doing something wrong or i am just in the wrong spots lol. All of your help is appreciated, thanks again Matt

 

[TimC]

Hey Matt,
You might be doing the right things, but if you are in a very easy to get to area it could be others did a good job of cleanning the gold out. Try somewhere harder to get to. Try some of the bank dirt. TKC

 

[goldfinder]

Like the its said "gold is where you find it". I see the prospectors around here slucing for a day and they are lucky for find a spec or two. I consider that lousy return on the investment in time and materials and equipment. And that is pretty much true around the state (AZ). A very few guys find something on rare occasion. There has got to be a better way. Otherwise, I'd find a lot better way to make money. The guys I've talked to fool themselves that its great exercise, outdoors fresh air, etc. They could mow lawns and make a lot more money around here - like $50-$100 an hour. And you'd get all the exercise and fresh air you wanted.

 

[TerryC]

I agree with you, goldfinder, mowing lawns is more profitable than prospecting. But I must disagree about the amount of gold that is found daily by the AZ prospectors. TimC and/or I will show you areas around Stanton, AZ, or the Bradshaws, where much more than a speck or two will be found in every BUCKET! I will go so far as to gaurantee it! The Y-Not or Weaver claims near Stanton. Or Lynx Creek in Prescott Valley. You don't have to take my word for it... we will SHOW you. Come on up (or over) to Yarnell, AZ. TTC

 

[Klondikeike]

Hey Goldfinder....

Klondike here....

Since you didn't identify where in AZ you are sluicing...I'll just say you may be in the wrong part of the state....maybe some of the others you refer to are as well.....And while I am in the beginning stages of operating a commercial placer mine on some really rich dirt...in AZ...... it all started with research, research, and more research ... and taking samples samples and more samples... using basic hand tools and a sluice box, incorporating a way to recycle the water in dry areas....and if all we got for our efforts was a couple of specs...I'd move to another spot or totally diffrent location...and certainly would not spend the enormous amount of money to start a comercial operation as we are doing....there are numerious locations around the State of Arizona where you can do real well....its all about the research and sampling time you spend.. seeking out libraries, old newspaper articles, history and geological books written about specific areas, visiting actual working mines, both underground and placer operations and local older residences....and how much sampling you do before settling on a place to "dig".... Then when you really dig....you'll find more than a few specs in a day...

One thing about mowing lawns... you MAY make more money over a weekend of effort....BUT...its not a thrilling as seeing ...even just a couple of specs of gold in your pan.....and knowing you did that...recovering some of that illusive gold....Its kind of like asking yourself...Why do people go fishing over and over....when they only catch a few now and then...when they can buy the fish to eat in a store and save money...for the same reasons we prospectors keep going out for a few specs ...over and over again....They aren't fooling themsleves at all....they do it because they like to do it for all the reasons they have stated....

That's why I've been doing it for well over 30 years.....for the fun, excercise and as a professional miner, for the profits...

Good luck to all....may every bucket of dirt you dig have some gold in it..


Klondike....

 

[GrayCloud]

If one is in it strickly for the money, then go get a job or second job. There is far more to life than just money.

 

[TAKODA]

Hey Matt,
You might be doing the right things, but if you are in a very easy to get to area it could be others did a good job of cleanning the gold out. Try somewhere harder to get to. Try some of the bank dirt. TKC

This here ain't bad advice . You should give it some consideration .

 

[TAKODA]

If one is in it strickly for the money, then go get a job or second job. There is far more to life than just money.

I gotta go with GrayCloud . I'm damn happy to be in the black . I make no apologies
for it either . I worked for it . That being said ; I truly believe you have to have a
passion for this stuff outside of profit . If you don't you most likely will never see
the black side of gold hunt'n anyway . Now days ; to me ; it's not just because I
want to try and make some money off of it ....... ........

It's also not some kind of so called fever or addiction ....................

It's just what I do .

You can take the hunt to all kinds of levels man . I had a situation one time that
had me driving to a little gas and gulp way out of my way for gas , beer , or anything
else I wanted . I went to this place for at least a year just to get to know the family that
ran and owned the little store.
Best investment in a year I ever made . This gold hunt'n thing entails all kinds of
stuff beyond just the science of it .

But I guess the real bottom line is if you don't like something about gold hunt'n
besides finding gold there is a better than average chance you will let it go in a
couple of years or so . Even if you have found a little shine along the way .

 

[GrayCloud]

Well said Takoda. Prospecting is my hobby of choice. I look forward to prospecting, just like I use to look forward to golf and fishing. Never made any money with those two hobbies, but I enjoyed them at the time. Sometimes I make money on an outing and sometimes I don't, but I do enjoy every minute of it. Keep in mind that when I say make money, that means that the value of finds exceeded the cost of the operation, not the liquidation of recovered gold.

 

[Hickory1]

Refer to my other post in reply to your questions regarding the stream you panned in and only got two flakes; it all adds up! How long it would take would depend on the size of your "finds".

 

[Hickory1]

I believe that part of prospecting is related to being outdoors. It is a relaxing experience with the sound of water, the sun, a breeze, and no urban noise! What other hobby can you actually receive a potential pay out on? Mowing I wouldn't consider to be a hobby, relaxing, or profitable.....Just my own opinion on finding/not finding gold while prospecting and this is in no way me "fooling myself" when I find nothing on that day.