Total gold prospecting newbie question here.

[SDBob]

I've been metal detecting for 40 years and have always had the "treasure hunting" bug. I always wanted to try my hand at gold prospecting and now that I'm retired I have more time to possibly do so. Been lurking on this forum and see there is a lot of good opinions and advice given to others. I live in Sioux Falls, SD and get to the Black Hills a few times a year to visit relatives and would like to try in that area. My first question has to do with sluices such as AM, Bazooka, versus something like the Nugget Bucket. Correct me if i'm wrong but don't they all classify material and you still have to pan the concentrates? Also did I see there was a new club in the Deadwood area?
Thanks
Bob

 

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[KevinInColorado]

Yes you still have to pan the concentrates in each case...or use a miller table or such.

 

[et1955]

Hi Bob, first I will ask you, have you found gold using a gold pan, that is essential in all above water prospecting, once you find a good spot then bring in the sluice, as for a sluice I use the classic A52 from Keene with some modifications my 30 plus years of placer mining have taught me, almost always where I can run the sluice is not near where the gold is so I classify the material to 1/2 inch at the site first, remember where the flow is slow there's the gold, Good Luck Ed

 

[SDBob]

Thanks for the replies Kevin and Ed.
I have not found gold using a pan yet as I'm just starting out in this hobby. I've seen and read where putting some bb's in the pan is good practice?

 

[arizau]

Thanks for the replies Kevin and Ed.
I have not found gold using a pan yet as I'm just starting out in this hobby. I've seen and read where putting some bb's in the pan is good practice?

For practice panning, shave a sliver off a lead sinker and chop up the shaving into small to tiny pieces (this will simulate most gold that is usually found in the real world today) and use those pieces (maybe a dozen or so) for practice. Count the pieces of lead that you add to your pan and when you can find them all, without too much effort and time, you are good to go. BB's will just kind of roll around unless flattened and they are too large to give you a challenge in practicing your panning technique. Almost anyone can separate gold of that size but that is not likely what you will usually encounter so practice with the smaller pieces! Here are two excellent videos on how to pan. How to Pan for Gold
Note the size of the gold Doc is separating out.
Good luck.

 

[The Gilded Lens]

Welcome SDBob!

What arizau said. Find yourself a nice pan with chunky riffles and smash up and shave off some lead. Count how many you put into the pan (with dirt/gravel) and pan down to the lead. Then re-count. When you get comfortable and aren't losing any pieces then head on out the river/creek.

Old-school riffled, metal sluices work really well, but you need to classify a lot then pan out your concentrates. I ordered a Bazooka so I can skip classifying and keep digging and sluicing. There's no "right" answer, just what works for you personal preferences, in your area and for the type of gold in that area.

 

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

A few years ago when I was physically able to get to gold streams in NH I would go to the Wild Ammonosuc by Twin Rivers Campground, an area that is a good producer (for everyone but me). Knowing that there is gold there I didn't take time to test pan I simply set up my sluice and a 5 gallon bucket which I filled by digging under rocks and classifying it down to 1/2 inch I would then take the bucket over to the sluice and run it. Many would laugh at my efforts (with my bad knees they were efforts in caps!) as in 4 trips I found about $5 worth of gold, about 12 specs. BUT it was gold I found. I haven't been able to go the last couple years due to my health but if I was going again I would do it the same way.
I am hoping to do a trip to Maine in the Rangley Lakes region this fall with a friend who I hope will do all the stream work and I can just sit there and run the sluice. I also keep asking my kids to bring classified dirt back from NH, of course they don't LOL.
I have started looking into buying pay and a couple of the guys on the forum sent me dirt from their claims! Of course I haven't been able to work it yet because we still have 4 feet of snow left on the ground!

Check out my video of my set up on the stream and my backyard operation.

 

[Skiddum]

favorite pan is the keene dual riffle. it's great for large gold and really good for cleaning up and supper fine gold

 

[goldhog]

Step 1........... Learn how to pan.

Step 2........... Really learn how to pan.

Step 3.......... Learn how to pan fine gold.

Step 4......... Really learn how to pan fine gold.


Then start your journey.

Panning will tell you where to work your equipment.
Panning will tell you what type of equipment to work.
Panning will tell you if you're working it correctly.
Panning will be the last step in your cleaning of your work.

Remember...........
EVERYONE stinks at panning when they begin.
Only a few become "expert panners".
Become one.......

 

[KevinInColorado]

YES THIS!

 

[azblackbird]

Step 1........... Learn how to pan.

Step 2........... Really learn how to pan.

Step 3.......... Learn how to pan fine gold.

Step 4......... Really learn how to pan fine gold.


Then start your journey.

Panning will tell you where to work your equipment.
Panning will tell you what type of equipment to work.
Panning will tell you if you're working it correctly.
Panning will be the last step in your cleaning of your work.

Remember...........
EVERYONE stinks at panning when they begin.
Only a few become "expert panners".
Become one.......

Very solid advice! In my case being out here in the AZ desert, I need to become proficient at dry panning. That's an art all into itself.